ao 



JOUENAL OF HOETIODLTUEE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



[ Julj 9, 1868. 



others to add to. All the plants named in it are very hardy, and 

 easily transplanted, except in cases where it ia stated that they 

 are olherwise. 



Adbrietia pxjepurea, a dwarf, spreading, berbaceons plant, 

 likes dry ground, and is raised either from seeds or cuttings, 

 the former being preferable. As a permanent edging it deserves 

 a place almost everywhere, brit it bears transplanting well ; 

 being densely covered with pale purple flowers, it is a great 

 favouiite in spring. A striped-leaved variety is still more pretty 

 as a plant, although its flowers are less ornamental. A. Camp- 

 belli has darker-coloured flowers. AH are good. 



AfiiBis ALBiDA is One of the earliest and most easily culti- 

 ■vated of all our spring-flowering plants, but it ia often neglected 

 at the time when its propagation ought to be attended to. 

 Being of a free-growing habit, it speedily becomes too large for 

 removal with case, and it is preferable to pull a few plants to 

 pieces in June, and insert the cuttings, or rather slips, for 

 they may be 6 or 8 inches long, in a piece of nursery ground, 

 using the spade for the purpose much the same as in plant- 

 ing Box edging. They will form useful plants to take up 

 iu autumn, when they may be removed to their flowering 

 quarters. The perfect hardiness of this plant, and the profusion 

 of flowers which it produces, entitle it to more attention than 

 it receives, and its propagation is on the whole less trouble- 

 some than that of some annuals which require twice trans- 

 planting. 



Arjbis AiBiDA VAiuEGATA. — Of less robust habit than the 

 preceding, its flowers are not less beautiful, while as a plant 

 for winter decoration it has few equals. I mention merely the 

 plant, not its flowers, for winter decoration, because the cha- 

 racter and appearance of the plant are of more importance at 

 that season than the flower, and it will be admitted by all 

 that out-door flowers present only a sorry appearance in the 

 dead winter months when this plant is so neat and interesting. 



Akabis lucida aukeotaelegata. — I have never been able to 

 make much of this plant, which seems to require a soil in which 

 lime does not predominate to such an extent as with us. Its 

 leaves rather than its flowers are its chief merit. 



Primroses. — The great variety of colour and compact habit 

 presented by this family render it a favourite with everyone, 

 nevertheless it does not succeed alike in all places, and with 

 us dry summers affect it most, more especially the Polyanthus 

 section. In general the single varieties make a better display 

 than the double ones, and are more readily propagated. 

 The single white and siuule pink are my greatest favourites, 

 but the common wild Primrose is a desirable addition to 

 these. Taken np and transplanted in some shady, rather 

 moist soil. Primroses generally do very well; but where such 

 north borders are wanted for summer Lettuces ond similar 

 crops and the plants have to be placed in some dry corner, the 

 drought of summer affects them very injuriously. In general 

 the best specimens of Primroses are those which have remained 

 two years or so in the same place without having been dis- 

 turbed ; when longer in one place they very often become 

 unsightly. 



Altssum BAXATrLE. — I know of no plant which in dry soils 

 is equal to this iu intensity of colour at the period when it 

 flowers; it is also hardy and readily adapts itself to trans- 

 plantation twice a-year. We have grown it extensively at 

 Linton Park for many years, and we have two varieties of it, 

 one much dwarfer than the other, the flowers of both being of 

 a vivid golden colour. A variety with variegated foliage does not 

 flower so freely, but it looks well as a plant, and being very 

 hardy is well adapted for winter work. It must be propagated 

 by cuttings, but the ordinary form of Alyssnm saxatile is easily 

 raised from seed, which it produces freely. A dry soil appears 

 to suit this plant best, as it clings to a dry corner with a 

 tenacity not met with in every plant. I consider it amongst 

 the best and most useful of spring-flowering plants; i » gay 

 appearance gives it an importance even when viewec om a 

 distance, and the sturdy character of the plant when ^ot in 

 flower is also in its favour. 



Hepatica. — I mention this more on account of what I have 

 seen elsewhere than as being successful with it myself, for I 

 have never been able to manage it satisfactorily ; either it did 

 not transplant well or did not flower freely, so that I have not 

 tried it for many years. In some places, however, it has been 

 fine, and the neat character of the plant and its other qualities 

 are great recommendations, if it can be made to endure trans- 

 planting twice a-year and will yet bloom well. 



Ibbkis oiBiiALTABicA. — This is somcwhat later than the 

 AlfBSUiu, but ia a compact plant, which preserves a good ap- 



pearance all winter. As an edging it also looks well, aod 

 after flowering bears cutttingin better than most plants of its 

 kind. I have used it more as a permanent edging than for 

 spring bedding. An improved sort has lately been introduced 

 called, I believe, I. ternata. The flowers are of a clearer white, 

 and, instead of forming an umbel, are collected in a sort of 

 short spike or head, the habit of the plant being about the same 

 as that of I. gibraltarica. 



Daisies. — I have not planted these much, but where I have 

 seen them the double white was of most service. Much, how- 

 ever, depends on the distance a plant is from the observer. If 

 it is 50 yards off or more, usually pale-coloured flowers, m 

 contrasting most strongly with the ground, look best, and those 

 of a dull red colour are but little seen, but when close under 

 the eye both look well. 



Bulbs. — Although last on the list these ought to have been 

 first. The Snowdrop, which is noticed the least of all by bulb- 

 vendors, is the most useful, as it transplants well in all stages 

 of its growth, flowers the earliest, and has the important re- 

 commendation that when planted near woods and similar 

 places it is not liable to be attacked by mice like the Orooiu 

 and Narcissus. Bulbs, however, are too well known and ap- 

 preciated to require more than a passing notice. 



To the above may be added many other beautiful and serviee- 

 able plants, and the Winter Aconite for one ; but although it 

 thrives remarkably well here when not removed, its success is 

 not so satisfactory when it is taken up twice in the season, and 

 the same remark holds true with regard to the Christmas Bose. 

 There are so few annuals that meet our requirements of what may 

 be called a winter plant that my list of them is a very meagre 

 one. Many years ago I used to plant the Virginian Stock for 

 early flowering, and I am not aware yet of any annual that 

 blooms before it, but as a plant to look at and handle it is 

 poor, although it is quite hardy and only resembles many other 

 annuals. The Forget-me-not, which is very sturdy, also flowers 

 tolerably early during a mild season, and nothing could well 

 excel two large beds of it which I had this spring ; but then 

 every winter may not be like the last, and when I say that 

 plants of Tritoma uvaria were in full bloom in March, it need 

 hardly be wondered that other plants were in a like manner 

 unhurt by the cold. I fear, therefore, that the Forget-me-not 

 must not be classed with the very early-flowering ones, while a 

 variety called Impfiratrice Elizabeth is very much later, in 

 fact, it did not flower tillJune, when the hot weather decreased 

 both the size of its flowers and the duration of their beauty. 



There are no doubt other early flowers besides those whioh I 

 have mentioned ; but many say that the Pansies do not do 

 well in dry summers and on dry soils, and Yiola cornuta does 

 not meet our requirements of the class of plants I am referring 

 to, as old-established plants do not flower early enough, while 

 the very pretty family of Mimulus requires a greater amount 

 of moisture than is generally given. Wallflowers will do 

 better, but they require somewhat more attention during the 

 summer than they often receive ; and the same may be said of 

 several other plants equally beautiful. The really early-flower- 

 ing plants are not so numerous as might be supposed, and 

 those which present a good floral display in April after a hard 

 winter are the kind wanted. Later-flowering subjects are 

 plentiful enough. 



Having gone thus far without lauding the prevailing rage for 

 spring gardening so much as many have done, but without at 

 the same time wishing to disparage the system (my purpose 

 being to confine it to the class of plants flowering early enough 

 to allow of the beds being cleared and prepared for the summer 

 bedding plants at the proper time), I would particularly urge 

 all whose beds are objects of daily inspection to try to make 

 them as ornamental as possible during the winter months. 

 In general it is hopeless to look for many out-door flowers 

 from the middle of November to the middle of February, and 

 sometimes even during a longer interval; but there is no 

 reason why ornamental plants should not occupy such beds 

 during this period, and the plants available for the purpose 

 are quite as numerous as those flowering in April. The winter 

 decoration of the flower garden is not of less importance than 

 the spring display, while it has the advantage of not interfering 

 in the least with the summer bedding, which in most places 

 is after all of the greatest consequence. — J. Bobson. 



EOYAL HORTICDLTTTBAI. SoCIKTY'g EXAMINATIOX OF GABDBH- 



EES. — The next examination of candidates for certiBcatea will 

 take place at Kensington on the 14th of this month, and for 



