278 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



r October 15, 1868. 



enhanced in solemnity by a specimen of the beautiful Pieea 

 grandis, and if the background is stiff and formal, the remedy 

 is a specimen or group of some graceful plant, as the Pam- 

 pas Grass. These groups or masses should be separated 

 by glades, or intervals not planted, and so disposed as to 

 form a whole. lu some parts the walks should pass through 

 the border, or it should be repeated on the other side of the 

 path, and when the path passes between masses there must be 

 intervals to permit of groups of objects being seen, artistically 

 prolonging the perspective. These masses should be varied, 

 i)oth in disposition and in subjects, but nevertheless allied, 

 so that they may harmonise with neighbouring masses. 



The masses, as a rule, should join the walk, being separated 

 only from it by a grass verge, and may go alongside the walk 

 30 or 40 yards, or as many feet, varying in width the whole dis- 

 tance, for whatever the form of the clump may be on its other 

 side, on that next the walk the same width of grass must he 

 maintained the whole length. The mass may begin with a 

 single tree or space for that, widening as it proceeds until it is 

 20, iO, or 60 feet wide, or it may be any mean between these, 

 then be brought round with a bold swell, and back again in the 

 lorm of part of a circle, terminating a little further than the bold 

 part stands out. This will give crescents or part circles on the 

 opposite side to the clumps — excellent spaces of grass in which 

 to place specimen plants contrasting in habit or hues of foliage, 

 serving as connections between the masses or parts more or 

 -Jess distant from each other, and the defect of monotony, ever 

 apt to creep in, will be greatly decreased. 



To revert once more to the boundary border. As already 

 stated, the border may be widened to shut out objectionable 

 objects, which increased width need not necessarily detract 

 _lrom the beauty of the interior, but though limiting the extent 

 of view, will enhance rather than detract from it ; and the 

 'border may also be narrowed to admit of objects of interest and 

 =to afford diversity of view. This should not be carried too far, 

 •'for one grand effect is preferable to a multiplicity of minor 

 ones : at the same time diversity of form and subject pushed 

 to the extreme is worse than repetition ; the latter greatly in- 

 creases the apparent extent, but diversity contracts it, and can 

 only be permitted in continuous arrangements. Repetition and 

 ■tflistiuctness of view are productive of an agreeable effect, but 

 diversity and indistinctness of view are destructive of effect. 

 Shrubberies, where the aim in planting has been to secure a 

 great variety of subjects and much diversity, are less in ap- 

 pearance than those formed with a due regard to distinctness 

 of view, contrast of form, height, colour, and repetition, the 

 latter making the space to the eye larger than were an equal 

 number of varieties planted in place of the like number of one 

 species or variety only. 



The border, I was about to remark, may be widened to give 

 space for planting to shut out unsightly objects, and it may be 

 doubled or trebled in width to afford shelter ; for as the wall 

 or fence is a protection to the shrubs, so also must the shrubs 

 be made to shelter the plants which they in a manner en- 

 close. Without such helps in breaking the violence of winds, 

 and diverting cold currents of air, many plants called hardy 

 v?ould be swept away ; but such are grown by a judicious arrange- 

 ment of the shrubs next the boundary, and planting them 

 more thickly at the points whence come the coldest and strong- 

 ■est winds. By planting a thicket of Blackthorn on a bleak 

 'hillside, behind it may be grown a group of Laurels or Auciibas ; 

 ■and so by planting a thick belt of shrubs, putting the hardiest 

 at the back in the parts most exposed, we obtain the shelter 

 necessary for the most tender of so-called hardy plants. These 

 increased widths of the shrubbery will not detract from the 

 harmonious effect of the internal arro.ngemeuts but enhance it, 

 -as from a greater breadth of shrubbery we secure richness, 

 distinctness, and massiveness, the last being especially produc- 

 tive of effect. Isolated specimens never have the effect of a 

 mass, though they appear advantageously when used as con- 

 nections between masses, being then refreshing ; but frequently 

 repeated they almost always present a certain degree of mo- 

 aotony. 



At the most distant parts, and especially near the entrance, 

 deciduous shrubs should predominate, for in the distance they 

 are not so black and frowning when leafless, nor is their bare- 

 ness so easily discerned as when near ; whilst in summer, 

 when at a distance, their lively foliage and gay flowers do not 

 ^iorm so great a contrast to the evergreens which, as a rule, should 

 „Jje near, and though chiefly in masses, yet they must be in 

 '|)j:oportion to the masses of deciduous shrubs. The groups of 

 eyergreens may be in one spot, but it should be borne in mind 



that they form a distinct view, and should be so arranged as to 

 constitute a whole of themselves. When, however, masses of 

 deciduous and evergreen shrubs occur in the perspective, the 

 evergreens will not be in keeping in a large space where masses of 

 deciduous shrubs abound. This may be remedied by multiply- 

 ing the masses of evergreens, but it is not necessary that they 

 should occupy space corresponding to that which the deciduous 

 shrubs have, it being necessary to establish between the ever- 

 greens the same or a similar correlation as is required by the 

 deciduous shrubs, therefore, their forms should recur at suit- 

 able intervals. To have a good effect the evergreens must in 

 this case be interspersed with the leafless shrubs. 



Evergreen and deciduous shrubs rarely look well together, 

 but for variety a few evergreens may be interspersed among 

 the deciduous shrubs. Generally, however, when evergreens 

 and deciduous shrubs compose the same groups the latter 

 should be planted in the distance, at the back of a border or in 

 the centre of a group, the evergreens being placed in front. 

 Clumps of this class, also borders, may occur near the entrance, 

 and recur by the mansion, for these are the most distant points 

 of view, and their indistinctness will not be so manifest as in 

 the separating and connecting masses, which ought to be as 

 distinct as possible. The intermixing of evergreens with de- 

 ciduous shrubs is always bad, and yet evergreens are too dull 

 in summer unless enlivened by intermixture with flowering 

 shrubs ; whilst in winter nothing is so cold as a frowning mass 

 of deciduous shrubs ; therefore, to give freshness in winter 

 evergreens may be rather extensively intermingled with the 

 deciduous subjects ; whereas, near the mansion, the masses 

 may be of a mixed character, but nothing must be done without 

 harmony. 



In front of the windows, but not too near, small groups of 

 the better sorts of evergreen flowering shrubs ought to be 

 planted, but unless this can be done without destroying the 

 other parts of the design, or in itself be a distinct feature, it 

 will be well to omit it, for nothing is so ugly as grass cut into 

 all manners of fancy shapes, nothing so beautiful and effective 

 as a broad expanse of grass, the finest of all evergreens. — 

 G. Adbey. 



(To be continueil.) 



NEW ROSES. 



"They come! They come!" and the inquiry on all sides 

 is, " What will they be ?" We have had for years to hear the 

 high-flown praises of foreign Roses, but let Rose-growers be 

 sure that ere long they will have to decide on the merits of 

 English as well as foreign ones. Hitherto the former have 

 been few, but the conviction has forced itself on some minds 

 that after all Piose heps will ripen in England, and good seed can 

 be obtained. I saw not long ago four or five large beds of seed- 

 ling Roses in one well-known nurseryman's grounds, and Ihear 

 of others ; while this year has been so favourable to the ripen- 

 ing of seed that many others will be trying their " 'prentice 

 hands " at it. But for the present we have to do with foreign 

 Roses. The John Hoppers, Mrs. Wards, Lord Clydes, Dukes of 

 Edinburgh are few and far between ; while the Souvenirs, 

 Comtesses, Dues, and Madames are as plentiful as blackberries. 



When I was over in Paris this year the season was so far 

 advanced that I was unable to see many of the novelties. I 

 saw, however, several of the Rose-growers — Margottin, Charles 

 Verdier, Eugt-ne Verdier, &a. The first has three new Roses, 

 I believe; Charles A^erdier three also, and Engine, mirahile 

 dictu ! none at all. Of those of which I heard most from all 

 growers was one which is to be sent out by Charles VerdJ«r, 

 called Thyra Hammerik. It was raised by an amateur, and is, 

 I am told, a vastly improved Duchess of Suthei-land, and a 

 flower of great beauty ; while a bloom which I saw of Souvenir 

 de M. Portemer, sent out by my old friend Margottin, gave 

 promise of great excellence. 



I have received two lists from the Lyons raisers, Ducher and 

 Guillot fils, and these names have been favourably^ before us 

 the last two or three vears, for Antoine Ducher, Madame Mar- 

 gottin, La France, and Bouton d'Or have established themselves 

 as favourites ; hence we may have a reasonable hope that they 

 may again have something good to offer us. 



DUCHEK. 



La Tultpe (Tea).— Vigorous growth. Flowers large, full, and 

 well-formed, white tinted with rose, and sometimes with lilac. 

 A plant of grand effect. 



Marie Ducher (Tea).— Vigorous habit. Flowers large ana 

 ■well formed, very bright rose. Superb novelty. 



