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JOURNAL OP HOBTIGOLTUBE AND COTrAGE GARDENER. 



[ June 19. 1873. 



While upon this subject I may just add that in too many 

 instances the starving system in connection with summer- 

 flowering bulbous plants has done more to bring them into bad 

 repute with amateurs than any other thing. By the starving 

 system I mean the total neglect of these plants after their 

 beauty is past ; like many plants, they require just at that tinae 

 particular attention in order to enable them to finish their 

 "rowth in good condition. The reverse of this treatment 

 leads to the formation of weak tubers, which produce but few 

 flowers the next season, and then we often hear the remark, 

 ■"Tes, those plants did very well with me the first year, but I 

 never was able to manage them satisfactorily afterwards." 

 Therefore, referring specially to the treatment of Gloriosas, I 

 would say. Do not neglect or entirely refrain from watering 

 until the stems have quite decayed, then remove them to a 

 cool place, and keep them dry until required the following 

 spring. 



G. suPEKBA.— This fine plant ought to be familiar to all 

 plant-growers, for it is considerably over a century and a half 

 since its introduction to what were then called our bark stoves. 

 It attains a height of S or 9 feet, and is subjected to the treat- 

 ment above detailed, but it must be grown in the stove. The 

 stems and leaves are smooth, shining, pale Ught green; the 

 leaves are ovate-lanceolate in shape, the apex being lengthened- 

 out into a long spiral tendril, which clings firmly to anything 

 with which it may come in contact. The flowers are produced 

 from the axils of the leaves ; petals six in number, narrow- 

 lanceolate, undulate, crispate at the margins, and measuring 

 about 3 inches in length. In young flowers the petals are 

 straight, but when fully expanded they reflex until they stand 

 almost erect, with their points nearly touching. The colour is 

 Tich orange red, and the appearance of dozens of these large 

 gaudy flowers must be seen to be fully appreciated. Native 

 of the East Indies. 



G. GRANDiFLoKA.— In general habit this species resembles the 

 preceding ; it is, however, a much stronger-growing plant, and 

 is perfectly distinct in colour. Well do I remember the delight 

 which I experienced on blooming this species for the first time 

 after its introduction to England, for I had tended it diUgently 

 under the conviction that it was a new kind. It is a robust 

 and vigorous grower, attaining a height of from 10 to 12 feet. 

 The leaves are sessile, ovate-lanceolate in shape, terminating 

 in a long tendril, and pale green in colour. As with G. superba, 

 •the flowers are six-petaled, and like it also they become re- 

 flexed when mature ; the petals are lanceolate, about 4 inches 

 long and vary from pale sulphur to rich golden yellow m 

 colour. It succeeds best in the stove, but, like the first-named 

 kind, it will thrive admirably in an intermediate house, and 

 lasts nearly three months in beauty. Native of Western 

 Tropical Africa. 



G. viKEscENs Plantii. — For an intermediate house early m 

 summer, or a snug place in the greenhouse later in the season, 

 few plants are more showy and attractive than the kind above- 

 named. It attains a height of about 8 feet ; leaves oblong- 

 lanceolate, with a short terminal tendril; flowers axillary, six- 

 petaled, and spathulate in shape, differing, however, from 

 <i. superba in the plain, not crispate margins. The lower half 

 of the petals is bright rich yellow, the upper portion bright 

 red tinged with orange. The blooms last long m full beauty, 

 and if attention be paid to potting the tubers successionally, 

 their brilUant flowers may be enjoyed for four or five months 

 during the summer and autumn. It is to be found in^o™^ 

 gardens under the name of G. Leopoldiana. Native of Natal 

 and various parts of South Africa.— Expekto Gredh. 



HAEDY PERENNIALS.— No. 1. 



The practice now so extensively adopted of filling entire 

 compartments of the flower garden during summer with plants 

 not long since regarded as occupants of the greenhouse ex- 

 clusively, has no doubt imparted to the parterre a brilliancy 

 not hitherto attainable. 



Vfe have no objections to urge against planting in masse^s, 

 or as it is usually termed, the "bedding system;" on the 

 contrary, we freely admit that very striking effects are thus 

 produced, and where the extent of ground permits it we see 

 no reason why every variety of plant employed for ornamental 

 purposes, whether annual or perennial, should not be disposed 

 in clumps or beds. But it is obvious that for gardens of small 

 extent this svstem of planting is entirely inappropriate, unless, 

 indeed, one could be content with a very few distinct species, 

 which very rarely happens. The preservation, too, of bedding 



plants— at least of those of a tender character— durmg the 

 winter months involves some little trouble ; and then- in- 

 crease in spring is hardly to be effected without the aid of a 

 hotbed, especially when any quantity is required.^ , . , , ^ 



Now without going so far as to affirm that it is desirable to 

 exclude all plants incapable of supporting without mjury an 

 English winter— an opinion in which but few persons would 

 con'cur— we have no hesitation in saying that the number of 

 strictly hardy subjects is so great, that no difficulty whatever 

 would be found in fiUing with them a garden of considerable 

 extent, without the assistance of any plants requiring winter 

 protection, or only so much as could easUy bo afforded without 

 removing them from the soil. , ^ , 



Wc think it highlv probable that a reference to the best ot 

 these will be acceptable to those amateurs who, although 

 ardent lovers of Flora's beauties, have too little time at their 

 disposal to enable them to devote the reqmsite attention to 

 the more tender class of plants. , x -u 



As our starting point, we may take the Ranunculus tribe, 

 usually placed first in botanical arrangements, and equaUy 

 entitled to a prominent position in an ornamental point ol 

 view The most showy plants of this order are the Columbmes 

 fAfluile.'ia), the perennial Larkspurs (Delphinium), and the 

 various°Bpecies of Clematis ; the first two especially ment the 

 attention of the amateur. The finest of the Aquilegias are 

 alpiua, with magnificent blue flowers 3 inches across ; okiuueri, 

 iucunda, glaudulosa, leptoceras, and fragrans, the last with 

 sweet-scented pale yellow blossoms ; the varieties of the com- 

 mon A. vulgaris are also many of them very ornamental. 



The genus Delphinium comprises some of our most beautilul 

 herbaceous plants, and the species are very numei-ous ; no gar- 

 den should be without Barlowii, Iveryanum, Wheeleri, and 

 Hendersoni ; many of the older species are veiy ornamental, 

 especially grandiflorum, elatum, the common Bee Larkspur, 

 and azureum. , j. j.i 



Most of the species ot Clematis are climbers, but there is 

 one of dwarf herbaceous habit which merits a place m the 

 mixed borders, the C. tubulosa from Mongolia. The other 

 species, would, perhaps, be more properly noticed under a 

 different head. ,, , _,_„ 



Among the fibrous-rooted Anemones there are several very 

 pretty plants; the A. narcissiflora, A. nivalis A. Pulsatilla, 

 and A. japonica, are of this number. Of the tuberous kinds, 

 in addition to the beautiful A. coronana and A. hortensis, 

 which are too weU esteemed to need further recommendation, 

 we may mention palmata and apennina ; the last has been 

 classed as an indigenous species, but erroneously. Several 

 other selections maybe made from this order such as the 

 Adonis vernahs, and aU the perennial species of this genus ; 

 that named is, however, the only one readily procurable : its 

 large bright yeUow flowers make it an object ot much interest 

 in early spring. The Thalicti-um aquilegifolium and several 

 other species of Meadow Hue may also be admitted, without 

 hesitation, to the back row ot the borders, where their tassel- 

 like flowers and fine foliage produce a good effect ; and the 

 Globe-flowers (TroUius) have recently received an accession to 

 their number from China, which will prove of some value as 

 a hardy ornamental perennial. t„i.„t 



We must not, however, hnger over this group of plants, but 

 pass on to the Poppyworts, in which the Orien al Poppy 

 P orientale), the Braoted Poppy (P. bracteatum), and the 

 Norway Poppy (P. nudicaiile), claim our notice; and the Ar- 

 gemone grandiflora, which, although often treated as an 

 annual is of perennial duration, and in our opinion is entitled 

 to special mention ; it requnes, however, to be kept withm 



^°In the Fiimeworts we have a group Umited in extent but 

 lii-hly interesting from its including the beautiful Dielytra 

 spectabihs. Most of the species of Corydahs "^^ 7;>. "3; 

 mental, and every collection of hardy plants should mcliide 

 such species as nobiUs, fabacea, and bulbosa. , , ,., , 



The Violet tribe it will he sufficient to name; but although 

 everybody cultivates the charming Viola odorata, and its more 

 gaudy sister, the Pansy, the other species many of w^ieh are 

 very interesting, are only rarely seen. The V Pe^ata is a 

 prettv plant, with large purple flowers; tl^.°«« "^ /^^ff "'^'^^^ 

 whit;- pennsvlvanica, palmata, and primula^folia, aie also 

 Aperies of some interest and all three may be had of some of 

 the London florists ; we have seen them in the catalogue of 

 Messrs. Low & Co., of Clapton. 



The Cruciferous plants are far more numerous than the pre- 

 ceding, but comparatively few of them can be said to be reaUy 



