Aiieiist 13, 186B. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOUTICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GARDENEi;. 



125 



this gronp is a bed of Loraatia ferraginen, a ProteacBoua plant 

 ■with very handsome bipinnatifid loaves of rusty or ferruginons 

 hue, whence the specific name. Tlie centre plants were 4 feet 

 high, tlioso at tlic outside about a foot less. 



Turning along the walk to the riglit and passing the varie- 

 gated Bambnsa metako planted out for trial, and Strelitzia 

 angusfa displaying a noble expanse of foliage, we come to a 

 half-moon bodof I)racn>na tcrminalis, backed with Hibiscus 

 rosa sinensis splcndens, and edged with Centaui'oa ragusina. 

 In a gi'oup on the opposite or loft hand side are Ai'alia macro- 

 phylla with large leaves with a yellowish tinge, Alsophila 

 anstralis, Imantoiihyllum miniatum, and Draci«na rubra, which 

 is readily propagated and very useful. A crescent-shaped bed 

 at the foot of a moimd is eai-peted with the purple and green 

 Tradescantia zebrina and planted with Indianrubber trees, 

 AraUa papyrifera. Drac:ena brasiliensis, D. longifolia, with 

 long gi-acefiil leaves, D. arborea, Grovillea robnsta, most elegant 

 in its foliage and growing freely, variegated Oleander, very 

 handsome, and variegated Veronica at the back ; the whole 

 edged ^vith Golden-variegated Ivy. 



In a group on the right, jilants of Araliapapyi-ifera from 5 to 

 6 feet high, with leaves 2 feet across, form the most conspicuous 

 objects, and are now making good strong growth, so that by 

 autumn thoy will have attained much greater dimensions. 

 Mr. Gibson has found no plant enual to this in the effect v;hich 

 its magnificent foliage produces. In the same bed are fino 

 plants of Draciena, and the ground is covered with Trades- 

 cantia edged with Gnaphalium lanatum. Near the Aralias 

 is another line bed of Cannas, C. nigrescens with dark copper- 

 coloured leaves occupying the centre, C. zebrina olegantissima 

 one end, and C. hybrida grandifiora the other. This is sur- 

 rounded by Fuchsia Tom Thumb, a very dwarf free-flowering 

 kind, wlaich, when planted closely, makes quite a hedge, and 

 produces its pretty little red flowers throughout the season. 

 Next, there is a long oblong bed divided into lozenges along 

 the centre, with triangles in the intervals at the sides, and edged 

 with Sempervivum montauum. The triangles at each end are 

 planted with (kilden Harkaway Geranium; the central lozenges 

 with Mr. \V. Paul's new Nosegay Geraniums, Black Dwarf, 

 Duchess, Donald Beaton, Amy Hogg, and Scarlet Gem ; whilst 

 the ti'iangles at the side consist of Veronica incana, and 

 Geraniums Variegated Beauty, Fairy, Nj-mph, Bival Nosegay, 

 Glowworm, Queen of Queens, Bonnie Dundee, Katazzi, ami 

 Snlphurea marginata. The principal object of this bed is to 

 show that many different varieties of the same plant can be in- 

 troduced into a single bed and yet produce an agreeable 

 diversity without sacrificing the general effect. Beyond this 

 bed, and further to the back, is one of Epilobium hirsutum, the 

 variety witli oi-earay white variegations, and which, being easily 

 propagated liy the roots, is, hke the common Willow Herb, very 

 useful for damp situations. The next bed to the oblong is 

 filled with Cannas Anurei and edulis, and Hedychium coro- 

 narium. 



On the opposite side there is a crescent-shaped bed facing 

 the south-west with Centauiea gymnocarpa in the centre, 

 edged with Coleus Verschaffelti. which makes a beautiful edging 

 to the white, and this again with the Califomian Houseleek 

 the leaves of which, being tipped with dark purple, give the 

 whole a novel Init pleasing appearance. Near this is a bed of 

 the Laurel-leaved Coral Tree, interspersed with Cannas, and 

 edged with Plumbago capensis ; and then the Ijeautiful long 

 oval bed of Jlrs. I'oUock Geranium noticed by " I)., Deal," at 

 page Hi. This is .30 feet long and about 9 feet across, and is 

 planted :vith a triple row of Mrs. Pollock along the centre and 

 double rows at each side, divided longitudinally by bands of 

 Lithospermum fruticosum. The colour of the foliage was 

 beautifully developed, and had the Lithospermum been in full 

 flower would have shone to even greater advantage, for Mr. 

 Gibson finds nothing brings out the eolom' better than blue or 

 a soft green. A circular bed adjoining consists of Daphne 

 pontica purjiurea, surrounded by a broad circle of the vaiiegated 

 Cock's-foot (irass, one of the most beautiful and effective of 

 broadly white-striped Grasses, and edged with yellow Calceo- 

 laria, Scarlet Geraniums, and Convolvulus maiuritanicus. This 

 cii-cle is very pretty. 



Opposite the Jlrs. Pollock bed is a large bed of Canna zebrina, 

 backed with Castor-oU plants, the front row being the dull 

 orange-flowered Canna crocea ; and in a small circular bed close 

 by the golden Japanese Honeysuclde prettily clothes the stem of 

 a tree. The same beairtiful plant is emploj-ed as an edging to 

 an elegant gronp of Vitis heterophylla variegata, the leaves of 

 which are much cut, and prettily variegated with pink and 



white, and sometimes pui-plo. Near the end of this bed is a 

 very fine specimen of the Bird's-nest Fern ; tlien follows a 

 noble bed of Cannas 52 feet long by 8 feet wide. The centre 

 is Canna discolor, with C. crenulata at back and C. Scllowii in 

 front ; and the whole is backed with a mass of Ferdinanda 

 eminens G feet high, with magnificent leaves nearly 2 feet 

 across. In front of this bed is a long oval ]>lanted with seven 

 rows of Jlrs. Pollock Geranium, edged with one of Christine. 

 This bed is 27 feet long and 6 feet across, and adjoining it is a 

 circle of Caladium cucullatum, the centre plant in particular 

 being remarkable for the gre.at size of its foliage, one leaf made 

 out of doors measuring 2 feet 11 inches long and 2 feet across. 

 On the opposite or left-hand side of the same walk is another 

 bed, -18 feet long, ])lanted with Canna Annaji in the centre, 

 5 feet high, and C. discolor all round, with Hedera multi- 

 maculata as an edging. In other beds on this side are Eicinus 

 variabilis splendens, a Castor-oU Plant of vigorous growth, 

 having Acanthus mollis planted underneath, and Cineraria 

 jjlatanifolia and the variegated Cock's-foot iis an edging ; the 

 variegated Speedwell, edged with Smith's Excellent Geranium, 

 not a good bedder, but a first-rate kind for pof culture ; and 

 in a crescent-shaped bed Canna Liervalli, a free-growing dark- 

 stemmed kind, and C. musiefolia, with a pale stem and leaves. 

 On the right, again, is a mixed bed of Solanmns, with some 

 plants of Canna rubricaulis, which grows '> feet high, and has 

 very dark reddish purple stems and dark bronzy leaves. Other 

 groups of Cannas consist of C. discolor lloribunda, much darker 

 than discolor, as robust, and said to be more free-flowering ; 

 C. Annsei rosea, with warm orange-scarlet flowers ; and C. musae- 

 foUa hybrida, with leaves 2 feet 4 inches long and nearly a foot 

 across ; and dividing these are Solanum Balbesi, a wliite-llowered 

 kind, having leaves 16 inches long, with white midribs, and set 

 with ochreous spines ; and Solanum citruUifolium, with deeply 

 sinuated pinnate leaves and pale blue flowers, the whole plant 

 covered with spines. It may here be remarked, that the Sola- 

 nums are planted a good distance apart, for if this is not done 

 the spines tear the leaves of neighbouring plants and spoil 

 their appearance to a very considerable extent. Single plants 

 of Wigandia caracasana with magnificent leaves, Japanese 

 Bamboo, Saccharum perenne. New Ze.aland Flax, and Black 

 Bamboo are dotted about at this point ; also Trepidanthus 

 calyptratus, the leaves of which reflect the light falling on 

 ! them. Again, we find another tine group of C.muas on the 

 \ left, and then on the right a bed of Caladium eseulentmn 

 45 feet long and 10 feet wide ; the Caladiums were about 4 feet 

 high, and their wide expanse of foliage gave the bed a noble 

 appearance. Funlda undulata variegata is here employed as an 

 edgmg. Behind, sheltered by a Willow tree, are two fine speci- 

 mens of Alsophila austrahs with fronds at least fi feet across ; 

 and close by a fine group of Seaforthia elegans, with Dracsna 

 j brasiliensis in front, and Funkia subcordata as an under- 

 covering to the soil. 

 I On the left is a series of serpentine beds worked as a chain 

 i round circles of Ivy, with Euonj-mus radicaus variegata, and 

 j Golden Fleece Geranium as an edging, and SteUa in the 

 centre. Interspersed among these beds are fine specimens 

 of Dicksonia antarctica, Astrapsea Wallichi. and variegated 

 Yuccas ; and behind is a scroll bed 100 feet in length, for the 

 most part planted with a double row of Indianrubber trees 

 8 feet high, Hibiscus sinensis cocciuea, and a handsome double 

 buff variety, and edged with Centaurea ragusina.- Each end is 

 planted mth variegated Crotons and Dracenas. The vigour o£ 

 the Indianrubber plants is most remarkable, and from the 

 way in which the roots are running in the soil, it is evident 

 that they are as much at home at Battereea as in the troi)ics. 



On the opposite side, at the back of the Caladiums, and 

 sheltered by an elevated hank, are Dracaena congesta, Monstera 

 delioiosa, Grevillea robusta, and Polymnia grandis, the last 10 feet 

 high, though only struck from a cutting last year, and which 

 when taken up in autumn had made a gi-owth of between 6 and 

 7 feet. A- short oval, 15 feet long, planted with Coleus Ver- 

 schaffelti, and edged with the silvery Centaurea gymnocarj'a, is 

 here one of the most glorious sights that can well be imagined, 

 the Coleus being a richer and more beautiful brownish crimson 

 than we have ever seen it before, and, withal, even in height, 

 and not a plant faulty. As " D." remarked, it is well "worth 

 going a hundi-ed miles to see." A raised semich'cle at the 

 back is planted with Eucalyptus globosus, one of the Aus- 

 tralian Gum-trees, the timber of which was shown at the Inter- 

 national Exhibition of 1802, but though it is not grown here 

 for timber, it bids fair to attain the dimensions of a tree, for it 

 has made a gi'owth of 3 feet this season, and in the pubhc 



