126 



JOURNAL OF HORTIOULTUEH AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



( August 16, 1865. 



gardens fiud parks of Paris, where it is largely used by M. Ba- 

 rillet, it grows 10 or 12 feet iu one season. Here, also, occur 

 Ficus imperialis, with magnificent leaves a foot long ; Dra- 

 Ciena Ghiesbreghtii, and seedling Dicksonias. Next the Coleus 

 bed is a fine circle of Mrs. Pollock Geranium set off by a broad 

 edging of blue Lobelia ; then a bed 48 feet long of dwarf 

 Caunas. The front is planted with expansa, one of the most 

 useful of dwarf dark varieties, and the remainder with dwarf 

 indica, lutea picta, leptochila, and Warsczewiczii. Near this 

 group is an elevated bed of Seaforthea elegans, and in front a 

 beautiful circular bed 8 feet in diameter. In the centre of this 

 is Dracaena australis, surrounded by Begonia parviflora, with 

 pink and white flowers, then by a row of Dractena Cooperi and 

 D. ferrea variegata alternately, with single plants of the pure 

 white Centaurea ragusiua compacta between eacli ; and the 

 ■whole, except the central portion covered by the Begonias, is 

 caiiietcd with Selaginella denticulata, and this is edged with a 

 narrow line of Saxifraga pectinata. By means of slight shatling 

 ■when the sun is strong this extremely beautiful group is pre- 

 sei-ved in all its freshness. In another circle is Aralia Sieboldi, 

 Burrounded by Carmas ; this Aralia has \vithstood two winters 

 without protection. Next this, again, is another very beautiful 

 circular-bed, and so fresh and bright in its colours that wlien 

 first seen it seems more the creation of the imagination than 

 not a stem hut lovely reality. The centre is Dracitna ferrea, 

 Bm-rounded by three rows of D. terminalis, all of which are 

 planted out in the soil, not plunged. Covering the ground in 

 the centre is Ficus repens, and the whole is edged with Cen- 

 taurea and Tradescantia zebrina. 



On the opposite side to these beds, which are the gems of 

 the place, is a mixed iiTegular bed at the junction with the 

 r/alk leading southwards ; it is edged with the Japanese Honey- 

 suckle, and planted with Coral Trees, Cassia corymbosa, Saccha- 

 rum Maddeui, variegated Anindo donax, Amicia zygomeris, 

 Wigandia caracasana, Solanums macranthum, giganteum (a 

 yery taU-growing species), macrophyllum, japonicimi, pyracau- 

 thum, glutiuosum, and ■^'iolaceum, the last having the under 

 sides of the leaves of a violet purple colour. Tm-ning the 

 corner, a little further on is a round bed of Aralia papjTifera, 

 with Farfugium grande beneath, and edged with Fuchsia Tom 

 Thumb. Another bed is filled with Solanum citrullifolium, 

 with a flat-growing variegated Cock's-foot Grass as an under- 

 growth, and Salvia argentea as an edging ; and a sunk bed in 

 a low position is filled with Cyperus papyiiis and altemifolius, 

 Gunnera scabra. Hibiscus palustris. the Bull-rush of the Nile, 

 variegated Arundo donax, and other marsh plants. Other beds 

 near this point consist of one, 60 feet long, of Canna discolor, 

 edged with C. floribunda ; one of Canna er-ecta hybrida, with 

 Castor-oil plants at the back, and Cassia floriljunda iu front, 

 edged with Golden I\7-leaved Geranium ; a circle of Canna 

 rubra superbissima, Funkia undulata variegata, and Golden Ivy- 

 leaf ; and a splendid bed 30 feet long, planted with Wigandias and 

 Canna metallica, one of the finest and most rapid-growing kinds, 

 attaining a height of 8 feet. We also noticed a noble plant of 

 Ferdinanda eminens in a circle, and a bed 30 feet long of 

 Polymuia grandis, the stems of which are 3 feet high, and 

 fluted like architectural columns, and the leaves bear a strong 

 resemblance to those of the Bread-fruit tree. Yerbesina gigantea, 

 Solanum robustum, and Sonchns laciniatus. the last with a 

 pretty Fern-like leaf, occupy another long bed ; and in front of 

 a semicircle about <<i feet in length, planted with Cannas 

 Annaai and discolor, 7 feet high, and edged with Festuca glauca, 

 is another beautiful bed of Coleus, with an edging of Centaurea 

 ragusina. At the back of this and other beds is a mass of 

 Persian Lilacs, Aucubas, and other shrubs, planted in lines 

 partly for shelter, and in front are two rows of Iresine Herbstii, 

 which, at least as exemplified here, is far from being equal to 

 the expectations formed of it as an out-door plant, being of 

 a rusty bro%vn. Lastly, omitting mention of some beds of 

 Caunas, Caladiums, and Hollyhocks, we arrive again at the 

 north end of the sub-tropical garden, and conclude our in- 

 spection with a semicircle of noble Wigandias edged with Far- 

 fugium. 



" How are such results obtained ? " is a question that win 

 naturally be asked. How are the denizens of tropical climes 

 fostered and made to luxuriate in a climate so much colder than 

 their ovra ? Certainly not without the assist,ance of a great 

 amount of horticultural skill and of scientific knowledge prac- 

 tically applied. Mr. Gibson makes no secret of the means to 

 which he has had recourse. In the first place, he has provided 

 shelter from strong winds from whatever quarter they may 

 blow by gi-oups of trees and shrubs, most of which have been 



planted httle more than three years, but they have made rapid 

 progress and the shelter which they afford will in future years 

 be even greater than it is at presetrt, care being taken to pre- 

 vent ground currents of wind by shrubs of lower growth. In the 

 second place, and herein lies the gi-eat secret of success, the 

 beds are fonned on what may be termed geothennic principles. 

 The beds are all either circular, oval, or oblong — if circles the 

 diameter is not very wide' — and are so placed that the sun may 

 warm one or other of the sides throughout the day, and the 

 heat thus obtained is stored up in the materials on which the 

 bed is founded, and by them given out to the soil in which the 

 plants are growing. The site for the beds is therefore dug out 

 to the depth of 9 inches below the level of the rest of the 

 ground, the soil excavated being placed all round so as to form 

 a kind of box of the same shape as the bed, but 2 feet 

 beyond its outside, and from 18 inches to 2 feet of brickbats 

 are put in. These at the sides form a slope of 2.5°, and over 

 them a thin layer of soil is placed, and then turf. In the 

 interior of the bed turf is laid grass-side downwards over the 

 brickbats, and then from 9 to 12 inches of a compost consisting 

 of loam, leaf mould, and Thames sand. Thus not only is 

 perfect drainage secured, but the brickbats, receiving a large 

 amount of heat during hot days, give it off to the soil at night, 

 and, indeed, whenever the ground is colder than they are. 



Long as this aecoimt of Battersea Park may seem, much has 

 been omitted that is well worthy of notice. The objects of 

 interest with which it abounds are so numerous, and so bold 

 and novel the idea which has been successfully carried out, 

 that the visitor there will he well repaid for his journey, espe- 

 cially if he have the good fortune to meet with its talented 

 and most courteous superintendent, Mr. Gibson, by whom the 

 beautiful groimds have been laid out. and to whom belongs the 

 credit of baring inaugurated in this counti-y the new and 

 vei-y effective style of gardening exemplified in the sub-tropical 

 department. 



NOTES ON THE ST. PETERSBURG FLOWER 

 SHOW. 



One reason, I think, why gardeners are a superior class ©f 

 men is because they are constantly taking notes. Do you ever 

 see a gardener (I am not now speaking of the lad of sixteen ,. 

 but of the gardener proper), walking in some public gardens, 

 or in a private park, without his note-book and pencil ? Rarely, 

 unless my observations are taken from peculiar cases. I have 

 been to many flower shows in the United Kingdom and abroad, 

 and I have noticed with pleasure gardeners taking the names of 

 new flowers or descriptions of exotic plants ; and then you see 

 two comparing notes or shaking their heads over some new 

 plant, or perhaps degenerate specimen of an old one. But 

 I am running away from my subject, which is a slight accoiint 

 of a St. Petersburg flower show. 



I ought to say that the show I saw was the show of the 

 season, to the best of my belief, and therefore may be taken 

 as a fair specimen of what they usually iire. It was held on 

 the 19th of May (7th, old style), being kept open for a few days, 

 in a large, plain, oblong bHikling in one of tlis open spaces with 

 which the town abounds.* The entrance is at the end of the 

 building, up some twenty rteps, from whieh a cmcp d'cril is 

 obtained of the entire shoti, Yoiu- readers will imagine my 

 astonishment when, instead of the long stages, A'C., of our 

 English flower shows, a perftct garden presented itself to my 

 riew — beds, walks, and a laifn, fountains playing, rivtilets 

 trickling over mossy stones, slatues, and everything to give 

 the appearance of a well-laicl-out and neatlj'-kept parterre. 

 But I should begin at the beginning. Each side of the plat- 

 form on which I stood was linisd by tall young Spruce Firs, 

 loolcing as if they were growing ; the walls beyond were painted 

 to represent massive stone walks, covered partly by moss, and 

 very cleverly they were done ; oa each side of the steps de- 

 scending into the garden were pillars, made to appear like 

 ancient marble, and broken, and cliipped, and isiossy to aid 

 the delusion ; then vases in the same style. The walls edging 

 the steps were also made to look old and time-worn. To pro- 

 ceed. I descended into the garden ; on my right there was a 

 bed of an oval shape, in front a round one, and altogether 

 ten beds, cut out of the ai-tificial m^oss lawn, each being iiiU of 

 the plants for show, and the card hanging on the prize plants. 



The plants exhibited were Caladiums, Begonias, Palms, 

 all of which were fairiy good. The Bhododendron» stiuci me 



• The Karavsfoe, 



