418 



JOUENAL OF HOKTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



[ November 21, 1866. 



are frosted, bronzy, or •variegated with white or yellow, but with 

 green entering largely into their composition. I may be told 

 that blending these with other plants gives a tone which green 

 foliage would not, and that by planting those flowers in 

 proximity whose colours enhance each other we avoid, at least, 

 the disagreeable effects produced bj' masses whose hues are 

 mutuallj- injurious ; but plant as you will, the colours will 

 never have so good an effect as when relieved by foliage dis- 

 tinct alike in form and coloiur — for example, a ribbon-border 

 backed with evergreens, or beds placed in the intervals be- 

 tween beds of shrubs not in flower. The effect of beds should 

 be such that the colours will be as agreeable to the eye of the 

 spectator as music is to a musician whose ear is struck by a 

 succession of harmonious tones. Verdiu'e, in short, is the best 

 and only relief to gaudy flowers, and green being a sober colour, 

 intermediate between the deeper and brighter tints, conse- 

 quently affords a foil to all. But then there are various tints 

 of green in combination with yellow or white. Yellow accords 

 well with blue, and with reds inclining to blue ; white accords 

 favourably with blue and orange ; perfectly with red or rose, 

 and is the only hue that possesses the advantage of heighten- 

 ing light tones of any colour, and separating those mutually 

 injurious. Green, when deep, contrasts well with any colour, 

 and it alone affords relief or repose. Enough, then, has been 

 said to show that the want of repose arises from a deficient 

 amount of green or verdure, and this I think must be apparent 

 to all who take any interest in gardening. 



It may be contended that there is suiBcient gi'een in the com- 

 position of geometrical gardens when the outlines are formed 

 of Box. This is simply a mistake, as is exempUfied by placing 

 a primary colour in the centre o{ a bed edged with Box, and 

 surrounding that colour with a band of white ; the Box, it will 

 be found, will produce but a feeble impression. The green of 

 leaves not only serves as a ground without destroying the 

 contrast, as might be supposed, of the flowers, but heightens 

 their tone ; but the green of Box, especially when the growths 

 are young and of a yellow tint would irretrievably ruin the 

 contrast of the colours were it not that green edgings produce 

 a very feeble impression. Again, blue flowers as, for instance, 

 Lobelia speciosa, accord badly with green, and are never 

 pleasing next gi-ass, but the reverse is the case when placed 

 near a Box-edging ; whilst a purple, as Piurple King Verbena, 

 accords well with grass, and so do blue flowers containing white, 

 as Lobelia Paxtoniana. The green of Box then is no relief ; it 

 adds to rather than is destructive of monotony. Ornamental- 

 foUaged plants, especially those with frosted or variegated 

 leaves, afford sUght repose, but are as frequently employed to 

 heighten the tones of any colour, to separate discordant 

 coloiu-s, and to give a regular gradation of tones, as with a 

 design to afford rest for the mind. Perilla, Orach, Amaran- 

 thus melancholicus, and those plants of which the leaves are 

 a mixture of red and green, act the part of neuters and eon- 

 tribute to the same end as green, but in a less degree. Not- 

 withstanding the assertion that neuters should always be placed 

 in the centre of groups, I may state my firm conviction that it 

 is founded on no principle, for the most decided contrast that 

 it is possible to form is that of Perilla next gi-ass, separated 

 from a centre of scarlet, rose, or pink, by a band of white. It 

 does not then afford repose as it would" it it were planted in 

 the centre, and the gradations of tone in a downward order. 



A word as to the colours of gravel or the paths by which the 

 masses are separated. Grey associates well with green, blue, 

 and orange ; and where the colom-s accord badly, there is an 

 advantage in separating them by white bands or edgings — for 

 instance, blue next green. Lobelia speciosa, or even Purple 

 King Verbena, next grass accords better separated by an edging 

 or band of white Cerastium tomentosum. Black combining 

 with sombre colours to produce harmony of analogy, and with 

 light and brDliant colours to produce harmony of contrast, is 

 preferable to white. Yellow-tinted gravels are even worse than 

 white, for they do not harmonise nor contrast with green or 

 verdure. Gravels of a russet hue contrast and harmonise well. 



Since there is nothing to do away with the monotony of 

 masses of flowers, and afford repose, or but to a very limited 

 extent, we must look to something beyond flowering plants. 

 Shall we turn to earths of various colours to give an interest to 

 our gardens in winter and spring ? AVill they do away with the 

 monotony, and afi'ord repose ? Or shall we revert to the bar- 

 barous system of cutting shrubs into the shapes of birds and 

 beasts ? Few will be found to admit any merits in these ; but 

 who wiU deny that beds of low spring-flowering shrubs, and 

 specimens distributed singly, would be out of character in a 



geometrical flower garden ? Woiild they not at once give in- 

 terest, and destroy the monotony, whilst combining with other, 

 it may be principal or secondaiy, points to form a whole, the 

 extent of which may be seen at one view, and at the same time 

 afford repose ? Certainly they would give variety, and add to 

 the apparent extent. It is necessary that they should bo ever- 

 green, and all planted that there may be the same correlation 

 which is required by flowers. The different hues of green 

 must be judged as we judge of the harmony of the colours of 

 flowers. The points that must guide us, are — height, form, 

 variety, facility of development, distinctness of aspect, and 

 harmony of arrangement, as well as of colom\ 



If the object in a garden is to produce brilliancy of colour and 

 monotony, then my argument is useless, and the general prac- 

 tice of planting masses of flowers unrelieved, unvaried, or but 

 slightly varied, admits of justification. On the other hand, if 

 my conclusions are correct, then the generally monotonous 

 effect of our gardens ought to be changed by introducing shrubs 

 and plants that would form no impediment to the flowers attain- 

 ing a high degree of perfection, but be rival objects of beauty, 

 whilst heightening the effect of the whole. 



To the shrubs most suitable for geometrical and irregular 

 gardens, I shall advert in another communication. — G. Abbey. 

 (To be coutinued.) 



THE SWEET-SOP. 



Some years ago, while staying with a friend iu Yorkshire, he 

 received a large case of Orchids and other plants from Sinea- 

 pore, among which was a bundle of cuttings, all planted toge- 

 ther in a large tin case, each cutting about 7 inches long, with- 

 out name or any clue by which to recognise them. Some had 

 rooted, it is true, and were just beginning to grow ; but for the 

 most part they were in a wretched condition, and looked very 

 unhealthy. As I have always had a fancy for any new or un- 

 known plants, and my friend evidently did not set much store 

 by his "leafless plants," as he called them, I begged they might 

 be given to me, and on my request being granted I took them 

 home the next day, and carefully planted in separate pots as 

 many as I thought had any chance of living, putting them into 

 a new hotbed, and keeping them moist and shaded for a week 

 or two. The few which remained I stuck into the bark-bed of 

 the stove, where I had been working, pushing them into the 

 tan behind a large Pine. 



I took immense pains with my cuttings in the frame, tend- 

 ing them with the gi'eatest care, with too much, in fact ; for, 

 do what I would, after they had rooted slightly and begun, as 

 I hoped, to grow, all died ofl', one after another. I moved two 

 or three into a drier atmosphere, but with no better result, and 

 the upshot of the matter was I lost them all; much to my 

 vexation. 



Two months after this, having occasion to renew some of the 

 bark in the stove, I was moving the Pines for that purpose, 

 when lo ! behind one of them was a plant which I recognised 

 directly as one of the very cuttings I had stuck in there ten 

 weeks before. Yes, there it was, sure enough, gi-owing like a 

 Wniow, with shoots 6 or 7 inches long, and looking as healthy 

 as ever I wish to see any plant, the sole survivor of my three- 

 dozen ill-fated slips ! 



The next thing to be considered was what should I do with it'? 

 Move it I must ; but with the fate of its companions still fresh 

 in my memoiy I hesitated about taking it up. However, at 

 last I got a large pot, drained it well, and fiBed it about half 

 full of good rich garden soil, mixed with a little leaf mould. I 

 then carefully dug out the plant, putting it into the pot, tan and 

 all, taldng particular care not to injure or disturb the roots, and 

 kept it close and wai-m for a few days until I saw that it was 

 settled, giving very little water. Directly it began to grow I 

 placed it in the hottest part of the stove, where it could have 

 plcntj' of sun . It grew rapidly, filling the pot with roots in the 

 coiu'se of the summer, and forming a nice bushy tree. I kept 

 it dry all the winter, repotting it early in spring, when it 

 started afresh, growing with great vigour, and iu August it 

 bore three large greenish flowers. 



Up to this time I had not the faintest idea what my tree 

 was ; but one day, while I was showing my plants to a gentle- 

 man who had recently retiu'ned from India, he exclaimed, 

 " Why, you have got a Sweet-Sop tree ! " and so it was. My 

 cutting had turned out to be the Anona squamosa, or, as it is 

 commonly called abroad, the Sweet-Sop. 



After this I had much trouble with it, as the fruit would 

 neither gi'ow nor ripen, dropping off soon after the flower; 



