S7G 



JOURNAL OP HOETICULTOKB AND COTTAGE GARDENEB. 



[ H*7 Si, isat. 



btgiaa to move in spring, and people must generally bo con- 

 tent if it keep alive the lirst season. It likes rich Inamy soil 

 «ud plenty of moisture. Arundo donax variecatais pretty, and 

 nearly as strong-growing. Arundo versicolor is a nniversal 

 favourite, as the striped Grass called Gardeners' CInrters ; and 

 one of the most wonderful things about them is, that though 

 I have carefully examined some thousands of blades, I never 

 could find two striped alike. The Garters make a good edging 

 to tall plants, and by frequent cutting and plentiful watering 

 they will retain their freshness to the end of the season. 



4. AMAiuxTnTj.s. — Of this there are three sorts vrorthy of 

 attention — melancholicus, the common edging or bedding soft 

 pnrple-leaved plant ; bicolor, with two colours in the leaves ; 

 and tricolor, with three bright colours, one of the prettiest 

 plants we have. I never did any good with it out of doors, 

 except in tho bank-protected place alluded to. The seed of all 

 should be sown in March in a hotbed, and the seedlings bo 

 pricked-ofT, and haidened-off for planting out in June. 



5. Brugmansia or Datura. — I'erh.ips of these the best arc sua- 

 Tcolens, with large green leaves, and large trumpet-shaped f ingle 

 white flowers, and Knightii the same, with double flowers, and 

 both sweet-scented. The next best are luteawith yellow flowers, 

 and atropurpurea with dark crimson flowers, and the foliage of 

 both less attractive. These may either be grown as bushes or 

 »3 short standards, with stems from 4 to 7 or 8 feet in height. 

 In this last style the large flowers show to tho best advantage. 

 In May turn out into rich compost, and water dui'ing the sea- 

 son. In autumn take up, prune-in the shoots to half their 

 length, and in spring, after keeping the plants in any plac3 

 secure from frost, prune back within a few buds of the base 

 of last season's shoots ; expose by the beginning of May where 

 protection can be given them, and when turned out in the end 

 of the month they will produce their flowering shoots from tho 

 middle of July and onwards. 



6. Cektauiusa caxptpissima and Varieties. — Beautiful for 

 edgings, and for blending with scarlets, crimsons, and purples. 

 Take cuttings in July, or put in small bits in heat in spring. 

 Treat as respects protection like other bedding plants, giving 

 little pot-room, and little water in winter. 



7. CiLENOPODinM ATKIPLEX .\XD I'ORFURASCENS do bCSt whoU 



sown under glass, potted-off, and planted-out in May, and 

 make strong plants of a purplish hue. 



8. Cineraria maiutima. — Fine for edgings and undergrowths 

 for Coleus, Caunas, itc. It is most easily propagated in spring 

 from short stubby shoots or suckers, in a little mild heat. 

 In rather dry ground it is usually hardy, but young plants 

 generally answei: best, as they do not so readily throw up their 

 Hower-stems, and, therefore, they are more compact. 



9. Cassia coktmeosa. — In addition to the ."splendid yellow 

 masses of bloom and the fine green foliage, this furni.shes a 

 good example of leaves folding themselves back and sleeping 

 at the approach of evening. It is treated like the Acacias 

 and Brugmansia?, only it requires a little higher temperature 

 in winter, but it does best when not too far advanced when it 

 is planted out. It succeeds best every way when planted out. 



10. Calabium esculestuji, cucullatdm, &c. — The safe.'st 

 plan would be to turn them out in July in heated soil, and take 

 up and keep in a dormant state all winter ; but I should like to 

 try csculentum in the ground with a large hand-light over it. 

 and a hood of straw in severe weather. However, that would 

 be more trouble than taking it up. The bulk of the family will 

 neither stand much cold nor damp in winter, or, if damp, they 

 must not be cold. A temperature of about CO" is safe. 



11. Canna. — The varieties and so-caUed species are innu- 

 merable, and all bear bright flowers peeping out through 

 large foliage. The plants grow from 18 inches to 3 and 5 or 

 more feet in height. Perhaps the finest for foliage are bicolor, 

 discolor, nigricans, zebrina, Liervalli, Lambertii, mutabilis, 

 mus.-Efolia, hybrida, &c., but all are beautiful when grown in a 

 warm sheltered place where they can have plenty of sun and 

 little wind. They do best when planted out in June, when 

 they have not grown much to make them tender, and by the 

 end of October they should be taken up and potted, some 

 leaves left to encourage rooting, and then have all the stems 

 cleared away and the roots plunged in dry earth in a shed by 

 Christmas, and there they may remain until April. They 

 merely need to be protected from frost in winter when used for 

 out-door work. , 



12. CoLsns Blumei, Verschaffelti, &c. — Beautiful plants 

 for a warm place. In cold open places they rarely do well. 

 They make nice bands for Cannas, &c., and blend well with 

 Cineraria maritima and candidissima. They do best when raised 



from cuttings every spring in a hotbed, and then hardened off 

 gradually until June, and turned out into earth well heated by 

 the sun. 



13. DiOKSOsu ANTARCTICA, &c. — Thcse fine Ferns do best 

 plunfcl in their pots, or tubs, with drainage below to prevent 

 stagnation, and the surface covered with moss or Helaginella. 

 Thus treated many Ferns might ornament our flower gardens, 

 aud especially the sub-tropical department, in Eummer. 



14. Dk-vo.enas. — These must be lifted in time. 



13. EccALVPTCS EOBrsTA and other Gum trees present a 

 singular appearance from their foliage, Ac. I am not aware 

 that any will stand our climate without the protection of a wall, 

 but they do pretty well when treated as described for Acacias. 



1(). KRiANxntis Ea\-enn.'e. — This ornamental Grass will look 

 after itself when established, aud like the Pampas Grass shows 

 best by itself. 



17. Ficijs ELASTioA. — The Indian-rubber plant is not half so 

 common as it ought to be. Plunged in pots, or planted out and 

 carefully taken up in October, it may do for many years, if the 

 temperature in winter is rarely below 40°, and never at freezing 

 point. Prop.igated by cuttings and suckers. The juice should 

 be allowed to dry before inserting the cuttiflgs, and the plant 

 should be dry before they are taken off. 



18. Gnaphaliitm lasatum does well with its hoary leaves 

 and shoots for edgings and carpeting the ground. It is propa- 

 gated by cuttings, and should be kept in a pit or greenhouse 

 in winter. 



10. GvNEimjsi ABGENTEra. — All the varieties of the Pampas 

 Grass will take care of themselves in ordinary winters. Pro- 

 pagation is effected by seeds and division of the plant. It is 

 seen to most advantage when planted by itself on a knoll with 

 its pendent grass sweeping over it, and the flower-stems 

 standing alone in their glory. 



20. Heueiu. — All the variegated and the smaller-leaved Ivies 

 are useful for edgings and carpeting the ground in such places. 



21. HEDVcniUM. — I have never done much with coronarium 

 out of doors, but have had fine spikes of bloom and noble 

 foliage of Gardncrianum in a sheltered place, when planted in 

 rich soil, with two or three barrowloads of good hot dung be- 

 neath it. The roots were taken up and treated only a little 

 better than those of the Canua. 



22. Iresine Herbstii. — A good edging plant, or for small 

 groups between larger plants, as recommended for Amaranthns 

 tricolor ; cuttings strike freely in heat. 



2:i. LosuTiA FERKUGiNEA. — AProtcad plant with fine foliage, 

 of v.hich I have had a good account, but which I have never 

 had the chance of trying. 



21. HiXiANTHDS MA.TOB. — The flowers seldom show, but the 

 leaves have a graceful hoariness about them, and smell when 

 touched much like peas-meal. I have seen good plants sttind 

 some years against a wall, and a plant did well for a time in 

 our little protected place. We took it up in October and kept 

 it in a cool greenhouse in winter. This grows from 8 to 10 feet 

 in height. Minor is a dwarf variety. 



25. MEPEMRiiYANTnEMtTMs. — Many of these are very beauti- 

 ful for setting on decayed stumps, rotten stones, and also, like 

 the pretty Califomiau Houseleek, will make nice edgings for 

 small, low-growing groups. 



20. NicoTiAXA. — Most of the Tobaccos have fine foliage, and 

 the aroma given oS is very grateful to the lovers of the weed. 

 Tho new Nicotiana wigandioiJcs is very attractive. They are 

 raised from seed sown on a hotbed in March, and the seedlings 

 hardened off before planting out. 



27. Neriusi (Oleander). — The white, pink, single and double 

 gi-een, and variegated, do better in such a sheltered place sw 

 described than in pots. If plenty of shoots on large plants are 

 encouraged they bloom well every year. The taking-up, and 

 moderate dryness afterwards, seem to secure the free-blooming 

 in tho following season. The plants must be kept rather dry 

 and free fi-om frost in winter. In fact, where much of this 

 planting-out of large plants is resorted to. houses hke our old 

 orangeries are wanted merely to preserve the plants in life 

 rather than to grow them. 



28. EiciNcs (Castor-oil plants). — This is one of the most 

 effective families for the purpose where there is room to dis- 

 play them, and the wind is kept from tearing and ribboning 

 the fine parasol-like leaves ; many kinds, such as bourbonensis, 

 have fine shaded foliage as well as coloured stems and fruit. 

 Among the best are communis, macroearpus, spectabilis, vari- 

 abilis splendens, sanguineus, tricolor, itc. These may all bo 

 grown to a good size, say from 5 to 8 feet. There are also 

 dwarf varieties of less tlian half that height, as viridis, spino- 



