8 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTDRB AND COTTAGE GAKDENEB. 



Jaly 1, 1869. 



oirolea on the f ouotain side were formed thus : — An outer ring 

 of the golden-blolcbed double Daisy, an inner ring of Aubrietia 

 purpurea, and a central clump of the Ajuga as before. 



Tassing down the turfy slope, the sunken panel garden is 

 leached, composed of four beds, in shape rcaembling the divi- 

 sions of a circular line, and four small circular beds, in which 

 was a pedestal of " slag," a blue-tinted deposit left in the 

 manufacture of glass, supporting a stone vase. These vases 

 Lad previously been Tilled with vari-coloured Hyacinths, but 

 Lad now as occupants large plants of Centaurea candidissima. 

 Eound the base of each pedestal of slag was a row of Echeveria 

 secunda. The four other beds were also edged with this useful 

 plant, and filled with bright masses of Silene pendula, mingled 

 with which were showy Tulips of various colours. The foun- 



tain is within a stone basin, the edge of which is level with 

 these beds. There is also a border round the stone basin, 

 having, as a background, a circle cf the common Fern, then a 

 band of AYalltlowers miogled with double crimson and double 

 yelluw Tulips, the whole edged with showy gold-laced Foly- 

 anthnses. 



I have attempted to pourtray this " floral scene," but to 

 appreciate it, it is necessary to look upon it. The numberless 

 details, all of them skilfully wrought out, cannot be described 

 even in the somewliat largo space this paper will require. I 

 must, however, make allusion to a broad border, some 10 feet 

 in width, under the wall on either side of the garden, along 

 the side of which runs a broad gravel walk. Thu wall is covered 

 with fruit trees, and iu front of these, as a background to the 



flower border, but allowing of a narrow walk between it and 

 the fruit trees, is a hedge of dwarf Koses that bloom the sum- 

 mer through. This flower border represents a chain of diamonds 

 formed by the use of the dwarf Spruce Fir. On two sides of 

 the garden these diamond beds were filled with the blue and 

 white Forget-me-not and Silene pendula alternating ; and on 

 the two other sides the beds are planted with Cliveden Blue, 

 White, Yellow, and Purple Pansies alternating. The angles 

 formed by the diamond beds are all filled with Cerastium 

 tomentoaum, which comes into full bloom by the time the spring 

 flowers are at their best, and when the bloom is past it is 

 clipped with shears, and does admirable service all the summer 



as an ornamental-foliaged plant. Probably no one can realise 

 sufficiently the value of the Cerastium as a bedding plant but 

 those who" have seen it growing in great masses as it is used at 

 Aston. The two lines of angles at the front of the diamond 

 beds give grand masses of white, and in the summer months, 

 when the beds are diamond shapes of dazzling scarlet or golden 

 yellow, the effect is surprising. Each corner of this garden 

 gives a huge mass of Ehododendrons with a background of 

 Cedrus deodara. Then there are also huge turfy angles formed 

 between the arms of the cross, as shown in the design of the 

 flower garden. As I have already stated, the border slopes 

 toward these as toward the paths. This border is planted with 



