214 



J^OUBNAL OF fiOBTiCULftJRE AND COlTAGE GARDENER. 



[ September S, 1871. 



a double row on the turf between the walk and the park. The 

 oblong beds on the left have a margin of Veronica iuoana, 

 within which is an edging of Alternanthera magnifica, with 

 an inner row of Sportsman Verbena, rosy porple. We must 

 not, however, before going further, omit noticing a magni- 

 ficent scroll bed of Bonfire Geranium. Other very effective 

 beds are Coleus Verschaffelti dotted with Abutilon niveum 

 aureum marmoratum, more beautifally marbled than Thomp- 

 soni, and with a richer golden tinge; tleranium Perilla sur- 

 rounded with Golden Fleece ; Murillo, small-flowered, but a 

 fine bedder ; and Florence Durand (Pearson), lilac pink, a 

 splendid bed. Having now reached Mount Street Gate it is 

 necessary to turn backwards towards the Marble Arch to 

 examine the beds on the park side, and which are all oblongs, 

 with the exception of the heart-shaped beds at the ends, and 

 four of a smaller shape surrounding the Rhododendron clump 

 in the centre. The heart beds are margined with Achillea 

 umbellata, a very neat little plant for the purpose, edged with 

 Alternanthera amosna, and filled with Daybreak sUver-edged 

 Geranium. The oblongs, which are in match pairs, present a 

 margin of Echeveria secunda glauca, with an edging of Mesem- 

 bryauthemum cordifolium variegatum, and an inner row of 

 Iresine Llndeni, which has an excellent effect. The interior 

 of the blocks is variously filled with Geraniums with white, 

 pink, and scarlet flowers, or variegated foliage, and the whole 

 arrangement harmonises well, and is brilliant without being 

 glaring. The silver-edged and golden Geraniums give a soft 

 tone which is very pleasing. Beds of Geraniums Bonfire, 

 Fire King, and William Thompson are remarkable for the 

 splendid mass of bloom which they offer to the eye. The last 

 is a very fine rosy crimson with a magenta tinge. Pink Nose- 

 gay is worthless here ; and Jean Sisley, beautiful as it is in 

 form and colour, drops its petals so fast that another year it 

 will not be used. Vesuvius is still good, but will have to give 

 way before newer kinds for bedding display ; still it can scarcely 

 be surpassed for continuity of flowering. La Vestale, white, 

 appears to be more free-blooming than Madame Vaucher ; and 

 we must not forget Pioneer, which is a splendid purplish ma- 

 genta crimson, which must become popular, and it is stated to 

 be a free bloomer in winter as well as in summer, and that it 

 is the latter there can be no doubt. The heart beds in the 

 centre are filled with Daybreak Geranium mixed with Lobelia 

 Charming, and that at the end with Little Golden Christine 

 Geranium. 



From Mount Street to South Street Gate the beds next Park 

 Lane have a mirgin of Santolina incana, and an edging of 

 Lautana Sellowii. The best of the beds are those of Geraniums 

 Lucius; Cybister, too tall, but in fine bloom ; Perilla; Gaines' 

 Dwarf Calceolaria, which would have been very good had not 

 many of the plants been stolen ; and Coleus refulgens dotted 

 with AbutUon. Turning backwards, the large oblongs as far 

 as the Elm tree are all margined with Echeveria secunda 

 glauca, and edged with Lobelia Blue King and Dactylis glome- 

 rata variegata alternately. The Lobelia gives colour, the Grass 

 elegance, and the combination of the two is peculiarly pleasing. 

 There is, besides, an inner row of Alternanthera amabilis lati- 

 folia, which, though strong-growing, is not sufficiently so for 

 the edging. Waltham Seedling Geranium, two beds of Lady 

 Plymouth Geranium surrounded with Purple (Jueen Verbena, 

 and Coleus Verschaffelti dotted with Abutilon and surrounded 

 with Centaurea, are the chief of this series. The circles round 

 the Oak trees are filled with variegated and bronze-leaved 

 Geraniums. From the Elm tree to Mount Street Gate there 

 are eight oblongs in pairs, with two heart-shaped beds at the 

 ends, the margin in all cases being Mesembryanthemum in- 

 olaudens, »ud the edging Alternanthera magnifica, with an 

 inner row of Robert Fish golden-leaved Geranium. The 

 centres of the oblongs are filled with Coleus Verschaffelti Im- 

 proved, dotted with Abutilon ; Cleopatra and White Clipper 

 Geraniums, &a. 



From South Street to Stanhope Gate, on the right the cu-oles 

 round the trees are filled with Alternanthera amabilis latifolia 

 surrounded with Blue King LobeUa ; while the oblongs are 

 margined with Echeveria secunda glauca, and have an edging 

 of Blue King Lobelia and Dactylis glomerata planted alter- 

 nately, with an inner row of Alternanthera. The beds on the 

 left-hand side of the walk next Park Lane are surrounded with 

 Golden Feather Pyrethrum, within which is a row of Iresine 

 Lindeni. In the central portions of the beds are Geraniums 

 Lord Palmerston and bronze Mrs. John Lee, very effective; 

 Glow, fine; Queen of Queens mixed with Viola cornnta ; Wel- 

 lington, fine dark crimson ; Lucius ; Warrior, good bright 



scarlet, but of very strong growth ; Bonfire ; Amaranth (Pear- 

 son), beautiful purplish rose, magnificent ; Mrs. Pollock mixed 

 with Viola Perfection, Duchess of Sutherland (this is the bed 

 that was pillaged some time ago), and Stella variegata mixed 

 with Lobelia Blue King, forming a beautiful combination. In 

 other beds are Coleus Verschaffelti and Abutilon mixed. Cal- 

 ceolarias, HeUotrope Jean d'Amour, and bronze Geraniums. 



Instead of turning along Rotten Row, where the bedding is 

 of the subtropical character, we will now cross the park to Mr. 

 Chamberlain's lodge, where there is one of the grandest ex- 

 amples of carpet bedding we have ever seen carried out. Up- 

 wards of ten thousand plants are employed ; they are as a 

 whole exquisitely arranged, and the effect is superb. The 

 accompanying engraving (firi. G8), represents the disposition 

 of the beds, of which the planting is as foUows : — 



Bed 1. — n. Scarlet Geranium Shakspeare; b, Golden and 

 brown-leaved Geranium Luna ; c, Alternanthera amccna, dark 

 crimson ; d, Lobelia Erinus speciosa, dark blue with white eye ; 

 (', Stellariagramineaaurea, yellow leaves ; /', Echeveria secunda 

 glauca. 



Bed 2.— (I, Pink Geranium Rose Bradwardine, mixed with 

 Viola Perfection, bluish purple; b, Silver-edged Geranium Day- 

 break ; c, d, e, and/ as in 1. 



Bed 'i. — a. Silver-edged Geranium Queen of Queens, mixed 

 with Viola Perfection ; 6, Golden-leaved Geranium Golden 

 Fleece; c, d, e, and /as in 1. 



Bed i. — a, Coleus Verschaffelti splendens, brighter crimson 

 than C. Verschaffelti; 6, Centaurea ragusina; c,(i, r, and/ like 1. 



Bed 5. — Same as 'A. 



Bed G. — a, Pink Geranium Master Christine, mixed with 

 Viola Perfection ; b, c, d, e, and Hike 2. 



Bed 7. — (/, Golden Tricolor Geranium Jetty Lacy, mixed 

 with LobeUa White Perfection; h, Alternanthera versicolor; 

 r. Lobelia pumila grandiflora, Ught blue; d, Lysimachia Num- 

 mularia, golden-leaved ; c, Echeveria secunda glauca. 



Beds 8 and 9. — a, Silver Tricolor Geranium Lass o'Gowrie, 

 mixed with Lobelia pumila flore-pleno ; 6, c, d, and e like 7. 



Bed 10. — (I, Golden Tricolor Geranium Sophia Dnmaresque, 

 mixed with Lobelia White Perfection ; b, c, d, and /• like 7. 



Bed 11.— a, A single plant of Centaurea ragusina on a bottom 

 of Kleinia repens ; b and /i, LobeUa Lustrous, dark blue with 

 white eye; c, Leucophyton Brownii, silvery-foUaged ; d and/, 

 Alternanthera amrena ; c and I, Pyrethrum Golden Feather ; 

 g, Cineraria maritima compacta ; i, Cotyledon bracteatum, 

 silvery-leaved succulent plant;,;' and it, Alternanthera paro- 

 nychioides major, with salmon-coloured leaves; A-, Mesem- 

 bryanthemum cordifoUum variegatum ; m, Santolina incana, 

 silvery-foUaged ; y, Echeveria secunda glauca; ^, Mixed foUage 

 plants, amongst them three Dracajna austraUs. 



The single ornamental plants are [j, Dracsena austraUs ; the 

 others, denoted by the circles, are young Palms of various 

 species. 



N.B. — The engraver has omitted the references to the rings 

 in beds 2, S, 7, and 9, but they follow in the same order aa in 

 the other central beds. 



Maidenhair Fekn with Flowbes. — " A Sdbscbibkk'' seeing 

 it mentioned in page 19(1 of the Journal that Maidenhair Fern 

 does not live well in water with flowers, thinks it may not be 

 generaUy known if, directly the fronds are cut, they are sub- 

 merged for an hour in water they last a long time. " A 

 SuEscKiBER " has made them in this way Uve for four nights 

 on a dinner-table when the flowers arranged with them have 

 had to be renewed. 



NOTES ON- VILLA and SUBURBAN GARDENING. 



The Consehvatoby and Gkeenhouse. — The fact that there 

 are thousands of little structures of this kind attached to the 

 gardens of town residences in almost all parts of the country 

 and perhaps as many others springing-up, shows how deeply 

 rooted is the love for gardening in the minds of the well-to-do 

 class of the community. To many their greenhouse is the only 

 source of pleasure, and the Work attached to the growing of 

 plants for its decoration is a chosen means of recreation to most 

 of those who are closely confined to business during the day. 

 With a view, therefore, of giving a Uttlo assistance where it is 

 needed, I wiU devote this paper to a few remarks on the cul- 

 tivation of many of the most suitable plants for the decoration 

 of the greenhouse and conservatory during the approaching 

 winter months. 



The successful flowering of most plants in winter depends 

 upon the preparation they receive, »ud I shaU presume that In 



