298 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



BEDDING ARRANGEMENTS AT THE CRYSTAL PALACE. 



BT GEOEGE GORDON. 



[ESIDENTS in London and its suburbs are wonderfully 

 ■well oft' in tbe matter of public flower gardens, for 

 within the limits of the metropolis there are four 

 or five parks, all easily accessible, in which flower 

 gardening during the summer season is carried out on 

 a most elaborate scale, and in addition there are the grounds of the 

 Crystal Palace at Sydenham, which have long been famous for their 

 splendid bedding displays. These grounds are indeed held in such 

 high repute, that throughout the months of July and August, and a 

 portion of September, some hundreds of gardeners, besides hosts of 

 the owners of gardens, from all parts of tbe country, make a point 

 of visiting them for the purpose of inspecting the bedding arrauge- 

 ments, and obtaining new ideas for working out in their own 

 arrangements the following year. 



It is a quite common occurrence, during the months above men- 

 tioned, to see some half-dozen gardeners walking round, note-book in 

 hand, making rough sketches of the planting of the most attractive 

 beds, and jotting down the names of such plants as have a striking 

 appearance. There can be no doubt that the Crystal Palace possesses 

 more value as an educational establishment than it has credit for, 

 and it may be safely assumed that the examples of colour planting 

 which are year by year provided for the delectation of the visitors, 

 exercise a most healthy influence throughout the country. Much, 

 of course, is done that would be altogether out of place in a small 

 private garden, but no one having the charge of a flower garden can 

 visit these grounds during the summer without obtaining some few 

 hints that will prove useful to them afterward:^. 



The present season has not been very favourable to bedding 

 plants, for when they were first put out, they were nearly burnt up 

 by the intense heat which for a short period prevailed, and since they 

 have been nicely established, dull, showery weather has been the rule, 

 and the warm sunny days, so essential to the plentiful production of 

 flowers, the exception. The bedding arrangements at Sydenham 

 have suflered less from the adverse character of the weather than at 

 many other places, and, in fact, less than might have been expected, 

 for throughout the season there has been a display of bloom more or 

 less brilliant, and the bedders have appeared to a great advantage. 

 Carpet bedding, which is now extremely popular, has within the 

 last three or four years been developed to a considerable extent, and 

 a large number of beds that were formerly devoted to geraniums 

 and other plants grown for their flowers, are now filled with Alter- 

 nantheras. Golden Feather, and other plants with coloured foliage. 

 This season a feature altogether new to these grounds has been in- 

 troduced, for in a sheltered nook, on the walk leading from the 

 terrace to the Rose Mount, several beds have been cut, and these 

 are filled with the choicer kinds of plants, noble in aspect and 



