170 ARRANGEMENT OF AMERICAN PLANTS. 



class of plants commonly known as American plants. Tliis is the more 

 surprising, as of late great progress has been made, both in increasing 

 the number of varieties, and in improving their qualities. In very few 

 places can anything worthy the name of a collection be found ; the one 

 almost invariably met with is tlie common Rhododendron ponticum, 

 and very few, if any, of the hybrid varieties are to be seen in the plea- 

 sure grounds of country seats. 



But the want of variety is not the only blemish to be pointed out. 

 There is much to blame in the manner in which these splendid plants 

 are disposed ; the place where they are generally planted being that 

 which is the worst of all for producing anything like effect, viz., in 

 borders and shrubberies. "Were I on the point of planting a collec- 

 tion, I should much prefer to form symmetrical beds on the lawn ; and 

 if these could be viewed from an eminence, it would be much better. 

 These beds should be planted with as much care, in respect to the 

 arrangement of colour and habit, as is looked for in planting tlie flower 

 garden ; they should be filled with Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Kalmias, 

 &c., and I have no doubt the effect would be good. No one who saw 

 the splendid exhibition of American plants, in King's Road, Chelsea, 

 in the spring of 1847, could for a moment doubt that a similar exhibi- 

 tion ought to be seen at the country seat of every gentleman ; and for 

 my own part, I see no reason why it cannot be so. 



Though such a disposition of American plants would be preferable to 

 promiscuous planting, to fill up open places in borders, it is not the 

 disposition I should prefer, where the requisite conditions could be had. 

 It is now twelve years since I saw the most splendid effect produced by 

 American plants. Tlie place was a wood or shrubbery, in ihe pleasure 

 ground, in which was a large liole, called the " pit hole." The banks of 

 this hole were " levelled," and the bottom formed into an oval figure, 

 encircled and crossed transversely by a walk. The ground enclosed 

 by the Avalks, and the lower parts of the banks, were planted with 

 Rhododendron ponticum, and, as near as I can recollect, the common 

 yellow Azalea ; the higher parts of the banks were planted with Cytisus 

 laburnum ; above which were seen the darker forms of oaks, elms, &c. 

 The descent was by steps at the end. 



Though there was decidedly a want of variety, yet the effect pro- 

 duced, on entering this " pit hole," was grand in the extreme ; the 

 purple of the Rhododendrons contrasted so powerfully with the rich 

 golden racemes of the Laburnum, that the place might literally be said 

 to be 



" Gleaming witli purple and gold." 



I have never since seen the spot, and though time, and the hand of 

 man may have altered the scene, the impression then made has never 

 been forgotten ; and I should enjoy few scenes more than to see the 

 idea there embodied carried out to perfection. The conditions required 

 to produce this effect are not always at hand ; but they often are. 

 Generally these holes are made the receptacles of rubbish, thus ren- 

 dering that place a nuisance, which might be made the brightest gem 

 of the pleasure ground. 



