Calls at Gardens and JVurseries. 385 



geous stove climber, is here flowering, we suspect, for the first time in 

 this country : its dense racemes of carmine-colored blossoms, have a 

 splendid and imposing appearance. There is a large i)lant of Crinum 

 augiista, but it does not yet show any signs of flowering. In the pit in 

 the stove are several kinds of pino-apjih- plants, which are growing vigo- 

 rously ; among others are the Black .Jamaica, Ripley, and Antigua. 

 Nympha^a j)igmea, c;i3rulea, and lotus, those beautiful aquatics, Mr. 

 Haggerston showed us several plants of ; they should be grown in every 

 good collection ; we have often been surprised that the water lilies, so 

 charmingly beautiful and fragrant, have not been more valued and 

 cultivated. ' 



In the garden, the sorts of annuals generally cultivated, are blooming 

 strong and profusely. Of those new we noticed Nigella hispanica, a 

 much prettier species than the old damascena ; several plants of a spe- 

 cies of Cosmea, said to rival the dahlia in splendor, we here observed 

 growing with great vigor, but they will not j)robably flower before the 

 aj)proach of frost. We never were so much struck with the brilliancy 

 of the Verbena chama^drifolia as at this place ; there are two patches of 

 it, each side of the entrance to the conservatory, about three feet in di- 

 ameter, and its dazzling blossoms were so numerous as almost to cause 

 pain to the eyes to look upon them. In the border, in front of the range 

 of houses, are several plants of the Canna speciosa, ten feet in height, 

 with countless spikes of flowers. The dahlias are now flowering ex- 

 tremely well; there is also a profuse display of superb double China as- 

 ters, of various shades of color. The dahlia, since the latter have been 

 so improved, has a strong rival ; and if the ease with which the asters 

 are flowered is taken into consideration, we are not certain but they are 

 the preferable of the two. Gilia coronopifolia (p. 225) was flowering 

 finely: the centre spike being upwards of five feet high ; we have 

 also lately seen it at some other places in great splendor. Lophospermum 

 erubescens, Cobtea scandens, Thunbergia alata, and Calampelis scaber, 

 those favorite climbers of ours, wei'e covered with their charmingly beau- 

 tiful flowers; the Cobfea, running many feet over the trellises on the 

 garden walls. 



In the forcing grounds we saw several fine kinds of melons; among 

 others, the scarlet fleshed rock, silver rock, green fleshed, &c., the 

 seeds of which we had the pleasure of sending Mr. Haggerston, being 

 part of several kinds we imported the past spring; they have proved 

 very valuable additions to our limited number fine ones. Several hun- 

 dred pots of Keen's seedling strawberries have been prepared for forcing. 

 The whole range of pits will be filled with various vegetables and vines, 

 for early forcing. 



Oakley Place — Wm. Pratt, Esq. — We here also found the garden, under 

 the care of Mr. McLennan, kept in a neat state, and the plants in a flour- 

 ishing condition. The dahlias have flowered well, and now presented a 

 fine display: that fine old variety, the Countess of Liverpool, profusely 

 in bloom, still retains its preeminence among the scarlets, both in form 

 and color. The double asters were also beautiful. Bignonia grandiflora 

 has flowered superbly here every season for several years. The plant 

 is protected during winter by a covering of dry leaves, hay or straw. 

 Maurandia Barclayana covered with its dark purplish blue flowers. 

 Several plants of the common tea rose, which have stood in the border 

 three or four years, with only a little protection during winter, have 

 made strong shoots, and were full of buds and blossoms; they may be 

 thus easily grown, and the flowers are finer than when the roots are con- 

 fined to pots. 



VOL. I. — NO. X. Z Z 



