GARDENING FOR CITIES. 211 GARDENING FOR CITIES. 



Sweetwilliams. 

 Symphoricarpos racemosus. 

 Syringa, all varieties. 

 Taxus baccata, or Common Yew. 



,, fastigiata. 

 Thuja occidentalis, or American Arbor Vitae. 



,, orientalis, or Chinese Arbor Vitae. 

 Tulips, all sorts. 

 Ulmus, or Elm, all sorts. 

 Verbenas, varieties. 

 Viburnum opulus, or Guelder Rose. 

 Vinca major, or Periwinkle. 

 Virginian Stock. 

 Wallflowers. 

 Wistaria sinensis. 

 And most of the common hardy annuals. 



The above list is sufficient for every 

 purpose of ornament and brightness of 

 appearance. In so long a list it must be 

 obvious that some things will do better 

 than others ; but all are worth planting, 

 as all have been known to live in a smoky 

 atmosphere. Of trees, the plane, which 

 sheds its bark annually, and the poplar in 

 its different varieties, are decidedly the 

 best where the air is most charged with 

 soot. 



Besides chrysanthemums, as we learn 

 from the late Mr. Broome, a very fair 

 display may be obtained throughout the 

 year of other hardy flowers which will 

 thrive in London smoke, and may be 

 grown with success in most of the squares 

 and small gardens in large cities and towns. 

 " I here give," continues that great autho- 

 rity, " my thirty years' practical experience 

 of what I have found to succeed, and keep 

 up a succession of flowers through the 

 year. As a winter flower, the Christmas 

 rose (Helleborus niger) does very well. 

 Snowdrops, too, bloom very freely. Next 

 comes the crocus and tulips, of different 

 colours : these do remarkably well, and if 

 planted in October, in beds or good-sized 

 patches, will, in March or April, make 

 quite a show, and form a pleasing mixture 

 with the common primrose. 



" In the middle of February sew round 

 the crocuses a good quantity of Virginian 

 stock, purple and white alternately; the 

 leaf of the crocus shelters the young stock 



from the frost and cold March winds ; and 

 when the crocus has done blooming, either 

 cut the leaves off or twist them round, and 

 give them a tie to allow the Virginian stock 

 fair play. This comes in succession to the 

 crocus, and when sown in large patches in 

 beds has a very pretty effect. I generally 

 plant a large quantity of the common wall- 

 flower, choosing the darkest varieties. 

 These flower a long time, and smell very 

 sweet. They should be planted rather 

 deep, and require a good quantity of 

 water, or they soon flag. The gladiolus 

 is a very excellent bulb for town borders, 

 if planted in March in a strong loam, leaf- 

 mould, and rotten dung, and plenty of 

 water when the hot weather sets in. The 

 daffodil and narcissus do very well. Next 

 come the white candytuft and the yellow 

 alyssum, which bloom at the same time. 

 These strike from cuttings in the summer, 

 and keep in a cold frame all the winter. 

 Next comes the 2ris Germanica and the 

 rocket. Daisies and heartsease do well, 

 and flower a long time. The calceolaria 

 does exceedingly well, and flowers all the 

 summer. Cuttings of these should be put 

 in a cold frame in October, and merely 

 require the frost to be kept from them. 

 I peg them down like verbenas, instead of 

 stopping them. The result of this is that 

 I obtain an earlier bloom : they throw out 

 their laterals quite as well, and the wind 

 is prevented from breaking them off. . . . 

 When it is very hot, throw round the roots 

 a little mulch or mould, to keep their 

 flowers from drooping. Intermediate 

 stocks do very well, and flower all the 

 summer : these I sow in September, under 

 a handglass. When old enough, prick 

 out three or four plants in No. 48 pots, in 

 a compost of loam and a little rotten dung, 

 taking care that they do not get too much 

 wet. In November put them in cold frames 

 for the winter, never watering except they 

 flag, and plant out in February, as they 



