260 



WJND OW GARD KX1NG. 



turn, the whole being dotted over with the variously tinted Chinese Primulas, 

 a bank of these plants, in fact, high enough in its back parts to be reflected in 

 the mirror, with the taller plants which surrounded it, gradually falling to the 



floor, and merging into the 

 groups of larger plants on 

 either side of the bank, the 

 whole being enclosed by a low, 

 gilt, wooden trellis work mar- 

 gin. 



" The groups at each side 

 contrasted most beautifully 

 with this. Green predomin- 

 ated, but there was a suf- 

 ficiency of flower, while beauty 

 of form was fully developed 

 In the centre and back parts 

 of these groups were tall speci- 

 mens of the common sugar 

 cane, (Sacharinum officiar 

 urn,} which held their long 

 and boldly arching leaves well 

 over the group. These were 

 supported by Palms, which 

 threw their graceful lines over 

 the specimen Camellias, which 

 were in their turn graced here 

 and there by the presence of a 

 Draccena or dwarf Palm ; and 

 so down to the front edge, 

 where Cinerarias, forced 

 bulbs, Primulas and Ferns, 

 finished off the groups, all 

 very closely placed, so that 

 neither the lower part of the 

 stems, nor a particle of any of 

 the pots could be seen 



" Any interstices that hap- 

 pened to remain between 



Fig. 4. AKV Americana. the bases of the plants were 



compactly filled with fresh green moss, which was also pressed against the little 

 gilt trellis work, which enclosed the whole, so that from the uppermost point of 

 the cane leaves to the floor, nothing was seen but fresh green foliage and grace- 

 ful forms enshrouding the ordinary flowers of our greenhouses that are infi- 



