Gardens and Gardening in Louisia7ia. 24.7 



settes and Tea roses develope their magnificent flowers in 

 full perfection. The carnation, pink, and picotee succeed 

 well ; Gardenias and Lagerstroemias are perfect pictures in 

 their season. The dahlia thrives to admiration. Oleanders, 

 Night and Day scented jesamines, (Oestrums,) A116ysi«, 

 citriodora, Erythrinas, Plumbagos, and Olerodendrons are 

 all planted in the open ground. In severe winters, they may 

 be killed down, but they again shoot vigorously in the spring, 

 and grow and flower most luxuriantly. Pittosporum, Oiea 

 fragrans, and the Ohinese magnolias, attain a size which is 

 most astonishing; but neither tulip nor hyacinth succeed well, 

 although I am inclined to attribute the failure more to the 

 soil, (which could be obviated,) than to the climate, as I 

 have seen the latter in great perfection one degree south of 

 Savannah, state of Georgia. Neither the genus Pelargonium, 

 Fuchsia, nor Calceolaria are calculated for this meridian. 

 The summer appears to be too long, the heat too intense, or 

 the aridity of the atmosphere during the summer months is 

 too much for these beautiful genera, and either kills them en- 

 tirely, or they become so exhausted that they scarcely recover 

 during the winter, and the succeeding season puts a finale 

 to their existence. 



There are some very extensive gardens in this state; that 

 of Mr. Valcouraam, in the Parish of St. James, about 60 or 70 

 miles above New Orleans, would bear a comparison with any 

 garden in the United States. If we take into consideration 

 its extent, the vast and varied collection of plants, trees, and 

 shrubs, its hothouses and ornamental buildings, I am inclined 

 to think it is unsurpassed, if equalled, by any in the Union. 

 It was intended, as I have understood, to make this a tran- 

 script of an English pleasure ground, but I must confess, in 

 that respect, the designer has been by no means successful. 

 This leads me to remark, in general, the French style in the 

 ornamental department of gardening is that most frequently 

 adopted, particularly among the Creole portion of the popu- 

 lation, and there are some very unique and judiciously ar- 

 ranged gardens laid out and kept according to that system, 

 which, however much it may be repudiated by some, pos- 

 sesses a fascination under peculiar circumstances. For in- 

 stance, within a few minutes walk from where I now write. 



