General Notices. 559 



Journal about the plants best adapted for flower gardening, and as in many 

 places a good autumnal display is not of the least importance, the following 

 are a few of those I have found most suitable for that purpose. The two 

 Cupheas, C. platycentra and C. strigillosa, are both good ; and if the latter 

 is more showy at a distance, as it undoubtedly is, still the former makes a 

 capital bed for closer inspection. Here it is planted on a raised circular 

 bed, in a somewhat airy situation, and is generally admired. C. strigillosa 

 I find to be improved by an edging ; Agathasa ccelestis suits very well, its 

 charming blue flowers contrasting agreeably with those of the other, and 

 gives the bed a more lively appearance. But Kay's Calceolaria makes the 

 best display of all the yellow flowering plants that I have seen, producing 

 such magnificent corymbs of flowers, well above the foliage. The scarlet 

 lobelias are now the finest masses of that color ; scarlet geraniums get some- 

 what too leafy in our beds at this season ; however, those in vases are still 

 very fine. Here we have these lobelia beds covered with verbenas of the 

 same color, so that without having a blank in the summer their season of 

 beauty is considerably extended in the autumn, as about the time the verbe- 

 nas give way the lobelias are just in their splendor. Phlox Drummondi, as 

 a red, comes in well, if a good variety is got, as it flowers abundantly. 

 Lythrum alatum, from the distinctive character it imparts to a bed, deserves 

 to be patronized ; heavy rains dash the flowers off" a good deal, but from 

 having such an abundant succession that is not of much consequence ; but 

 at this season something is required, that there is no mistake about seeing ; 

 good strong colors are what are wanted, and in that it is deficient. As to 

 blue, Salvia charaffidryoides is the best, and if strong plants are put out in 

 good time it makes a very fine bed ; but all blue show best on gravel. We 

 have had a very fine clump of S. patens ; the bed is large, being in our 

 principal flower garden, which is exposed to occasional not gentle breezes, 

 and on such occasions the young brittle shoots of such plants are apt to get 

 broken ; being upon grass, an edging of the Calceolaria rugosa was put 

 round, to relieve the cool color of the blue, and give expression to the bed, 

 and still more to lighten it up and aflx)rd protection. Plants of the Tropaeo- 

 lum canariense were introduced, planted some four feet apart, and answered 

 admirably ; in the height of the season the whole had a very brilliant ap- 

 pearance, but the colors would have blended more harmoniously had that of 

 the canary flowers been deeper — more of an orange. At the present time, 

 when the Tropseolum has almost wholly taken possession of the bed, it is 

 still gay, but looks best at a distance. For a white, a plant received here 

 under the name of Iberis gibraltaraica surpasses all ; the leaves are linear 

 and silver-edged ; flowers and odor like the common sweet Alyssum, and 

 grows some ten inches high ; at a distance the clump appears a complete 

 mass of white. A^'ariegated geraniums should not be omitted ; the old scarlet 

 suits best for late work : should that exhibited by the Messrs. Lee this season, 

 and of which report speaks highly, prove equally hardy, it yvill be a great 

 acquisition. These, with such indispensables as heliotropes, crimson per- 

 petual roses, with many others, if skilfully managed, will be found very 

 useful in prolonging the beauty of the flower garden. 



