Hydrangea Hortensis for Out-door Decoration. 6i 



The bulb of the hyacinth, before it pushes, contains in its centre the 

 future flower, perfectly formed. 



For its development, a little heat and moisture are suffi- 

 cient ; and this dev^elopment is independent of the organs of 

 growtli. 



The leaves, on the contrary, take strength, and transmit it to the bulb, 

 by a call upon the roots, under the influence of light and air. We can 

 easily see that they absorb the greater part of the nourishment, and that 



they impoverish the flower. 



Ed. Andre, in "Revue Idorticole." 



HYDRANGEA HORTENSIS FOR OUT-DOOR DECORATION. 



Perhaps no plant has been more generally cultivated than this variety 

 of hydrangea since its introduction by Sir J. Banks. It is a very imposing 

 plant when seen in its smallest form ; but when seen out of doors in au 

 tumn, seven feet high, in the form of a large shrub, with thousands of mon- 

 strous flowers resting on fine broad green leaves, it presents the grandest 

 subject that can be seen in our climate in connection with the flower-gar- 

 den, or decorating the margin of ornamental water, where it is most at 

 home. The propagation of this plant is so simple, and its culture in pots 

 so well understood, that I will not intrude with remarks on any thing 

 save what relates to its out-door culture. 



It is frequently asserted that the hydrangea will only succeed in favorable 

 localities near the sea. In the west of England, and south of Ireland, it 

 may be seen with large shrubs, flowering freely without any protection ; 

 but it also may be seen thirty miles inland quite as fine by some attention 

 to culture. The Hydrangea hortensis is a wonderful plant to suit situation : 

 it may be seen in monstrous cymes on a wall facing south. On a north 

 wall it will flower equally grand, although not so abundantly : under the 

 branches of trees, on the edge of a pond, or planted on a rock, it will 

 flower profusely. It must not be inferred from this that good culture is 

 not necessary : there is no common plant on which high culture will tell 

 more strikingly. 



In commencing with young plants, the practice here is to grow them on 

 a bed of loam and peat in a rough state. The plants are planted on the 



