February 21, 1866,] 



JOURNAL OF HOETICULTTTEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEK. 



X57 



in floral decoration. As soon as any member of this group 

 is found worthy of a better position it is removed to the 

 mixed flower-border in another part of the garden. 



Ascending towards the flower garden the first landing is 

 upon a finely-shaven lawn to the west of the house, 

 maxgined by a semicircular border about 8 feet wide, which 

 is set apart for the cultivation of hardy plants with orna- 

 mental foliage, and backed by scarlet Pentstemons, of which 

 a variety called Aurora is the most effective. Here are 

 arranged with strict regard to ornament every variegated 

 and silvery-looking plant procurable, interspersed with 

 crimson Plantago and other dark-foliaged plants, forming a 

 combination at once striking and effective. 



On entering the flower garden there is a magnificent 

 border extending nearly 60 yards to the right, at the 

 back of which runs a low wall covered with a rare and 

 valuable collection of trellis plants. The border is about 

 10 feet wide, and contains an admirable collection of the 

 most ornamental herbaceous plants, intermixed with China 

 and Tea Eoses ; dwarf Dahlias, and a great variety of other 

 half-hardy plants being also introduced in their season. 



The successful arrangement of this border to produce the 

 effect which it maintains for several months every year must 

 be a matter of no small ingenuity, and proves what may be 

 accomplished by a thorough devotion to the pleasures of a 

 garden, and the cultivation of artistic taste. The effect of 

 nearly all the attempts that I have hitherto seen in that 

 way proved the very reverse of Miss Hope's, making one 

 truly thankful to fall back on the "Eed, White, and Blue" 

 — namely, Cerastium, Lobelia, and Tom Thumbs, with which 

 the gardening world has now become familiar, and which 

 are so acceptable in the present day because they do not 

 vex us with the study of scientific names, and their har- 

 monious Mendings can be acquired as easily as the rule 

 of three. 



I obseiTcd on my last visit that this border had recently 

 been enriched with several patches of that handsomest of 

 aU winter-blooming plants which I shall here take the 

 liberty of calling HeUeborus niger var. grandiflora. The 

 history of the plant I at present fail to remember, but it 

 either originated or was introduced by some one in the 

 neighbom'hood of Edinburgh, and is yet chiefly confined to 

 that locality. All the so-called varieties that I have 

 procured from different parts of the country are only slight 

 variations of the ordinary Christmas Eose ; whereas the 

 plant in question is double its size both in foliage and 

 flowers, blooms fully six weeks earlier, and instead of the 

 peduncle being one-flowered as is mostly the habit of the 

 Christmas Eose, it produces four or five on a stem, of a rosy 

 blush colour, and is in perfection during November. 



Ascending to a terrace and passing by the greenhouse and 

 stoves, which are rich in Perns and ornamental-foliaged 

 plants, we arrive at that portion of the garden allotted to 

 the exhibition of bedding plants, which is neatly laid out in 

 grass, and contains upwards of twenty figures. This has 

 for several years been one of the most attractive and best- 

 arranged flower gardens in the neighbourhood of Edinbm-gh. 

 I have annually paid a visit to this lovely spot when arrayed 

 in its summer beauty, but having read and heard much of a 

 novel method of filling these beds in winter with German 

 Greens of various colours, whereby a very striking effect 

 was produced, I resolved, as I confess I had my own doubts 

 regarding this association, to visit the place and judge for 

 myself. Although arriving a little after daybreak in rather 

 a wintry morning towards the end of January, I had the 

 good fortune to be conducted through this portion of the 

 garden by its active and intelligent proprietress, who kindly 

 pointed out every object of interest, detailing the system 

 of management with scientific and business-like precision. 

 My fii-st impression almost led me to believe that the beds 

 were a series of beautiful rockwork formed of branching 

 coral of apppropriate colours, and even upon a more minute 

 inspection I failed to realise almost any affinity between the 

 vegetable so employed and that used for culinary purposes. 

 It seems to be the variety known to botanists as Brassiea 

 oleracea prolifera, which, to use a common phrase, is tough 

 and leathery in texture, rugged and artistical in outline, 

 ajid dwarf and uniform in habit. The colours chiefly pre- 

 dominating are crimson and mauve, dark purple, white, and 

 sulphur, tipped with green. These are arranged in rings 



and panels in the usual way, the centre of the beds being 

 generally filled with some pretty dwarf Conifer; and the 

 margins as well as the divisions of the panels are composed 

 of variegated tree Ivy, Stachys lanata, Cerastium tomen- 

 tosum, Arabis albida variegata, A. mollis variegata, A. lucida 

 variegata, and the like. The result is, that the garden, even at 

 this gloomy season, is as brilliant in colouring and as rich 

 and efteotive in display as at any period in the summer or 

 autumn. Miss Hope had these beds- planted for several 

 years with ornamental shrubs, hardy Heaths, bulbs, and 

 other spring flowers at a great expense ; but she found that 

 from the beginning of November to the end of February, 

 although the garden might be said to be clothed, it was 

 truly a winter garden after all. She therefore resolved to 

 use every endeavour to find out something that would give 

 the beds a summer dress even in the bleakest season. 

 Having discovered what she considered a suitable subject, 

 and for which in the meantime I fear we can find no 

 substitute, she has, by careful cultivation and judicious 

 selection, brought her place to such perfection as has lately 

 received the commendations of the best authorities. 



I left much pleased with all that I had seen, and 

 impressed more forcibly than before with the truths of the 

 preacher and the poet, that " We live but to learn," and 

 " gather as we go." — James Eae. 



GLAZING WITHOUT PUTTY. 



Had Mr. Poynter used narrow strips of india-rubber 

 the whole length of the rafter beneath the glass, and four 

 screws with india-rubber collars to fasten each square to 

 the rafter, he would not have found glazing without putty 

 so difficult nor so ineffectual ; and had he run a groove in 

 the centre of each rafter between the squares of glass, he 

 would not have found any ill-effects arising from rain. — 

 William McLellan, Wemyss Castle, Fife. 



POETRAITS OF PLANTS, FLOWERS, AND 

 FEUITS. 



Epidendrdth: dichromum var. amabile (Beautiful Two- 

 ooloured Epidendnim). — Nat. ord., Orchidaceee. Linn., Gy- 

 nandria Monaudria. Found on branches of shrubs near 

 rivers in Bahia. Imported by Messrs. Low & Co., Clapton 

 Niu-sery. Flowers rose-coloured, but liable to vary to white. 

 —{JBot. Mag., t. 54.91.) 



MoRENiA ekageaws (Fragrant Morenia). — Nai. ord., 

 PalmOS. Linn., DicBcia Hexandria. A small Palm, native 

 of Peru, Columbia, and elsewhere in South America. — {Ibid , 

 t. 5492.) 



Agave Saundeesii (Mr. Saunders's Agave). — Nat. ord., 

 AmaryUidaceee. Linn., Hexandria Monogynia. Probably a 

 native of Mexico. Flowers yellowish green. — (Tbid., t. 5493.) 



CcELOGTNE EtTSCEScENS var. BRtrNNEA (Eeddish-browD 

 Ccelogyne). — Nat. ord., OrchidaoeEe. Linn., Gyuandria Mon- 

 andria. Native of Moulmein. Ee-introduced by Messrs. 

 Low & Co. " It flowers in the winter months, and con- 

 tinues in beauty for several weeks. It is amongst the best 

 of the Coelogynes." — {Ibid., t. 5494.) 



Manettia micans (Showy Manettia). — Nat. ord., Eubi- 

 aceffi. lAnn., Tetrandria Monogynia. Messrs. Veitch and 

 Son, King's Eoad, Chelsea, have it from their collector in 

 South America, Mr. Pearce, who found it at Muna, at an 

 elevation of 3000 to 4000 feet. Stove climber; flowers 

 orange red. — {Ibid., t. 5495.) 



Abis^ma papillosum (PapOlose Arisema). — Nat. ord., 

 Aroidese. Linn., Monceoia Monandria. Native of the Nil- 

 gherry Mountains, and of central Ceylon, at an elevation of 

 4000 to 6000 feet. " The large tuberous roots are used as 

 a medicine by the Cingalese, and sometimes called ' Snake- 

 root.' "—{Ibid., t. 5496.) 



Eose — Bernard Palissy. Eaised by M. Margottin, Bourg- 

 la-Eeine, near Paris. Colour reddish carmine, habit ex- 

 cellent. — {Moral Mag., pi. 229.) 



Petunias. — Jubilee, rosy -lilac, barred and veined with dajrk 

 maroon. Charming, white with purplish maroon bars and 

 veins. Eaised by i'ir. Bull, Chelsea. — {Ibid., pi. 230.) 



Azalea — Fasdnation. Eaised by Mr. Ivery, Dorking, and 



