2S4 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ September 28, 1816. 



mansions and picturesque villas are scattered about,"'half 

 bidden by trees and sbrubs. 



On tbe north side the Zoological Garden, with its lofty trees 

 and picturesque buildings, has a very pleasing effect, and 

 further back Primrose Hill. On tbe south are the Botanical 

 Gardens ; and on tho west are rustic bridges, ornamental 

 waters, and stately trees. On the east Bide the flower garden 

 is very tastefully laid out, showing both the English and 

 the Italian style. The English consists in an imitation of 

 nature. This has been accomplished, for here we have an 

 undulated surface, serpentine walks, and different-shaped 

 clumps, containing selections of the finest kinds of flowering 

 and evergreen trees, of which some of the more striking are 

 also planted on the grass, and have now attained considerable 

 size. The flower beds are simple in form, judiciously placed, 

 and effectively planted. 



The Italian garden is divided into two parts by an avenue 



of Horse Chestnuts, which is said to be the finest in or near 

 London, Bushey Park included. It is nearly a mile long. The 

 trees are not so large nor so lofty as the trees that form the 

 avenues at Hampton Court, but certainly they are of better 

 form. The trunks are straight and clean, and the heads are 

 very symmetrical. It i3 hardly possible to imagine any object 

 more gorgeous than this avenue when the trees are studded 

 with millions of pink and silver flowers. In the Italian garden 

 the decorations are brought skilfully into harmony with the 

 natural beauty of the flowers. Handsome vaaes are judiciously 

 placed and filled with suitable plants, and form striking ob- 

 jects. There are also many fine Yuccas planted singly in lines 

 and in masses, the beauty of which is striking when in flower. 

 Their great panicles of pearly-white bell-shaped blossoms con- 

 trast with such plants as the Pampas Grass, the Palms, Coni- 

 fers, variegated Hollies, and several other decorative plants. 

 The Yuccas are permanent in character, being ornamental in 



IIJ^MiMMUfflltaifil 



Fig. 42. — Regent's pabk — The Italian flowee garden. 



winter as well as in summer, and also another great advantage 

 which they possess is the vigorous growth they make in town 

 gardens, where many other plants fail. The same may be 

 said of the Rhododendrons, for the London smoke seemingly 

 has no injurious effect upon them. They are as handsome here 

 as they would be in the country, for when properly treated at 

 the roots the smoky atmosphere does them no harm. Stan- 

 dard Rhododendrons and other round-headed plants are in 

 keeping in an Italian garden, and have a good effect when 

 planted on the turf as they are here. 



The flower beds are edged with Box, the small walks gravelled, 

 and the outside border next to the grass has an edging of 

 Anston's stone, which gives to the whole a neat compact 

 appearance, then comes a broad strip of turf. On this single 

 specimens of choice shrubs and other plants are grown, all 

 guarded with a neat wire fence. Upright Lombardy Poplars 

 are planted at regular distances on each side of the straight 

 walk. The hedges are neatly dipped, the grass closely shorn, 

 the gravel walks smooth and clean, and the flowers of low- 

 growing kinds. 



Regent's Park might rest its floral reputation on well-known 

 and familiar favourites. Geraniums of all kinds and colours 

 are here found in profusion, and other well-known plants 

 glowing with colour — masses of Heliotropes that load the air 

 with perfume. Small delicate-coloured-leaved plants are used 



All 



for edging other taller subjects, exhibiting a nicety of art. 

 the plants are well grown and skilfully displayed. 



Mr. Iverson has charge of this flower garden, and he displays 

 a mastery in the way in which he manages to combine the 

 most gorgeous of bedding plants with a general assemblage of 

 less gaudy and less formal subjects ; and it is well he has for 

 a superintendent Mr. Edwards, who has himself a keen eye for 

 the beautiful. — N. Cole, Kensington. 



NOTES ON SOME SPECIES OF ONCIDIUM. 

 The genus Oncidium is a very extensive one, and tbe largest 

 number of the species are exceedingly showy and free-flower- 

 ing. They are also, very nearly all of them, of easy culture, 

 which is an important point in their favour. Some of tho 

 species are very robust in growth, requiring considerable space 

 for their development, and are not adapted for small houses 

 and for limited collections of select varieties, though such 

 species as 0. sphacolatum, 0. altissimum, and others are very 



: useful in mixed collections of plants, as they throw-up nume- 

 rous long spikes of flowers which come in useful for cutting 



| where a large supply is wanted. The above two sorts succeed 

 best in the plant stove. 



A few eorts are well adapted for culture in cool houses, 

 and ought to be in the most select collection of Orchids. 



