440 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



( November 23, 1S76. 



ripening that tbis occurs ; for remember, well-grown Grapes, 

 even of the Hamburgh class, are coloured loDg before they are 

 thoroughly ripe, and often swell considerably after they are 

 coloured. I think, then, that even in the case of Hamburghs, 

 if Ibey are intended to be kept for any considerable time, the 

 temperature should not be much reduced till they have been 

 ooloured a fortnight or three weeks, say nine or ten weeks 

 after they commence colouring. When the fruit is intended 

 for immediate use this is not of so much importance. 



I find I have nearly filled my paper with preface, and I hope 

 to go on with the subject at a future time. — Wji. Tayloe. 



A GARDEN OP HARDY FLOWERS.— No. 2. 



THE PERENNIAL BOEDER. 

 What is a perennial border? According to ordinary ex- 

 amples it is a confused intermixture of hardy flowers thrown 

 together without order, and with a predominant air of untidi- 

 ness that robs it of any approach to that which is graceful, 

 beautiful, or ornamental. This is a matter for regret, because 

 such borders afford peculiar facilities for the enjoyment of 

 something that is bright and lovely at all seasons of the year, 

 and by the exercise of a little care in arranging the plants the 

 repellent ugliness, which is the but-too-common characteristic 

 of so many of the borders, might easily be avoided, and a scene 

 of quiet beauty — a collection of treasures rich and rare — be 

 offered so effectively as to render it by no means a place to 

 avoid or a sight to disgust, as I have heard said of some of the 

 borders to which I allude. 



I happen just now to be making a perennial border, and in 

 thinking over the matter it appears to me that there are two 

 ways of treating this part of a garden. Narrow strips of some 

 5 or G feet wide should have the plants arranged singly, treat- 

 ing even those possessing the minute growth of an Alpine as 

 specimen plants or tufts. This individuality should be strictly 

 maintained in the body of the border, keeping all the plants 

 far enough apart to afford " ample space and verge enough," 

 not only for the full development of each one, but te afford an 

 unobstruoiei view of it. An edging of one kiud of dwarf com- 

 pact growth along the front margin is as admissible as it is 

 desirable, imparting as it does an air of neatness and finish to 

 the whole. While graduating the plants according to height, 

 from the dwarf edging in front up to the tallest plants behind, 

 I would by no means confine all the tall plants to the hack, 

 but would select a few of the moet striking for prominent 

 positions along the centre to impart variety and afford relief. 



In very wide borders, of say 20 feet or upwards, a bolder 

 sty'e of arrangement should be adopted. Groups of a dozen 

 or more plants of the same kind, a row or two of Hollyhocks 

 at the back, edgings and margins ad libitum in front, groups 

 or colonies of many varieties of one species, or even com- 

 prising many species of one genus, the intersecting spaces 

 being filled with mixed specimens, treated in the same way as 

 in our narrow border. Such an arrangement would always be 

 as interesting as it would b9 ornamental. The groups would 

 form a most important feature, enabling one while enjoying 

 tha beauty of the whole to contrast form with form, to obtain 

 a clear idea of the relative value of the different varieties, to 

 subject new introductions to the crucial test of comparison 

 with all the best kinds of established merit, and thus become a 

 constant source of attraction and afford valuable instruction. 

 If a still more striking effect is wished for, nothing is easier 

 than to substitute bands and lines of massed colours for the 

 mixed plants which enclose the groups, or the groups them- 

 selves might consist of one colour only ; but this plan would 

 undoubtedly rob the border of much of its merit, and I do not 

 recommend its general application. 



In proceeding to the selection of a few good kinds for begin- 

 ners to start with I would ask them not to regard any of the 

 lists as by any means exhaustive, but rather as embracing a 

 few choice kinds to form the nucleus of future collections, 

 which experience will enable them to add to from time to time. 

 The plants for groups should consist of species having many 

 varieties. Of these the Phloxe3 form a most important family, 

 growing quickly into large clumps of 2 to 3 feet high, with 

 colours ranging from pure white to deep purple. There are 

 two species which are especially worthy of general cultivation, 

 P. suffruticosa aDd P. decussata, both having numerous varie- 

 ties; and as the first is early and the last late-flowering, a 

 mixture of both is certainly desirable. Of the suffruticosa 

 section we may take Pearl, William Paul, Purple Emperor, 

 Mauve Queen, Lady Abercromby, Lewis Kidd, William Young, 



Stella, Princess of Wales, John Baillie, Marquise, and Her 

 Majesty; and of decussata, where we find more varied colours, 

 we will choose Lothair, Deliverance, Amabilis, Ruby Queen, 

 Purple Prince, Coquette de Pare de Nenilly, Madame Moisset, 

 Monsieur Conrad, Mrs. Laing, Mrs. Dombrain, Venus, and 

 Queen of Whites. Of Pentstemons a list has already been 

 given. Of the Dianthus family, barbatus, better known by its 

 familiar appellative of Sweet William, forms most brilliant 

 groups. Antirrhinums, Pyrethrums, Columbines, Carnations, 

 and herbaceous Pfeonies are all valuable subjects for this pur- 

 pose. Mr. Abbey has lately given a good selection of these 

 Paeonies, and for a choice dozen of Pyrethrums take Progress, 

 Virginal, Boule de Neige, Nemesis, Delicata, H. Schmidt, Sol- 

 faterre, Princess Charlotte, Chamois, Peau Rouge, DucheBse 

 de Brabant, and Imbiicatum plenum. 



For other prominent positions I would include many old 

 favourites, such as Lavender, Rosemary, the old monthly 

 China Rose, bright with gay flowers even at this late period 

 of the year ; the fine yellow Evening Primrose (Oenothera 

 gigantsa), Moss Roses, with some of the Delphiniums, such as 

 elatum and formosum, with the tall-growing Campanulas, the 

 Tritomas, and Fuchsia Riccartoni. 



For an edging nothing can be better than a hroad line of the 

 old white Pink. The deep lavender- flowered Nepeta teucrifolia 

 also forms a capital margin, while for vsriety we have all the 

 Viola tribe ; or for greater neatness and precision we may turn 

 to such hardy succulents as Sempervivum califorriicum, S.mon- 

 tanum, and the pretty little pearly Sedum glaucum. 



At this season of the year Chrysanthemums become most 

 important in our borders. Like most popular flowers the 

 varieties abound, being numbered by hundreds ; all are orna- 

 mental, but I will select for the border — of Japanese sorts — 

 Fair Maid of Guernsey, Elaine, James Salter, Dr. Masters, 

 and Prince Satsuma. Of the old large-flowered section— Jardin 

 des Plantes, Queen of England, Lord Derby, George Peabody, 

 Hetty Barker, Prince Albert, Julie Lagravere, Isabella Bott, 

 Guernsey Nugget, and Princess Beatrice. Of the Pompons, 

 one of the most valuable is Bob, an excellent old crimson sort, 

 with Madame Martha, Lizzie Holmes, White Trevenna, Bril- 

 liant, Firefly, Sidonia, and Atala. 



For specimens and clumps of other flowers I may take Iris 

 germanica, I. amoena, I. subbiflora, I. flavescens ; the Geums, 

 Narcissi, Liliums, Gentianas, Dodecatheons, Lupines, Campa- 

 nulas, Anemones, Arabis, Veronicas, Spiraeas, with Wallflowers, 

 Poppies, Pinks, Picotees, Potentiilas, Scabious, Foxgloves, 

 Rudbeckia hirta, Helle_borus niger, Arabis verna, and all the 

 Rock Roses. — Edyvabd Ltjckhtjbst. 



WINTERING LETTUCES. 



Many are the gardeners who have little or no glass accom- 

 modation, yet who are expected to have Lettuces, if not all 

 the year round, at any rate as early in the summer as possible. 

 Many amateurs also are there who particularly desire a supply 

 of salads during the first warm days of summer, yet both of 

 these — amateurs and gardeners — frequently fail in preserving 

 their Lettuce plants through the winter. When this is the 

 case disappointment is sure to follow, for from spring-sown 

 seed Lettuces cannot be produced until half the summer is 

 over, and therefore every effort must be made to preserve 

 their September-sown plants. But it has not unfreqnently 

 happened that their plants have been killed, not by the want 

 of endeavours to protect them, but because of the care that 

 has been taken in sheltering the plants. 



For some years I have had to grow Lettuces without the aid 

 of either frames or hand-lights, and only once have I failed 

 to preserve my autumn-sown plants. I shall not soon forget 

 that failure, for throughout the months of April, May, and 

 June the cry for Lettuces was continual, and I had none where- 

 with to answer it. I loBt my Lettuces by what may be de- 

 scribed as " placing all my eggs in one basket." True, it was 

 considered as being the best basket, but that did not diminish 

 the inconvenience of the failure. I planted all my Lettuces 

 at the base of a south wall. What place than that could be 

 regarded as more sheltered ? None in my case, yet it failed 

 to preserve the plants, as it has now and then failed since ; 

 but then I have had plants in other places whioh, though at 

 first sight might be considered as unsuitable places, have in 

 the end proved their worth. 



The great protector of Lettuce plants during the winter is 

 snow, and the foot of a south wall is the first place in the 

 garden from which the snow melts. If after that a loDg term 



