Juno 16, 1863. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



437 



sake of preservation from damp, and consequent decay, until again 

 required for use aB a summer ornament. Drainage and soil are, 

 of course, renewed annually when re- introduced to the flower- 

 garden ; and albeit the species of ornament 1 have described is 

 composed, in part at leaBt, of frail materials ; if painted over 

 yearly and taken care of in the dead season it will lest for many 

 years. 



At Oakley these flower-baskets are exclusively decorated with 

 a miscellaneous assortment of choice hybrid and Fancy Pelar- 

 goniums, fringed with the trailing Ivy-leaved and variegated 



kinds, which depend over the sides in rich profusion, producing 

 a luxuriant and yet most elegantly unique appearance. Scarlet 

 Pelargoniums are omitted from these baskets as being too con- 

 spicuous and glaring in colour, when thus elevated so nearly to 

 a level with the eye of the observer : and the coup d'osil pre- 

 sented is more reposing and softer in consequence of their 

 omission. In planting them the plants are so thickly disposed 

 as to confer upon these beautiful flower-stands, when in full 

 bloom, an appearance of what in truth they are — magnificent 

 taBtefully-formed bouquets of Pelargoniums. 



Plan of Pelargonium Garden at Oakley. 



Reference. — The accompanying plan being uniform and pretty 

 well balanced throughout, it will be indispensable, in order to 

 obviate any violation of the effect as a whole, that the corre- 

 sponding parts be arranged so similarly in respect of the habit, 

 height, colour, &c, of the different varieties of Pelargoniums 

 employed in itB decoration, as to confer an expressive air of 

 ■unity and harmony upon the entire disposition — the respective 

 partB of the design being thus made to reflect, aB it were, the 

 corresponding ones. This is easy of accomplishment, provided 

 the plan be carefully studied on paper previous to planting it ; 

 and which is assuredly well worth the pains, when it iB known 

 that any material mistake in the arrangement must inevitably 

 prove destructive to the equipoise and harmony of the picture. 



The fastigiate tree and dwarf bush profiles indicated on the 

 plan are intended to represent specimens of some strict-growing 

 and spreading plants, as Irish Yew or evergreen Cypress for the 

 former, and Philljrea or Laurustinus for the latter. DoubtlesB, 

 however, well-managed examples ot standard or pyramidal Pelar- 

 goniums would be equally as appropriate in these positions ; and 

 the small angular beds on grass, g, near which they are planted, 

 might most appropriately be furnished alike with masBes of the 

 " Frogmore Improved " scarlet, zoned with some variegated 

 Pelargoniums for effecting a suitable contrast with the grasB. 



The small square, e, within the circular figure, i, in the centre 

 of the gravel parterre, a, and grass-plats, b, are consecutively 

 the sites of the statue of Flora and flower-baBkets shown in the 

 plan. The circles, i, surrounding the basket-stands, being 

 furnished with fragrant Pelargoniums, intermingled with Helio- 

 tropes and Mignonette ; the base of Flora being planted with 

 Pelargonium Lucia rosea, margined with the gold-leaf varie- 

 gated variety : a, represents gravel walks, respectively, 8, 6, 

 and 2J- feet in width ; and b indicates the grass portion of the 

 plan. 



The dotted line extending round the circumferential border,/, 

 shows the direction of the iron trelliage arches exhibited in the 

 plan, the border itself being filled with the most brilliant kinds 

 of scarlet, margined on both sides with the variegated Pelar- 

 gonium called " Mangles' Silver Bedding." 



The small circles, e, are devoted to handsome full-grown 

 specimens of pyramidal Pelargoniums, zoned with the old dwarf 

 Frogmore Scarlet. The best and most select bedding varieties 

 of tae " choice " and " Fancy " hybrids, with a goodly inter- 

 mixture of fragrant-leaved Pelargoniums, are apportioned to the 

 beds, d, composing the large interior circle of the garden. — 

 Geobge Taylob, Chatsworth. — (Garden Companion.) 



TYING MATERIAL WANTED. 



H-ATING on more than one occasion called the attention of the 

 readers of The Jottknal op Hoeticttltoee to this subject, 

 some apology is, perhaps, due for reverting to it again ; but the 

 class likely to answer the inquiry and furnish the article wanted, 

 being distant travellers, are not likely to see our publication 

 regularly, and may, consequently, have not noticed the " want " 



pointed out. That a foreign article is needful will be generally 

 admitted ; for I fear our home-manufacturers with all their skill 

 will not be able to supply us with anything cheap enough to 

 meet the requirements of every day's business; and it certainly 

 is no compliment to those who Bupply us with the article in 

 general use, or rather to ourselves also, that we have not been 



