796 



OPEN FLOWER-GARDEN. 



jured on the open lawn at Dalkeith ; Morina 

 longifolia, not the least injured at Dalkeith ; 

 Myrica Californica, not injured at Chiswick or 

 Dalkeith; Myrtus communis, latifolia, uninjured 

 at Dalkeith, although slightly injured about 

 London, and even Southampton ; Nandina do- 

 mestica, has stood uninjured for twelve years at 

 Dalkeith, although killed on a south wall at 

 Chiswick, and injured at Kew; Neillia thyrsi- 

 flora, uninjured at Dalkeith, although killed to 

 the ground at Chiswick ; Ornus floribundus, not 

 injured against a south wall at Chiswick, and 

 only slightly at Kew ; Pavia Californica and in- 

 dica, not injured at Chiswick ; Pawlovnia impe- 

 rialis, which has stood as a lawn tree for seven 

 years at Dalkeith, so severely injured as to leave 

 little hope of its recovery ; Pseonia moutan, 

 escaped at Dalkeith as an open lawn plant, as 

 well as on a northern wall ; Phillyreas, not injured 

 at Dalkeith or Chiswick, injured or killed in 

 several other places ; Phormium tenex, killed at 

 Dalkeith, the plant being injured by accident 

 the previous season — had stood in an open 

 border for nine years ; Photinia glabra, unin- 

 jured at Dalkeith or Chiswick ; Piptanthus 

 nepalensis, not the least injured at Dalkeith, 

 killed at Chiswick ; Plumbago larpenta, quite 

 hardy in the borders at Dalkeith ; Pistacia tere- 

 binthus, only slightly injured at Kew ; Pittos- 

 porum bicolor, slightly injured at Chiswick ; 

 Punica granatum, only slightly injured at Kew, 

 uninjured at Chiswick and Dalkeith ; Quer- 

 cus, — this genus suffered much, the fol- 

 lowing escaped, Ilex at Kew, Chiswick, and 

 Dalkeith, gramuntia at Chiswick, inversa at 

 Bagshot, suber, slightly at Chiswick, not in- 

 jured at Dalkeith — several of the Kurdistan 

 species were not injured by the winter at Chis- 

 wick, but suffered much by the frost of April 

 24th, dealbata and Cookii, partially, Australis, 

 not the least, glabra, escaped at Bagshot, Bic- 

 ton, and Exeter, and Mongolica escaped at Shif- 

 nal, all the others more or less injured — the 

 Mexican ones all killed ; Rhododendron, — the 

 Sikkim sorts are reported to have stood unin- 

 jured at Bagshot, with the exception of Edge- 

 worthii, and in several instances they have stood 

 better in peat than in a loamy soil ; R. cinnamo- 

 meum, Campbellise, Campauulata, stood unin- 

 jured at Dalkeith ; Ribes acuminatum and glu- 

 tinosum, uninjured at Chiswick, and speciosum 

 and glaciale stood without injury at Dalkeith ; 

 Rosmarinus officinalis, although much injured 

 at Kew, did not suffer in the least at Dalkeith ; 

 Rosa Banksise, lutea and alba, not injured at 

 Dalkeith ; the white variety appears to be more 

 hardy than the yellow. Roses in general suffered 

 little at Dalkeith, while in many places the 

 tender varieties were greatly destroyed. Salvia 

 Grahamii, uninjured at Dalkeith for years ; San- 

 tolina chamsecyparissis, not injured at Chiswick 

 nor at Dalkeith, although on the open lawn ; 

 Skimmia japonica suffered more from the frost 

 of the 25th of April than from the frost during 

 winter; Solanum crispum and jasminoides, es- 

 caped unhurt at Dalkeith, both much injured 

 at Chiswick and Kew ; Spirsea Lindleyana, not 

 injured as an open lawn plant at Dalkeith, S. 

 Reevesiana, pubescens, cana, Blumei, prunifolia, 



uninjured at Chiswick, callosa and prunifolia, 

 uninjured at Dalkeith; Swammerdamia anten- 

 naria, slightly injured at Chiswick ; Tritoma 

 Burchelli, media, pumila, uvaria, uninjured at 

 Dalkeith ; Veronica salicifolia and Lindleyana, 

 uninjured at Dalkeith, killed at Kew, Chiswick, 

 and Bromley ; Viburnum tinus, continued to 

 flower throughout the winter as usual at Dal- 

 keith, none of the varieties injui'ed at Chiswick, 

 severely injured or killed to the ground in many 

 parts of England ; Weigela rosea, apparently 

 quite hardy everywhere ; Yucca gloriosa, fila- 

 mentosa, and flaccida, uninjured at Dalkeith ; 

 Zauschneria Californica, quite hardy at Dalkeith. 



§ 5. THE FLORISTS' FLOWER GARDEN. 



The cultivation of those plants which come 

 under the above denomination has not only been 

 a source of gratification to their admirers for an 

 unknown length of time, but has been, and still 

 is, regarded as a distinct branch of horticultural 

 art. The florist regards his favourite flower, 

 while in its natural state, in much the same 

 light as the pomologist does the fruit of the 

 crab-apple or the uncultivated plum. Each, 

 by an art peculiar to himself, in course of 

 time so completely changes the character of 

 the objects of his care that they no longer re- 

 semble the type from which they originated 

 either in form, size, or colouring. Florists' 

 flowers are appreciated whether they are 

 single or double. In the former, although the 

 number of petals is not increased, they are en- 

 larged in size, rendered more circular in form, 

 of greater consistency or substance in petal, 

 and improved in depth and harmony of colour- 

 ing. In the latter, the petals of the corolla 

 are increased in number, in substance, and in 

 colour. Indeed, so far has the florist carried 

 his art that canons of criticism have been by 

 common consent established by which to esti- 

 mate the properties of new productions or vari- 

 eties. Criterions of merit, or the properties of 

 florists' flowers, have from time to time been 

 published, the most complete of which is that by 

 Mr George Glenny, who published in 1847 a 

 pamphlet entitled " The Standard of Perfection 

 for the Properties of Flowers and Plants," which 

 was for a time considered the standard by which 

 their merits were measured. Some difference 

 of opinion has, however, since arisen on the 

 subject. The florists' flower garden occupies 

 comparatively a limited space in gardens gene- 

 rally. Its principal requirements are shelter, 

 exposure to the sun, the means of securing ar- 

 tificial shade at certain seasons, pits or frames 

 for protection during winter, and a glass-house 

 for blooming some of the more delicate produc- 

 tions. Florists' flowers and their culture, when 

 grown to the highest state of perfection, do not 

 harmonise well with the other parts of a gene- 

 ral garden ; hence the propriety of dedicating a 

 separate department to their accommodation. 



The pansy or heart' s-ea$e, one of our most popu- 

 lar florists' flowers, is the progeny of Viola 

 lutea, grandiflora, and amcena, produced by 



