816 



OPEN FLOWER-GARDEN. 



Delphinium Barlowii, a deep-blue English hy- 

 brid, which flowers twice a-year, first in June, 

 and secondly in October and November ; Tri- 

 toma uvaria, media, and pumila, flowering till 

 the end of November : Aster strictus, hyssopi- 

 folius, rigidus, linarifolius, grandifolius, foliosus, 

 undullatus, dumosus, multiflorus, cordifolius, 

 Novae Anglise, sessiliflorus, spurius, cyaneus, 

 lavigatus, serotinus, and blandus. Most of 

 the genus Helleborus flower from January till 

 April. Colchicum autumnale, with its varie- 

 ties, as well as several other species of the 

 genus, afford abundant bloom from the begin- 

 ning of October till December. Achillea ptar- 

 mica flo. pleno, micrantha, tomentosa, flower 

 till November; and several of the late-flowering 

 species of Phlox, and hybrids of Phlox omni- 

 flora, if grown in a shady cool part of the re- 

 serve-garden, may be made to flower from Octo- 

 ber, until killed down by the November frosts; 

 while Campanula carpatica, if the seed-vessels 

 be picked off as they form, will flower till 

 the middle of November ; and Viola palmensis 

 will flower in most places throughout the whole 

 winter, particularly if propagated by seeds or 

 cuttings in June and July. The perpetual 

 or tree carnation comes also within the same 

 category ; as do also the autumnal roses, and 

 winter-flowering hardy heaths. The following 

 are a few only among the many of this class 

 that flower early — that is, from February till the 

 end of April or beginning of May : In the 

 genus Corydalis, a number of species which, 

 along with those below, may be grown in pots 

 in the reserve garden, and transferred to the 

 flower-borders in January, will flower during 

 February and on to the end of April or beginning 

 of May. Amongst minute plants the genus 

 Draba affords several species, and Alyssum and 

 Aubrietia afford other examples, while Cheir- 

 anthus affords plants of larger growth and agree- 

 able perfume. Anemone offers examples of 

 many species flowering beautifully from March 

 till May, and Hepatica from February till April. 

 Potentilla verna, Phlox verna, divaricata, subu- 

 lata, nivalis, &c, bloom from March to May, and 

 P. alba from February onwards. Many of the 

 Oxalis and Viola tribe flower through November, 

 and during mild winters others of them keep up 

 a display till May. Dielytra spectabilis in March 

 and April, and many species of Saxifraga, are 

 amongst our earliest vernal flowers. Muscaria, 

 Hyacinthus, Scilla, Ornithogalum, Gagea, Ery- 

 thronium, Crocus, Tulipa, Fritillaria, Galanthus, 

 Leucojum, and Narcissus among bulbs, might 

 enliven the dreariness of winter in our flower 

 parterres. The reserve-garden is the place in 

 which they should be grown ; those in pots that 

 do not admit of ready transplantation ; and such 

 as the Asters, &c, may be with every safety 

 removed by Mr M'Glashan's smallest flower- 

 transplanting machine, even when coming into 

 flower, giving them a good soaking with water 

 when set in their respective places. Although 

 from June till October we are independent of 

 perennial flowering plants, on account of the 

 great variety we now have of planting-out ones, 

 still there are many of the former that might be 

 introduced with no disadvantage amongst the 



latter in mixed beds. Those who do not go to 

 the fullest extent in the new method of planting 

 a flower-garden, and prefer a mixed selection, 

 cannot do better than select as many of the best 

 moderate-growing perennials as have decision of 

 character, good habits, brilliant colours, and 

 some duration. 



§ 8. — THE PARTERRE GARDEN. 



In vol. i. numerous examples are given of par- 

 terre gardens, and some notice has been taken 

 of the arrangement of the plants in them, so as 

 to produce the best effect in regard to colouring 

 and form. Our remarks here will therefore be 

 more of a collateral nature. 



Annuals. — "Annuals," says a very popular 

 writer, " are a somewhat puzzling class : they 

 possess many nice things amongst them, but 

 the question is, how to dispose of them ? To 

 reject them from the flower-garden altogether 

 is a most unjustifiable procedure, and what few 

 persons would think of doing; but then they 

 are of such erratic habits — at least many of 

 them — that they ill assort with that dressy 

 character so desirable in the modern flower-gar- 

 den." We cannot dispense with annuals alto- 

 gether, but the number worth retaining is ex- 

 ceedingly limited. This we will endeavour to 

 show by-and-by, and in the mean time glance at 

 the disposal and cultivation of them. Annuak 

 of even the very best sorts require cultivation 

 and management, else they become straggling 

 and weedy in appearance, and devoid of that 

 interest they otherwise would have. Sowing too 

 thick and in too rich a soil is a prevailing fault. 

 When sown too thick, they are drawn up weakly, 

 and, never becoming fully developed, produce 

 only a few meagre flowers towards the tops, 

 which, with the plants themselves, are of short 

 duration. When sown in too rich a soil, they 

 overgrow the bounds of orderly decoration, pro- 

 duce a greater proportion of foliage than of 

 flowers, and attain heights their feeble stems 

 are totally unfit to support. To avoid this 

 extreme, some have fallen into another, by 

 sowing on too poor a soil, and unless in some 

 cases, such as that of Calandiina, Talinum, 

 and such semi-succident plants as require 

 both poor and dry soil, all others require one 

 of sufficient stamina to enable them to de- 

 velop themselves fully. Some few require a 

 moderately rich soil, such as German and in- 

 termediate stocks and asters. All others require 

 a soil of ordinary richness, and should be sown 

 thin, or, if not, be thinned out after they have 

 attained the height of 2 inches or so, to a dis- 

 tance according to their habit, whether upright, 

 trailing, &c, so that by the time the plants are 

 coming into bloom the ground may be covered, 

 and not before, so as to enable each plant to 

 develop itself fully according to its habit. 



Some, to check the over-luxuriance of an- 

 nuals, sow the seed in pots 4 or 5 inches in 

 diameter, plunged in the reserve-garden, and 

 brought to the parterre, and plunged in it when 

 wanted. This is no doubt a very commend- 

 able mode upon a small scale, and where there 

 is abundance of means ; but to attempt to fill 



