Oct.] 



THE FLOWER GARDEN. 



939 



below the surface of the mould in the pots ; during winter he 

 protects them in a green-house or garden-frame, but he prefers 

 the former. Much might be done in the cultivation of many 

 plants hitherto kept in the green-house, particularly such as 

 are herbaceous, and bulbous ones in particular, in the open 

 borders of our flower gardens, where the situation is favorable 

 and the superintendant possessed of zeal and activity. Bor- 

 ders might be prepared for their reception in sheltered and 

 warm situations, and during winter protected with a portable 

 frame constructed for the purpose ; but even common garden- 

 frames and lights placed over such borders, and occasionally 

 protected from severe frosts, will be found sufficient. Such 

 borders should present a considerable slope to the south, and 

 be completely drained at the bottom. 



ALPINE PLANTS IN POTS. 



By the beginning of this month, all the collection of Alpme 

 or other rare and curious plants in pots, should be placed in 

 their winter quarters. The most general way of protecting 

 these plants, is by placing them under common garden-frames 

 and lights in a dry airy situation, where they remain till the 

 return of spring, being carefully protected from excess of 

 moisture as well as intense frosts. 



As these beautiful and diminutive plants are an ornament 

 to the flower garden during summer, while arranged in their 

 summer station, and as so many of them are evergreen, they 

 may also become an ornament to it during the winter also, 

 when placed in a proper point of view. In our practice we 

 have had a pit constructed in the flower garden, which served 

 a double purpose, being the abode of a collection of these 

 plants during winter, and when these were put out in spring 

 it was filled with the more showy species of Mesembryan^ 

 themums planted out in it, which flowered beautifully till 

 killed by the first autumnal frosts, at which time it was again 

 filled with the Alpine plants, plunged into finely-sifted coal- 

 ashes. The walls of this pit were constructed of rock-work, 

 which was planted with rock-plants, and was soon compl'.tely 



