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May 25, 1912. 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



409 



SUMMER BEDDING. 



The bedding-out season is upon us, and I 

 propose to offer a few remarks as to the 

 arrangement and disposition of the plants. 

 It may he of service to furnish particulars 

 of combinations that were noted last season 

 in a number of large public parks, and that 

 oroduced a very fine effect. Many gardeners 

 are strictly localisecl, and it is not too much 

 to say that our leading public parks point 

 the way, and are largely copied with re- 

 gard to bedding arrangements. 



Carnation Britannia, a splendid variety 

 in .rlowing scarlet, and arranged at about 

 15 Inches apart in a very large bed, with 

 Koeniga maritiraa as a groundwork, was 

 fine indeed, while the wide framework of 

 Viola Ma^rgie Mott did much to enhance the 

 beauty oF the Avhole. Among cannas Flor- 

 ence Vaughan is a superb variety for bed- 

 ding purposes. It has ample foliage, a 

 robust constitution, and large yellow, crmi- 

 son spotted flowers that produce a striking 

 effect. In this case Pelargonium Verona 

 d d duty as a groundwork or carpet. Ver- 

 bena venosa being fittingly employed as an 

 edging. 



Very fine was a combination of Lilium 

 lancifolium rubrum, cockscombs, and Di- 

 morphotheca Ecklonis, and the last-named 

 demonstrate<l very clearly its value as a 

 carpet plant. Fine specimens of Acalpha 

 musaica, Cineraria mantima, three feet 

 in height ; a foot wide belt of Ires ne Lmdeni 

 as an edging, and a mass of Aniaranthus 

 bicolor in the intervening spaces, struck a 

 very rich note, and I have nothing but 

 praise for alternately arranged specimens 

 of Cak eolaria Burbidgei and Fuchsia 

 Marinka, which were associated with 

 Anthericum variegata and Veronica Ander- 

 soni variegata. The last-named is an acqui- 

 sition for a framework around flower heds, 

 and the most effective method is to arrange 

 a 12 or lo-inch. belt on sloping ground. 

 Ihrei feet hish standards of Pelargonium 

 Paul CrampeCwith fine plants of Artemisia 

 arborescens of the same height, and a very 

 bold edging of Veronica Andersoni varie- 

 gata and Iresine Lindeni arranged alter- 

 nately, produced a telling effect. Helio- 

 tropium Pix^sident Garfield in standard 

 form, associated with white begonias 

 with Verbena Defiance, forming a 

 finish as an edging, wa^ also good. 



A great mass of Begonia Major Hope, a 

 delicate and charming variety, over Chloro- 

 phytum Browni, thinly interspersed^ and 

 fine plants of Eulalia gracillima variegata, 

 with an edging Dactylis glomerata varie- 

 gata struck me as being quite the most ex- 

 quisite example of bedding seen in a large 

 London park last season. 



Fuchsia fulgens over Harrison's Musk WQRK FOR THE WEEK 



tsLl LHJn. a. ■u-io^^ii^u *iv^v^, - o^*^ 



idea to place Chamfepeuce diacantha two 

 feet apart between the two rows of blue 

 lobelia. Three hundred plants of Antir- 

 rhinum Queen Victoria, of spotless purity 

 (and incidentally this variety is possessed 

 of a vastly more vigorous constitiition than 

 Queen of the North), with the annual Del- 

 phinium Blue Butterfly interspersed, pre- 

 sented a very beautiful and charming 

 effect while a huge bed of Salvia Glory of 

 Zurich, with Zea gracillima variegata and 

 an edging of dark-blue violas, was a fine 

 sight. Lantana delicatiss:ma looms large 

 in bedding arrangements, and small won- 

 der seeing that the effect it creates is so 

 soft and pleasing ; Gnaphalium micio- 

 phylla employed as a groundwork, seemed 

 to be in keeping with its general character. 

 A grand bed of celosias in Hyde Park 

 arrested my attention, and very Avell 

 did Chrysanthemum inodorum flore-ple^no 

 associate with these airy beauties. Not 

 far distant from this bed Canna Alphonse 

 Bouvier figured, a splendid thing in richest 

 scarlet which was toned down by the pre- 

 sence of Viola Niphetos. It wa-s quite re- 

 freshing to note a big mass of the old and 

 adm'rable, but now rarely seen, i>elargo- 

 nium Mrs. Pollock, and the choice ot a 

 viola to associate with it was a happy one, 

 namely Admiration. They were thinly dis- 

 posed over the whole of the bed. 



Walter H. Aggett. 



fine 



KALANCHOES. 



The introduction of Kalanchoe flammea 

 from Somaliland in 1897, and the popu- 

 larity which it quickly attained, served to 

 direct attention to the ornamental quah- 

 ties of other members of the genus. Though 

 the species are fairly numerous, and 

 hybrids have been raised, yet up to the 

 present none of them are, from a decora- 

 tive standpoint, the equal of K flammea. 

 This is of easy propagation and culture, 

 and effective flowering examples may ^e 

 grown in four, five, or six-mch pots, liie 

 fact that it was taken in hand by some 

 of the foremost market growers so soon 

 after its introduction will serve tu show 

 that it was no commonplace subject tor 

 new plants that fulfil the market cultiva- 

 tors' exacting requirements are far trom 



of 



consisted 



bed 



g 



specimen Solanum jasminoides and 

 Plumbago capensis, which took the form of 

 6ft. high pyramids, arranged 5ft. apart, 

 iresine in two variet es towering up to a 

 height of 4ft., being thinly disposed in the 

 intervening spaces, with a splendid mass 

 of Viola Ckiuntess of Hopetoun underneath. 

 Campanula pyramidalis alba and Salvia 

 virgata with long racemes of purplish-blue 

 flowers, created a pretty effect when 

 hrought together, and no bette 

 can be found for such a 

 bronzy-golden Fuchsia Meteoi , 

 should be arranged in a wide belt. I noted 

 a very large triangular-shaped bed in a 

 coast garden last season which held Fuchsia 

 Lyle's Own, in standard form a splendid 

 mass of Viola J. B. Riding acting as a 

 •carpet and two rows of wonderfully com- 

 pact ageratum as edging. The fuchsia in 

 question is a glorified Mrs. Marshall, and, 



f'lrther, is well adaptetl for town and city 

 gardens. 



numerous. 



The largest member of the genus, as 

 far as I know, is Kalanchoe Dyeri ; the 

 flowers, borne in terminal heads quite 

 early in the year, are white, and individu- 

 ally somewhat suggestive of a If rge jas- 

 mine This is a spare-growing plant that 

 reaches a height of four feet or more. 

 It is valuable for grouping purposes when 

 tall-growing flowering plants are none too 

 pleiififul in the greenhouse. Of hybrid 

 kinds the best known are Felthamensis, 

 T?„a «mrl Kewensis, this last a hybrid be- 



wniLe-uuvvci Bent- 



flammea. It ha^ pretty pink flowers. A 



particularly good ™ ^, ^X^^Rm-a 

 e^ven an Award of Merit by the Rojal 

 Horticultural Society two years ago under 

 the name of Excelsior . » • ^ • 



THE ORCHID HOUSES. 



ONCIDIUMS.— Few oncidiums are more 

 admired when in flower, or more useful tor 

 exhibition and decorative purposes, than 

 those of the cyrtochilum section, which in- 

 cludes O. macraithum, O. superbiens, U. 

 serratum. O. loxense, O. lamelhgerum, O. 

 coryiiephorum, and several others. These are 

 of comparatively easy culture, if afforded a 

 oool intermediate temperature, and protected 

 from strong sunshine during the sunny 

 months. During the winter all the light 

 available should be admitted, as it is easily 

 conceivable that in their native habitats the 

 liffht is more penetrating than m a sombre 

 climate like our own. The flower spikes 

 have now developed, and as they are exceed- 

 ingly large when oompared with the size 

 of the pseudo-bulbs which produce them, 

 thev necessarily exhaust the plants to a 

 considerable extent. Therefore the plants 

 should not be allowed to flower until they 

 become fairlv strong specimens. These onci- 

 diums produce strong, thick roots, which 

 should not .suffer from an insufficiency ot 

 water. These siiecics dislike disturbance at 

 the roots, therefore repotting should only be 

 carried out when necessary, still there is 

 always the least of two evils, and it 

 the compost is allowed to become sour 

 or decayed, it is always wiser to re- 

 pot. Repotting may be carried out 

 at any time when the young growths 

 are producing new roots. Afford ample 

 rooting space and drainage. For the 

 r<-,oting medium, a compost as advised for 

 simila? plants on page will answer 



well. When repotting, the leading growth 

 should be brought down to the level of the 

 compost, as owing to the climbing habit ot 

 the whole of this section, the young roots 

 are often produced some distance above the 

 surface of the compost. Should these roots 

 remain exposed they are liable to injury. 



PLEIONES.— Such pleiones as P. macu- 

 lata, P. lagenaria, and P. birmanica, which 

 are now suspended from the roof of the in- 

 termediate house, and P. humilis and P. 

 Hookeriana, which occupy a simdar position 

 in the cool house, should receive sufficient 

 water to keep them decidedly moist, as they 

 must on no account be allowed to become 

 dry- thev may also be sprayed overhead 

 twi^ a day, and three times on very hot 

 days. Spraying or slight syringing will keep 

 the foliage fresh and clean. \Vhen tho- 

 roughly established an occasional watering 

 with weak liquid manure will be beneticial, 

 and they may be exposed to more hght, as 

 the leaves will then remain green for a 

 longer period, than if grown m a Jady posi- 

 tion. They must, however, not b« "f^P^^^^ 

 to strong sunshine.-J. T. Barkee, The W est 

 iHill Gardens. 



STOVE PLANTS. 



• edgiii 

 than the 

 which 



Euphorbia epithympides—This 



hardy member of the Spurge fa""\y /^^^^ ^ 

 verv pleasing outdoor feature m the sprmg, 

 ^sUien the terminal clusters of bnght yellow 

 bracts are at their best. The leaves on the 

 im^r portion of the stem are also tinged 

 \hrsame colour. U is ^J^^^^^^f^^; 

 and forms bold tufts, about eightee„^nches 

 in beVht and is. as a rule, at its l>est in 

 April and May. The form grown as E^mlo^a 

 mSIor appears to be the same a« E. epithy- 

 moides. — K. 



GLOXINIAS.— The main batch of these 

 beautiful flowering plants will now be at 

 their best, and means should be ^adopted to 

 prolong the season of flowering for as long 

 r time as possible. Our plants are this 

 year carrying large numbers of flowers and 

 buds, in f ^t, too many ; we shall relieve 

 them of a few flowers for vases, and remove 

 all ill-shaped buds. Except when seed is 

 to be savVd. all faded flowers should be 

 nromptly pinfched -aS, thus confcentrating 

 the^KSies of the plant to the remainder^ 

 The best position for the plants whilst 

 flowering ison a co^l ash, or shingle-covered. 

 staee in a low span-house. Admit a tair 

 amount of top air by means of the ventila- 

 tors throughout the day when fine, and mam- 

 tain a gentle warmth in the hot-water pipes 

 The atmosphere should be buoyant but not 

 too dry. Young plants raised from seed 

 sown early in the year are now making good 

 progress, and a batch of these may have 

 their first flowers removed in order to en- 

 sure strong plants for later flowering. 



EDGING PLANTS.— Propagate further 

 batches of such quick-growing subBccts as 



