210 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



hortensis, of the deepest blue, planted upon banks facing west ; these 

 were really splendid. Bignonia radicans, growing in the bush form, was 

 most effective. Musa japonica, as a foliage plant, added to the pleasing 

 features of the garden. 



Our next visit was to the garden of the Villa Melzi, which, speaking 

 generally, faces north-west, so that in the shade cast by the luxuriant 

 forest trees there are many cool spots where several plants thrive well, 

 and in sunny places full advantage is taken with plants that require more 

 warmth. The gardens skirt the Lake for a considerable distance, but do 

 not appear to extend so far back upon the higher ground as some others 

 that we visited. Here there is a considerable expanse of turf interrupted 

 by fine trees and Bamboos, but not so much as to obscure the scenery. 

 It has in fact in many respects much the appearance of a well-planted 

 English garden. Here, again, are some fine masses of Phyllostachys mitis, 

 producing a good effect, with stems bare at the base for several feet ; these 

 reach fully 40 ft. in height. Planted in a similar way was Musa japonica, 

 which when arranged in groups is, I think, much better than where only 

 a few growths are allowed. Groups of Chamaerops Fortunei, containing 

 plants sufficiently far apart to afford perfect development, formed at a 

 distance most striking objects. There is, too, a fine evergreen Oak which 

 the gardener told me was Quercus mexicana. 



Conifers, too, are planted in groups, and some were already suffering 

 from being planted too closely. One excellent example of this system 

 of planting, not so much crowded as some others, was afforded by 

 Gedrus Deodara. Of Cedrus atlantica glauca I noticed one very fine 

 specimen, the finest I have ever seen. Tsuga canadensis (the Hemlock 

 Spruce) is represented by a fine specimen 50 feet or more in height, and 

 well developed. Picea Morinda (syn. Abies Smithiana and A. Morinda) 

 was in its true character, with long pendulous branches. Pinus palustris 

 was represented by a fine example — the tree, it is true, was an old one, but 

 none the less handsome. There were several good specimens of Thujopsis 

 dolobrata variegata, with the silvery variegation well marked. In the 

 warmest spots I noted Hibiscus rosa-sinensis employed as a bedding plant, 

 but I remember to have seen it better in these gardens in 1899. Canna 

 ' King Humbert,' to use its English name, is also bedded out here as it 

 is in England, but grows much finer than we can hope to have it. It 

 is one of the very best Cannas for bedding. I have used it in this way 

 for several years now. (Its long deferred recognition was only made at 

 the last Meeting of this Society, on August 17, when it gained an Award 

 of Merit.) It is handsome both in foliage, with its dark bronzy red 

 colouring and leaves fully 1 foot in width, and in its flowers, a rich 

 orange crimson, while it has so sturdy a growth as to withstand the 

 wind remarkably well. Busselia juncea was again seen here as a vase 

 plant and nothing could be more effective than the dozen vases of it all 

 in perfect condition. There is also a large and thriving collection of 

 Citrons, Oranges and Lemons in large vases. Towards the end of the 

 gardens, and nearer to the town of Bellagio, is a sheet of water with 

 several of Marliac's water lilies upon it, but the situation is rather too 

 shaded for them to flower freely. Near here, but in an ideal position, 

 were again seen numbers of Hydrangeas still of the deepest blue ; more 

 were being planted. At this end of the garden one might imagine 



