THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 
173 
he informed me the first week in January he has seen scarlet 
camellias growing out of doors in full bloom in the south of Ireland. 
I have no doubt many of the plants above named would grow out here 
just as well as in Ireland ; I myself intend to try some of them. I 
began last autumn with the veronicas, which in a few weeks will be 
covered with bloom spikes, and do not appear to have suffered in the 
least from their change of quarters. Escallonia rubra thrives well here. 
Upper J^orwood, A. II. 
A EAINBOW OF FLOWEES. 
BY GEORGE GORDON. 
SACTLT eight years since, the editor of the Gardener's 
Magazine propounded, in the pages of that journal, a 
scheme of colouring by which the rainbow may be 
imitated with leaves and flowers of bedding plants. 
It excited at the time a considerable amount of atten- 
tion and criticism amongst the principal flower gardeners, and a 
brief reference to it may perhaps prove interesting to the readers 
of the Floral World. The principal difficulties in carrying out a 
scheme of colouring so bold in its idea and novel in its features were 
pointed out at the time. Chief amongst these were the large space 
required for producing a distinct effect; the green ground instead of 
the heavenly azure or dull leaden ground in which the rainbow is 
usually set ; and the limited number of plants suitable for the repro- 
duction of the rainbow, as nearly as may be, in true colours and 
true proportions. The difficulty of providing the space still 
remains, but the others are practically removed, for during the last 
few years so many new plants suitable for bedding purposes have 
been introduced that we have a much wider range of selection, and 
in some of the new lobelias we have just the colour for producing 
a proper setting for the rainbow. 
The idea of a rainbow might be modified to suit a'green ground, 
and a series of blending colours and intermediate shades arranged in 
semicircular lines could be disposed so as to have a rainbow-like 
effect upon grass without being, or professing to be, an exact 
imitation. But it will, of course, be necessary, if an exact imitation 
is attempted, to have a groundwork of the proper colour. A 
broad border planted to resemble the rainbow would also be 
most effective, and the requisite groundwork could be obtained by 
planting a broad band of lobelia or a dwarf ageratum in the front 
and a band of tall ageratum of the requisite width at the back ; to 
do this well a very broad border will be required, and it will cer- 
tainly be better not to think of a blue ground at all and to confine 
our attention to the production of a rich scheme of colouring on the 
grass. 
But let us consider the planting of the rainbow, and the next 
Jnue. 
