176 
THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 
band of bronzy red would produce a more pleasin/j and satisfactory 
effect than any other colour, and the best plant for the purpose 
would be Coleus Verschaffelti. Iresine Lindeni is a trifle too dark, 
but it would answer admirably, for it is free growing, hardy, rich in 
colour, and can be kept to a proper height. 
The band No. 5 is blue, and should be of the same width, namely, 
fifteen inches, as the preceding. The colour afforded by Lobelia 
speciosa is most appropriate, but the plant does not attain a suffi- 
cient height, and I propose to substitute for it Ageratum Imperial 
Dwarf, which can be depended upon for continuing in full bloom 
throughout the season. 
For the sixth band, which should be twenty inches in width, the 
rich colouring of Viola Blue Perfection would be most suitable, but 
most unfortunately the plant does not attain a sufficient height, and 
would be hidden from view by the other things. We shall have to 
fall back upon Purple King Verbena, or Jersey Beauty Heliotrope, 
the latter being probably the best because of its flowering more 
freely, and continuing in bloom in unfavourable weather. 
In the rainbow the last band of colour is violet, but here we have 
a green ground, and, moreover, it will be found that violet will be too 
heavy, and that some proportion of red in it would make it balance 
better with the first or outside row. We have now to consider what 
flowers may be employed, and there can be no doubt that a geranium 
will be found of the most value. There are several varieties that 
would answer admirably, but none appear so thoroughly well adapted 
for the purpose as Lady Kirkland. Or, what is better still, we might 
liave a siiigle row of Hibberd’s Feast of Hoses, and to form a boundary 
outside a single row of Waltham Seedling, so as to shade gently 
from the blue to the crimson, and at the same time form a proper 
balance with the front rows. It appears that this would be very 
rich planting indeed, and would be a wonderful change from the 
diamonds, the crescents, the stars, the full moons, and other forms, 
all good enough in their way, but so common as to make one feel 
tired of them, and desire a change. 
A rainbow, coloured in part with leaf plants would, in some 
respects, be more satisfactory, as it would be rich in appearance from 
the first, and the plants could all be kept down to the desired height. 
But we are faced with the difficulty that we have no plants with 
leaves of the proper tone of red for the first row. We might, 
perhaps, have one of the golden-leaved Coleus, Queen Victoria, for 
example, which at a distance has a reddish hue, but after much con- 
sideration, it appears that Alternanthera paronychioides is the most 
desirable, although its foliage does not present us with the proper 
tone of red. The remaining bands can be planted as follows : second 
band, Geranium Sybil, a very dwarf-grownng variety, belonging to 
the bronze zonal section ; third, Golden Feather Pyrethrum ; fourth. 
Coleus Verschaffelti ; fifth, Viola Enchantress ; sixth. Lobelia Bril- 
liant ; seventh, Viola Perfection. To form a balance with the first 
and middle bands a row of Coleus V^erschalfelti splendens may be 
planted. 
