TUE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GOiDE. 
•203 
riowering and leaf | lauts are well balanced, and employed in a 
luaiiner vvhicli would quite startle many of our country readers. Tlie 
principal points of interest in Battersea Park are the arrangements 
near the refreshment-house by the side of the river, and in the sub- 
tropical garden. The nurseries near Loudon in whicli bedding plants 
may be seen in perfection are the nurseries of Messrs. J. Carter & 
Co., Forest Hill, S.E. ; Mr. H. Cannell, at Woolwich, in which the 
geraniums are especially good ; Messrs. E. Gr. Henderson & Sons, 
Wellington Eoad, St. John’s Wood ; and Mr. Fraser’s, Lea Bridge. 
Tae parks are of course open free, but no one would think of occu- 
pying the time of trade-growers in inspecting their collections 
without taking care that they should be repaid. 
The Geraniums will, I understand, be dealt with elsewhere, and, 
as the new bedders were described in the August number of the 
Floral World, I shall proceed briefly to comment on the best of 
miscellaneous bedders which have been in commerce for some years. 
Amongst flowering plants A.geratums have done exceedingly well, 
and the best for all purposes is Imperial Dwarf, which under ordi- 
nary circumstances attains a height of nine inches, and blooms 
continuously and profusely throughout the season. To insure its 
flowering early, the cuttings should be struck early in the autumn, 
as spring-struck cuttings do not commence to flower until some time 
after they have been planted out. It is the best and most constant 
of light blue bedders. 
The best of the bedding Verbenas are — Crimson Kiiip, scarlet ; 
Nemesis, deep crimson; brilliant scarlet ; purplish 
blue, very fine, the flowers large, and the plant neat and vigorous ; 
La Grande Louie de Neige, pure white ; Blondin, magenta ; Folly 
Perkins, magenta. 
In Battersea Park, Bouvardia Vreelandi, pure white, ard B. 
angustifoUa, scarlet, have been used with good efi'ect. I also have 
them bedded out, and towards the end of the month sliall lift them 
carefully, pot them, and place in a cucumber-house which I use as a 
stove for wintering coleus and other things requiring more heat than 
the greenhouse and pits afford. They will then continue iu bloom 
for a considerable period. 
In some places Calceolarias have not done well, owing most pro- 
bably to the soil being poor and not stirred deep enough. The best 
of the bedding varieties are Golden Fleece, yellow, dwarf; Golden 
Gem, yellow, rather long flower-stalks ; Crimson Queen, crimson, 
medium growth ; 2Irs. Paul, velvety maroon ; and Prince of Orange, 
brownish orange. Aiirea foribunda is one of the best when it does 
well, but as it is so unreliable I have discarded it. 
I have had a few fine beds of Lantanas, and as they have been 
solid with bloom throughout the season, they have been most effec- 
tive. The best I am yet acquainted with here and elsewhere are — 
Ne Plus Ultra, Raphael, Imperatrice Eugenie, Mans. Rougere Chau- 
viere, and Liotea grandiflora. Lantanas should not be planted too 
extensively, one or two beds being quite sufficient for a medium- 
sized garden. 
This year I had a very extensive collection of bedding Lobelias, 
September. 
