THE DOUBLE HOLLYHOCK. 
421 
destroying the whole intention of the figure 
itself. Those who wish to have all the beds 
different, should have no uniformity in their 
figure and disposition. There could be no 
object, then, in depriving them of their favourite 
varieties ; but at this time of year, (July 1st,) 
we have six beds next the centre alternately. 
Nemophila and Erysimum, bright blue and 
bright orange; the next six, the white Candy- 
trap and Phlox Drummondi, white and reddish 
purple; a third six, is Verbena, of two colours, 
scarlet and pale rose ; and the fourth six, 
which are the largest, are planted in rows, six 
inches apart, in the circular form, correspond- 
ing with the outline of the circle. In these 
rows are seven colours of German Stocks 
going the whole circle of the garden, the 
white occupying the inside row, pale lilac 
next, slate colour, deeper purple, and dark 
following, bright scarlet, and deep red finish- 
ing. Now, the only drawback on this arrange- 
ment is, that it is temporary ; the Stocks will 
be out of their prime in a few weeks ; but, as 
between these rows of Stocks, there are China 
Asters, which will bloom about the same time, 
the Stocks must give way for them. But the 
principle of uniform planting, whatever be the 
subject, cannot be too strongly insisted upon; 
the whole charm of beds uniformly disposed, 
consists in their also being uniformly planted, 
and the colours, as well as the plants, fairly 
balanced. If the divisions are in eights, the 
alternating of the colours would be in quarters, 
or fours; — no matter, in fact, Avhat the dispo- 
sition of the beds may be, nothing should induce 
us to plant the subjects other than uniform. 
On one occasion we saw great attention paid 
to what was called uniformity of colours ; but 
these might as well have been anything else for 
what they did as to effect; for instance, Nemo- 
phila Insignis was one of the blues, a small 
Campanula a second, and a blue Pansy the 
third, — exceedingly unlike, although all blues of 
some kind. Then, again, imagine the scarlets ; 
one of them Verbena Melindres, one scarlet 
ten-week Stock, and a third, the scarlet Gera- 
nium. The style of the three plants so dif- 
ferent, as to destroy all uniformity, almost as 
completely as if they had been different colours. 
There are certainly no other two plants so 
effective as Nemophila and Verbena ; and 
now that the latter may be obtained in great 
variety, much may be done with them ; but 
none should be used with Melindres, except 
the habit be quite as dwarf. Petunias make 
good plants for the largest sized beds, but on 
small ones they soon destroy the figure by 
over growth. Dutch gardens, upon a small 
scale, should never have a plant that reaches 
more than six inches in height ; but, upon a 
larger and more effective scale, where the 
paths are two feet wide all over it, there is 
much greater choice of subjects. However, 
small or great, it is better not to see such 
gardens at all, than to see them planted without 
the most strict regard to uniformity. 
THE DOUBLE HOLLYHOCK. 
For some years the Hollyhock has had very 
flimsy poppy-like petals, and seemed but little 
inclined to any further improvement than in- 
creasing its doubleness ; but Mr. Baron, of 
Saffron Walden, has succeeded in raising some 
varieties which are well calculated to advance 
that flower in general estimation. Some that 
he has shown have been decidedly much 
thicker in their petals, and, as a matter of 
course, more decided in their colours ; for that 
is one of the inevitable consequences of thick- 
ened petals. The Hollyhock does not present 
the promise of imbricated petals. There is a 
sort of dish formed of the outer petals, similar 
to that formed in the Anemone; and this dish in 
the double ones is filled with a sort of con- 
fused mass of florets, or small flowers, so as to 
fill up the flower, as it were, to a complete half- 
circle. Very few persons expect so much 
from a flower as we do ; few look forward for 
so much to be done; but even we were not pre- 
pared to see that so much had been done 
already, as Mr. Baron has done with them ; 
and it would be well, if, for the sake of the 
floral world, he would let out half-a-dozen of his 
best varieties, or sell some of his best seed 
saved from the thick-petalled sorts. The 
plants would be better, because the sorts are 
worth naming, and should be propagated. 
The diversity of colours among Hollyhocks 
would, perhaps, in time be pretty nearly as 
great as that in Dahlias, because we have good 
approaches to both yellow and red, and some 
are nearly black. The plant too is one which, 
from its elegant habit, should be cultivated 
with as much care as anything we have that 
is hardy ; there is plenty of room for im- 
provement, and thickness of petal will advance 
it in many other points. Among the great 
faults of the flowers, as ordinarily grown, .we 
may mention first the ephemeral nature of the 
blooms, which are destroyed in comparatively 
a few hours, by sun or wet. This causes a 
small portion only of the spike of flowers to 
be seen open at one time. Now, thickening 
of petals would prevent this ; for the thicker 
thepetals are, the longer the flowers last under 
ordinary circumstances. This allows more to 
be in flower at a time, and, consequently, the 
spike would be much more complete. In some 
localities there have been pains taken to cry 
up the Hollyhock at the expense of the Dahlia, 
by withdrawing some of the prizes and giving 
them for Hollyhocks. This was injudicious. 
In our opinion, the only proper mode of 
