-zypi^:^W 
ON FLOWER BORDERS. 
far more pleasing, as well as more beautiful and fragrant, than the majority of plants at present so 
emijloyed. 
I will just add one or two hints on theii- cultivation in the flower garden — they are not intended as 
moi'e than hints. If the natural soil is of a tenacious loam, it will be sufficient to well enrich it with 
any strong manure, such as night soil, slaughter-house dung, or any similar strong manui-e. On the 
contrary, should the natui-al soil be very sandy or poor, I should recommend a portion to be taken out, 
and the bed filled with rich, stiff, fibrous loam, or any such soil that may be at command; well 
manm'ing, as in the other case, and thoroughly working up the mass to a couple of feet in depth, mix- 
ing the ingredients together. The natm'al soil, I take for granted, is drained; stagnant water about 
their roots is as inj m-ious to Roses as to any other plants. The distance which they should be planted 
apart is variable, and must depend on whether the variety is a weak or a strong grower, or whether 
intended to be pegged over the bed, or grown as a bush. In the latter case, they will requii-e a greater 
distance than in the former. In a general way, I should say, the strong sorts, if to be pegged down, 
should be two feet apart each way ; and if grown as dwarf bushes, from two feet and a half to thi-ee 
feet ; dwarf, or moderate growing varieties, a foot and a half if pegged down, or from two to two and 
a half feet if grown as bushes. In some gardens the pegging down system is indispensable, whilst in 
others this is immaterial ; as amateurs wish to see the beauty of their Roses growing individually as 
dwarf bushes. 
Roses, of the classes I have selected, requii-e, in a general way, but little pruning. The delicate growers 
require to have the head regulated in winter, and any dead wood cut out. The strong growers, at the 
same season, should have the gross and weak shoots taken out, shortening the others moderately, and 
regulating the head. In summer, as soon as any strong shoots are perceived not likely to flower, the 
points should be pinched out ; and the laterals from these in general bloom well. This applies to all. As 
soon as the first bloom is over, cut the dead flower stalks back to the next well developed bud, but not 
too far back ; for if this is done the branch will not break freely, whereas in the former case it will 
soon push out abundance of fresh flowering shoots. Give abundance of liquid manm-e dm-ing the 
growing season. There is no fear of green centres in any of the Roses I have selected ; nor is this a 
failing common to many of the autumnals, 
ON FLOWER BORDERS. 
By Mn. JOHN COX, Gaiidener to W. "Wells, Esq., Eedleaf. 
J7F I may judge fr-om repeated questions on the subject of this paper, persons, particularly amateiu- 
I 
gardeners, are often puzzled how to fiU those little narrow borders which are often found along the 
fronts of houses, and often also along the fronts of greenhouses and conservatories. " Mine," says one, 
"is a very nice, warm border, with a south aspect, and I want to fill it with something very nice and 
recherche ; not common things. What should I select ? " 
This question is not an uninteresting one to either amateur or professional gardeners ; and may, I 
have no doubt, be answered in a variety of ways. My present object is to point out the elegibility of 
such borders for the very mteresting assemblage of plants enumerated below. There may, perhaps, be 
other better ways of filling such borders, but I can vouch for the beauty and interest of this. 
The border must be well drained, and fiUed to the depth of nearly two feet with light rich soil, 
composed of sandy loam and leaf mould, to which may be added a little very much decomposed manxu^e; 
but the loam should predominate. Close to the wall, at distances varying from two to three feet, plant 
the dwarf growing varieties of tea-scented. Noisette, and other continuous blooming roses. I will 
mention a few, but the sorts may be very much varied according to taste ; they must not, however, be 
the rank growing lands, only such as will bear frequent thinning and pruning, because on this wiU 
depend a continuous and profuse bloom. I recommend Elize Sauvage, La Pactole, Adam, Mu-abile, 
Strombio, Solfaterre, Victofre Ai-gent, Reine des Vierges, Camellia Blanche, Pink Noisette, Aine, 
Odorata Blandescens, Princess Valerie, Ida, Glofre de Rosamenes, Bouquet de Flora, Yellow China, 
White China, Devoinensis, Andi'oselle, Queen. 
Between these, and near the wall, plant Lilium japonicum, sibu-icum, Thunbergianmn, longiflorum, 
and speciosum album ; Alstrcemeria pnlchella. Van Houtii, aurea, Hookerii, and psittacina ; Gladiolus 
gandavensis, insignis, cai'dinalis, and psittacinus ; Amaryllis Belladonna ; Camassia esctdenta. Then 
along the other part of the border, between the roses and the edge, put in Ixias, Tritonias, Watsonias, 
Sparaxes, and the allied genera — a tribe of plants very much neglected, and generally considered 
tender ; but in such a situation, if planted five or six inches deep, they will flower exceedingly well, 
— better even than in pots. With these intermix the beautiful Anomatheca cruenta, and juncea; 
'W^'- 
