JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
April 13, 1882. ] 
295 
13 th 
Tn 
14th 
P 
Quekett Club at 8 p.H. 
15th 
S 
16 th 
SUN 
1st Sunday after Easter. 
17th 
M 
18th 
Tu 
19 th 
W 
Birmingham Spring Show. Two days. 
HARDY FLOWERING PLANTS. 
T this season of the year many hardy plants will 
receive the attention of cultivators, hence the 
following remarks will probably be acceptable 
to many readers. It is evident to all who take 
a real interest in horticulture, and who visit 
gardens in various parts of the country, that a 
great change has taken place within recent years. 
Only a few years ago nearly every hardy plant 
was removed from shrubbery and other borders to make 
room for summer ribbon borders, or scroll bedding of 
miniature plants in or out of bloom. The majority I might 
fairly say followed the fashion, and those who advocated hardy 
flowering plants were regarded behind the times. Now we 
may claim credit for making rapid strides and utilising hardy 
flowers to produce much more pleasing and striking effect than 
ever was the case before. I think that this change is due to 
the proprietors of gardens as much as to gardeners themselves. 
I could name ladies who through all these changing garden 
fashions have clung to what they call “ old-fashioned flowers," 
and to-day would prefer a vase of Sweet Peas and Mignonette, 
a bunch of Violets, Alpine Auriculas, or any of these old 
inhabitants of our gardens, to the beautiful and delicate 
blooms of Orchids. Some may think it is because those to 
whom I allude have not convenience for producing such choice 
flowers. To be understood on this point I must say they 
already possess as good and choice a collection of exotic and 
greenhouse flowering plants as can be found in the majority of 
gardening establishments. When such is the case the love 
for simple flowers is real. 
In nearly all the gardens I have visited during the past four 
or five years I have found selections of hardy flowers eagerly 
sought after and gladly accorded a place ; but during the last 
two years the advance in this respect is even more marked. 
The interest at the present time appears centred in selecting 
those only that prove of real use in regard to effect and beauty. 
This i3 a step in the right direction, and the course that will 
in the end prove the most satisfactory in private establish¬ 
ments. It is usually preferable in gardens to grow a number 
of a few useful plants than a few specimens each of a great 
number of species or varieties, except for scientific purposes. 
I have not a word to urge against a large collection of hardy 
plants, even if they comprise, from a gardener's point of view, 
useless kinds, but I think a botanic garden is the proper 
position for them. 
While I admire many bulbous and other hardy plants, I 
should be sorry to see the present style of flower gardening 
neglected and the beds filled with herbaceous plants. The 
flower garden proper is usually in a conspicuous position, and 
can be rendered as attractive as could be desired during spring 
and summer by a judicious system of planting. The beds 
during autumn can be filled with such hardy spring-flowering 
plants that flower about the same time, including Daisies, 
Violas, Aubrietias, Silenes, Myosotis. and others. When these 
are removed the summer bedders can take their place until 
autumn frosts arrive. Those who have forcibly urged the use 
oE hardy plants in place of the summer bedders appear to have 
created a wrong impression in the minds of many, and left 
them almost puzzled how to arrange a geometrical garden to 
look neat and as attractive through the summer season as with 
the usual summer occupants. Like many others I should be 
at a loss to know what plants to employ and how to arrange 
them to the best advantage. Perhaps those familiar with this 
system of bedding hardy plants—say to flower from May to 
the end of the season—will record their experience. While I 
regard the flower garden proper no place for herbaceous plants, 
I do not think they are displayed to the best advantage in any 
one border of whatever length and breadth it may be. Such 
a border can, I know, be made gay; but however carefully it 
is tended there must be constantly a number of plants looking 
rather unattractive after flowering. 
I have eagerly noted any good arrangement when visiting 
gardens during the past few years, and must confess I have 
been more disappointed than pleased. In some gardens ample 
provision has been made for growing hardy flowers, and the 
grounds not rendered either attractive or picturesque. For 
instance, suppose a garden having on all sides and ends raised 
banks planted with evergreens, and in some cases with deci¬ 
duous trees in the background, at one end being a small orna¬ 
mental gate with a path round, the visitor returning through 
the gate by which he entered. That there are such toy gar¬ 
dens in beautiful portions of pleasure grounds I have fre¬ 
quently seen, and for either hardy or other flowering plants 
they cannot be too strongly condemned. 
All gardens would be improved considerably by the intro¬ 
duction of hardy plants, which would not only prove useful 
but beautiful if only a limited selection were employed and 
judiciously arranged. The pleasure grounds I regard the 
proper place for hardy plants, except those that are only at 
home on the rockery or become naturalised under the shade of 
trees in surrounding plantations or woods. They could be 
planted at the front of shrubbery borders and amongst the 
shrubs if those are not crowded. By the introduction of these 
plants amongst beds of Rhododendrons or other dwarf ever¬ 
greens a considerable saving would be effected in shrubs. This 
is by no means the only advantage, for the shrubs themselves 
would develope into handsome specimens. The system of 
planting to be found in many gardens would not allow of 
hardy plants being utilised amongst them, and in consequence 
after a few years a good specimen cannot be seen amongst 
the shrubs. 
No better position could be found for many useful hardy 
plants than amongst evergreens planted sufficiently far apart. 
For example, in a bed of Rhododendrons and Ghent or mollis 
Azaleas, if Liliums and Pyrethrums were planted, what in their 
season could look more beautiful, or in what other position 
could they be shown to greater advantage ? The use of Pyre¬ 
thrums for cutting is beyond doubt, and those who have 
quantities of flowers to cut and pack during the London season 
No. 94.— You IY., Third series. 
No. 1750.—Yol. LXYII., Old Series, 
