272 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ September 22 , issi. 
the most beautiful he hacl ever seen, but after walking through 
the princ'pil parts could scarcely find any flowers. 
The Scarlet Runner Bean attracted my attention. Every oc¬ 
cupant of the houses evidently devotes a portion of their small 
garden to the growth of these Beans. They really look grand as 
you travel by rail through the suburbs. Not only are they orna¬ 
mental but useful, and the plants are carrying a heavy crop of 
beaus this season. I have just noted two or three things that 
attracted most attention, but intend giving a few notes of the 
parks and places of horticultural interest. The first being the 
CRYSTAL PALACE. 
I must admit I went with some curiosity to see this renowned 
place. I had formed some gigantic idea that it would be superb, 
far surpassing anything I had ever seen in the horticultural 
world. These ideas were grounded in my imagination from the 
glowing descriptions given from time to time in the gardening 
journals. The remarks of your correspondent Mr. Wm. Taylor, 
which were given in the Journal after a visit there, caused me to 
doubt whether my idea formed of the place would be realised. I 
thought his statement rather bold and sweeping, especially after 
the bestowal of so much praise ; but according to my judgment it 
was the best and most correct description of the gardening at the 
Crystal Palace I have ever read. Certainly I saw a few good Tree 
Ferns and the fine old Ruscus androgynus growing luxuriantly. I 
was rather late in the season, for the bedding and the flowering 
plants had been much injured with the wet weather. The most 
showy beds in the grounds were composed of mixed double Zinnias, 
and they were very fine. Beds of Phlox Drummondi and mixed 
Verbenas were also showy. I thought of finding some fine carpet 
beds, but was disappointed. The carpet beds contained two or 
three neat designs ; but in some beds too much Alternanthera was 
used, in others the Iresine and Tagetes, which were employed in 
the centre and for lines, had been too severely pinched to keep 
them in due bounds, and in consequence spoiled what would have 
otherwise been pretty beds. Viewing the bare terraces from the 
grounds they are in my opinion most unsightly. Would they not 
be better covered with Ivy or some other neat-growing climber ? 
The next establishment visited was 
HYDE PARK. 
Numbers of young trees have been planted there of late years, 
and will, in a few more years, make a grand improvement to the 
Park. Being interested a little about herbaceous plants, since so 
much has been written in their favour lately, I watched eagerly 
the mixed borders for any especially good plant, but found nothing 
of any moment except Anemone japonica and A. j. alba, the 
next best plant being Hydrangea paniculata, a really grand plant, 
which should be grown in all gardens. The bedding had un¬ 
doubtedly been very fine, but the flowering plants, especially the 
Pelargoniums, were much spoiled by the. wet weather. The four 
most simple beds (circular) and yet the most conspicuous of all, 
were composed of Gazania splendens and Iresine brilliantissima 
mixed. The yellow flowers of the former contrasted admirably 
with the bright foliage of the latter. No doubt the old Gazania, 
which is seldom seen now, will become popular again for mixed 
beds. Another pretty mixed bed was composed of Pelargonium 
Verona, a fine gold-leaved variety with pink flowers, and Iresine 
Lindeni, edged with Cliveden Purple Pansies. Some beds com¬ 
posed of Pelargonium Ariosto, a variegated Ivy-leaf, and Viola 
Blue Bell were very attractive. Amongst the beds of Pelar¬ 
goniums the two varieties that appeared to have stood the 
wet best were pinks Mrs. Holden and Lady Emily, which were 
very fine. The subtropical beds looked well, and are far superior 
to the beds of flowering plants for late summer decoration." Two 
beds were filled with Cannas in variety, with a variegated Abu- 
tilon, probably A. nrevium maculatum, with a few plants of A. 
Boule de Neige flowering very well, a row of Centaurea candi- 
dissima all round, next to this a row of Lobelia, and edged with 
Echeveria secunda glauca. Two other beds very similar were 
equal in point of merit, and only differed from the others in 
having a row of Dracaena rutilans and Grevillea robusta planted 
alternately and arranged between the Cannas and the Centaureas. 
It is not surprising that these subtropical beds are so much 
admired by the public. 
Of carpet beds, one noticeable bed had for the centre Echeveria 
metalliea surrounded with Alternanthera magnifica, which was 
raised above the rest of the bed, the edge of the raised portion 
being formed with a close even row of Echeveria secunda glauca, 
then a band of Mentha Pulegium gibraltarica with another row of 
Echeverias, then the golden Alteruanthera paronychyoides aurea 
dotted with Pachyphytum bracteosum and edged with Echeverias 
mixed with a little Sedum glaucum. Another bed which was very 
attractive had for a centre a single plant of Echeveria metalliea 
surrounded with Alternanthera and Sedum acre elegans, the lines 
being formed of Echeverias, and the remaining portion of the 
groundwork with Mentha, small patches of Alternanthera, and suc¬ 
culents. The next noticeable bed had a centre plant of Centaurea 
candidissima, the groundwork in the inner portion of the design 
being Herniaria glabra, a close-growing green plant. Alternantheras 
filled four small circles in this groundwork, which was edged with 
Golden Feather and a band of Alternanthera, the remaining ground¬ 
work being composed of Cerastium tomentosum with small tri¬ 
angular pieces of a small Saxifraga with single specimens of 
Echeveria metalliea dotted in suitable positions. 
The introduction of a number of succulents in the carpet beds 
was quite a noticeable feature, and considerably improved the 
beds, which otherwise would have presented a rather flat appear¬ 
ance. The carpet beds were by far the most attractive, aud the 
beds of Pelargoniums had no chance of competing with them 
either for neatness, brightness, or beauty. —A COUNTRYMAN. 
(To be continued.) 
PLANTS FOR WINTER AND SPRING. 
Growing plants for winter and spring flowering, planted out 
either in pits or the open garden, is one of the simplest and most 
efficient modes of cultivating these throughout the summer. I 
•have grown many plants thus for a number of years past, and 
always successfully. At the present time the plants should be 
lifted and potted. I place our stock, without exception as to 
kind, into as small pots as the roots can be forced into, the soil 
used being rich in manure. When potted the plants are all placed 
in a position out of doors, where they are perfectly shaded from 
the sun. They require very little water, no syringing, and do not 
lose a leaf. A month, or perhaps three weeks, after lifting the 
plants are housed ; they are by that time slightly at home in the 
soil they are potted in, and can be subjected to heat as they may 
require it. If kept growing and forming roots we give them 
liquid manure about once in every ten days, but when kept cool 
for spring flowering they do not require it nearly so often. 
Bouvardias, Cyclamens, Begonias, Eupatorium Weinmanni- 
anum are grown in frames during summer ; Deutzia gracilis, 
Solanum Capsicastrum, Calla aethiopica, Hoteia japonica are 
grown in kitchen-garden borders; Chrysanthemums are also 
grown largely for transplanting into cool-house borders to afford 
flowers for cutting. Lily of the Valley, Azaleas of the mollis type, 
Rhododendrons, Schizostylis coccinea, Zonal Pelargoniums, and, 
in fact, almost all kinds of easy-grown plants, may be thus grown 
with little trouble and certain success.—R. P. Brothebston. 
PREPARING FOR WINTER. 
(Continued from page 171.) 
Earthing-up and Protecting Celery.— The former opera¬ 
tion is undoubtedly one of the most important to be performed in 
the kitchen garden at this time of the year. Celery may be well 
grown—and there appears to be much that is very strong and 
very clean in the gardens of amateurs and cottagers this season — 
and yet be partially spoilt in the blanching. Some err in leaving 
their plants too long before commencing to earth them up ; others 
go to the other extreme, and complete the operation before the 
plants are either strong enough or forward enough for the opera¬ 
tion. In the first case a difficulty is often experienced in pro¬ 
tecting the heart; and the leafstalks, owing to long exposure, 
become tough and strong-flavoured, and consequently but little 
besides the heart is really eatable. On the other hand, if earthed- 
up prematurely the growth is arrested, and the produce is of an 
inferior description accordingly. 
I take special pains with the row's of Celery. It is my pride 
to see it turned out clean, straight, and solid, and it would be 
particularly annoying if the reverse should be the case simply 
because sufficient attention had not been paid to the earthing. 
Some urge, and to a certain extent rightly, that large heads of 
Celery should not be grown, simply because the hearts only are 
sent into the dining room ; but, according to my experience, the 
stronger the plant the better will be the heart both in size and 
quality. Besides, few employers, I trust, expect their gardeners 
to grow Celery for their use only, and if some of the outer leaves 
are solid and well blanched they are eatable. At any rate, the 
owners of small gardens do not waste the greater part of w r ell- 
grown Celery ; and these I strongly advise not to smother up 
their rows of comparatively weakly plants from a desire to secure 
early produce. Of course in the majority of moderate-sized or 
large gardens Celery is now being lifted in good condition, and 
more is being gradually eartbed-up in order to maintain the 
supply. Those in charge of these doubtless know as much about 
