October 9, 1884. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 
831 
appreciated. It is quick in growth, and will succeed under the most 
ordinary treatment, being well adapted for small pots. - 
Messrs. Cannell & Sons were awarded a first-class certificate for the 
plant at the Eoyal Horticultural Society’s Meeting, March 11th of this 
year. 
TASTE IN FLOWER GARDENING. 
Youk correspondent “ Sylvanus,” having assumed the office of reviewer 
of the different styles of flower garden arrangement, under the above 
to express an opinion thereon, whether adversely or otherwise. On this 
point, then, your correspondent has failed to make himself qualified to 
review impai tially the merits of the different styles of flower garden deco¬ 
ration. lie does not appear to have had much experience with hardy 
plant culture, or he would not have gone into such ecstasies over “ordi¬ 
nary bedding plants,” and written so disparagingly about what he is 
pleased to term “ wild gardening,” in which are employed the “ few hardy 
plants” he considers “ worth growing.” So far from there being only a 
“ few hardy plants worth growing,” we can state’from excerience that their 
name is legion, and, with a few exceptions, worthy of a place in every 
garden. 
Fig. 56 .—Begonia Cakeiebei. 
heading, in the Journal of the 2l8t ult., has written somewhat disparag¬ 
ingly about the value of hardy plants for decorating the flower garden. 
Agreeing on this point with your correspondent that now is the proper 
season to discuss this important subject, we need offer no apology for 
criticising his statements. 
Your able critic commences his review of the subject in a most impar¬ 
tial manner, and leads his readers to expect a thorough analysis of the 
various styles of flower garden embellishment ; hut after a few sentences 
we have the subject treated from a one-sided view. Surely if anyone 
assumes to review such a comprehensive subject, the merits and demerits 
of each class of plants should be thoroughly appreciated before venturing 
The love for hardy plant culture is rapidly spreading, and not without 
good reason, for of all classes of plants used in the adornment of the beds 
and borders of the flower garden, none will afford so much pleasure to 
the cultivators for the skill and expense bestowed on them. Hardy plants 
can be put to as good a purpose in the decoration of beds and borders as 
their more tender confzcres. Let us for a moment inquire into their re¬ 
spective merits, and see how far your correspondent is justified in 
despising hardy plants for bedding purposes. 
The ordinary bedding plants embrace a large number of exotics, 
which for nearly six months of the year have to be grown],in bent, 
as well as others less tender in cool houses and pits. The propaga- 
