210 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. c September 2j isso. 
in the arrangements. There are less than a dozen of those beds, 
and certainly not one too many for the crowds which admire 
them ; in fact, a greater extent of ground is occupied with 
hardy border and herbaceous plants than with carpet beds, and it 
must be added well occupied. Early in the summer, June and 
July, the Funkias made a fine display, their foliage and flowers 
being alike beautiful. They are planted in broad bands round 
the margins of the beds, in lines in front of the shrubberies, at the 
base of shrubs, and dotted about in irregular groups on the lawn. 
All the best forms are included ; the plants are well grown, and 
their effect was very beautiful. "These plants should be more 
largely grown in gardens. They are quite hardy, and like deep 
rich soil. Delphiniums were splendid in their season. They are 
grand park plants, and may with advantage be increased, as also 
might Foxgloves, which have such a fine effect amongst or near 
shrubs. Near the east entrance to the Park the beds of Moss 
Roses have been a great success, and the fragrant masses of the 
old Provins Cabbage have been much admired. The Rose beds at 
the western end have also been strikingly beautiful. The associa¬ 
tion with the dark varieties, such as Crimson Bedder with Lilium 
candidum, proved a singularly happy arrangement. The herb¬ 
aceous border has been gay throughout, one of the most effective 
plants at the present time being Rudbeckia Newmanni. Lines 
100 yards or more in length of Anemone japonica and alba nowin 
full beauty arrest the attention of all visitors, and associated with 
the Anemones fine clumns of Lilium tigrinum Fortunei are both 
elegant and rich, while also at the present time beds of Phloxes 
are grand. The variety is The Queen, and the pure white trusses 
are of immense size. This Phlox, and indeed many others, should 
be grown in all gardens. Sufficient has been said to show that 
something more than carpet beds is to be seen at Battersea Park. 
Carpet beds are, however, represented, and they perhaps receive 
the lion’s share of public attention, judging by the crowds which 
cluster round them on Sunday nights. Some of these beds are 
gay, yellow and red predominating. Some are sober, green pre¬ 
vailing ; while others are chaste yet cheerful, and extremely neat. 
“The parks,” as Mr. Roger justly observes, “are for the public,” 
and he can only satisfy the necessarily varied tastes by a great 
dissimilarity of designs and colours. Carpet beds cannot be 
adequately described without diagrams, yet an idea may be con¬ 
veyed of one or two of them, and the plants that are employed. 
A circular bed attracts primary notice, as it is planted with the 
new Alternanthera paronychyoides major aurea as a groundwork. 
This very distinct variety originated at Battersea and is not in 
commerce. The prevailing colour is reddish yellow, or almost 
the “ old gold ” colour that is fashionable this year. It is totally 
dissimilar from all others of the genus, grows freely, and produces 
an uniformly level surface. A scroll of the dark A. versicolor 
grandis effectively occupies the centre of the bed, small circles of 
Mentha being formed in the curves of the scroll, each containing 
a small variegated Yucca. The bed is surrounded with a band, 
richly coloured, of Alternanthera amoena, the raised margin being 
covered with the silvery Sedum acre elegans. This bed is bright 
yet chaste, and the workmanship is faultless. An adjoining bed 
is of more sober aspect, the groundwork being of MeDtha, with 
three spathulate panels of Alternanthera and angles of Lencophy- 
ton Brownii, the margin being similar to that of the other bed, 
the arrangement being considered very neat. It were useless 
attempting a description of the “carpet rug” and “coffin” beds, 
which are so warmly discussed by the visitors. For some tastes 
the yellow is too pronounced, but by others, and especially ladies, 
it is admired for the reason above stated—namely, that it is 
“fashionable.” Far more elegant than these flat beds are some 
large oblongs. It will suffice to refer to one of them, a bed 
perhaps 24 feet long by 8 wide. Along the centre are five circles 
3 feet in diameter, each containing five or six plants similar to 
those which take prizes at exhibitions for dinner table decoration. 
Very graceful in some of the circles are the groups of Dracasna 
gracilis, which contrast admirably with other groups of Pandanus 
Yeitchii; again, groups of Ficus rubiginosa mixed with Acacia 
lophantha are admired, and Fuchsia Golden Treasure associated 
with Cuphea platycentra is a happy combination. The ground¬ 
work of these circles is of Mentha enclosed with a narrow streak 
of Golden Feather and a broad and fine band of Alternanthera 
amoena. The groundwork between the circles is of Golden Feather, 
the bed being bounded with Alternanthera and margined with 
Echeverias. Another of these beds with a groundwork of Nie- 
rembergia gracilis has been very pretty as covered with thousands 
of delicate flowers. The large scroll or S-shaped beds have never 
looked so well as they do this year. The end circles are filled 
with Amaranthus melancholicus ruber, which is so rich when in 
good condition, as it is now, from which rise slender and healthy 
Cordylines. The scroll portions of the beds are carpeted in panels 
with dwarf Palms, &c., at intervals, which impart to the beds a 
free and pleasing appearance. A bed of tall variegated Yuccas 
in a groundwork of Coleuses, and another of tall Cordylines 
similarly carpeted and appropriately edged, find many admirers. 
A large round bed carpeted with Lobelia White Brilliant and planted 
with specimen Dasylirions is most chaste. This is the best of white 
Lobelias, and seen in good condition meets with general approval. 
In striking contrast a still longer bed adjoining is filled with 
striped Petunias dotted with stately plants of Brugmansia 
Knightii. At the margin of the Petunias are some fine Cocks¬ 
combs, the bed being margined with a dwarf scarlet Tropreolum. 
The Petunias (Hender’s strain) have been very gay, but are now 
losing their markings. The beauty of the bed, however, will be 
maintained by the Brugmansias, which are producing their large 
trumpet-shaped flowers freely. A still larger and very imposing 
bed some distance from the path is chiefly planted with Eucalyp¬ 
tus globulus, quite a plantation of Blue Gums, the young trees 
being about 8 feet high. They are surrounded with a band of a 
tall scarlet Pelargonium, next to which is a fine row of Viola 
Blue Bell margined with Gazania splendens. This arrangement 
has been most effective for some weeks past. 
It may usefully be recorded that the Viola named is the most 
satisfactory of all the blue or purple varieties that have been grown 
in the Park. It is of excellent habit, very floriferous, and has con¬ 
tinued in beauty throughout the season. Another variety, Duchess 
of Teck, is similarly free ; it is a pale lavender blue, and the two 
beds of it at the west end of the Park have had hosts of admirers. 
Mr. Roger considers these the two most useful bedding Violas in 
his possession. The Eucalypti are raised from seed annually, the 
plants intended for next year's planting being now about a foot 
high and established in pots. Such free luxurious specimens as 
those above referred to have an unique effect, the foliage both in 
form and colour being totally dissimilar from that of any other 
trees or plants in the park. 
A group of Aralia papyracea margined with Salvia argentea 
appears to great advantage, the growth of the plants being 
unusually luxuriant. Another subtropical plant is in splendid 
condition, Polymnia grandis, with magnificent deeply lobed leaves 
2 feet long and 1^ in diameter. No ornamental-foliaged plant 
exceeds this in beauty, and few equal it. It is raised from 
cuttings. The plants are 6 feet apart in a groundwork of Helio¬ 
tropes. Another subtropical exceptionally fine is Solanum macro- 
phyllum, the leaves being of immense size ; the groundwork of 
this bed is of Verbena venosa and Lantanas, margined with 
Sempervivum canariense major, one of the finest of the succu¬ 
lents. A bed of Ricinus sanguineus rising from a mass of Veronica 
Andersonii variegata, edged with Ageratum Countess of Stair, is 
both stately and pleasing ; and the darker R. Gibsonii associated 
with Chrysanthemum coronarium and edged with Heliotropes is 
excellently placed and telling. Solanum laciniatum, it may be 
observed, is affected in apparently the same manner as Potatoes, 
and the plants have to be removed. 
Some mixed beds of choice foliage and flowering plants afford 
acceptable variety, and merit and receive the close examination 
of visitors. In one of these beds Lilium auratum is remarkably 
fine, Tigridia pavonia very gay, Kalosanthes coccinea with glow¬ 
ing heads, Begonias both elegant and rich, and Agapanthuses 
have been prominent, the variegated foliage of Eurya latifolia 
variegata cheerful, and Sonchus laciniatus graceful. Desmodiuin 
pendulseflorum is just commencing flowering; and Abutilons 
Lemoinei fine yellow, Boule de Neige, and Darwinii tessellatum 
contribute to the general effect. Abutilon brasiliense, too, is re¬ 
presented by several fine plants ; the leaves are very large, cordate, 
exceeding a foot in diameter, and faintly veined with pale yellow. 
A bed of this plant is edged with Artemisia Stelleriana, and the 
elegant A. judaica is employed in some of the arrangements. This 
is a highly distinct srlvery-foliaged plant, and very suitable as a 
hanging plant for vases. 
Some of the marginal plants in the raised beds or borders front¬ 
ing the shrubs give a fine finish to the picturesque nooks that 
abound in the Park. A row of a fine scarlet Pentstemon a strik¬ 
ing, and more sober in effect, is the small yet elegant Fuchsia 
pumila. The crimson pendent inflorescence of Love-lies-bleeding 
(Amaranthus caudatus), drooping over a curved line of a silver 
bicolor Pelargonium, has a pretty effect; but perhaps the finest of 
the edgings are of the old variegated Pelargonium Manglesii. 
These—as backed with Mrs. Holden Pelargonium, pink, large 
trusses, and in one instance margined with Convolvulus mauri- 
tanicus—are extremely chaste. 'The Convolvulus, however, can¬ 
not be seen to advantage except early in the day, its beautiful 
satiny blue flowers being closed in the evening. 
Cannas are in fine condition this year, the bright sun overhead 
of the past three weeks and copious applications of water to the 
