October 1, 1885. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
287 
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COMING EVENTS 
iHSi 
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Eale of Bulbs at Protheroe’s Booms, Cheapside. 
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Sale of Bulbs at Stevens’ Rooms, Covent Garden. 
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Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity. 
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TU 
[Exhibition. 
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Crystal Palace Show ol Hardy Fruits (two days). International Potato 
SEPTEMBER IN THE FLOWER GARDEN. 
HE welcome showers of the past few weeks have 
seemed to rouse up many of the occupants of the 
beds and borders, and caused them to burst into 
blossom again. Shrubs and the hitherto scorched 
lawns are also looking much the better for these 
genial rains. Perhaps Kent and Sussex have 
suffered more from the effects of the late trying 
drought than any other county, in consequence 
of the gravelly and chalky subsoils. Particularly 
noticeable were the effects of the drought on the shrubs, trees, 
plants, and grass at and around Goodwood a week or ten 
days ago. There the grass was quite brown, and shrubs were 
dying for want of moisture. No rain had fallen since the 
first week in July. The upper stratum of soil is very shallow 
there, the chalk cropping up to the surface. Happily it was 
not quite so serious in this district, although it was very 
difficult to keep the occupants of our shrubberies, borders, 
and beds supplied with the needful moisture. Powerful 
hydrants and a good hose, intelligently used, proved our best 
friends through the trying ordeal, and if every garden was 
similarly well provided, the saving in labour, besides other 
advantages, would soon pay for the outlay involved. 
Turning to the plants used in the embellishment of the 
garden, there has not been much cause for complaint with 
regard to abundance of flowers on the hardy plants, also on 
Pelargoniums and other flowering bedding plants. Pelargo¬ 
niums have been unquestionably good this season, the plants 
blooming very freely and retaining a more sturdy, compact 
habit of growth than is usual with them in damp seasons; 
and even now, drawing towards the end of September, the 
plants are all that could be desired. Lobelias are still 
flowering freely. Cannell’s Swanley Blue, which we have 
grown for the first time this season, was one of the prettiest 
soft, delicately coloured blue Lobelias we have seen. It is 
compact in habit and exceedingly floriferous. The varieties 
known as Emperor William and Brighton No. 1 are also very 
good. For growing in masses, in the mixed border or on 
ledges of rockwork, we prefer grandiflora and speciosa raised 
from seed early in the season. In taking up these plants for 
store purposes, many fail to keep them during the winter 
through neglecting a very simple precaution, which is the 
removal of the flowers and seed vessels by means of a pair of 
shears about a fortnight before the plants are lifted. By cut¬ 
ting off the seed vessels the plants are induced to make a 
little growth before their roots are disturbed. 
There are so many means employed now in the decoration 
of the flower garden, some preferring carpet and geometrical 
bedding generally ; others hardy plants in many different 
forms, from the complete collection down to the select and 
mixed styles. Here we give preference to the two latter 
styles, and we have no reason to be dissatisfied therewith, as 
from early spring until now (September 22nd), by judicious 
selection and planting, we have had a constant supply of 
beautiful blooms, and this will continue more or less until far 
into November. We have no wish to despise carpet and 
No. 275. —Vol. XI., Third Series, 
geometrical bedding where skilfully and tastefully carried out, 
as at Hampton Court, and many private gardens too, but 
these styles of bedding have been overdone, consequently 
there is an almost endless repetition and sameness. A due 
proportion of these styles should exist in suitable situations, 
as, for instance, in proximity to the mansion and along 
terraces ; but nothing looks more incongruous than borders 
with beautiful backgrounds of noble trees and shrubs filled 
with lines of yellow Calceolarias, flaming Pelargoniums and 
Pyrethrums. Far more interesting and far more beautiful 
would these borders be were they tastefully filled with hardy 
plants. Delphiniums, hardy Lilies, Pentstemons, Campanulas, 
and a host of similarly beautiful hardy flowers, would cer¬ 
tainly be in better harmony with trees and shrubs than the 
formal rows of Pelargoniums and Calceolarias. 
It is surprising to what extent a garden of small dimen¬ 
sions may be made beautiful by the exercise of intelligence 
and good taste. It is not the thousands of plants employed, 
but the way in which they are selected and disposed, that 
makes the most effective display. We make trees and shrubs 
play an important part in combination with hardy flowers in 
the decoration of the flower garden—that is to say, no flower¬ 
ing plants are placed in any part except in combination with 
trees and shrubs. Every border of hardy flowering plants 
has a suitable background of trees and shrubs, and these are 
planted in such a form as to create suitable nooks and cran¬ 
nies for the growth of valuable Lilies and other choice hardy 
plants. Thus, in one part we have an irregularly formed 
bed of Rhododendrons and Ghent Azaleas, the latter planted 
amongst the former, and around the margin is a border vary¬ 
ing in width from 2 to 8 feet. At the back of one of the 
widest of these curves is a group of Hollyhocks; a little on 
the right a strong group of Chrysanthemum maximum ; on 
the left a group of Delphiniums; standing out boldly is a 
group of Lilium candidum, double purple and white Rockets, 
Delphinium cashmerianum, Polemonimn Richardsoni, Hele- 
nium pumilum, Campanulas, Gladiolus, Tigridias, and other 
hardy plants, whilst the foreground is filled with masses of 
Zinnias, Stocks, Asters, Petunias, Salpiglossis, Coreopsis, 
Gilias, Godetias, Alyssums, Virginian Stocks, Marigolds, Ver¬ 
benas, &c. In another nook will be a fine well-established group 
of Lilium auratum in the background, with single Dahlias, 
Pentstemons, Helianthemums,Lilium aurantiacum,Rudbeckia 
Newmanni, and so on. Another group will have a Portugal 
Laurel, Weigelas, Berberis Darwini, Aucubas, and Conifers 
for a background, with groups of Lilies, single Dahlias, Lo¬ 
belia cardinalis, Pentstemons, Foxgloves, hardy Fuchsias, 
and Hibiscus, Gladiolus, Carnations, with Stocks, Asters, and 
other annuals in the foreground. Immense slopes thrown up 
to hide unsightly objects have their summits crowned with 
now lofty trees of Poplars, Cedrus Deodara, Cupressus 
Lawsoniana, double Hawthorns, Lilacs, Ancubas, and lower 
down choice Rhododendrons and Azaleas, with Lilium cro- 
ceum, Solomon’s Seal, Anemone japonica and Honorine 
Jobert, patches of Helleborus niger, common Primroses, and 
Lily of the Valley, growing under their shade ; whilst here 
and there the margins boldly develops into large borders 
filled with the choicest Roses, carpeted with Mignonette in 
summer and Primroses in winter and spring. Similarly 
planted is every shrubbery border, either with Roses, hardy 
herbaceous plants, or annuals. Bold rockeries too are formed 
for alpine plants. These are a few examples of what can be 
done by means of hardy plants alone. 
• Respecting the hardy annuals and biennials in bloom at 
the present time, they are giving us the fullest satisfaction 
possible, a great number of them being capable of furnishing 
blooms for some time yet, Particularly showy are large 
groups of Cannell’s lemon and orange African Marigolds, 
bearing immense flowers, and not less so are groups of Webb’s 
brilliant strain of Petunias, which have been blooming freely 
since June, and seem likely to continue for some time yet. 
Old worn-out birch garden-brooms are turned to account by 
No. 1931. —Vol. LXXIII., Cld Series. 
