MAY. 
139 
the front of this house, trained as standards, and about two feet in the 
stem, with good compact heads ; these form very pleasing objects, and 
are useful for decoration, more especially as they are in flower several 
months of the year. To keep the heads compact they require continual 
stopping and all rambling shoots cut back, and not tied in. Many very 
pretty varieties were among this batch of Mr. Ingram’s seedlings— 
several resembling miniata. Azaleas and Rhododendrons were also 
very gay ; among the latter we noticed a fine plant of R. Blandyanum, 
with large trusses of rose-coloured flowers ; this is a very good variety. 
Donna Maria is also a good kind, of a deeper colour than the above. 
Several seedlings were also- in flower; amongst them we noticed some 
very good scarlets. The Cinerarias also made a fine display; they 
were mostly seedlings, and several among them very showy varieties. 
The back wall was covered with climbing plants ; amongst those in 
flower was Hardenbergia monophylla, literally covered with its beau¬ 
tiful blue flowers, which contrasted well with the scarlet blossoms of the 
Clianthus puniceus growing by its side. In this house was a number 
of seedling Heaths, many of them in bloom. We mentioned these in 
our notice of last year, p. 147, and were pleased to see them fully 
bear out the good opinion we then formed of them. 
The plant stove in the front range was remarkably gay for the season, 
principally with Begonias, and we never remember to have seen a finer 
collection of these charming and useful plants. Among the latter we 
noticed Begonia sanguinea, B. manicata, B. albo-coccinea, B. hydro- 
cotilifolia, B. fuchsioides, and B hybrida, a very fine variety raised by 
Mr. Meredith, late gardener at Cleveden. Mr. Ingram’s hybrid 
varieties certainly figured among the best. B. nitida rubra is a great 
improvement on nitida, being of a deeper rose, with the same habit as 
its parent. Ingrami and suaveolens rosea are fine varieties. Several 
excellent seedlings not yet named were also in flower, principally 
hybrids from nitida and fuchsioides. At each end of this house, planted 
in the pit, we observed two noble specimens of the New Zealand Tree 
Fern (Dicksonia squarrosa), with fronds from six to nine feet long; we 
understand that one of these specimens will shortly be sent to the Bo¬ 
tanic Garden, Kew. Trained on the back wall were the beautiful and 
sweet-smelling Jasmine-like Rhynchospermum and Passiflora princeps 
in flower, A finely grown plant of the Thyrsacanthus rutilans was then 
going out of flower, which to all appearance had been very beautiful 
throughout the spring. Suspended from the roof was that most beau¬ 
tiful of all stove climbers, Bignonia venusta, crowded with its rich deep 
orange blossoms. 
In the smaller plant houses at the back of the principal range were 
some well-grown examples of Ardisia crenulata, about two feet high, 
and covered with beautiful Holly-like berries, the berry being the 
principal beauty of the plant. We also noticed a large collection of 
Achimenes, promising to be fine specimens when in flower ; they were 
mostly growing in shallow pans about a foot in diameter, and tied out so 
that the pan is concealed from view when the plants are in bloom. 
Some of the varieties were in flower; Tydeea amabilis is quite 
distinct in colour, and worthy a place in every collection; in the same 
