Plate 278. 
VERBENA, REALLY BLUE. 
There are two classes of persons for whom the raisers of 
Verbenas endeavour to cater; those who require them for 
exhibition, and those who only need them for bedding pur¬ 
poses. A variety may be, and very often is, suitable for both ; 
but really show dowers do not, as a rule, make the best plants 
for out-of-door work. Of the many beautiful varieties raised 
and exhibited by Mr. Perry, of Castle Bromwich, near Birming¬ 
ham, few are valuable for out-of-door work; nor can blooms, 
such as he produces, be obtained except from pot-plants. He 
used formerly to grow them in frames; but even that, he in¬ 
formed us, interfered with the cleanliness of the bloom, so that 
now he only grows them in pots. 
Amongst bedding Verbenas Purple King is the typical plant; 
and the attempt of raisers of seedlings has been (although, as 
yet, unsuccessfully) to obtain the same dwarf habit and free¬ 
dom of bloom in other colours that it presents as a purple 
dower; while another object eagerly sought after has been to 
obtain a thoroughtv blue dower. There are several which are 
so called, such as Mrs. Moore , Garibaldi , Blue Bonnet , etc. etc.; 
but they are either not blue, or their habit is such as to pre¬ 
vent their being of any service as bedding plants ; but in the 
Verbena, which we now dgure, Mr. Bull, of Chelsea, believes 
he has supplied this long-felt want, for his description of it is 
as follows:—“ This unique and interesting variety supplies the 
long-felt desideratum amongst bedding Verbenas, viz. a really 
blue variety. This is not only of a rich blue colour, but its 
habit is free, close, and compact, just such as a Verbena ought 
to be; it will, therefore, be very valuable for that purpose, as 
