THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
September 29. 
401= 
this. No taste, no want, seems to be without its source 
of gratification and supply. Even the gigantic Palms 
will tower-up here as unobstructed as beneath eastern 
skies; Orchids will cast around their odours as in the 
pingles of the tropics; Aquatics will float in waters 
suited to their habits, whether from torrid or temperate 
climes; and flowers of all seasons, and all nations, will 
find a suitable home in some of those far-spreading 
galleries, or beneath some of those vaulted transepts. 
Nor is the space for utility or for pleasure confined to 
these, for stepping forth upon the vast terraces which 
encompass its transparent walls there is outspread a 
view which none in England surpasses. It is a rich, 
home-panorama, circling, before and around, over a sur¬ 
face whose boundary-line is some twenty miles from the 
point of vision. The terraces themselves will be among 
the grandest of the world; and then the gardens, which 
are extending away from the foot of their noble flights 
of steps, are beginning to give striking evidence of the 
genius and taste presiding over their arrangement. 
This subject, though our peculiar province, must at 
present be only glanced over, for we shall dwell upon 
them in detail after the present planting season is over, 
and enables us more entirely to comprehend the par¬ 
ticulars. 
The Italian Garden, with its three fountains, on which 
the eye rests at the foot of the lower terrace, is on a 
scale commensurate with the palace, and leads gradually 
and gracefully to geometrically-arranged flower-beds, set 
in the wide surface of turf, and these soften the transi¬ 
tion to less artistic masses of plants, and so on to more 
uncultivated departments. At present, little more than 
the outlines of broad walks, excavated dells, and huge 
mounds are apparent; but the planting already carried 
out in one or two nooks are sufficiently telling of how 
much will be effected, not merely by the flowers, but by 
the harmonies and contrasts, blendings and reliefs, 
which can be wrought out by the gardener who knows 
the colours of foliage both in a plant’s infancy and full 
age, and can, therefore, anticipate with certainty future 
effects and results. 
We have only jotted down a few of the thoughts that 
a hurried visit to this magnificent design suggests; and 
we say most emphatically that we fully recognize its 
claim, which even a slight examination establishes, to 
the title of “ The Palace of Light,” The gracefulness of 
its proportions—the absence of any but blue-tinted 
shadows—and the knowledge and benefits which it will 
aid to communicate — must secure to it that name, 
j whether viewed with reference either to its construction 
j or its consequences. 
HERBACEOUS PLANTS, MASSES, ETC. 
Really I almost tremble whilst I name them—so 
old-fashioned; so out of date! Nevertheless, we have 
all seen old fashions undergo a revival, and why not 
our old pet Phloxes, Asters, Delphiniums, Dracocepha- 
j lurns, Tradeseantias, Aconitums, Monardas, Cheloues, 
j lEnotheras, Anthericums, Gentianas, &c. ? If they are 
not allowed to mass with our foreign visitors, surely 
they may be allowed to show their homely faces in some 
portion of our dress grounds. But it is by no means 
certain that they—at least, some possessing superior 
qualities—may not yet be worked-up in our massing 
system ; for when the rage for mere colour sickens, who 
shall say that form and habit may not become a capital 
consideration? This is the season for securing obser¬ 
vations on the effects of the various combinations of : 
both form and colour in flower-gardens, with some other 1 
qualities connected therewith. 
In looking over some beds of mixed herbaceous plants, j 
last evening, with a view to remark on particular forms, 
or combinations of forms, I was, in the first place, struck i 
with the grace and elegance which prevailed in all spots 
where what are termed spiry forms prevail. To give an ! 
idea of the forms I allude to, I may point to such as the , 
Liatris spicata, the Clielone barbata , and some of the 
Veronicas, as those commonly termed incana, carnea, or j 
incarnata, &c.; some of the Ly thrums, Dracocephalum \ 
spedosum, Anthericums, Aconitums, &c. I am persuaded 
that many of our friends must have been struck with 
such forms, independent of colour; forms which, per¬ 
haps, convey impressions of airiness, sprightliness, and 
elegance. Now, begging pardon of our gorgeous Gera¬ 
niums, Lobelias, Verbenas, and such like, these forms 
are not to be altogether despised; if we do not esteem 
them now, another generation is at hand which assuredly 
may do so. 
If, then, such spiral forms prove a relief in beds of 
herbaccce, why not call in the assistance of forms in our 
modern massing system? The chief thing that wars 
against the practice would appear to be what may be 
termed a floral prejudice, arising from previous mental 
associations. The beautiful blue Inula, called, 1 think, 
glandulosa, one of the finest blues we possess—what a 
colour for bedding purposes! but no one could, for a 
moment, tolerate the enormous mass of comfrey-looking | 
foliage. But, then, Phloxes are not vulgar-looking; and 
many other herbaceous things, when mixed by a massing 
system, would, I conceive, lose much of their mere 
border character. 
There is the old Clielone barbata, at all times a dressy 
plant, and, I believe, a favourite with everybody. This 
elegant plant was highly esteemed forty years since. 
Why cannot this be worked-up in a mass? It possesses 
high qualifications, assuredly. Elegance of form, a cha¬ 
racter of foliage by no means commonplace, and lovely 
orange-coloured blossoms, which, dangling from slender 
pedicles, give a delightfully airy appearance to the whole; 
added to this, a minimum amount of foliage, both as 
regards individual size in the leaf, and their collective 
amount. By-the-by, the latter is a great essential in 
flowers for bedding purposes; proportion here (as in 
most other things) being necessarily one of the elements j 
of the beautiful as distinguished from the picturesque. 
Another singular old herbaceous plant I may point to, 
as possessing peculiar features and high eligibilities for i 
the massing system, 1 mean the old Liatris spicata, one 1 
of the most dressy and manageable things in existence, 
and no vulgarity about it. This excellent plant, although 
introduced to our gardens a century ago, is by no means 
general, but for what reason I cannot imagine. It has 
one most singular property ; it is, as its name implies, 
a spike-flowering plant, but, contrary to the common 
mode of development in spike flowers, it commences ; 
blooming at the top of the spike, and works downwards 
Thus there are no raw-looking, terminal points to wait j 
for ; its dressy character is shown at once in the upper out- , 
line. This plant appears tome to be peculiarly adapted ; 
to work-up in a massing system ; and i must continue to j 
think, that if our modern bedders would condescend to j 
leap the barrier which separates our exclusives—the 
Verbenas, Geraniums, &c.—and let them mingle with 
the throng, that such spiry forms would prove of inti- 
