July 11.] 
by the side of it, supposing the stake to be flat on the 
top. Nothing can be more simple or effectual than this. 
Then comes the thinning and training of such edging 
'plants as are reared from seed : as the Virginian stock, 
Sweet alyssum, common Narsturtium , Convolvolus minor, 
and the like. The highest plants of these should now 
be cut on the top, so as to get up the edging all of one 
height. Some of the side branches will also be the better 
from a clip, to keep the whole in a trim, neat fashion. 
Then, where such plants are too thick, some of them 
must be pulled up ; for if they stand too thick they will 
not lust so long without going to seed; and it is one 
point of good management, in a regular flower-garden, 
that no seeds be allowed to come to maturity. The 
reserve ground, or places out of sight, should be the 
seed-nursery. As tlio common Narsturtium will grow in 
any soil, rich or poor, it is a better edging-plant in many 
places than the Musk mimulus when used for the same 
colour. Where a bright yellow or orange yellow edging 
is wanted, or is suitable, no better plant than this nar 
sturtium can be used; and there are three or lour varie¬ 
ties of it which do well mixed together, and all of them 
will transplant, I believe, at any age ; at any rate, such 
as are now scrambling about from selt-sown seeds, or in 
! a seed-bed sown last April, may now be safely removed 
to any other place, and transplanted in a row round a 
bed or beds. All the preparation that is necessary for 
them is, to cut off most of their largest leaves, and to 
water them well for the first week or ten days. Where 
they have been sown purposely for an edging, all the 
attention they require now, is to train the shoots round 
and round, or along, in the spaces they are intended to 
occupy. This training with them is effected simply by 
placing little bits of sticks against one side of the shoot, 
or by burying a leaf here and there to hold them in the 
right position, and as soon as the flowers are produced 
so thickly as to make a show; the large leaves must be 
cut off every ten days, or fortnight, lor the rest ot the 
season; and that does not seem to affect them in the 
least. Indeed, the whole secret of making very beau¬ 
tiful beds or edgings of them is, to keep down the leaves 
regularly from the time they come into bloom. I do not 
mean, of course, that every leaf is to be removed at any 
one time,—only enough of them to allow the flowers to 
be free and easily seen. 
The Gonvolvolus minor, of which there are three or 
four beautiful varieties, particularly a large dark bluish 
purple one with a clear white eye, is peculiarly well 
fitted for edgings, or rows, as it keeps in flower the whole 
season, and is as gay as any plant I know. But they 
require to be watched constantly, as they are so prone 
to scramble away when they are not wanted. They 
must be kept within bounds by the use of sticks, which, 
however, must be so placed as to be out of sight, and 
their tops should all be trained or compelled to grow 
one way. Then, as they grow on, they cover each other, 
and nothing is seen but the flowering ends. They must 
not be touched by the knife, or stopped in any way, as 
they do not branch out afterwards. They are often 
marked in books as growing only a few inches high, but 
that is a great mistake. I have seen them grow ten feet 
high ; and a pretty picture they made. The seeds were 
sown in an outside circle round a large bed ol Reel 
salvias, with the intention of confining them down for 
a bright edging; but the bed was so rich, and the Salvias 
were strong old plants, and grew away enormously, with¬ 
out ever showing a disposition to flower till very late in 
September; and this Convolvolus minor was let looso 
amongst them and soon overtopped the Salvias all the 
way round, and wore ono mass of blossom from top to 
bottom for three months; and at last their tops collected 
in a liyratnidal heap in the centre of the bed; and if they 
had been supported in that position by a strong stake, 
the whole would have looked unique for the rest of the 
223 
season; but the wind blew them down among the 
Salvias, which by this time began to push out their 
flowers from amongst the Convolvolus; and if one had 
tried to make such a bed by careful training, ten to one 
if the thing would have looked halt so well. Now, it 
instead of the Salvias, some bushy sticks, such as we use 
for peas, were put in to support them, there is no doubt 
but a very showy bed might be produced that way also. 
I have heard ot a bod being made in the same way by 
planting two-yoar old MciuTCtndicis , which soon coveied 
the sticks, and made one mass of bloom all over the 
surface; but I never either saw or tried a bed that way. 
Another plant that would be very likely to answer 
well after the same manner, and look remarkably well, is 
Tropceolum pentaphyllum. The tubers ot which should 
be taken up and kept dry all the winter, and planted out 
any time after the middle of March; and if set tour inches 
below the surface their young tops would take no harm 
from late frosts, and they would come up very strong as 
soon as the season was warm enough tor them. then 
to begin with dwarf sticks, and go on with taller ones as 
the shoots advanced, as we do with Petunias, I should 
have no fears about getting a novel and interesting bed 
that would flower from July till the frost came , and this 
plant stands a good smart trost betore the shoots 01 
flowers are injured. Indeed, we have plants oi it heie 
which remain in the ground from year to year without 
any protection; but for a bed 1 would prefer taking up 
the roots every autumn, and keeping them in sand away 
from the frost all the winter. 
There is a newer one of these pretty Tropceolums, 
called Speciosum, with red flowers; and many gaideneis 
have been sorely puzzled how best to grow it for the last 
two or three years. It is a hardy, and, I believe, nearly 
as strong a grower as the last; and the only secret to 
grow it to perfection, if the soil is all right, is to plant it 
behind a north wall where the sun canuot reach it. We 
are often applied to for climbers to suit a north aspect, 
and here is one of the prettiest summer climbers m the 
kingdom, just ready at our elbows for this very purpose; 
and not only that, but it is foreign to its nature to grow 
half so well in any other way. A deep, rich, light soil 
will no doubt suit it best; but if ono were now to make 
choice of a place for a plant of this where the soil is too 
hard, or too strong, or otherwise uusuited for so hue 
a flower, all that would be required is to dig out a large 
bole for it, say two feet deep, and as much in width, then 
to put six inches of broken lumps of peat, with two or 
three handsful of stones or charcoal lumps, and then hit 
up with a compost of one-half light sandy loam, the lest 
of leaf-mould and peat in equal proportions, and then 
plant out this Tropceolum and water it well. lhe 
chances are, that a plant now looking sickly and halt 
starved in the sun, would so recover itselt betore the 
end of the growing season, as to become a splendid 
object for many years to come in similar situations, but 
in'case it should not prove quite hardy, it had bettei be 
taken up for the winter. Beaton. 
GREENHOUSE AND WINDOW 
* GARDENING. 
Restoring neglected Plants. — Among a mass of 
inquiries, this week I deem it advisable to give this 
prominence to those of a gentleman who has lately pur- 
chased a small greenhouse, but the plants in which aio 
in a sad neglected condition; believing that restoring 
old unhealthy plants to a state of vigour will bo as 
generally interesting as detailing the most approved 
method of managing them, when they aro in a state ot 
health and luxuriance. . . 
Camellias that were wintered in a cold pit, removed 
thence to the greenhouse, but have produced no floweis, 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
