THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, January 8, 1861. 
213 
about two feet with rustic .work ; and that being covered with 
Ivy growing on the outside and kept trimmed to a nice barrel 
shape, the circumference of the leaves at the centre being some¬ 
what more than at the top and bottom, gave it a neat and dressy 
appearance. The height was about two feet. Most of these beds 
were planted differently :—some in rings; others had an outside 
edging, and the centre divided by cross lines into quadrants. 
Of the latter class one struck me as being particularly handsome. 
It was thus :— 
Central plant, Cassia corymbose. 
Outer edging adjoining the Ivy at the top, Yellow Tom Thumb 
Tropseolum. 
Inner edge adjoining the Tropseolum, Perilla nankinensis. 
The main body of the bed divided into four quadrants by 
single lines of Perilla meeting the Cassia in the centre, and the 
quadrants themselves planted with Geranium Alma. The clear 
white leaf of this Geranium contrasting so strongly with the 
Perilla gave this bed great attraction. There were several other 
beds planted in this style, but none that seemed to me so effective. 
The dark, sombre hue of the Ivy supporting a bed two feet high, 
with the first ring of Yellow Tom Thumb Nasturtium followed 
by the quartering of the main body of the bed with Perilla, 
presented a feature that was distinctly seen as far as the eye 
could reach it. Other beds were planted on the dotted principle, 
as well as by a number of rings ; but, as before said, the above 
was most admired. 
L saving the reader to conjecture the effects produced by 
several of these large beds, we will now conduct him to a more 
re note part of the grounds, where the taller class of plants find 1 
a place—as Hollyhocks, pillar Roses, Dahlias, and other plants. 
Some of these beds were very large, and all were surrounded by 
an edging of two or three lines of plants : one struck me as being 
very pretty. It was thus :— 
Main bed Hollyhocks, Roses, &c., planted in the usual way. 
Adjoining them was one row of a double yellow Chrysanthe¬ 
mum—the specific name I have never been able to learn, 
although I had the plant for years. Second row, China Asters 
of the French variety. Edging next turf, dwarf French Mari¬ 
golds of the miniature class, all of a beautiful orange colour. 
Another group of Hollyhocks and Roses was edged with a 
yellow Dahlia of an intermediate height between the ordinary 
ones and the dwarf Zelinda class, the purple one of which 
adjoins it j and an edging of yellow Tutsan, or St. John’s Wort, 
next the turf. This last plant, much despised as it generally is, 
Mr. Fish makes subservient to the flower-garden purposes with 
tolerable effect. 
Another group of the same had a margin of Salvia fulgens, 
then Purple Zelinda Dahlia, with yellow Tom Thumb Nastur¬ 
tium for an edge. 
Another bed of Hollyhocks, &c., with the intermediate Dahlia, 
had an outer edge of Ranunculus Asters, which looked very 
well; but I do not know whether their continuous blooming is 
as much to be depended on, but their close, compact growth 
entitled them to notice. 
Following these irregular masses, with now and then encoun¬ 
tering specimen trees of the Pinus tribe, as well as Rhododen¬ 
drons, we are led into a plot of ground devoted to the growth 
of Ferns and other plants of singular or ornamental foliage. 
A good deal of taste is here displayed in making what, in an 
ordinary way, would be regarded a flat tame piece of ground 
assume the rugged outline of rockwork grown over with plants 
common to such places. And I may mention here that one of 
the plants most useful to cover a piece of such work is the Saxi- 
fraga subulata or S. hypnoides—a plant more darkly green than 
the Spergula, and more free of growth. Ferns of various kinds, 
with Pampas Grass, Heracleum giganteum, Palma Christi, and 
various other plants found a place here, as well as some useful ; 
shrubs and trees, to diversify the scene. There were some other 
spaces of a similar character in another part of the grounds 
set apart for the growth of perennial plants not otherwise met 
with in the flower-beds, and several novelties might be met 
with amongst them. It was there that some patches of the 
purple Spinach were grown ; but I do not think it will compete 
with the Perilla for effect. 
In another part of the grounds where a good opening invited 
.an arrangement of flower-beds, a very pretty design was formed, 
and the planting was done in a way which a young lady, an 
excellent judge of such matters, told me was the finest thing in 
the garden. I wish the design could be given; but as that cannot 
well be done accurately, I must try to describe it thus :—A 
circular centre-bed was surrounded at an equal distance by eight 
other beds, four of these being alike in shape and size, and the 
others also like, though different from the first. These eight 
beds of the inner ring were surrounded by eight more beds on the 
outer ring. These last were simple in form, being, in fact, a ring 
or zone, cut into eight parts by strips of gras3 four feet or more 
wide, and turf of the same width or more separated the other 
beds from each other. The planting of this group was as 
follows:— 
No. 1. The central bed of all had a pillar Geranium, Giant, 
ten feet high (a noble plant), surrounded by Heliotrope and 
j White Petunia. 
No. 2 , 2, 2, 2, Four beds not adjoining each other in the inner 
ring described above, planted with Scarlet Geranium, with an 
edging of Cmeraria maritima. A standard or pillar Fuchsia was 
in the centre of each, standing clear above the Geraniums. 
No. 3, 3, 3, 3. Four beds intervening with 2, 2, 2, 2, all 
planted with yellow Calceolaria, edged with Verbena Purple 
King. The standard plant, I believe, was Rollison’s Unique 
Geranium. 
The above comprises the central and eight surrounding beds. 
We now come to the circumferential ones, which were planted in 
pairs—beds opposite each other being alike, but, in so far as 
colour was concerned, they were in fours, the same as the inner 
series. As will be seen, 4, 4, and 5, 5, forming the alternate beds 
in the ring, were all purple; while 6, 6, and 7, 7, the interven¬ 
ing ones, were rose or rosy crimson. The planting was thus :— 
No. 4, 4. Two beds opposite each other, Purple Nosegay 
Geranium edged with Golden Chain, and having a tall pyramid 
Geranium in the centre. 
No. 5, 5. Similar to the last. Purple Petunia edged with 
CEnothera prostrata. Scarlet Geranium in the centre as in the 
other. 
No. 6, 6. Two beds Geranium Rubens, edged with Geranium 
Flower of the Day. Pillar Scarlet Geranium in the*centre. 
No. 7, 7. Two beds Geranium Cerise Unique, edged with 
Mangles’ Variegated Geranium, having, like all the beds in this 
series, a Scarlet Geranium in the centre. 
The appearance of this group was very fine; the central plants 
standing clear above everything broke the tameness which a flat 
surface produces, and the whole was much admired. 
Another group of beds arranged to a geometric pattern adorned 
another part of the grounds and looked well. But enough has been 
given to convey a general idea of the mode in which these gardens 
are managed ; but I cannot close this aecount without noticing 
the fine ribbon-border which bounds the flower garden on the 
north side, adjoining the kitchen garden, and which is, perhaps, 
the most telling thing of all. I have before stated that the south 
wall of the kitchen garden faces the grounds and the ribbon- 
border here mentioned runs parallel with it. The wall itself is 
covered with Tea and other Roses, as well as several half-hardy, 
New Holland, and other plants, and a space of about two or 
three feet is devoted to the growth and management of them. 
The remainder of the border is planted as a one-sdied ribbon- 
border as a lean-to, facing the walk which runs parallel with the 
wall. Another ribbon-border on the span-roofed principle 
is on the other side, and faces both ways. Besides this there 
are some ornamental iron-work arches slightly covered with 
creepers, thrown over this walk and uniting with the w r all; and 
along the centre of the outer ribbon-border (just on the ridge), 
iron pillars are placed at stated intervals; the tops of these are 
connected with chains as festoons, and creepers of various kinds 
are trained to them, one of the most useful being Tro paeolum 
pentaphyllum. But several other borders are introduced. These 
borders are of great length, and being closely planted must 
take a great number of plants. The planting oi the border next 
the wall was thus :— 
First row nearest the wall, Geranium Cerise Unique. 
Second row, Ageratum mexicanum. 
Third row, Calceolaria, yellow. 
Fourth row, Verbena Purple King. 
Fifth row, Geranium Brilliant. 
Sixth row, Lobelia speciosa and Cineraria ameloides, the latter 
intended to be taken out after first blooming. 
Seventh row, Golden Chain Geranium next the walk. 
This looked very well, and the plants were all the proper 
height, excepting that Geranium Cerise Unique vras not higher’ 
than the Ageratum. This, perhaps, was quite as well, as the 
space next the wall would not have worked in so well. 
The border on the other side was the same as the abore, 
