THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, May 5, 1857, 
G7 
ceratocaulon ; Dianthus, Indian Pink; Picotees and Carna¬ 
tions if sown early; Eschsckoltzia tenuifolia; Helichrysura 
of sorts ; Ipomieas or Convolvulus; Lupinus mutabilis, &c.; 
Lobelia as under section 3; Myosotis Azoricus; Nolana 
atriplicifolia; Pentstemons; Petunias; Phlox Drummondi; 
Salpiglossis ; Saponaria Calabrica; Sanvitalia procumbens ; 
Sedunis; Stocks; Tagetes lucida, patula, and erecta (the 
last two French and African Marigolds); Tropfeolum pere- 
grinum, tricolor, and Hookerianum ; Verbenas; Zinnias of 
the elegans group. 
We saw last year some well-stocked balconies and small 
flower gardens supplied chiefly with plants as in the last two 
sections, raised entirely in windows, sown mostly in the first 
week of April, and either covered with glass or thin bleached 
calico ; and as soon as they were fairly up, and before they 
became elongated and tender by the heat of the room, they 
were first moved to a colder room, and then were set close 
to the wall out of doors, and protected for some time at first 
with a sheet of calico stretched on a frame. As pretty, stubby, 
shrubby Balsams as I ever looked on were sown in a window, 
pricked out and potted off in a window, and, after having the 
benefit of the inside until June, were turned out on the 
balcony as a speaking rebuke to many of the weak, lanky 
things that frequently grace the shelves of a greenhouse. 
R. Fish. 
(To be continued .) 
FLORISTS’ FLOWERS. 
(Continued from page 51.) 
THE VERBENA. 
I now proceed with my lists of new and old varieties. 
Those marked with an asterisk are the best for pot 
culture. I have not so marked any of the new sorts 
except Scarlet Gem , because as yet their fitness for such 
a purpose has not been ascertained sufficiently correctly. 
TWELVE NEW VERBENAS. 
1. Attraction (Edmonds). — Bright ruby crimson, 
with large lemon eye, fine truss, and good habit. 
2. Crimson King (Edmonds).—Deep glowing crimson; 
bright lemon eye; said to be an excellent bedding 
variety. 
3. Celestial (Edmonds).—Pale rose, with a very large 
truss. Makes a good change on a stand of cut flowers. 
4. Emperor (Bouchariat). — A coutinental variety, 
with bright crimson flowers, deep violet centre, and a 
large truss. 
5. Evening Star (Edmonds).—Bright carmine, with 
a clear, distinct yellow eye; likely to be a good bedder, 
it blooms so freely. 
6. Gloire de Saint Etienne (Chauviere).—Raised in 
France. Orange scarlet, with a pure, large white centre; 
a distinct and striking variety. 
7. Prince of Wales (Edmonds).—Bright ruby crim¬ 
son, shaded, and a large lemon-coloured eye; habit 
excellent; a fine variety. 
8. Prince of Oude (Edmonds).—Dark purple, with 
white centre; good habit and form, and a large truss; 
distinct and fine. 
9. Rosy Gem (Edmonds).—Brilliant deep rose; a 
great acquisition in that colour; will no doubt prove a 
good bedder. 
10. ^Scarlet Gem (Weatherill).—Intense orange scarlet, 
with crimson eye; well-formed blooms; a good truss and 
habit. 
11. Sir Joseph Paxton (Edmonds). — Light rosy 
crimson, with large lemon eye; good form and habit; 
a fine variety. 
12. Sims Reeves (Edmonds).—Rich crimson purple, 
with a large, bold white eye; good form; distinct and 
fine. 
SEVENTEEN OLDER VARIETIES. 
1. Admiral (Thomson).—Crimson scarlet, with a good 
truss. 
2. *Amandine (Luther).—Blush white, with crimson 
eye; distinct. 
3. ^General Simpson (Todman).—Soft carmine; new 
colour; distinct and fine. 
4. *Geant des Batailles. —Deep crimson; dark centre; 
extra fine. Raiser’s name unknown. 
5. *Gloire de France (Chauviere).—Salmon pink ; a 
distinct and novel colour; form excellent. 
6. Jacquinita. —Rich maroon, with white eye; good 
form and large truss; extra fine. 
.7. King of Roses (Weatherill).—Mottled rose; fine 
truss and good form. Useful for pot purposes. Distinct 
and fine. 
8. *Le Gondolier. —Soft rosy carmine; a distinct 
delicate colour; large truss and good form. 
9. * Loveliness (Edmonds).—Bright rosy pink; large 
truss; dwarf, close habit. Very valuable for bedding. 
10. * Madame Plantamour (Bouchariat).—Pale rose ; 
dark eye, good form, and large truss. Excellent for either 
pot or bedding purposes. 
11. *Mrs. Halford. — Large waxy-white truss; will 
supersede all other whites when better known. 
12. Miss Trotter. —Brilliant scarlet, dwarf habit, and 
most prodigious bloomer, continuing very late in the 
autumn. When more common it will be in universal 
demand. 
13. -Noel. —Bright scarlet; dark edge ; fine. 
14. Purple King (Reeves). — A well-known, good, 
purple, dwarf variety. 
15. Preeminent (Edmonds).—Glowing rosy scarlet, 
with white eye encircled with crimson; very good. 
16. * Standard Bearer (Edmonds).—Rich blue purple; 
large white centre; good. 
17. Victory (Edmonds). — Bright rosy lilac; large 
white eye; very distinct, and most excellent. 
T. Appleby. 
A MILD SPRING NOT WITHOUT ITS EVILS. 
Amongst the benefits which a mild, open spring confers 
upon us there are many drawbacks. On the other hand, 
a cold, severe spring is not altogether devoid of something 
beneficial to one class of vegetation or another. The 
nature or well-being of plants in England requires a 
certain amount of cold, frosty weather in winter, in 
order to maintain that balance which is so necessary for 
the welfare of what is most useful. For instance, let us 
take a glance at the results of the present season, which 
is a fair example of a mild spring. It is scarcely necessary 
to say that winter set in rather early with us. A sharp 
frost set in the last day of November, and by the 4th of 
December ice was nearly three inches thick. Milder 
weather followed, carrying us through to the last week 
in January, when a few more days’ frost presented us 
with ice about the same thickness as the first. A slight 
sprinkling of snow accompanied each of these frosts, 
and some rain during December and January, but no 
heavy floods. February set in mild and dry, so much 
so that the dust was often blowing on exposed places on 
the roads, and the whole rain that fell during the month 
was about a quarter of an inch. March was much the 
same, with, however, more rain, especially in the last 
week, which swelled the quantity that fell to upwards of 
one inch ; but the frosts were few, and not at all severe, 
and the hazy showers and mild atmosphere we have had 
in April up to the present time, the 6th, have been 
more of the kind we look and wish for in May. Never¬ 
theless, with all these advantages, vegetation has made 
little progress, and is little further advanced at the 
present time than is usual, while there has been great 
difficulty in getting small seedling plants saved from 
the many enemies they have had to encounter. Even 
plants of a robust growth have fallen a victim to the 
