310 THE COTTAGE 
GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN'S COMPANION, August IS, 1857. 
There is not a continuous 
chain 
pieces 
plants used in these chains. - 
all round one of the sunk panels ; there are four 
of the chain in each panel, one to each side, and 
where the ends meet at the corners there is a large 
circular bed of Rhododendrons placed there to break 
the line; but these Rhododendron beds ought to have 
been of a blunt triangular shape to be in accordance 
with the rules on which the gardens are planned, lhat 
shape would be very objectionable, and no doubt it is 
best as it is. Both sides of the question must have 
been well considered before a decision was made. 
Where the chain ends and begins at one of these 
Rhododendron beds the end bed is nearly heart-shaped. 
The centre of this bed is planted with Calceolarias, with 
a row of Torn Thumb round the yellow, and a row of 
Mangles round the outside. Mangles keeps the outside 
all the way to the end of the chain, and the narrow 
bands which connect the beds are filled with it. 
After the first bed the next two beds are circles, and 
after them an oblong bed, and so on to the end bed, which 
is as the first bed. All the circles are filled with Tom 
Thumb and edged with Mangles Variegated, and all the 
oblong beds are planted like the heart bed at the end. 
Now, the only way this can be improved on would be to 
have the scarlet in the circles of a different tint from 
the scarlet round the yellow in the oblong and end beds. 
Many people would not admit this to be an improve¬ 
ment; but one of the greatest secrets in flower 
gardening is to get as many shades or tints of a colour 
as possible without opposing the principal colour as it 
were. Suppose, for instance, ten scarlet beds along the 
side of a walk, and ten beds of yellow or of white to 
mix with them alternately along the line—would it be 
better to use two plants only for the twenty beds, or 
twenty kinds of plants, and one kind only in a bed? 
The simplest way would be to use two kinds of plants 
only—Calceolaria for yellow, or Verbena for white, and 
Tom Thumb for scarlet. 
If I could find ten kinds of scarlet Geraniums which 
had the same style of growth as Tom Thumb, but with a 
slight variation of tint in the flowers, I would plant the 
row, and, though a stranger to my plan could not see 
any difference from Tom Thumb in all the beds, the dif¬ 
ference in the shades of scarlet, as he walked in front of 
them, could not but strike his eye, supposing his eye 
could see colours; then by placing each two of the shades 
next each other which came the nearest to one shade 
the deception would be perfect. But the effect on a 
good eye would be the highest which could be produced 
by scarlet, and I allow that the chain might be a little 
improved by using the New Trentham Scarlet either 
round the yellow or by itself in the circular beds. 
Whichever of the variegated Geraniums has the most 
silvery looks would be the best where Mangles Variegated 
is now, but it is very good as it is. Compactum , Com¬ 
mander- in-Chief, Cerise Unique, and Cottage Maid, which 
is next to Compactum in colour and style, are what they 
► use for the corners of the end panels, and the banks in 
front of the wings are planted really in good taste this 
season. The line next the wings is straight, and is 
filled with Rhododendrons, and that next the walk is 
like a section of a number of archways. The curved 
lines of the arches are planted with silver variegated 
Hollies, and edged with purple Verbenas. The spaces 
between the Rhododendrons and Holly are not wide, 
and they are planted with scarlet Geraniums chiefly; 
and at all the points from which two arches spring a 
drop hangs down as it were, and that drop is a bed of 
the Flower of the Day, and is exceedingly pretty. The 
circular beds between the Rhododendron beds along 
each end of the terrace walk are planted with different 
kinds of Verbenas, and a Fuchsia Dominiana in the cen¬ 
tre ; also a bed of Brilliant Geranium with an edging 
of Lady Plymouth, which is very good. 
In the centre part of the terrace the circular beds 
have been planted alternately with standard Rhodo¬ 
dendrons and the Parasol Acacia, Robinia umbracu- 
lifera. This is a leaf out of the Experimental Garden, 
and they are now the same as our pincushion beds, 
with the exception of the burnt-brick edgings. One 
great advantage of the promenade system is that all the 
circles may be planted with some standard plant, as a 
Rose, Rhododendron, and what not, without spoiling 
the effect of the planting. Everybody admires the plan 
with us, and the rest of the world may see it at Syden¬ 
ham. They use immense quantities of the Shrubland 
Rose Petunia, and they proved Marquis de la Ferte and 
Countess of Ellesmere, two seedlings from the Shrubland 
Rose, to be only third-rate to the parent. I proved 
the same thing in the Experimental, but I would never 
say a word about it, as the parent was my own model 
for a bed. 
Their pincushion beds are all planted this year with 
Calceolaria amplexicaulis, pegged down, and edged with 
Lobelia ramosoides, and the oblong beds between them 
with Tom Thumb. There are eleven pincushion beds and 
ten oblong beds on each side of the walk which cuts the 
terrace in the centre. The circular beds round the pedestals 
and vases are also of Tom Thumbs, four rows in each 
bed, and a most appropriate edging of Gerastium tomen- 
tosum. They did not bring this edging to perfection till 
this season ; but it is one of the most useful edging 
plants in the world for small gardens, as it requires no 
more room than Lobelia ramosoides, strikes as easily as 
any plant we know, and is as hardy as a common Daisy. 
It is best from autumn cuttings every year 
and the 
nurseries ought to 
get 
hold of the thousands of old 
plants of it which the Crystal Palace gardeners will have 
to throw away this and every season ol their lives. Just 
offer them 500 plants of Baron Hugel or Harkaway 
for 1,500 plants of their yearling Cerastium, or twenty 
Diadematums for 100, or twenty-five Touchstones for 
ditto. ^ ' 
Lady Mary Fox is the only bedder they have of that 
class, and, as her ladyship does so well on the south side 
of the Rose mount, we may conclude there are at least 
twenty kinds of different Geraniums which would answer 
equally well there in separate beds. 
The tall Dahlias are not trained down this season, and 
there are Hollyhocks in the centre of the Dahlia beds. 
The beds for the great Deodars are edged with Stocks 
and China Asters. There is a very good collection in 
the beds along the six walks which wind up the Rose 
mount, a new kind of Tropceolum of the Lobbianum 
breed being the best. It is called elegans, and is the best 
bed at the Crystal Palace, a light orange tint. The angle 
beds here are particularly good. The first is of Cerise 
Unique, edged with King of Purples. The second is of 
the largest purple Petunia that ever was seen. It is called 
Magna coccinea, but we have it in the Experimental 
under the name Magnificent. It is edged with Mangles' 
Variegated, and makes a splendid bed. The third is 
yellow Calceolaria, edged with Lobelia ramosoides. The 
fourth is pink Nosegay Geranium, surrounded by Lucia 
rosea, and edged with white Ivy-leaf Geraniums. The 
fifth is Calceolaria, edged with Tom Thumb; and the 
sixth is Tom Thumb, edged with the Variegated Alyssum. 
All the rest of the beds round the Rose mount are in 
circles and in pairs, and every pair is planted this 
season in contrast, which will please nine out of ten 
better than any plan, and will also dreadfully offend 
the eyes of some few persons. But I shall have more 
room for this subject when I see Kew and Hampton 
Court, and perhaps the garden of the Horticultural 
Society. 
Too much of a good thing is the only fault at the 
Crystal Palace this season. There are miles of the edges 
and ins and outs in the shrubberies, clumps, and planta- 
