3G6 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, September 20, 1859. 
The next four are in contrast, the Purple Zelinda 
Dahlia, a row of Asters, and an edging of Calceolarias. 
Many other beds and groups are in different parts of the 
ground, some for experiments to try the effect of different 
arrangements, and some to “ stand for good.” One 
circle on the grass near the houses has a fine Humea in 
the centre, then Balsams, Tom Thumbs, and an edging of 
variegated Alyssum. The one half of the ground for the 
botany of British plants is occupied with a large mass of 
Hollyhocks and Dahlias, the other half being devoted to 
medicinal plants—an excellent arrangement; as, if ever 
a British botanist should call to see his native plants, and 
get sick at the idea of florists’ flowers, there are the 
medicine plants right at hand to put him all right again. 
Mrs. Vernon is a favourite nosegay Geranium here for 
the first time this season, both in beds and vases ; and 
they have discovered that it should never stand alone, as, 
unless a bright scarlet is in front of it, the true, tint of 
light purple is lost by itself. At a short distance it gives 
a lateritia red-brick tint. Beds of Pentstemons, Calceo¬ 
laria amplexicaulis, and Skrubland Pose Petunia, mixed 
and edged with white, must look just the thing for bye- 
places, and many kinds of such mixtures are seen about, 
and will be useful to visitors who are looking out for 
divers mixtures to introduce among their own odds and 
ends at home ; but such mixture will not do in regular 
arrangements of colours. One other good mixture was a 
large bush Fuchsia in the centre of a circle, then a row 
of Perilla, then Mrs. Vernon , and round it a band of 
Matricaria grandiflora, the large double white Feverfew¬ 
like plant. ' The experiment to see Countess of Ellesmere 
Petunia and Shrubland Pose in one bed is most complete 
in favour of the latter. China Asters, French and African 
Marigolds, and all cottage-garden flowers, are grouped in 
beds with as much attention to effect as if they were the 
best flowers in the land, showing unmistakeably the 
desire of ‘the authorities here to humour, instruct, and 
amuse, and teach the very humblest of the thousands of 
their visitors, which is one of the secrets why Kew is so 
popular with the Londoners. 
One peculiar bed, for experiment, has Calceolaria 
amplexicaulis down the centre, then sixteen inches deep 
of Perilla round it, and fourteen inches deep of low white 
edging-—a good hit. Titian, a dwarf yellow Dahlia, and 
Alba floribunda, are the two best bedding Dahlias here 
after Zelinda; and there is a good assortment of the new 
Phloxes, and a great number of good border herbaceous 
plants, Coreopsises, Budbeekias, and Pentstemons, being 
the principal kinds then in bloom. The old Moricandia 
arvensis, which was my best winter plant to cut flowers 
from in 1830, was also in bloom,—a mere lilac-weed of 
the Crucifers, but it blooms all the year round, and blooms 
in winter in the glasses on the mantelpiece, just as. well 
as in Kew Gardens in summer. Gaura Lendhemeri was 
here also a fine border-mass plant. Spergula pilifera, tire 
new Grass for lawns. A great botanical batch of it in the 
lightest black sandy soil. Immense tufts of Tritoma 
uvaria, with from twenty to seventy spikes of bloom ; so 
many spikes to be cut out, as their beauty was over, and 
double so many more young ones rising, up, to take up 
and carry on the attention and admiration of visitors. 
Scores of large old specimen Geraniums planted out in 
single masses on the grass and margins of frequented 
bye-ways, and in conspicuous places. Fuchsias the same, 
and, in short, all the auxiliaries that one expects to find 
in a Duchess’s flower garden, may be seen here without 
stint. 
The way they winter the great old Geraniums is to 
take off all the leaves, pack as many of them in large pots 
as they can cram the roots into, kept them all but dry 
when they have light and no frost. The Hesperean 
Rhubarb plant, called Gunnera scabra, is now most 
flourishing in the open ground, and showing four 
hairy, purple, large heads, three of which are in bloom, 
and the other coming. One of our very best plants to 
place near an old ruin. It is like a Rhubarb before the 
flood, and blooms like a Zamia. D. Beaton. 
SIMPLE HINTS ON PROPAGATING BEDDING 
PLANTS. 
{Continued from page 352.) 
Double Groundsel. —Many persons admire this very much; 
hut it is best—whether purple or deep crimson—for small beds, 
or for edgings to large beds. In a large bed it is next to im¬ 
possible to cut or trim it, and, consequently, unless in peculiar 
seasons, its beauty is apt to depart in an early part of the autumn 
—when cut and trimmed it will last all the season. Cuttings of 
firm little side-shoots, taken off from July to the end of August, 
will root nicely under a hand-light or frame kept close, shaded in 
sunshine, and with air given at night. The easiest plan is to 
keep a plant or two in March and April, to stop it frequently to 
prevent it flowering, and to prevent rampant growth by under 
potting and under watering. Such a plant will furnish plenty of 
firm stubby little shoots that make beautiful cuttings in summer; 
and these, placed under a hand-light, will strike with but little 
attention; and, if kept rather stunted, will make fine hardy plants 
for passing through the winter; and in spring may be easily 
multiplied to any extent wherever there is a hotbed. 
Anagallises are best treated in much the same way. If 
cuttings are taken in July, August, and September, little firm 
side pieces, about an inch or so in length, are the best cuttings. 
A frame or hand-light will be necessary in the two first months 
mentioned ; but if the middle of September should arrive before 
the cuttings are put in, a slight bottom heat would be advisable. 
Every kind of bedding plant, however, keeps better in winter 
if it never have mot with any coddling that can be spared hi 
rearing them. The best plan is to pot a few plants in May ; 
instead of planting them out, nip and stop them all the summer, 
to prevent them flowering, and give but little pot-room or water¬ 
ing for encouraging growth ; and such plants will furnish a store¬ 
house for securing any amount of cuttings in the spring as soon 
as a Cucumber or any other bed is at work. For beds, unless 
very small ones, I do not consider these suitable, as they open 
and shut so much with the sun ; but for dangling over a vase or 
rustic basket, in places where hurricanes of wind cannot reach 
them, few' things look more beautiful. Planted close to the 
edges of such receptacles, or plunged in small pots, they bloom 
with a profuseness rarely witnessed in beds, however treated and 
managed in them. 
Lobelias. —All the best low-growing kinds should be treated 
in the same way. The finest blue we have met with for small 
bed or edging is the new speciosa. If cuttings are still wanted, 
discard the flowering shoots, and select short little bits about an 
inch in length. If these are not to be got, a few plants must be 
deprived of all the flower-shoots, and these short shoots will 
then soon appear, and may be taken off; or the plant taken up 
carefully, and placed in light sandy soil, rather under-potted, and 
s* kept over the winter for getting cuttings in spring, when each 
little bit, if placed in a slight hotbed, will strike like Couch-grass, 
and make fine young plants for putting out. By either of these 
modes I have had little difficulty with this and other kinds. 
But where there is not much convenience it is the best plan to 
keep a few plants in pots over the summer, cut them over to 
prevent them blooming, and there will be no difficulty in having 
a thicket of close, short, green shoots that, in the matter of 
cuttings, will say to you in spring, “ Cut and come again.” Con¬ 
trary to general expectation, this new speciosa seeds, and the 
seedlings come true to the variety, unless other varieties—such 
as the old speciosa and others—are growing near it. Those who 
use this beautiful kind only may depend on having plenty next 
season if they save a dozen or two of seed-pods, and sow the seeds 
in a slight hotbed, as frequently advised for small seeds in March 
or April. Much as it is desirable for the above purpose, it is 
not equal to the old speciosa for hanging round a vase or basket. 
In such positions we have had a dense fringe of light blue hang¬ 
ing down for two feet, and requiring but little care. By some 
means we lost a fine variety of Lobelia begonifolia —a most ex¬ 
cellent plant for this dangling system. Frequently we have had 
it from thirty to thirty-six inches long, a fine mass of light blue. 
I have not met with it for years, but for such purposes nothing 
could look more lovely. All the Lobelias, Anagallises, and 
Groundsel require to be kept close, and shaded from bright sun- 
