2 THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, October 5. 1858. 
section and perpendicular, which some people do not 
know the meaning of, let me compare a group,—say, 
if this group of beds be stretched but on the grass at 
full length, the section corresponds with a man’s loins, 
and the perpendicular to his backbone or spine. Now, 
the only fault which can be said to exist in this group 
is, that the spine is a little too strong for the loins of a 
healthy, full-grown man. The spine is made so by 
two beds of Cerise Unique Geranium, which fall into 
the perpendicular line, not far from the centre. The 
Cerise, at a short distance, is as powerful a colour as 
Scarlet itself, and these two beds seem to attract the 
eye, in its effort to take in the four corners. Therefore, 
I would change them, and place one of them on each 
side of the ioins, or cross section, where Mangles’ 
Variegated is, and put something more neutral in their 
place ; then, by reducing the over-strength of the 
spine, and adding that to the strength of the loins, 
you could not see a more healthy-looking man than 
the group would make. The frame, or skeleton, 
would be complete on a natural science principle, and 
its dress could be changed afterwards according to 
fashion. 
As thousands of our readers go to Kew, I may say 
that the best place to “read off” the beds of either 
end group is from the gravel terrace, in front of the 
large conservatory, and opposite the centre of the end 
figure or group,—that is, opposite the loins of the 
figure, and a little above and away from it. One can 
no more judge rightly of a flower garden from passing 
through it than judge a picture from putting the nose 
close to the painting. 
Across each end of this terrace are two flower-beds, 
which have no connection with the groups. They are 
thus planted,—four or five rows Scarlet Geranium in 
the centre, a good row of Flower of the Fay all round, 
and an edging of Lobelia speoiosa round that,—a very 
rich bed. From the terrace to the regular promenade 
arrangement, down the centre walk, from the lake to 
the old conservatory, the beds are promenade side¬ 
ways, and consist of two groups of three beads on each 
side, two circles of six feet across, and one oblong, 
twenty or twenty-four feet long, coining in between 
them, and of t he same width across ; and the like three 
beds on the opposite side of the walk form a group. 
Then the four circles of this kind of group are always 
planted alike, and the two oblongs also alike, with 
something different from what is in the circles,—and 
that is promenade planting. 
At the bottom of the centre part of the grand terrace 
at the Crystal Palace this is the arrangement, but 
there is room for only one row of beds. At Kew, all 
their promenade beds come in matches, which is the 
best way. The first four circles, on leaving the 
terrace, are planted with Ferilla Nankinensis, with 
Purple King Verbena round it, and Charles Pickens 
Verbena for an edging. This is their first attempt at 
shading. The two oblong beds of the group are of 
Countess of Ellesmere Petunia, edged with variegated 
Mint and Mangles' Variegated Geranium, “ half-and- 
half,”—one of the very best of edgings when kept well, 
as all their beds and edgings are kept here. The next 
four circles are of one kind of excellent blush Verbena, 
with a lilac eye, called Hippodamie. It is seen here 
every season, and is the only one I asked for the Ex¬ 
perimental. The two oblongs were of Calceolaria am- 
plexicaulis, edged with blue Ageratum, trained down. 
We are now looking down from the top of the grand 
promenade, through the centre of Kew Gardens, the 
lake, with a fountain in the middle, immediately 
behind us. The place is a large circle of gravel, with 
a green circle of grass in the centre, which grass is, 
perhaps, thirty feet across, more or less. This plain, 
flat grass circle, at the top of a grand leading walk 
across the garden, is the meanest conception I ever 
knew of in a garden plan of much merit. Sooner than 
leave it as it is, I would put away the grass circle, and 
leave the whole in gravel, which would be the smallest 
step in the right direction. This large circle of very 
moderate gravel, to induce company to go round a 
little piece of excellent grass, instead of walking right 
across it, is simply a preposterous make-believe; but 
it gives an occasion to make four long, oblong beds 
round it, and these four beds are just now, or rather 
were just then, the very best flower-beds in all Eng¬ 
land. The four were of Punch Geranium, edged with 
Mint and Mangles’, “ half-and-half.” 
Now, down the grand promenade, the first four 
circles, two on each side, and the oblong between each 
two, are of Cuphea strigillosa, or ignea, which they say 
is the lawful name : these are edged with Cerastium 
tomentosum, as at the Crystal Palace. The two oblongs 
—Calceolaria amplexicaiilis, edged with a double row 
of Cerise Unique —are very good, as both kinds do 
capitally well here. In the next group, four Conifers 
take the place of the four circular beds, the two 
oblongs being the two best flower-beds I ever saw,— 
say, three or four rows of Flower of the Fay in the 
centre, one row of Brillante Geranium round it, and 
fourteen inches of Purple King Verbena for an edg¬ 
ing. Next group was four circles of a new double, 
white Petunia,—all a dead failure,—but I have a grand 
story to tell about double Petunias. These were edged 
with Geant des Batailles Verbena, the two oblongs 
being blue Ageratum, with the variegated Ageratum 
next to it, and all edged with Cerastium. Next group, 
four Conifers, and two oblongs in standard Poses and 
Mignonette;—nothing suits better than Poses and 
Mignonette in this kind of arrangement, and I hope 
they will never mix another kind of flower with their 
Poses in that part of the garden. Next group, four 
circles CEnotliera sparsiflorum for CE. Prummondii, 
edged with Fefiance Verbena, or one like it; the two 
oblongs, Tom Thumb Geranium, edged with variegated 
Mint and Pink Ivy-leaf Geranium, mixed, and doing 
capitally. Next, four Conifers, and the two oblongs 
of Shrubland Bose Petunia, edged with Andre Ver¬ 
bena,, —rather too much of a tint to be copied. The 
next, four circles of Lord Baglan Verbena, edged 
with the aforesaid blush Hippodamie, —very good ; 
the obiongs of Calceolaria amplexicaulis, and double 
row of Cerise Unique again ;—altogether this is a 
splendid group. It is succeeded by two circles of 
Kniphofia ( nifofia ) uvaria, the ancient and original 
name for Tritoma uvaria, edged with blue Campanula 
Carpatica. The best edging for all the Tritomas is 
Tritonia aurea, planted three rows thick, the roots not 
more than three inches apart every way. They are 
hardy enough at Kew to stand any winter with a little 
covering of cinder ashes, tan, or cocoa-nut refuse,—the 
best thing in the world to put round cold frames and 
over half-hardy things, and also ten times better than 
tan to plunge pots in, for cold pits, or for bottom-heat 
from pipes ; and, sifted, it is ecpial to Pcigate-sand for 
cuttings to root in, and better than leaf mould when 
rooted,—that is, before it rots, which it takes a long 
time to do. 
This brings us down to the centre of the promenade, 
where two walks cross the main walk at a short 
distance. The next half begins with two circles of the 
same Kniphofia, and the colours in all the groups is 
a duplicate of the other half, the only difference being 
in having Geraniums— Jackson’s Variegated, the old 
Pink Nosegay, and Patrick's Seedling Nosegay, which 
is here called Afrosanguinea —all in different ways, 
and edged with Perilla Nankinensis. Also, two circles 
of Flower of the Fay, with Perilla edging ; and two 
more of it, edged with Nierembergia gracilis. 
In another part of the grounds, Heliotrope mixed 
with Hamlet Verbena did well. A large bed of the 
