646 
June 11,183-2. 
[HE GARDENING WORLD. 
THE HERBACEOUS BORDER, 
Choice Plants in Flower. 
Sfir.-ea i-almata.—So easily is this grown in any 
good garden soil, that no collection of any importance 
whatever can afford to be without it. The flowers are 
small, similar in fact to those of our native Meadow 
Sweet, but of a warm rose colour and produced in 
more spreading and more graceful cymes. The specific 
name refers to the terminal lobe of the leaf, which is 
larger than in other Spiraeas of the same type and 
deeply lobed in a palmate manner; the other 
divisions or leaflets are relatively very small. It 
may be planted in the ordinary border or on the 
banks of streams and ponds into which its roots can 
dip, or at all events obtain a plentiful supply of 
moisture. 
Aquilegia c.erulea. —The flowers of this Rocky 
Mountain Columbine are of large size, and blue and 
white, both colours gradually merging into one 
another. The long, diverging spurs are slender, 
pale in colour, and tipped with green. In most 
respects except colour, this species closely resembles 
A. chrysantha, and if other evidence is required to 
show that the two are closely allied, it isfoundin the 
difficulty in keeping them separate if both grown in 
the same garden and raised from seeds. 
Trollius europjeus.— For garden purposes there 
is no finer Trollius or globe flower than the European 
species and some of its forms. When seen in a wild 
state, and in competition with the weeds of its native 
habitats, the stems are dwarf and the flow-ers small ; 
but the same plants placed under favourable condi¬ 
tions as to growth, produce large, globular flowers 
of a uniform clear yellow and very handsome. There 
is no difficulty in growing it in any moderately good 
garden soil. 
Papaver orient-ale. — Under this are included 
some wild as well as some garden forms of great 
value for garden decoration on account of the great 
size and conspicuous character of the blooms. The 
petals are of an intense crimson red bordering upon 
scarlet with a black blotch at the base; but there 
are garden forms with orange and rosy pink flowers 
that are very distinct. A large plant here and there 
in the border is very effective, and being hardy and 
perennial there is no trouble in growing them. 
P.eonia officinalis flore PLKNo. — Although 
this may be considered old-fashioned, it still 
remains one of the most highly ornamental of the 
double Paeonies. The flowers are large, of a deep 
crimson-red, and the petals are flat and arranged 
with great regularity, a statement that cannot be 
■made with respect to some of the double forms of P. 
.albiflora now so much in vogue, and of which the 
garden forms are very extensive. A cool, moderately 
retentive soil is all that this kind requires, and if 
enriched with manure once a year the clumps soon 
attain considerable size, and look grand . when 
flowering during the months of May and June. 
Heuchera sanguinea. — Since the comparatively 
recent introduction of this plant, it has proved very 
serviceable in various ways, both for pot culture and 
outdoor work. With a little forcing it may be had 
in bloom early in spring, when it is highly ornamental 
either for the greenhouse or conservatory, as well as 
for the hardy plant house proper. The suborbicular, 
slightly lobed, deep green leaves are mostly confined 
to the base of the plant, while the flowers are borne 
well above the foliage. Though the individual 
blooms are small, their numbers and bright red 
colour make this a favourite with til who see it. 
The plant is perfectly hardy and easily propagated 
by division. 
Iris florentina.— All whoare acquainted with the 
broad-leaved type of Irises know how- useful this is for 
making an early display ; for it is in bloom about ten 
days before the German Flag may be said to be in full 
flower. Both the falls and the standards are broad 
and of a pleasing porcelain hue, or wffiite tinted with 
a delicate shade of blue. The fragrance of the 
flowers is an additional recommendation. Rich and 
friable, moderately moist soil is most congenial to its 
welfare. 
Anemone dichotoma.— The flowers of this species 
are somewhat similar to those of the Snowdrop 
Windflower (A. sylvestris), but not so large. The 
flowering stems are however numerous, and the 
involucral leaves are large and well developed, giving 
the plant a bushy appearance. The habit may also 
be compared to that of the Japan Anemone in this 
respect, but the flowers are smaller, and the flowering 
period of the two plants entirely different. That 
under notice is hardy and by no means difficult to 
cultivate. 
HERBACEOUS PLANTS 
AT HAMPTON COURT. 
Within recent years a collection of herbaceous plants 
has been got together in the grounds of the Palace, 
and stress has been laid upon those things which are 
productive of certain effects at different times of the 
year. Those are grown in quantity as edgings 
single or double, but generally forming broad bands 
to the large beds. Most of those, however, are late 
flowering subjects and come into bloom when the 
bedding subjects are at their best, or even late in the 
season, when herbaceous plants get a fairer share of 
attention and the cold nights and shortening days 
are telling upon the more tender subjects in the beds. 
Spring and early summer flowering plants are 
noticeable at present when the beds although mostlv 
filled with their respective subjects do not as yet 
attract much attention. Paeoni s, mostly varieties of 
Paeonia officinalis, are now out of flower, and 
Irises constitute the most telling feature on account 
of their size and showiness. The bulk consists of 
I. germanica and its allies, but no care whatever has 
been exercised in the selection of the finer varieties 
which are now common in cultivation. There are 
too many clumps of I. squalens, the colours of which 
are rather dingy, whereas many of the varieties of 
I. germanica and I. pallida would be more attractive 
and certainly present a more refined appearance. 
The dwarf and pleasing I. virginica has not however 
been neglected ; but its beautifully variegated variety- 
I. v. versicolor might well be included in the list. 
The quaint and beautiful flowers of I. sibirica are 
produced in bunches on tall stems emerging from 
amongst grassy foliage. 
Columbines are scattered about the borders and 
beds in a great variety of colours, red, white, and 
blue, single and double. The rosy flowers of 
Geranium cristatum are produced in great quantity- 
on procumbent stems ; and here and there, clumps 
of Veronica rupestris are a mass of lively blue flowers 
and contrast strongly with those of the pale V. 
gentianoides, one of the oldest and most widely- 
spread of cottage garden flowers. The golden-leaved 
Marjoram (Origanum vulgare aureum) never looks 
better than in June, when its young leaves assume 
their best tints of golden-yellow ; later in the season 
when the flower stems make their appearance the 
foliage becomes greener. The double Pyrethrums 
will soon be at their best, and hardly any- other class 
of plants is more effective for garden decoration 
during the month of June. Tradescantia virginica 
with its deep blue flowers, Euphorbia Cyparissias, 
and Asperula odorata are other old-fashioned sub¬ 
jects that are hardly ever absent from collections. 
Several Violas are grown in the beds mostly mixed 
with other subjects by way of contrast; but some of 
them such as Blue Bell and Blue King find a place 
amongst the herbaceous plants, sometimes in lines 
along the sides of the narrow borders right and left 
of the Palace, where old-fashioned subjects seem in 
keeping with the place. Amongst them may be seen 
the stumpy specimens of Ailantus glandulosa des¬ 
tined later on to produce a subtropical effect with 
their huge pinnate leaves. 
Several of the early summer-flowering shrubs are 
now- in their gayest attire, including the Roses on the 
walls, and which are very attractive in their first 
blush of blossom, particularly in the sunshine and 
clear skies of the past week. The so-called japan 
Honeysuckle (Weigela rosa), the Mock Orange 
(Philadelphus), and Deutzia gracilis, all laden with 
bloom, furnish a striking contrast to the avenue of 
antique andsombre-hued English Yew s, that scarcely 
alter in appearance all the year round, and which 
although presenting a pleasing feature in the land¬ 
scape during the depth of winter, are hardiy in keep¬ 
ing with the gay attire of the deciduous subjects. On 
the walls and trained along wires are some floriferous 
pieces of Clematis montana, than which scarcely any- 
flowering shrub is more effective during the early 
days of June, whether on the walls of a palace or a 
cottage. Several of the garden forms of Clematis 
w-ith large lilac-blue and white flowers are also in full 
bloom, and do not fail to get admirers amongst the 
thousands of visitors.— F. 
Gardening ||iscellany. 
PLANTING CUT RICH ARDIAS. 
With reference to the remarks on the culture of the 
Arum Lily by " Experience " in your issue for May 
28th, allow me to say that I have tried them planted 
out, and have also grown them in pots all the 
season; and I served under one gardener who 
plunged them in the pond for the summer, in fact 
till the time came to house them. I have now- 
superseded these methods of culture by another one 
which I will briefly mention. As soon as the plants 
have passed their best, and the leaves begin to turn 
yellow, I lay the pots on their sides at the foot of a 
wall where they get the sun in the morning but are 
shaded after midday. They are left in this position 
until the last week in J uly, by- which time the tops 
have died down. The roots are then shaken out and 
tresh potted, and stood on a bed of ashes out-of- 
doors until the time comes for removing them under 
glass. I have adopted this plan for the last two 
years, and with such satisfactory results that I am 
this season again following the same course of treat¬ 
ment. — A. Butcher. 
PHLOX REPTANS. 
When first introduced to British gardens this plant 
was flowered in a stove, so little was then know-n as 
to its actual requirements or its hardiness. The 
flowers of that introduction were more or less of a 
decided blue, but since then it has seldom appeared 
in gardens, but for what reason is not very obvious. 
The prevailing one now widely- distributed through¬ 
out the country has reddish-purple flowers with a 
crimson eye. This form at all events is quite hardy- 
even in the far north, and when once established is 
able to take care of itself. ] ust as the colour is 
variable so we find that it enjoys or rather is 
encumbered with a number of names. P. stolonifera 
and P. verna have been applied to it, the latter 
obviously because it flowers in spring. P. reptans 
and P. stolonifera both refer to the habit the plant 
has of developing procumbent shoots which root in 
the ground, forming a close mass or cushion of shoots 
from which flowering stems arise, with the returning 
w-armth of spring. 
ERODIUM TRICHOMAN/tFOLIUM 
The finely-divided leaves of this Heron's Bill are 
hoary in appearance, evergreen and form a close 
cushion covering the short subwoody stems. The 
specific name refers to the foliage which has been 
compared to that of the Black Spleenwort (Asplenium 
Trichomanes). It is a native of Mount Lebanon, 
perfectly hardy here, and flowers during May- and 
June, possibly longer, providing it is thriving 
vigorously and the season is favourable. The 
flowers are relatively large for the size of the plant, 
borne in clusters generally of three and which rise 
above the foliage ; the petals are of a soft rose with 
darker veins and certainly pretty. The rockery is 
the most suitable place for it, as it is there seen to 
best advantage. In well-drained garden soil it may 
however be planted on the level, and in the front 
line of the border. Full exposure without the evil 
influence of overhanging trees, is necessary- to its 
welfare. The plant may be propagated by cuttings, 
division or seeds, the latter means being perhaps the 
most convenient, expeditious, and ultimately the 
most satisfactory. The subwoody stems and roots 
do not like to be much disturbed. 
THE GARDENERS ORPHAN FUND. 
Every well-wisher of this fund must be gratified 
with the large measure of success which attended 
the recent dinner at the Hotel Metropole, but I agree 
with some other warm supporters that it would be a 
mistake to abolish the subscribers' dinner on a more 
modest scale. Why could it not be held on the 
night of the annual election, when the result could 
be made known and thereby help to work up some 
enthusiasm in the cause. I agree with you that the 
fund should receive some support from every 
gardener, and with a view of drawing what I could 
from the gardeners of this district, I recently made 
an appeal through the columns of our local paper, 
but up to the present time without any result. Let 
me ask, through your columns, the gardeners of 
Weybridge and the district around to communicate 
with me, and let me know to what extent they will 
assist this season. I hope we shall all work harder 
