April 11th, 1885. 
K 
Gardening is the purest of 
refreshment to the 
human pleasures, and the greatest 
spirit of man.”—B acon. 
iarkmitg 
SATURDAY, APRIL 11th, 1885. 
The Hyacinth.— There can hardly be found 
for decorative purposes a more intractable plant 
than the Hyacinth. Of course we refer to its 
state when in bloom, as prior to that condition it 
has no decorative merits whatever. But though 
there is much gaiety and sweetness about the 
spikes of bloom thrown up, and some variety of 
colouring, there is in the build and form of the 
bloom-spike so much of stiffness and monotony 
that it seems impossible to feel towards it any 
degree of admiration. A large collection of 
Hyacinths is stiff and formal to a painful degree. 
There is about as much of charm or sentiment in 
such a group as there would be in a series of 
wooden posts. .Even if there be some diversity 
of colouring, and that diversity is not very varied, 
there is just the same formation, and that same¬ 
ness becomes distressing to look upon. Those 
who have seen Hyacinths in flower-beds in some 
well kept garden in the month of April, the spikes 
dotting a carpet of Pansies, Violas, Daisies, 
Aubretias, or similar hardy flowers, have thought 
the effect singularly pleasing, and not the less°so 
that the spikes were not of that painfully precise 
form aimed at in show flowers, and that they were 
looked down upon. 
Collections of Hyacinths at shows are, how- 
ever, rather like soldiers drawn up in ranks 
for inspection. They are seen rather laterally 
than obliquely, or vertically, hence whatsoever 
in them is stiff and formal is too evident. 
Sometimes too there seems to be a painful 
impression that such a collection resembles a 
gathering of ninepins, and is set up that they 
may for sport be knocked down again. Unfor¬ 
tunately in such case one knocking down would 
suffice, and the setting up again would be as 
difficult as in the case of the celebrated Humpty 
Dumpty, whose overthrow was a cracker even 
for all the king’s horses and men. 
Of course we have no intention to decry the 
Hyacinth, for it has its myriads of admirers as a 
spring-blooming plant, and it is a very important 
article of trade and culture. The Hyacinth 
cannot well alter its naturej and everything done 
towards its improvement does but tend to make 
the spikes denser, stiffer, and, from an artistic 
point of view, the more objectionable. It is ever 
the case that a spike just a little lob-sided, and 
with bells not too closely set, so that they may 
hang somewhat irregularly, is the most natural, 
and to those who view flowers as essentially 
natural, of course the more pleasing. That view 
of course is not the one taken by the connoisseur 
and florist, for he looks for solidity, stiffness, 
height, and fulness, with the bells of good sub¬ 
stance and form, and evenly arranged. Given 
those elements, and the spike is perfect. The 
wild Hyacinth of the woods is to the artist far 
more picturesque than is the grandest spike ever 
seen on a show table. But whilst we refer to 
these things, we are neither carping nor object¬ 
ing, only so far as relates to the present mode of 
staging Hyacinths, and that certainly is open to 
improvement. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
499 
The show season is now over, but ere it comes 
round again will someone generously offer to 
our big growers prizes, not for the best collec¬ 
tions, but for collections most elegantly and 
artistically grouped or arranged. For this pur¬ 
pose, absolutely the finest show spikes are not 
essential, still less needful is it that the plants 
should be all presented as if in uniform, and in ab- 
noimally big pots in which they are not grown. A 
base of fern or other decorative plant, such, for 
instance, as Spiraea japonica, not in bloom, should 
form the dressing, and in this the Hyacinths, 
grouped in circles of colours, or in serpentine 
lines, or in diamond patterns, the small groups 
either of self or mixed colours, or in any way 
which may seem to produce the most pleasing 
effect. Plant decorators or floral artists ought to 
find no difficulty in creating patterns or designs 
in which stiff and stark Hyacinth spikes, intract¬ 
able as they are, might yet bo found to play an 
artistic and pleasing part. There can be no doubt 
that in these more art-loving days the absolute 
formality seen in collections of show Hyacinths 
militates against their wide sale and culture. 
The common remark is, “ Kick perfume certainly, 
but the spikes are far from pleasing.” It should 
therefore be the aim of large growers, in present¬ 
ing their collections to the public gaze, to lend 
to them some artistic charms they now fail to 
display. 
Gaeden Ceops. —It is a curious fact, but true, 
none the less, that many hardy garden crops when 
exposed to the wind, and feeling the full intensity 
of its dryness, really look less healthy and 
vigorous than they did at mid-winter. To put 
the matter clearly, we find now in what should 
be the pleasant springtime the weather to be 
colder and more harsh for plants than it was at 
Christmas. That is, however, no uncommon 
feature in our seasons now, for springs are almost 
invariably cold, cheerless, and deterring. After 
March has past, naturally we look for those 
genial April showers, which are, according to 
the ancient tradition, to bring us forth May 
flowers ; but we look in vain. It is not so long 
since we felt that we had rain enough to tide us 
over till May at least, and yet we are at the time 
of writing not only seeing crops at a standstill, 
or receding for want of moisture, but feeling no 
little anxiety lest the drought of last year is to be 
repeated this season. Such a prospect may well 
create alarm in our minds, the more so indeed 
that all nature seems so laggard. If this drowsi¬ 
ness is not due to natural intelligence on the part 
of vegetation—and the suggestion will perhaps 
provoke a smile—certainly it is evident that the 
continuous low temperature and dry harsh wind 
is prolonging it to an unusual degree. Hot a few 
persons regard this retardation as full of hope for 
the safety of the bloom in all our fruit trees, 
when it shall expand. That is sound philosophy, 
provided the continued low temperature has not 
already done mischief. In any case, the anxiously 
looked-for April showers can hardly come too 
soon. 
The Hew Wintee Gaeden at the Koyal 
Pavilion Hotel, Folkestone. —This elegant 
and spacious structure, which has been some time 
in course of construction, was opened to the 
public on the 1st day of April. The idea of a 
large covered promenade and rendezvous in con- 
nection with an hotel is, as far as we are aware, 
quite novel, and can hardly fail to prove a great 
attraction, especially during those seasons of 
inclement weather and cutting winds which so 
frequently visit our sea-coasts, and which are so 
trying to those in delicate health. The building 
has three entrances, all with vestibules, one of 
which is connected with the hotel by means of a 
corridor, so that visitors can pass from one to the 
other without going out into the open air. The 
building is of considerable extent, being 168 ft. 
long by 51 ft. wide, and is tastefully adorned with 
Palms, Ferns, and shrubs of large size and elegant 
foliage. The roof of the building is well broken-up 
on what is called the “ridge and furrow” principle, 
which gives a graceful and picturesque sky line, 
and this is still further enhanced by an octagonal 
lantern 43 ft. high which surmounts the central 
span. The whole of the work, to the minutest 
detail, is well designed and constructed by 
Messrs. John Weeks & Co., of Chelsea, in their 
well-known style, and the architectural embellish¬ 
ments throughout are tasteful and appropriate. 
Great attention has been paid to the arrangements 
for warming and ventilating, as the health and 
comfort of the visitors is rightly regarded as the 
most important consideration. The warming is 
effected by means of hot-water pipes heated by 
Weeks s Patent Duplex Boilers, and the whole is 
contrived so that the heat can be regulated and an 
even and healthful temperature maintained at 
any time of the y ear, and in any weather. 
Gaeden Anemones. —Some collections of cut 
blooms of these beautiful hardy spring flowers, 
shown recently at South Kensington and Kegent’s 
Park, hardly attracted the attention they deserved, 
because, perhaps, overshadowed by the more 
striking, if less varied, hues of masses of Daffo¬ 
dils. There seemed to have been some reasonable 
doubt whether the fine and pure flowers thus 
shown were of home or foreign growth, but they, 
at least, bore no evidence of exposure to the 
heavy snowfall of a few days previously. It is 
notorious, however, that large quantities of 
Anemone blooms are sent over here from the 
south of France, and, set up in water, recover 
their wonted air of freshness and beauty. Still 
it must not be assumed that we cannot have 
Anemones in bloom in this less favoured land quite 
early in the spring also. We have but recently 
seen a large bed of these plants growing in rather 
cold soil and in an exposed position, almost 
covered with grand blooms, the majority scarlets 
and crimsons of the richest and most glowing 
hues, interspersed with pink, white, blue, and 
other tinted flowers of exceeding beauty. This 
bed was the produce of home-saved seed, so that 
it is evident we have as fine strains in our midst 
as our French neighbours have, and that they 
thrive equally well with us. We should like to 
see just such a bed of Anemones as the one under 
notice in every garden. Eeally it is impossible to 
do justice to the gorgeous colouring of the flowers, 
and how valuable would such a lot prove to any 
gardener who has to furnish an ample supply 
of cut flowers. As such a bed as this may be 
obtained by sowing at once a packet of seed, it is 
within the reach of all who have gardens to be 
thus blessed. 
- -. 
A Gbaceful Bamboo. —In the April number 
of The Botanical Magazine, a very graceful and 
interesting little Bamboo is figured. It is confined 
to the mountainous interior of the Island of 
Jamaica, where it is said to “ climb the loftiest 
trees, its pendulous branches forming masses of 
great beauty.” Plants introduced to Kew 
“promised to be a charming addition to the 
Tropical Garden, when they, in December last, 
suddenly burst into flower.” Since then they are' 
said to have thrown off many of their leaves, and 
fears are expressed that like so many other 
Bamboos they may not survive the flowerino- 
process. It is remarkable to see a Bamboo with 
leaves only f-in. to lj-in. long, and not a sixth of 
an inch wide. The flowers are pale green and 
purple, and altogether it is quite an attractive 
species. 
