September 22, 1894. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
57 
lanatum, shows another pleasing arrangement, 
particularly in the evening, when the night-scented 
Tobacco loads the air with its perfume. 
Farther along on the right is a broader area of 
grass, and here the bedding assumes an interesting 
character. The central bed is large, oval, and filled 
with fine foliage plants such as the Coral tree which 
also flowers finely, Eucalyptus and Solanum ro- 
bustum carpeted with Coleus and edged with 
Centaurea gemmicarpa. At either end of the design 
is a circular bed of Ricinus Gibsoni carpeted with 
Iresine Lindeni, and edged with the snowy-leaved 
Centaurea ragusina candidissima, all of which have 
given great satisfaction. There are also four beds 
of succulents arranged so as to balance one another, 
filled with Opuntias, Echeveria metallica, and 
shrubby Sempervivums, all carpeted with Mentha 
Pulegium gibraltarica, and edged with the neat 
Sempervivum tabulaeforme. Two small circular 
beds of Celosia pyramidalis in yellow, orange, 
scarlet, and crimson colours are very attractive, 
carpeted with the golden Lysimachia. Two others 
of Celosia cristata with wavy crimson combs (3 in. 
across, alternating with Dracaena rubra, on a carpet 
of variegated Mesembryanthemum and edged with 
the richly-coloured Fish-bone Thistle, show what 
can be done even in a cold season, for the Celosias 
have all done admirably. Two figure-of-eight 
carpet beds are very dwarf and neat. At either end 
is a lyre-shaped figure of Alternanthera magnifica 
and A. amoena, tied at the base with A. parony- 
choides aurea, on a ground 
of Antennaria and edged 
with golden Lysimachia 
and Echeveria secunda 
glauca. Corresponding to 
the beds of Cockscomb 
are two beds of small 
Ficus, and Begonia sem- 
perflorensVernon’s var. on 
a carpet of golden Alter¬ 
nanthera, but we are sorry 
to record the failure of 
the Begonia, not only here 
but at other places many 
miles apart. At one end 
of the design is a fine bed 
of Wigandia caraccasana 
carpeted with Chilian 
Beet, and at the other a 
bed of Humeaelegans 3ft. 
to 6 ft. high, mixed with 
Chamaepeuce diacantha 
and flowering gracefully. 
Another open area has 
some interesting beds, 
particularly one filled with 
the Coral tree, and Pentstemons on a carpet of Cloth 
of Gold Fuchsia edged with the snowy-leaved 
Centaurea. A bed pf mixed Fuchsias and Purple 
King Verbenas has simply been grand all the season. 
Crimson-scarlet Begonias on a ground of Lobelia 
and edged with Cloth of Gold Fuchsia have also 
flowered satisfactorily. Solanum robustum edged 
with Amicia zygomeris makes a good foliage bed. 
At the east end of the ornamental lake the scroll 
work of carpet bedding is quite up to its usual 
standard. The large bed is 68 yards long in its con¬ 
volutions, and has numerous square, angular, 
triangular, lozenge-shaped, crescent and other 
figures of Alternantheras with central dot plants, 
and in different places surrounded by Antennaria, 
Mesembryanthemum, golden Lysimachia, or Alter- 
nanthers of various colours, and the whole are set in 
a ground of Mentha with a double edging of 
Echeveria on the slope. Altogether this forms a 
good and neat example of carpet bedding. A bed of 
circular outline but deeply scolloped with six- 
rounded angles is planted in an interesting way. 
Little mounds are furnished with a large plant of 
some green or variegated Agave or Aloe and car¬ 
peted with Alternantheras. Some beds of Celosias 
in this area have also done well notwithstanding 
the cold season. 
Pursuing the path to the left we arrive in the long 
walk forming the northern boundary of the park 
here, and turning to the left along the same we may 
note some of the numerous flower beds on one side 
and the herbaceous border on the other. Eucalyptus 
with an undergrowth of Phlox Drummondi has done 
well, and so have some beds of Fuchsias, several 
beds of Pelargonium Vesuvius, Dahlias, and varie¬ 
gated Maize dotted through a bed of Pelargonium 
Princess Alexandra mixed with Viola The Mearns. 
China Asters sown late and brought from the 
reserve garden, take the place of Celosias that were 
past their best, and are now coming into bloom. In 
a triangular area near the flower garden is a large, 
circular bed filled with succulents that are both 
grotesque, curious, and interesting, particularly see¬ 
ing that they succeed whether the season is wet or 
dry. Large green and variegated American Aloes 
occupy mounds, while the intervening spaces are 
planted with tall-stemmed Echeverias, Opuntias, 
Brachyphytums and various species of shrubby 
Sempervivums. 
The flower garden proper is a roughly semi-circu¬ 
lar area backed up on the curved side with shrub¬ 
bery and not very far from the Palm house, although 
quite hidden from it. The back line of beds and 
two lines in front of them are curved and of large size. 
There are two beds of Pelargonium Vesuvius dotted 
with Acacia lophantha and edged with Pelargo¬ 
nium Flower of Spring mixed with Iresine Lindeni 
and edged with Fuchsia Golden Fleece. These make 
two of the most effective beds at the present time. 
Equally good are two mixed beds of Fuchsias, 
Lilium auratum, Phalaris arundinacea variegata and 
Verbena Purple Kiug. Four beds of Celosias have 
also been most effective for a long time. Two beds 
of mixed Fuchsias have taken complete possession 
of the beds. The Prince of Wales’ feather in front 
is always a massive central bed. The middle por¬ 
Saxifraga Burseriana. 
tion is filled with Pelargonium Princess Alexandra 
and Viola The Mearns ; round this is a double row 
of P. Henry Jacoby, then a double row of Queen of 
Queens, the best of the silver Pelargoniums, and 
outside of this is a bronze named Mrs. Quilter. 
There is a broad edging of Lobelia and then 
Echeveria cn the slope. The centre of the end pieces 
of the figure is filled with Pelargonium Madame 
Rudersoff, salmon with white edges. Next the 
walk are two very neat carpet beds and two of 
Begonias. 
The Victoria fountain, with its surroundings, 
stands about the middle of the park and constitutes 
another centre of interest. It was built in 1862 and 
given to the people by Angela Georgina Burdett 
Coutts. On the grass surrounding it are some mas¬ 
sive beds of White Marguerites, blue Ageratumsand 
others. Some are 30 ft. long and 15 ft. wide, but a 
mixed bed of Wigandias, Eucalyptus, Single Dahlias, 
variegated Maize, Abutilon Thomsoni, Humea 
elegans, Cannas, and other subjects, is 33 ft. long by 
25 ft. wide. All the beds are very effective and many 
times larger and more appropriate to the situation 
than the chain of small ones which were destroyed to 
make way for them. 
Eastward from here are two bathing ponds sur¬ 
rounded by shrubbery and plantations of trees 
including some beautiful, interesting and, in some 
cases, comparatively rare species. The Hawthorns 
are now laden with fruit including the common one, 
Crataegus punctata, C. Crus-galli, C. coccinea, and 
others. An uncommon tree is Gleditschia sinenis 
horrida with its long, branching spines. Others may 
be noted near the lake by the flower bedding. Here 
we noted some very old examples of Pyrus salicifolia 
with hoary leaves like Hypophae rhamnoides, or an 
Elaeagnus, and smali green fruits. Another tree near 
the flower garden has broader, smoother leaves and 
larger green fruits, and is evidently Pyrus sinaica or 
other allied form of the wild Pear Both species are 
very ornamental in spring with their wealth of snowy 
blossom. 
-- 
SAXIFRAGA BURSERIANA. 
The present is not the time to see this little 
Saxifrage in its quaint neatness, but preparations 
may now be made for having it increased or planted 
out on rockeries, where it will commence to bloom 
sometime in March, according to the condition of the 
weather. The accompanying illustration shows it 
growing in a natural way in the crevices of rocks ; 
but those who dislike so much stony surface as is 
there represented may plant it in properly con¬ 
structed pockets that are open at the bottom, or, in 
other words, in direct contact with the soil beneath. 
Shallow pockets are the ruin of many a fine plant, 
because the small quantity of soil soon gets dried up 
by the heat of the sun in summer. The creamy- 
white flowers are very attractive in the early days of 
spring, and are generally borne singly on the short 
stems ; the leaves are tufted and glaucous. 
--*-- 
HUMEA ELEGANS. 
Considerable use of this plant is made at Kew, 
both indoors and out. When one takes into con¬ 
sideration its great value 
as a decorative subject, 
and its wonderfully grace¬ 
ful habit, one cannot 
wonder at its being a 
general favourite. A bed 
of it this year standing 
immediately in front of 
number two fernery looked 
exceedingly graceful, al¬ 
though the plants lost a 
great deal of their attrac¬ 
tiveness through the loss 
of a great part of their 
lower leaves, occasioned, 
it is said, from the check 
consequent on planting 
out — or from after 
neglect with regard to 
water, which ? A ground¬ 
work of the pretty little 
golden- leaved Fucnsia and 
an edging of the useful 
Veronica Andersoni varie¬ 
gata completed an effect 
which on the whole was 
very good and very generally admired. 
A batch of these plants in pots forms at present 
a pretty spectacle in the greenhouse at Kew, 
with their long-drooping panicles of pink or 
crimson flowers. Grown in pots in this way this 
magnificent plant is invaluable for conservatory or 
indoor embellishment, and when utilised as a sub¬ 
tropical subject for planting in masses in sheltered 
positions, they take a lot of beating. For pot 
culture, seed may be sown in July, in light friable 
soil (care being taken not to sow too deeply), and 
the seed pans or pots placed in a cold frame. Pot 
the seedlings on as soon as they are large enough to 
handle, and grow them on in a cool frame, giving 
them plenty of light and air. Upon the approach of 
winter shift the young plants (which should by this 
time be in 48-sized pots) into a light airy greenhouse. 
Great care will be necessary during the winter, and 
early spring months, with regard to watering. They 
should be kept on the dry side, as too much water 
at the roots during this part of their existence will 
prove fatal to them. 
The winter once over they may be accorded 
warmer treatment. A final shift into 8 in. or 9 in. 
pots will be necessary, the most suitable compost 
being two parts of good loam to one part of well- 
rotted manure, with a little sand and charcoal. 
When the pots have become filled with roots, liquid 
manure may be applied with advantage. Humeas 
are rich feeders, and if it is desired to have good 
specimen plants, clothed to the bottom with leaves, 
they must be generously treated. The genus Humea 
comprises four species, all restricted in their 
geographical range to Australia. H. elegans, how¬ 
ever, is the only one cultivated to any extent. The 
other three are comparatively valueless, and do not 
enter largely into English horticulture.— A. S. G. 
