388 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
February 18, 1393. 
EVERGREENS BENEATH 
TREES. 
The Holly. —Probably very few Evergreen trees 
succeed so well beneath the shade and drip of our 
larger forest occupants as the common Holly. It 
may often be seen with its stout stem springing up 
within a few feet of a big Oak or Elm tree, and 
where only a very limited number of shrubs could 
succeed ; and there, too, sending out stout branches 
well supplied with the glossiest foliage, and often 
rising to fully 30 ft. in height. In such places it 
never looks shabby, not half so miserable as when 
growing in the open, and especially if subjected to 
cold and searching winds, or excessive sunshine 
when the soil is not rich and dampish. 
For woodland ornamentation it is best at first to 
plant the Holly in clumps of say five or seven good 
sized specimens in each, as by so doing immediate 
effect is obtained and should they in future years 
get too close together it is a matter of no great 
trouble to remove every alternate plant and place it 
in some open spot where it will be shown off to 
advantage. Big specimens removed from one place 
in the woodland to another rarely, if ever, suffer, the 
shade afforded being just what is wanted to resus¬ 
citate the impaired vitality consequent on removal. 
The Evergreen Oak (Quercus Ilex) is another 
excellent tree for planting in the shade, where it 
succeeds admirably and enlivens the whole wood¬ 
land with its wealth of dark evergreen foliage. It 
may often be seen growing stout and strong when 
standing within a few yards of some giant of the 
forest and with a wealth of leafage that one cannot 
help but admire, but especially so when seen growing 
beside deciduous trees. To see the beauty of an 
evergreen shrub do not plant it beside its own kind, 
but in close proximity to deciduous species, that is 
for foliage effect in the winter Of course there are 
exceptions, as a Holly or Yew will always look well 
beside a Shepherdia or a Sea Buckthorn, but greyish 
or silvery-leaved trees and shrubs are far from 
common. There are a few very distinct forms of the 
Evergreen Oak that do equally well with the typical 
plant beneath the shade and drip of big forest trees. 
The Common Yew, and indeed almost every other 
species and variety, are never half so much at home as 
when shaded and caressed by the branches of large- 
growing deciduous trees. Like the Holly and Ever¬ 
green Oak the common Yew will grow perfectly well 
and attain to great perfection when planted in the 
woodland. Another pretty and far too little known Yew 
is that popularly known as the Crowsfoot, and which 
makes a fine specimen when planted in the shade. But 
some of the finest specimens of the Golden Yew that I 
can remember seeing were growing in a woodland 
glade, not perhaps beneath trees, but well within 
reach. 
But not only does the common Holly succeed ad¬ 
mirably in the shade, but the quite as Beautiful Hodg¬ 
son’s form and the curious Hedgehog variety. Such 
good kinds should not be planted in the woodland 
away out of sight, but be confined to the margins, 
and particularly to such as are visible from drives 
and paths. A woodland path enlivened here and 
there by clumps or single plants of the Holly in its 
numerous varieties is a charming sight, and will be 
frequented in winter where most others are deserted. 
The silver variegated and golden tinted varieties are 
well worthy of attention. 
The Weeping Indian Juniper (Juniperus recurva) 
never looks so healthy and happy in this country as 
when growing along the outskirts of a wood or plant¬ 
ation, and this fact was not long ago pointed out by 
an accurate observer of trees and their ways Of 
course soil must be suitable or this lovely Juniper 
cannot survive; but given its choice in that respect 
the only other exacting point is shade. 
The Strawberry Tree (Arbutus Unedo) must 
not be omitted from the list of shrubs or trees that 
will succeed when planted in the shade. That too 
shady and dark a position will kill it I know right 
well, but when grown say beneath a big, rambling 
branched Oak, the leafage is good and perfect, and 
the health of the specimen all that could be desired. 
Many a time and oft when roaming on the rampions 
of the famous camp at Holwood, and which by 
judicious planting, William Pitt, the great statesman, 
made a place of beauty, 1 step aside to see a fine old 
tree of this Arbutus that is growing freely enough 
beneath big gaunt specimens of the Cluster Pine and 
ruddy-barked Highland Firs, and which were known 
to have been planted, and mainly by lamp light, 
by the great statesmen exactly one hundred 
years ago when he owned the Holwood property. 
Of shrubs suitable for growing beneath trees there 
are not a few, and some of these succeed well and 
are very beautiful 
In a Welsh woodland the prettiest sight, after 
widths of the blue Wood Anemone was the Rose 
of Sharon (Hypericum calycinum) in full flower, 
but particularly one patch of goodly size where the 
yellow flowers cf the Hypericum and deep cerulean 
blue of the greater Periwinkle was a sight never to 
be forgotten. It may not, but should be known that 
these two plants grow together in loving harmony, 
the friendly support of the Rose being all-favourable 
and kindly for the weak-stemmed Periwinkle. For 
edging paths in the woodland either of these two 
have few equals, and they can be kept to any required 
width by pruning, which they take to kindly and are 
improved thereby.— A.D. IV. 
- -I - - 
ORCHID FLOWERS. 
I am exceedingly fortunate in that I have within the 
last day or two received several packages of Orchid 
blooms from friends at a distance. And now as I sit 
down I am simply surrounded with perhaps as 
choice a collection of varieties as it is possible to get 
together. I need hardly say that the sight of so 
many gems gives me considerable pleasure, and in 
noticing one or two of them I am quite aware there 
are a number I must pass by. The first I would 
notice is the choice Vanda teres Aurora. This I 
have not seen before, and its size, firmness of texture, 
and withal its purity, stamp it as one of surpassing 
beauty. Sepals, petals, and labellum are all pure 
white, the throat being of a pale canary yellow. The 
bloom is three inches in diameter, while the two 
sepals that project forward and partly cover the 
upper portion of the labellum are an inch and a half 
across in their widest part. 
The next I pick up is Cypripedium insignis San- 
derae. As I saw the firsfbloom of this form when it 
originally appeared, I am now, on beholding it 
again, much pleased with it. Dorsal sepal pale 
green, with its upper portion clear white, which latter 
colour comes so well down the side of the sepal that 
it might almost be said to be a white dorsal sepal 
with the centre pale green. Petals, labellum, and 
crest, clear shining yellow, the intensity developing 
in the order in which these three parts are mentioned. 
Truly a charming flower. 
Cattleya exoniensis, a glorious flower, reminding 
one immediately of the late Mr Dominy. I pick 
up another Cypripedium, Harrisianum superbum, 
intensely dark, measuring 5 Jin. over, the dorsal sepal 
being just in. across. This hybrid needs little 
description as it is well known, but this variety is 
the finest I ever saw. Cypripedium Germinyanum, 
a hybrid having Villosum and Hirsutissimum as its 
parents and combining the beauties of each in itself, 
this bloom is C in. over. Here, too, is C. Leucor- 
rhoda, a grand product of C. Roezli x Schlimmi 
alba. The delicate shading of white and rose in 
this bloom renders it peculiarly attractive 1 have 
also blooms of C. Vexillarium, Lathamianum, 
Sallierii, Cardinale, Melanophthalmum, Grande, 
beside numerous Odontoglossums, Cattleyas, Cymbi- 
diums, and Lycastes. 
A package from Mr. W. Holmes, Pickering Lodge, 
Timperley, contains Phalaenopsis Leucorrhoda, a 
lovely spike of a charming form. To those who 
know this natural hybrid, having most probably P. 
amabilis and Sehilleriana as its parents, it is needful 
to say little more than that the variety is superb. 
Cypripedium Lathamianum : a remarkable flower 
both as regards size, vigour, and marking. The 
distinct upper broad sepal with its deep and broad 
purple stripe along its centre indicating one parent, 
Spicerianum, and the other portions of the bloom 
unmistakably reveal Villosum as the other parent. 
C. cardinale and C. Sallierii are each charming and 
distinct forms and were remarkably well done. 
From Mr. A. Dix, gardener to G. C. Hill, 
Esq., Arnot Hill, Nottingham, comes Cattleya 
Percivalliana, a fine spike with three flowers of good 
size, and the labellum well developed. One feature 
detracts somewhat from the beauty of this form. 1 
allude to the contracted lip and unsatisfactorily small 
labellum which is not present in this case, but a well 
formed flower and perfect lip, with throat of glorious 
colour, stamp this as an unusually fine variety. 
The same remark may be mace of a large and high 
coloured C. Trianiae. Cypripediums are represented 
by a grand batch of C. villosum, varying in size and 
colour, one, however, of fine quality having the 
upper sepal almost all of a deep, shining purplish- 
brown. C Lathamianum, a good flower, not, 
however, as large as that from Pickering Lodge. 
L. anceps Morada, a spike of three flowers, 
intensely dark in every part. A glorious spike of 
Odontoglossum Andersonianum, one of the best 
types of this ever acceptable hybrid ; a fine flower 
of Dendrobium Wardianum album ; good D 
crassinode ; bright and cheery Sophronites grandi- 
flora; and last to mention, but not of the batch, 
some specially fine forms of Odontoglossum majus ; 
these were of the finest, the labellum being broad 
and clear, whilst the sepals were heavily spotted 
with deep chocolate-brown. Numerous others were 
enclosed, but these will give a fair idea of the gems 
the above growers have now brightening their 
Orchid houses.—IF. Swan, Bystock, Exmouth. 
->*•- 
THE ROSE GARDEN. 
Climbing Niphetos. 
To those who have a cool greenhouse and are fond 
of Roses, I would recommend they should procure 
a good standard tree of climbing Niphetos and plant 
it inside with as little delay as possible to ensure a 
good crop of pure white Roses this year. I prefer 
a standard for the reason that you can plant it so 
as to have the head abuve the stage, and it very soon 
finds its way to the wire on the roof and gives 
abundance of bloom the first season. My experience 
with this Rose has been most satisfactory, and for 
all-round work I can say without hesitation it is one 
of the best. We all know if you grow Marechal 
Niel in a greenhouse you get one crop of bloom 
lasting over a period of say three weeks or a month, 
but I can rely upon finding a bloom or two of climb¬ 
ing Niphetos at any time during the year except in 
the months of January and February. I was induced 
to grow it in this way. A friend recommended it 
and sent me some buds. They arrived on the 15th 
September (rather late in the season), but in one 
corner of my house I had a standard Gloire de 
Dijon which had not made much growth, so I put 
two buds into this, and one began to break away 
about the end of February. It made rapid growth, 
and one grand feature of this Rose is that it throws 
out long growths and carries a bloom at every lateral 
all along the stem. I cut over two hundred blooms 
from this tree the first season, and within fifteen 
months from the time I budded it the growth was 
over 20 ft. from the stock. Last season I had 
abundance of blooms, and continued to cut right up 
to Christmas Day, when I cut the last, and on looking 
at the tree again to-day I find a number of new buds 
throwing up, so that early in March I hope to com¬ 
mence cutting again.— Practical. 
-—1-- 
ASTER AMELLUS. 
Owing probably to the extreme hardiness of the 
bulk of the perennial Asters, both from American 
and European habitats, we seldom hear of them be¬ 
ing used as pot plants. When treated as such, how¬ 
ever, their beauty cannot be denied, and those who 
once make the experiment with a number of well 
selected types, are likely to continue it ; for they 
may be used for decorative purposes in various ways, 
either under glass or in dwelling houses when in 
bloom. Large or small plants may be used accord¬ 
ing to requirements or fancy. Mr. Norman Davis, of 
the Lilford Road, Camberwell, grew a considerable 
number of species and varieties in pots last year, 
and was so satisfied with the results that he intends 
to continue the experiment this year, under the guid¬ 
ance of the experience gained last year as to the most 
suitable kinds and their capabilities. His method of 
procedure is to take cuttings about the end of April, 
and rooting them, he makes use of these young 
plants to grow on for a display in pots. Aster 
Amellus is very amenable to this sort of treatment, 
as it is dwarf in habit and bears a profusion of 
large blue-purple flower heads. Virgil applied the 
name Amellus to an Aster-like plant with blue 
flowers that used to grow on the banks of the river 
Melius in Italy, and we are strongly inclined to sus¬ 
pect the subject under notice to be the identical 
species, for his description applies pointedly to A. 
Amellus. It branches from the base and forms a 
broad, spreading subumbellate top, covered wiih its 
handsome flowers. The accompanying illustration 
was prepared from one of Mr. Davis’s specimens in 
a 48-size pot, and speaks for itself. 
