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BEDDING PLANTS. 
The following methods of arranging bedding and 
snb-tropical plants are suggested by the Journal of 
Horticulture 
“ A few simple modes of arrangement may here 
be noted; for instance, a bed of any shape having- 
yellow Calceolaria for a centre surrounded with 
Scarlet Geranium Tom Thumb, and edged with 
Cineraria maritima or Cerastium, would look well. 
As another example take the Scarlet Geranium for a 
centre, and put the Calceolaria next, and edge the 
whole with Purple King Verbena or Lobelia spe- 
ciosa. In either of the above, if Calceolarias are 
not grown, the yellow Tagetes will answer well. 
Another arrangement is to plant Amaranthus mel- 
ancholicus, Coleus VerschafFelti, or Perilla for a 
centre, surrounding these with Geranium Christine 
(pink), with an edging of Golden Pyrethrum, and 
there will not be much wrong. Among silver-va- 
liegated Geraniums we may take Bijou or Flower of 
Spring as a type ; place either of these in the centre 
of a bed surrounded by a band of any dark-foliage 
plant, such as Perilla or Beet, and then edged with 
Golden Chain. The above are all contrasting colors, 
and if the beds are large enough so as to admit of a 
good quantity of each being planted they will be 
particularly gay. But it may be that there is not 
Space for these colors ; then two must be used, taking 
care that the bed is properly divided for each color 
to be shown off to advantage. The centre color 
ought to occupy fully two-thirds of the bed ; arrang¬ 
ed thus they would look well: Scarlet Geranium, 
such as Cybister or Stella, edged with Calceolaria or 
Golden Chain: Coleus Verschaffelti, edged with 
Cineraria maritima ; or make Centaurea candidissi- 
ma a centre, and edge with Mrs. Pollock Geranium ; 
or take either of the last-named and plant in the 
centre, and they will be pleasing with an edging of 
blue Lobelia. Again, I admire a bed planted with 
silver-leaved Geranium Manglesii and edged with 
Verbena pulchellum, or yellow Calceolaria edged 
with Purple King Verbena or Viola cornuta. 
‘‘Now, if we come to a more harmonious arrange¬ 
ment we may place a pink in the centre, such as 
Christine, and edge with scarlet; or a pale yellow 
in the centre, such as Calceolaria angustifolia, and 
edge with the deep yellow Gazania splendens ; or a 
blue Lobelia edged with the light-flowered Lobelia 
Paxtoni. Such arrangements are very necessary at 
times in a design to bring out the principal features 
in an arrangement of a more complicated nature. 
“ Speaking generally, the plainer the shape of the 
bed the easier it is to plant, and the better will its 
arrangement be seen. For my part, though I like 
strong contrasts which can be seen at once, I have 
also a special liking for soft combinations of color. 
There seems to be in these something to study, and 
which the more one examines the more dries their 
beauty come to light. 
“ The amateur, who must at times be sorely puz¬ 
zled to know what is best to grow in his small place, 
will find some consolation in knowing that there are 
now many plants used for bedding of a dwarf ha 
bit, such as Golden Pyrethrum, Golden duckweed, 
Mesembryanthenmms both variegated and green, 
Lavender Cotton, the golden and silver variegated 
Thyme, and several others which occupy but little 
space during winter, and some of which are com¬ 
paratively hardy. I ought also to mention Sedum 
elegans and the Variegated Grass, Dactylis glome- 
rata variegata. 
“ Now, if an arrangement totally different from 
that named above be wanted, by the addition to the 
above list of Alternantheras spathulata and magnifi- 
ca, the amateur may work out almost any design his 
taste may lead him to in what is called carpet bed¬ 
ding, and thereby add an extra charm to his place, 
giving also a kind of relief to the blaze of color pro¬ 
duced by the ordinary flowering plants.” 
A REMARKABLE FLOWER GARDEN. 
The gardens of II. II. Hunnewell, Wellesley, 
Mass., near Boston, have long been famous, as they 
are the most costly in New England. 
As the visitor enters the ground he passes by a 
Druidical arch of rude stone with rock-work con- 
nacted, over which the new vines Ampelopsis Veit- 
chii and Clematis Jackmamii are profusely creeping, 
while scattered around are variegated Hydrangeas. 
Not far away is a bed of yellow Azaleas, then on 
the other side are multitudes of the most brilliant 
and fairy-like Rhododendrons. They fill a large 
area, no less than one hundred and eighty varieties. 
Near the Rhododendrons is the rose garden, a nar¬ 
row parallelogram three hundred feet long, replete 
with choice varieties, and surrounded by a solid 
hedge or wall of Evergreen Arbor-vitse four or five 
yards high, cut with immaculate precision. Ad¬ 
mission is had through a nicely-arched aperture at 
the end of the central walk dividing the roses. 
In the flower garden proper are elegant beds and 
plants of every clime. On one side of the wide 
pathway is a long, straight ribbon of broad stripes, 
with large plants of uniform size, the outer edge be¬ 
ing of Golden Pyrethrum, and then successive rows 
of Coleus Verschaffeltii, five Duchess Pelargoniums, 
Iresine Lindenii and Centaurea candidissima for a 
centre. 
Circles and beds of various forms, many feet wide, 
outside the walk, are planted with a profusion of 
rich and rare semi-tropical plants. One large bed, 
circular, surrounded by a perfect border of Earl of 
Roslyn Pelargoniums, was greatly admired. There 
were Lantanas trained on a single stem six feet 
high, Abutilous eight feet high. 
The chief attraction and marked feature of the 
garden, however, was the great bed of Echeverias 
and other succulents, which for richness, novelty, and 
arrangement have never been equalled. The bed 
was eight yards long and four yards wide, raised 
about a foot above the surrounding grass. Its edges 
were at an angle of forty-five degrees, and framed 
around by three successive rows of Echeveria se- 
cuinla glauca, touching each other, the largest being 
the lowest. The four sloping sides thus planted 
resembled a picture-frame of shells, on a large scale. 
Back of these, on the level surface, three rows of 
Echeveria metallica glauca, a stronger and more 
striking variety, were set. In the centre a large 
Agave Americana presided, surrounded by a patch, 
eight feet in diameter, of large Echeveria metallica, 
planted on a carpet of Alternanthera amoena ; the 
metallic lustre of the Echeverias contrasting finely 
with the bright foliage beneath. A belt of the Al¬ 
ternanthera, a yard wide, extended lengthwise 
through the middle of the bed, and at equal distances 
therein were two large plants of Yucca quadricolor, 
and two of Yucca aloefolia, adding much to the ef¬ 
fect. All other spaces were filled with Echeveria 
sanguinea, E. agavoides, Agave filifera, A. schidi- 
gera, A. media-picta, A. Mexicana, and other kinds, 
in pairs. Two elegant plants of Aloe arborescens, 
three feet high, with their thick drooping leaves 
overreaching several of the larger Echeverias, gave 
a charm to the whole. It was estimated that more 
than two thousand succulents rest in this single bed. 
THE GROTTO. ’ 
A rustic, vine-clad seat and an elaborate, airy 
foot-bridge close by, mark the crossing of a small 
inlet which forms the base of a jagged cavity or dell 
in the high bank, where ponderous boulder stones 
are rudely interlocked and heaped upon the sides far 
up into the wood. These are all moist and mossy 
from the spray of an artificial jet, and their crevices 
are filled with hardy ferns, sedums, saxifrages, and 
Alpine plants ; embellished by Dracaenas, Marantas, 
Begonias, Opuntias, Funkias, Alocasias, Colocasias, 
Calks, Cacti, Hermerocallis, Panicums, Mesembry- 
anthemums, Sempervivums, and dwarf Musas, pro¬ 
miscuously thrown together, half covering the rocks 
with their varied flowers and foliage, extending to 
the water’s edge, thus constituting a rockery, fernery, 
and grotto of wonderful grace and luxuriant growth. 
PLANS FOR FLOWER-BEDS. 
At the City Hospital, Boston, a large area, 120 by 
180 feet, between some of the buildings was formed 
into an oval by putting walks around it. 
The borders were planted in ribbon fashion with 
Lobelias, Golden Pyrethrums, Carnations, Helio¬ 
tropes, Roses, Pelargoniems, Achyranthus, and Co¬ 
leus—a somewhat peculiar arrangement. 
Near the centre of the oval, on either side of the 
path, a bed was formed, having a centre of Gannas, 
with rings, first of Ageratums and Carnations mix¬ 
ed, and then successively Pelargoniums, Centau- 
reas, Verbenas, and Golden Pyrethrum, the whole 
making a very neat appearance.' 
Three other flower-beds were also arranged in the 
turf near the broad sweep of a drive-way, one being 
circular, one diamond-form, and the third a small 
cresent. 
The circles were planted with a centre of Maize, 
an outer border of fine Verbenas, and rings of Coleus, 
Centaureas, and Palace Gem Geraniums. 
The diamonds had a centre of blue Salvias, an 
outer border of Blue Verbenas, and filled in with 
Abutilon Thompsonii and white-edged Pelargo¬ 
niums. 
The little crescents were filled with Ageratum, 
Alternanthera, variegated Thyme, and Echeverias. 
