686 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
May 13, 1899. 
NARCISSUS BICOLOR DUKE OF 
BEDFORD. 
This is a season of big Daffodils, and Messrs. Barr 
& Sons, of Covent Garden, London, and Long 
Ditton, Surrey, are, we believe, the most prominent 
in putting such gigantic trumpets before us. Mr. 
Nat. Bryson, of Edinburgh, sends us a sketch, 
which we reproduce, of Narcissus bicolor Duke of 
Bedford, as exhibited for the first time by the above- 
named firm at the spring show of the Royal Cale¬ 
donian Horticultural Society on April the 5th and 
6th of the present year, and which was unanimously 
awarded a First-class Certificate by the society’s 
council. 
The three magnificent bunches attracted much 
attention on account of the great size of the flowers 
and purity "of colour. One of the parents of the 
variety, we understand, is N. bicolor Horsfieldii, 
but there is some uncertainty about the other 
parent. It bears little resemblance, however, to N. 
b. Horsfieldii except in colour; the trumpet is 
much larger, more frilled, and very much wider at 
the brim, and more like N. maximus in this respect. 
The perianth segments are larger, broader, of good 
substance, and a very pure white. We do not know 
when this acquisition to the Bicolor family will be 
on the market, but it will be a valuable addition to 
the collections of Daffodil enthusiasts The N. 
Duke of Bedford has been awarded Certificates and 
and Awards of Merit at Edinburgh, Birmingham, 
Bournemouth, Wisbech, and London this spring, 
which at once shows the value put upon it by 
Daffodil connoisseurs. 
-- 
SPRING BEDDING IN THE LONDON 
PARKS. 
Regent’s Park. 
We had seen Hyde Park in sunshine, but heavy 
showers of rain were our portion in Regent's Park. 
But what garnishing the sun gave to the former was 
compensated for by the greater freshness of the 
blooms which are just a little later here than in the 
other. Here within the domains of the Park are 
collected the objects and subjects for the man of 
science. It is rather a happy blend to have this Park 
affording, as it does, such scope for the naturalist, 
and the other—Hyde Park — where the wearied 
student can find varied recreation. 
The general arrangement of the flower-gardeD, both 
in beds and borders, differs from Hyde Park. Entering 
from the West we find the mass of the bloom lying 
to the right of a handsome avenue of Horse Chestnut 
trees. Shrubs such as Hollies, Aucuba japonica, 
flowering Ribes, Box, Weigela and Lilacs are expand¬ 
ing their leaves. Dwarf Privet hedges shelter some 
borders of Hyacinths and Narcissus, while in the 
broad sward wherein we find the beds, the too great 
flatness is relieved by a numerous dotting of vases. 
These vases or basins are 3 ft. or so high and quite 
as broad ; the effect brought forth by their contents, 
scarlet and yellow and pink Tulips, and creamy or 
white Narcissus, is pleasing and fine, when seen from 
afar. The massing system is alone adopted here 
and it has this recommendation, it sustains undivided 
interest. One of the best contrasts in colour to our 
mind was that of a border of the pure white Hyacinth, 
Van der Hoop and H. King of the Blues, each 
succeeding the other in regular order. 
Then the beds of the pinky H. gigantea neigh¬ 
boured by a border of Narcissus Barrii conspicuus 
and another of N. grandis were charming in their 
freshness and unity of colour. Narcissus Sir Watkin 
filled a large bed and was well edged with Saxifraga 
umbrosa, a plant used very frequently here for a 
margin-band. Round beds of Alpine Auriculas, 
Primroses and Polyanthuses in all the variety of their 
colours, filled in the spaces between the larger oblong 
or angular beds. Though we say the variety of 
floral hues in the Primroses was great, yet the shades 
had been chosen to blend together ; all the dark kinds 
were massed, all the yellows and whites the same, 
and so on, giving a pleasant change in each of them. 
To remove the flatness from a bonnie blue border of 
Hyacinths, Doronicum plantaginum excelsum and 
Lilies were employed. These plants together with 
Solomon’s Seal and Irises are spaced out along many 
of the little borders wherein the ground work is of 
level flowered bulbous plants. 
In a few beds two varieties of the same kinds of 
plants, and in cases three, were mixed, but they 
differed only slightly in colour. For instance, in a 
large bed we found Hyacinth Gertrude, a deep pink, 
and H. Grandeur a Merveille, a pinky-white. Or 
again, H.Czar Peter, a pale blue variety, was associ¬ 
ated with H Blondin, a darker-blue. A very lovely 
contrast is that of yellow and blue as seen in a bed 
of Narcissus Emperor with, below the “ Daffs,” King 
of the Blues Hyacinth. Tulip Proserpine makes a 
fine pale rosy-purple sheet. One of the prettiest 
things we saw was a circular border of about 4 ft, 
breadth, running around and at a distance from one 
of the vases, or basins we already mentioned ; blue 
Hyacinths and pale Daffodils formed the display. 
WemustnoteonthemassiveTulip beds,all of which 
were strong and brilliant. These were T. Joost' van 
Vondel, T. La Belle Alliance, a brilliant scarlet; the 
grand old T. Keizerkroon which filled one of the 
largest beds in the Park, and which had for an edging 
Belvoir Castle Wallflower and Arabis albida, all 
banked within a margin of Saxifraga umbrosa; T. 
Ophir d’Or and others. 
Dark Wallflower formed a ground colour for a 
wavy top show of N. Emperor. And as one wanders 
from the flower-garden to the shrubbery-walks, great 
sheets of mingled Narcissus fall out before us, sur¬ 
mounting the grassy knolls and passing into the 
moister vales, and flatter lawns. Everything is neat 
and clean and just as we would have it in a fine 
public Park. Mr. Jordon conducts his charge 
thoroughly well. The bulbs for Hyde Park and 
Regent’s Park, we understand, were supplied as 
usual by Messrs. J. Carter & Co., High Holborn. 
- - 
NOTES FROM EDINBURGH. 
Although cheered for the past few days by 
glimpses of sunshine, cold bleak weather has been 
our almost constant companion all the season, with 
northerly and easterly winds, and the result is that 
we have had one of the most backward springs for 
many years. The grass has not that freshness and 
greenness one admires when privileged to enjoy a 
walk, and rejoice in the reawakening of Nature, but 
has rather that brawny appearance following cold 
winds and late frosts. Farmers and dairymen, as a 
consequence, are suffering from an absence of feed¬ 
ing for the lambing season, and are forced to fall 
back on stored fodder. The Wheat crop is also very 
backward, and the sowing of grain has been much 
hindered. Market gardeners also complain of the 
season as being one of the latest they have 
experienced for many years, and as a "jobber” re¬ 
marked to me the other day, " It’s rale cauld at the 
back o’ the sun." Plums and Pears in favourable 
positions are almost in full bloom, and should our 
present state of weather prevail (we have had 7° of 
frost but lately) the hopes for a good set will be poor. 
Trees in general look still very bare, the Hawthorn 
on the sunny side being just green. In our town 
gardens the gardener is busy endeavouring to make 
things spring-like, and to cheer and gladden us. We 
have in flower the bold and gallant Narcissus in 
variety; the Hyacinths, Tulips, Scillas, Grape 
Hyacinths, Aubrietias, and our pretty little Prim¬ 
roses.— Richard. 
-—#•»-- 
ALPINE PLANTS. 
Mr. R. Murray gave a lecture on “ British and 
Swiss Alpines,” before the Fellows of the Royal 
Horticultural Society on May 2nd. Altogether the 
paper was of more scientific than practical applica¬ 
tion, and treated on the special floras indigenous 
within the various defined zones of elevation. He 
said the number of families were practically identical 
in both the British and Swiss alpine floras, only 
three being unrepresented here. There are only 
thirteen genera lacking, and 75% of the British 
species occur in Switzerland. The lecturer pointed 
out, too, that the same conditions of environment 
invested the representatives of both floras. Ascend¬ 
ing from the lower zones we find the species one by 
one diminishing as we go to higher levels. 
Of trees, the Elm and Chestnut are first to dis¬ 
appear, and the Beech attains the highest elevation 
among decidious trees. Larch, Pines, and Firs are 
the predominating features of the higher altitudes. 
The zones are defined as lowland, sub-alpine, and 
alpine, and these again are sub-divided into upper, 
intermediate, and lower limits. The alpine zone is 
distinguished by Rhododendron ferrugineum, Pinus 
Cembra, which forms the large Pine forests, and 
some forms of Willow trees, such as Salix prostrata, 
&c., which all grow up to 5,oco ft. above sea-level. 
The sub-alpine zone reaches from 3,500 up to 5,000 
ft. Mr. Murray noted the fact that certain plants 
were confined to local areas, as, for instance, 
Erigeron alpinus, found only in some mountains of 
Scotland, and Arabis alpina, confined to some 
islands of the Western Highlands. On the other 
hand some species of Thalictrum and Cerastium are 
common to any alpine flora. 
Moisture, temperature, light,atmospheric pressure, 
and winds were mentioned as peculiar for the 
successful culture of many alpines. Estimations as 
to the number and habitats of species were also 
given, and likewise a summary account of the 
origin and changes to which the alpine phanero¬ 
gamic vegetation was subjected during tertiary 
times. Votes of thanks were accorded Mr. Murray 
and the chairman. 
KEW GARDENS IN EARLY MAY. 
The splendours of ancient Thebes and the many 
extravagancies of the olden Egyptian, Greek, and 
Roman monarchies are rich to dream of,and to enjoy 
in contemplation, and even the present magnificence 
at the gardens of Versailles is more than we can 
equal in our own old England even with all our 
financial wealth. But what of that ? What we 
have we cherish, and to us the beauties of our best 
buildings and gardens are worthier of our apprecia¬ 
tion than all the charms of the Pandora blest eastern 
grandeur. Our own Kew Gardens seen in the 
freshness, with which we beheld them on Saturday, 
May 6th, were lovely to a high degree. 
Over us the fluffy clouds, prepondering in white 
purity, hung, or swayed at a lazy pace beneath the 
blue floor of the heavens which held the sparkling 
sun (for he was not yet so powerful as to blaze, and 
whose bright light made dancing shadows and peep- 
pop blinks among the new-born foliage for 1899) which 
smote upon the crystal slopes of the mighty Palm 
house, threw seven lovely colours into the waters of 
the high-spouting fountain, and lighted up the face 
of the lake of waters around the fountain, whose 
light also made those far-spreading lawns one flow¬ 
ing stretch of living green, which made the depth of 
the shady nooks the more intense, and gave relief to 
the brighter scene. 
Showered over swelling banks or abrupted knolls, 
and on the calmer sward of the left wing limits, the 
snowy Poet’s Daffodils tossed their heads, while 
clouds of white Pyrus blossom lie on the right and 
left, and on the rising lawns, east from the Palmery, 
a massed bank of pink floats loosely. The great, big 
Chestnut trees with the palest of pea-green verdancy 
neighbour the green-fruited Elms and bronzy leafiDg 
Sycamores ; and over their heads the perpendicular 
flame-shaped Lombardy Poplars arch their statures. 
Handsome and proportioned buildings swell along 
and bank up our vision on the south side, and the 
massive Temple of Arethusa spouts up in the back¬ 
ground among the trees at the south-east angle. 
On the parterre below us and in front of the Palm 
house we spoke of, there is one of the most wonder¬ 
ful sights in natural colour-brilliance anyone ever 
saw. Tulips, and how intense their colour, how 
perfectly formed every individual bloom. Tulipa 
elegans wrung praises from the fastidious, and all 
the others were equally beautiful, and also received 
their dues in praise. These were T. Keizer Kroon, 
T. Artus, T. Canary Yellow, T. Silver Standard, T. 
Chrysolora, Thomas Moore, Prince of Austria, Cot¬ 
tage Maid, and Golden Bride of Haarlem. At either 
end of the parterre there are two oblong central beds 
filled with splendid Narcissus Emperor ; while in the 
central squares large round beds are filled wilh the 
same gclden flowers. Vases are freely set at equal 
distances along the outer edges of this flower garden 
and the dark Ivy nestling around the base of each 
does much to add effect and variety. The white 
Arabis albida hung from the vases, and yellow and 
red Wallflower spread fragrance in the breeze. 
On the neighbouring lawns and around the 
margin of the fountain’s basin the great picturesque 
pelicans gaped for the food which the scores of 
visitors supplied, and the colours of the quite-at- 
home lesser aquatic birds brought to mind the story 
of the vain jackdaw which decked itself in peacocks 
feathers, only, in the case of the birds at Kew, it 
might have been Tulip petals they used. Every¬ 
where throughout the grounds clumps of flowering 
