June 29, 1907. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
433 
An Effective 
Bed or Border. 
Nemesias 
and Geraniums. 
There is no denying the fact that we all 
lave our favourite bed, or border, over 
.vhich we stand and ponder, wondering 
,vhat we can put into it to have the pret- 
iest effect possible, arranging, and blend- 
.ng the colours in our mind of all the 
plants we have previously grown, or have 
ieen grown. Still, we seem to want some¬ 
thing better. . , 
Well, those who are m doubt should 
have their bed or border deeply dug, and 
well manured. There is no use going 
into details as to how this should be done, 
as by looking up a few back numbers of 
the GARDENING World good methods are 
dearly described. Then get a packet of 
one of the prettiest annuals in existence, 
namely, Nemesia strumosa Suttonn. 
These can be sown in March or April, in 
crentle heat, and gradually hardened off 
and planted out. When all danger of 
frost is over, or if too late to make a sow¬ 
ing, good plants of these can be bought 
ready for planting out from any reliable 
nurseryman. The effect is had by plant¬ 
ing scarlet Geraniums alternately with 
these. I have grown these together for 
several seasons, and my employer looks 
upon them as indispensable. 
Thomas Francis. 
-- 
Foliage 
-In- 
Bedding Plants. 
To my mind sufficient attention- is not 
given by the majority of gardeners to a 
judicious admixture of foliage in flower 
beds. Among Geraniums, for instance, 
some dark-foliaged plant lends a most 
welcome relief, and at once throws up the 
j colouring of the blooms by contrast. 
Ordinary bedding Beetroot is a useful 
and exceedingly cheap ornament. The 
silver-leaved Cineraria maritima is an¬ 
other equally valuable acquisition. The 
seed is cheap, and hundreds of plants of 
either can be raised for a few pence. The 
lovely foliage of the various kinds of 
Cannas, both dwarf and tall, should find 
a place in every flower bed. They can be 
raised from seed, and when once acquired 
last years, if the roots are treated very 
similarly to Dahlias, and divided when 
the clumps get too large. 
Geranium foliage is also very fine when 
good-sized plants are grown, but to my 
mind nothing is more distracting than a 
bed full of Lady Pollock Geraniums laid 
out with the most careful geometrical pre¬ 
cision. Geraniums, however,-are the most 
generous bedding plants. They are some¬ 
what costly to buy, if one has not one's 
own greenhouse, but they go on blooming 
when almost dust dry, and want little at¬ 
tention. I do not like to see a bed with 
only one variety. Plant them indiscrimi¬ 
nately, red, white, pink, etc., but inter¬ 
mingle them among foliage plants. 
Tuberous Begonias are grand for both 
foliage and bloom, and planted with a 
little dwarf variegated grass to give re¬ 
lief, form a handsome effect. In my 
suburban garden I made the following 
pretty arrangement. The centre was 
planted with dwarf Cannas, surrounding 
■which were Beetroot, Begonias, and 
Stocks, a few Asters, and silver-leaved 
Cineraria, these being finished off round 
the edge with Lobelia. 
The blend was happy and pleasing, and 
besides being produced at a low cost, was 
something out of the stereotyped groove. 
A blaze of colour is attractive, but a com¬ 
bination of different colours judiciously 
blended to softness and gradation is artis¬ 
tic, and shows appreciative thoughtfulness 
and good taste. 
C. F. A. 
-- 
The Apple. 
The Apple has been eaten by man 
longer than any other fruit. The lake 
dwellers of Switzerland used to preserve 
App.les by cutting them lengthways, and 
drying them in the sun. The remains of 
these dried Apples, so large as to be evi¬ 
dently a cultivated variety, have been 
found among the pile-propped ruins of the 
island dwellings of this ancient race. 
A Rare Flower. 
A correspondent writes to the "Times ’ 
from Ruislip Hdlt, Eastcote, Middlesex, 
as follows:—“I have now in flower in my 
grounds (May 24th - ) several Paulownias 
(Scrophularineae), and as according to 
Mrs. Loudon, this tree (which is a native 
of Japan) ‘has not yet flowered in Eng¬ 
land/ some of you/ readers may be in¬ 
terested in the event. We stand 300 ft. 
up on clay soil.” 
The 
Noble • 
Fu m i tory. 
(Cory'dalis nobilis). 
During April and May quite a number 
of species of Corydalis bloom in the 
southern part of the country, and even in 
the far north would keep their appointed 
time fairly well. One of the most striking 
is that here represented by a plant photo¬ 
graphed at Kew during the second week 
of May. It had, however, been flowering 
for weeks previously. The habit of the 
plant is bold, yet the leaves are fairly 
finely cut. Each strong crown throws up 
a stem about 12 in. high furnished with a 
raceme of clear yellow flowers with brown 
tips to the petals. 
The plant is of the easiest cultivation 
in any well tilled garden soil, and as it is 
robust in habit, it may be grown in the 
herbaceous border, and for the narrow 
borders of villa and cottage gardens it is, 
of course, admirably adapted, and reap¬ 
pears year after year flowering with the 
same amount of freedom. It may be pro¬ 
pagated by division just when the young 
leaves commence to grow in spring. The 
soil should be partly shaken away from it 
so that the crowns can be separated with 
as little damage as possible. Division will 
furnish most gardens with all the plants 
they require. Even if only one were 
wanted it would be advantageous to take 
off a small piece at intervals of a year or 
two and grow them on to full size. 
Corydalis nobilis. Muddl'd! Gild Sons. 
