The Garden Magazine, August, 1923 
393 
Retiro,’ the chief park of Madrid, which was comparatively recently laid out is 
a masterpiece of futility; I cannot conceive how a more meaningless muddle 
could possibly be contrived. 
You enter this large and naturally propitious piece of ground by an imposing 
gate placed not at the nearest and most convenient part of the park for the city 
but on one of the more distant sides, and follow an enormously wide meaning- 
lessly curved avenue which ends abruptly round a corner, having got nowhere, 
for the termination is nothing more than a place for motor cars to turn in, so 
you go meaninglessly back again. 
Somewhere in the middle of the mass of chopped-about Elm trees whose 
roots are carefully dug but nothing planted, is a vast mass of statuary, the monu¬ 
ment to Alfonso XII, a huge semicircle of pillars with central statue of the hero 
surrounded by groups of nude young persons scrambling about a horse or 
other animal (it looks as though someone were going to get kicked or 
bitten at any moment) and in front enormous mermaids and tritons gaze fear¬ 
fully down into a stupid, shallow, oblong tank of water about 200 yds. long by 
100 wide. In the middle of this tank are hideous ordinary galvanized iron lamp- 
posts on tripods and the populace for the price of threepence tuff-tuffs solemnly 
round these twice, never losing sight of the landing stage. This horror is not 
approached by any fine avenue but by devious and meaningless little paths at 
odd angles. The rest of the park is covered bv the mutilated Elm trees, and an 
occasional monstrosity of imitation “rockwork” is suddenly encountered now 
and then. The once wonderful gardens of Aranjuez with the famous avenues of 
great trees are in ruins too and the tree-lover’s blood boils to see what have been 
magnificent piles of mighty Planes, now mere wrecks with every bough cut off 
level at two-thirds the height from the ground. Such is the fate of every tree 
here. I cannot tell my feelings when in the botanic garden here I beheld what 
had evidently been a beautifully grown little tree of my beloved Chimonanthus 
fragrans, with top and every bough cut off looking like nothing but an inferior 
clothes prop. 
I hear that Americans are now going in for Italian gardens—a mistake 
as the Italians were never true gardeners, only builders.— William 
Robinson, Gravetye Manor, Sussex, England. 
California and Brazil 
To the Editors of The Garden Magazine: 
N THE December number of The Garden Magazine (the Pacific 
Coast Annual) Mr. A. Gould in his “Cultural Briefs for the California 
Garden” speaks of combining Begonias with blue and rose shades of 
Cineraria out-of-doors. I would be greatly favored if any one could 
tell me how and when to grow Cinerarias out-of-doors and where seed 
could be purchased. Our climate here in the mountains near Rio 
must be much like California, a long dry season and a long wet season; 
the wet being also the hot season; but the temperature is mild, around 
65-70 most of the year. I tried Cinerarias last year in flats in the 
house from the best English seed, but without results. I would like to 
grow Gloxinias and Cyclamens also if it were possible to get outdoor 
grown seed. As such greenhouse plants as Poinsettia, Lantana, Chlero- 
dendron, and Croton grow as hardy shrubs here I do not see why Ciner¬ 
aria, Calceolaria, and Cyclamen could not be grown out-of-doors. Can 
any one tell me where tree or monster Peony roots or trees can be pur¬ 
chased?— Mrs. Paul C. Schilling, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, S. A. 
—It should be quite possible to grow the above outside providing that 
soil conditions are taken care of, and by this we mean being particular 
with regard to drainage. While California has a long dry season as in 
Rio de Janeiro, it can hardly boast of a long wet season, this extending 
over a period of about three months, but not the hot season as in Rio de 
Janeiro. Frost is sometimes experienced here; hence there is quite a 
difference in climatic conditions also. 
Usually the trouble in the tropical zone is that the rainfall is very 
heavy and a humid atmosphere prevails and this is likely to cause 
considerable trouble through damping off so that good drainage is an 
important matter, and in the case of raising all of the above from seed 
it would be, of course, necessary to raise them under glass (under a 
frame) so that watering could be properly controlled. After they were 
well established as plants they could be grown and flowered out¬ 
side. 
Regarding Gloxinias and Cyclamen, undoubtedly it would be better 
to take them up, being tubers, and every season to allow a resting period 
after flowering. These should be started again in January and Feb¬ 
ruary under glass and placed in a semi-shaded position in their flowering 
quarters after the buds develop. 
Seed of all the above may be purchased from the best seed houses, 
and Cinerarias and Cyclamen may usually be purchased in separate 
colors. Sow in boxes of well prepared soil made up of mainly leaf soil 
or peat and sand. Cover seed very lightly and water carefully, keep 
shaded from the sun during the hottest part of the day. These sub¬ 
jects will stand a fairly high temperature during the growing season 
but through the flowering period will last longer in a lower temperature. 
The seed may be sown from March to August and in the case of the 
Calceolarias and Cinerarias will flower the following season. The Cin¬ 
erarias from February to May and Calceolarias throughout the sum¬ 
mer. The former usually re-seed themselves very freely, while the old 
plants are generally satisfactory a second year. 
There are some beautiful shades in bronze and yellow among the 
Calceolaria and if the large-flowered types are desired the Covent 
Garden Strain should be secured, these being wonderfully marked and 
may be raised from seed sown in boxes. The more hardy shrubby 
types, however, are easier to grow and are propagated from cuttings 
placed in sand, or by root division. It is more satisfactory to secure 
plants of these; Calceolaria Clibrani is a fine yellow of this type and 
should certainly be grown. Plants of these may be planted from April 
to June. There are now also some find shades among the tall flowering 
Cineraria of the stellata and crueta hybrids and the dwarf or grandi- 
flora may be obtained in separate colors, azure blue, dark blue, scarlet 
or really brick red, and old rose. Sow these in boxes and water 
carefully and transplant seedlings, when large enough, to other 
boxes before transplanting out in open ground. 
Cyclamen may be secured in colors or varieties separately named, 
deep lilac rose, giant-crimson, salmon king and giant white and there 
is also the papilio or butterfly type with fringed and waved petals. 
Sow the seed of these in pots and transplant when large enough. The 
best strain of Gloxinia is hybrida grandiflora containing self-colored 
and spotted hybrids which may be sown in boxes as advised for Ciner¬ 
aria. Usually for quicker results it is better to secure the tubers of 
Gloxinias and Cyclamen.— Albert R. Gould, Santa Barbara, Cal. 
An August-flowering Vine for Kansas 
To the Editors of The Garden Magazine: 
E VERY year for the last fifteen years this vine of Clematis pani- 
culata has been full of bloom for several weeks about the last of 
August. The only care it has received has been spring pruning and a 
little attention to start the new growth to climb the narrow piece of 
web and plenty of water. For three or four months in the summer 
this vine hides the unsightly telephone pole nearest our house, and 
CLEMATIS IN KANSAS 
For fifteen years this vine (Clematis paniculata) has flowered freely for several 
weeks toward the end of August in the garden of Miss Viola McColm, Bucklin, 
Kansas 
