114 THE FLORIST. 
you cannot force an Auricula, and to have them in by March would be 
ruin to them. The day was, I have said, indifferent; but 1t was 
agreeable to get inside—see the flowers, and chat with old and new 
friends ; and, despite of Kensington Gore looming in the distance, I do 
hope prosperity will still attend the Royal Botanic Society. 
March 2\st.  . D. 
FLOWER GARDEN PLANTS. 
As the planting season for the flower garden is fast approaching, we 
make no apology for submitting, the following observations on a subject 
which we have noticed in our pages before, that of introducing some 
change and variety into the composition of floral planting. 
It so happens that the first class on our list is one, which (although 
very recently noticed by us we must again recommend) has made great 
strides of late years, both in brilliancy and variety of colour ; and seeing 
that the family of Gladiolus, to which we are now alluding, is one which 
may be had in bloom from July to November, their importance can 
hardly be over-estimated, and as such they are now becoming indis- 
pensable to the flower gardener. The culture of the Gladiolus 1s 
fortunately of a very simple character. Any dry loamy or even peaty 
soil will grow them; dig it up to the depth of 16 or 18 inches, and 
enrich it with rotten leaves or well decomposed manure. In this the 
bulbs may be planted at any time between the Ist of April and the end 
of the month, and, for the latest bloom, up to the second week in May. 
The selections for planting should be made from the nurserymen’s 
lists, as we have not space to enumerate the many fine varieties offered 
for sale in catalogues, and in which the colour, height, and time of 
blooming, .are clearly stated; besides, the purchase of Gladiolus is 
entirely a matter of £ s.d. You may get the older varieties very 
cheap by the dozen or hundred, and very showy beds these make; but 
if you can afford it, you may get more brilliant varieties, as Brench- 
leyensis, Bowieana, Xc., at a reasonable price; and as an advance on 
these, you may go to named varieties at so much each, or the better 
class of mixtures per hundred. Our advice therefore is this :—Caleulate 
how many you require, and to what length you can go. Write to a 
respectable firm, and leave the matter in their hands. * 
‘the Gladiolus, however, wants some little help by way of filling up 
between their stems. Various plants recommend themselves for this 
purpose. Where there is the command of heat, the different varieties 
of Canna or Indian Shot are the most suitable; these have large 
exotic-like leaves (which are all we require), that fill up the space 
between the stems of the Gladiolus, and form altogether a grand mass, 
adapted either for large or small beds. We have used Elymus glaucus, 
a rather ornamental Grass-like plant, for the same purpose, and various 
other substitutes may be found. Gladioli are exceedingly effective 
when mixed with low-growing shrubs, where the flower scape will rise 
above the foliage, or for mixing with herbaceous plants and shrubbery 
borders ; they will require merely the space they are to occupy being 
well dug up, and a little fresh compost added to worn-out soils. - 
