July  25,  1896, 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTIGULTUKE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
85 
been  but  poorly  represented .  A  trellis  laden  with  Belle  Lyonnaise  has 
had  a  wonderful  crop  of  its  pleasing  blooms  set  in  the  most  luxuriant  of 
foliage.  Here  this  Rose  surpasses  its  rival,  being  richer  hued,  more 
shapely,  and  not  so  inclined  to  emionpoj^t  as  its  fair  cousin  of  Dijon. 
Reine  Marie  Henriette  has,  too,  made  a  brave  display,  but  lacks  refine¬ 
ment  for  cutting  purposes.  In  the  beds.  Lady  Mary  Fitz william  led  the 
van  with  grand  blooms,  its  fat  buds  developing  without  protection  in 
the  warm,  dry  atmosphere.  Her  Majesty  is  now  in  regal  form,  the 
admired  of  all  beholders ;  undoubtedly  this  is  a  fine  weather  Rose. 
Ulrich  Brunner,  which  usually  does  so  much  towards  effect,  is  this  year 
disappointing,  and  from  present  and  past  observation  we  shall  hence¬ 
forth  call  it  a  wet  weather  Rose.  Very  noticeable  has  been  the  complete 
immunity  from  aphides,  and  with  the  exception  of  Earl  of  Dufferin, 
always  the  first  to  show  traces  of  mildew,  cleanliness  and  health  without 
labour  has  prevailed. 
In  the  hardy  borders,  with  many  things,  it  has  been  a  hurried  march 
propagated;  after  the  drought  of  that  year  not  a  vestige  remained. 
Having  again  recovered  this  shallow  rooting,  moisture-loving  plant  ws 
do  not  forget  it  when  the  water  pot  goes  round.  In  the  carpet  beds 
broad  margins  of  Arenaria  balearica  stood  the  winter  well  under  the 
protecting  coat  of  snow,  forming  the  densest  and  greenest  of  carpets  ;  it 
is,  as  a  permanency,  good  to  have  for  this  purpose,  from  a  labour-saving 
point  of  view,  and  when  thus  established  defies  the  birds  to  pull  it  up. 
A  useful  plant  for  dividing  lines  or  edgings  to  larger  beds  is  a  dwarf 
silvery  Cocksfoot  Grass — Dactylis  glomerata  variegata  ;  by  cutting  this 
over  about  midsummer  the  after  grass,  which  quickly  appears,  retains  its 
freshness  to  the  end  of  the  season,  otherwise  it  is  apt  to  get  shabby 
after  the  flowering  period.  Veronica  incana  as  a  flowering  plant  (not 
carpet  bedder)  ma&s  a  beautiful  line  of  blue.  Desfontainea  spinosa  and 
Helichrysum  rosmarinifolium  are  numbered  with  the  dead,  although 
the  winter’s  tale  is  more  fully  told  in  the  shrubbery  and  kept  grounds, 
where  the  constant  falling  of  dead  leaves  from  the  evergreens  is 
past.  Clumps  of  Delphiniums  6  feet  high,  with  colour  which  is  always 
grateful  in  the  garden,  varying  in  shade  from  the  palest  coerulean  to  the 
richest  of  royal  blues,  are  not  less  welcome  for  house  decoration,  and 
have  good  staying  powers.  From  an  old  friend,  who  is  rich  in  good 
things  for  the  garden  and  generous  to  boot,  I  had  a  specimen  at  planting 
time  of  Mertensia  virginica,  and  was  pleased  and  surprised  at  its 
duration  of  blooming.  Arenaria  montana,  with  flowers  as  large  and 
somewhat  resembling  Saxifraga  Wallacei,  is  also  a  good  thing,  and  I 
think  there  are  few  prettier  flowers  amongst  the  lowly  inhabitants  of  the 
border  than  the  soft  pink  Phlox  frondosa.  Varieties  of  Gladiolus 
Nancieanus,  started  in  pots  and  planted  out,  are  now  in  bloom ;  these 
distinct  and  showy  members  of  the  family  are  worthy  of  the  little 
trouble  bestowed  on  them.  A  variety  of  Alstrbmeria,  received  under 
the  name  of  chilensis,  of  a  dwarf,  stiff  habit,  has  a  peculiar  and 
indescribable  blending  of  colour,  but  is  attractive  in  its  way.  Our 
garden  prior  to  1893  was  bright  in  the  early  summer  with  quantities  of 
the  little  Mimulua  cupreus,  also  a  yellow  sport  of  it  which  I  had 
conspicuous,  probably  augmented  by  the  drought.  One  handsome 
feathery  Deodar  has  moulted  so  completely  as  to  be  nude  all  but  the 
growing  points.  Laurels,  where  cut  down,  are  starting  strong  and 
vigorous.  Two  fine  Cordylines,  about  15  feet  high,  we  gave  up  for  dead, 
but  they  are  again  bravely  pushing  fresh  crowns  through  a  tangle  of 
withered  leaves.  Never  have  our  timber  trees  carried  heavier  or  more 
luxuriant  foliage ;  they  appear  to  revel  in  the  summer  heat  and  have 
escaped  the  untimely  visitations  reported  from  more  inland  situations. 
A  peep  into  the  houses  (our  glass  is  limited)  reveals  the  glory  of  a 
Bougainvillea  planted  out  at  the  warm  end  of  the  greenhouse,  fully 
exposed  to  the  sunshine  and  inimitable  in  its  rich  display.  Brooking  no 
rivals  in  its  unique  colouring,  it  does  not  appear  to  suffer  in  contrast 
with  a  Plumbago  capensis  in  proximity — indeed,  one  can  trace  a  subtle 
affinity  in  the  two  colours.  A  free-flowering  white  Swainsonia 
furnishes  pretty  sprays  for  buttonholes,  almost  Orchid-like  in  delicacy. 
In  a  stove,  also  exposed  to  the  full  glare  of  the  sun,  our  Allamanda 
reigns  supreme ;  supported  loosely  with  fine  wires,  the  pendulous 
