202 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER 
August  28,  1902. 
to  sub-tropical  bedding,  so  liberally  practised  in  London  parks 
and  elsewhere  to-day. 
Summer  bedding  is  now  a  speciality.  It  has  been  so  for 
long,  but  as  many  more  parks  are  yearly  added  to  our  cities, 
and  as  the  public  clamour  ever  the  more  for  “  sights,”  our  park 
superintendents  and  gardeners  after  them,  seem  to  be  giving 
no  less,  but  greater  attention  to  the  summer  floral  and  foliage 
arrangements  as  features  of  their  grounds. 
While  we  do  not  desire  a  return  to  that  monolatry,  current 
for  so  long,  we  should  still  feel  pleasure  in  knowing  that  the 
directors  of  private  gardens  entered  more  fully  and  with  spirit 
into  the  art  of  summer  bedding,  that  its  perfection  might  be 
the  nearer.  So  many  gardens  are  under-manned,  and  the  best 
in  this  phase  cf  gardening  cannot  be  attained  without  persistent 
and  ample  attention,  that  at  once  a  large  percentage  of  places 
must  be  subtracted  from  investigation,  on  this  account  alone. 
The  gardener  feels  that  it  is  simpler  and  better  for  him  to  fill 
his  beds  with  Pelargoniums  (or  Geraniums  as  he  calls  them), 
Calceolarias,  Petunias,  Begonias,  or  Verbenas,  and  have  little 
more  trouble  with  them,  than  to  evolve  a  “  sub-tropical  ” 
creation  of  the  most  perfect  gracefulness  and  colour  harmony, 
but  which  demands  much  labour  in  pinching,  staking,  and 
watering. 
From  the  notes  which  I  have  gathered  just  recently,  in  a 
visit  to  some  of  the  leading  London  parks  where  bedding  is 
pronounced  to  be  the  pattern  to  be  modelled  from,  it  will  be 
seen  that  there  are  many  extremely  simple  arrangements, 
demanding  quite  as  little  labour  as  the  “  Geraniums  ”  do,  and 
are  equally  effective  (perhaps  more  so),  arid  have  this  great 
merit  that  they  will  be  fresh  and  novel  in  a  great  many  gardens. 
So  many  inquiries  have  been  sent  to  this  office  for  advice  on 
sub-tropical  gardening,  that  a  list  of  the  chief  plants  employed 
in  the  larger  arrangements  may  be  found  serviceable.  After 
that  I  will  record,  in  brevity,  the  subjects  which  contrasted  or 
harmonised  to  good  effect  in  beds  which  have  been  viewed.  The 
following  is  a  list  of  plants  suitable  for  sub-tropical  beds,  and 
employed  generally  for  the  sake  of  their  graceful  character  and 
brightness : 
Foliage  Plants  for  Sub-Tropical  Bedding. 
Abutilon  Savitzi 
Thompsoni 
Acacia  lophantha 
Acalypha  Macfeeana 
1.  musaica 
Amaranthus  superbus 
Areca  lutescens 
Aralia  (see  Fatsia) 
Araucaria  excelsa 
Artemisia  arborescens 
Arundo  Lindleyana 
Asplenium  bulbiferum 
Beta  chilensis 
Bocconia  cordata 
Calocasia  antiquorum 
Cannabis  gigantea  (Hemp) 
Cannas,  various,  red  and  green 
Coleus,  various 
Cordyline  australis 
,,  indivisa 
Cornus  alba  Spathi 
Cyperus  alternifolius 
Dactylis  glomerata  elegantissima 
,1  ,,  variegata 
Dasylirion  Hookeriana 
Eucalyptus  citriodora 
,,  globosa 
Eulalia  japonica  gracillima 
,,  ,,  variegata 
Euonymus  japonicus  latifolius  aureus 
,,  '  ,,  ,,  albus 
,,  ,,  radicans  variegata 
Eurya  latifolia  variegata 
Fatsia  japonica 
Terula  communis 
Ficus  elastica 
Glyceria  aquatica,  fob  var. 
Grevillea  robusta 
Humea  elegans 
Iresine  Herberti 
,,  Liu  deni 
Kentia  Belmoreana 
,,  Fosteriana 
Latania  borbonica 
Ligustrum  ovalifolium  variegatum 
(Golden  Privet) 
Melianthus  major 
Musa  Ensete  and  others 
Oreocome  Candollei 
Palms,  various,  as  named 
Phalaris  arundinacea  (Gardeners’ 
Garters) 
Phlebodium  aureum 
Phormium  tenax 
,,  ,,  variegata 
Phyllostachys  mitis  and  o.liers 
Polygonum  lauigerum 
Prunus  Pissardi 
Rhus  typhina,  small 
Ricinus  communis 
Ricinus  Gibsoni,  &c. 
Sanseviera  japonica  (syn.  Diuc;ena 
elliptical 
Solanum  Balbiesi 
Solanum  pyracantha,  &c. 
Zea  Mays  variegata  (variegated  Maize) 
Some  of  the  more  tender  of  the  foregoing  are  plunged  out  for 
only  a  little  while  in  the  height  of  summer  and  early-  autumn. 
Those,  such  as  the  Privet,  the  purple  Prunus  and  others,  are 
employed  generally  as  two-year-old  plants  over  very  dwarf 
subjects  to  relieve  the  flatness,  or  they  may  be  masse^l  with 
other  specimen  plants.  Some  other  suitable  plants  col5ld  be 
included,  but  the  foregoing  are  the  more  popular  at  present. 
In  the  succeeding  list,  as  follows,  are  named  those  species 
and  varieties  which  are  appreciated  for  their  style  of  growth,  even 
irrespective  of  their  flowering  qualities. 
Plants  with  Foliage  and  Flowers  for  Ditto. 
Abelia  rupeslris 
Abutilon  Golden  Fleece 
Agapanthus  umbellatus 
Alonsoa  incisifolia 
Bougainvillea  glabra 
Bouvardia  Humboldti  corymbosa 
Cassia  corymbosa 
Celosia  plumosa,  red  and  golden  vars. 
Coreopsis  tinctoria,  for  iis  graceful¬ 
ness 
Erythrina  crista-galli 
Franeoa  ramosa 
Fuchsias,  numerous 
Gaura  Lindheimeri 
Heliotropiums,  various 
Hydrangea  hortensis 
,,  paniculata  granlifiora 
Lantana  delieatissima 
Lantanas,  mixed  vars. 
Lilium  speciosum 
.,  H  irrisi 
Lobelia  fulgens  grandifio  a 
Manettia  bicolor 
Nicotiana  macrophylla  gigantea 
,,  sylvestris 
Nierembergia  gracilis 
Pelargonium  citriodorum 
,,  filicifolia  odorata 
,,  quercifolium 
, ,  quinq.uelobum 
, ,  radiatum 
,,  tomentosum 
Plumbago  capensis 
, ,  , ,  alba 
Streptosohn  Jamesoni 
Swainsonia  galegifolia  vars. 
These  lists  comprise  most  cf  the  larger  growing  subjects, 
and  though  many  ether  plants  of  similar  character  couid  be 
included  with  them,  yet  sub-tropical  bedding  (an  arbitrary  title 
to  be  sure)  as  I  understand  it,  demands  the  use  of  plants  which 
are  not  cf  common  quality.  In  the  case  of  the  scented  Pelar¬ 
goniums,  the  names  of  some  of  which  are  given,  the  plants  are 
generally  specimens  measuring  3ft  to  4ft  in  height.  The 
Fuchsias  are  frequently  grown  as  standards,  with  umbrella- 
shaped  heads;  or  they  may  simply  be  single-stemmed,  with  the 
lateral  shoots  kept  well  pinched  in.  In  any  case  when  any  such 
plants  are  used,  it  is  necessary  to  have  them  nearly  of  one  size, 
and  space  should  be  allowed  that  light  and  air  and  rain 
may  have  free  action  on  the  dwarfer  plants  which  are  employed 
to  carpet  the  bed.  It  may  be  further  useful  to  arrange  the 
mixed  dwarf  plants  in  the  form  of  a  list  for  ready  reference,  as 
follows : — 
Mixed  Plants  Used  in  General  Bedding. 
Abutilon  Savitzi* 
,,  Thompsoni* 
Alyssum  maritima  variegata* 
Amaranthus  tricolor* 
Antirrhinums! 
Begonia  ascotensis 
,,  Corbeille  de  Feu 
,,  fnchsioides 
,,  Laing’s  Rosy  Red 
, ,  La  Fayette 
,,  semperflorens  gigantea 
,,  "  „  rosea 
,,  tuberous! 
,,  weitoniensis 
Calceolaria  amplexicaulis 
,,  mexicana 
, ,  shrubby  vars. 
Cannas 
Celosias 
Centaurea  candidissima* 
Chsenostoma  hispidum 
Cineraria  maritima* 
Chlorophyton  variegatum* 
Coleus,  various* 
Cuphea  ignea 
,,  platycentra 
Dactylis  glomerata  elegantissima* 
,,  ,,  variegata 
Fuchsias 
Galtonia  candicans 
Gaura  Lindheimeri 
Gladiolus,  mixed 
Gnaphalium  lanatum* 
Kwniga  maritima 
Kniphofias 
Leucophyton  Browni* 
Lobelia  fulgens 
,,  ,,  gramliflora 
Lobelias,  various,  dwarf 
Marguerites 
Me.sembryanthemum  cordifolium  va¬ 
riegatum* 
Mimulus  Harrisoni 
Panicum  variegatum* 
Pelargoniums,  dwarf  Zonal  bedders 
,,  '  dwarf  scented 
,,  Ivy-leaved 
,,  variegated  foliage 
Pentstemon  barbatus 
Pyrethru  n  Parthenium  Golden  Fea¬ 
ther* 
Salvia  patens 
,,  .  Sclarea* 
, ,  splendens 
Stellaria  graminea  aureum* 
Stocks,  Bromptont 
Tradescantia  tricolor 
Verbena  Globe  d’Or,  golden 
_,,  Miss  Wilmott,  lose  pink 
', ,  venosa,  purple 
,,  mixed 
Veronica  Andersoni  variegata 
Viola  Blue  Diamond 
,,  Blue  Bell 
,,  Bullion 
,,  Canary 
,,  Countess  of  Kintore 
, ,  J.  B.  Riding 
,,  Wm.  Neill,  &c.,  &c. 
Those  marked  with  an  asterisk  (*)  are  foliage  plants.  Those 
marked  t,  denote  that  distinct,  named  varieties  are  employed. 
Edging  Plants  for  General  Bedding.* 
Ajuga  reptans  purpurea 
Aiternantheras,  various 
Begonia  semperflorens  rosea 
Calceolaria  mexicana 
Cerastium  tomentosum 
Centaurea  candidissima 
Chlorophytum  variegatum 
Cineraria  maritima 
Coprasma  Baueriana  variegata 
Cuphea  ignea 
Dactylis  glomerata  elegantissima 
,,  variegata 
Funkias,  several 
Leucophyton  Browni 
Lobelia,  Brighton  Blue,  light 
,,  Beauty  of  Darmstadt,  Gen¬ 
tian  blue 
,,  Granite  City,  white 
,,  King  of  the  Blues,  indigo 
,,  Swanley  Blue,  bright  and 
deep 
Mesembryanthemum  cordifolium  va¬ 
riegatum 
Pelargoniums,  Ivy  -  leaved,  trailing 
vars. 
,,  Harry  Hieovef 
,,  Black  Vesuvius 
,,  Lady  Plymouth 
,,  Little  Trot 
Pyrethrum  Parthenium 
,,  Golden  Feather 
Sagina  subulata  aurea 
Sj.xifraga  muscoides 
,,  trifurcata 
,,  csespitosa 
,,  umbrosa 
Spergula  (see  Sagina) 
stellaria  graminea  aurea 
Veronica  repens 
Violas  in  variety 
Many  of  thsse  arj  used  to  carpet  sub-tropical  beds. 
Appended  is  a  short  list  cf  those  neat  growing  plants 
generally  employed  in  carpet  bedding. 
Antennari  i  tomentosa 
Alternanthera  amcena 
,,  amabilis 
,,  magnifica 
,,  paronychioides  aurea 
,,  versicolor 
Beet,  purple  seedlings 
Chumiepeuce  Cassabonae 
,,  diacantha 
Ch'orophy turn  variegatum 
Cordyline  indivisa 
,,  lineata 
Eeheveria  (Cotyledon) 
,,  glauca 
— J.  H.  D. 
Eeheveria  metallica 
,,  secunda  glauca 
,,  secunda  pumila 
Ilerniaria  glabra 
Kleinia  repens 
Leucophyton  Browni 
Lobelias,  various  (pumila) 
Mesembryanthemum 
Pyrethrum  Golden  Feather 
Sagina  subulata  aurea 
Solanum  pyracanthum 
Sedum  acre 
,,  angiicum 
,,  glaucum 
(To  be'continued.) 
South  Africa. 
Writing  from  Johannesburg,  a  correspondent  says:  “T  am 
greatly  astonished  with  this  country.  Vegetables  and  flowers 
are  grand,  and  fruit  trees  do  splendidly;  only  this  is  winter, 
the  drought  ma$-  change  the  effect  in  summer.” 
