September  24,  1903.  JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  cottage  GARDENER. 
287 
rising  above  them,  and  common  Asparag.us  intermixed,  also  long 
trails  of  Ampelopsis  beneath.,  would  then  form  an  object  of 
striking  beauty. 
In  arranging  the  noble  corn  stems  among  groups  of  plants,  the 
ends  should  be  imserted  in  large  wide-mouthed  bottles  filled  with 
water;  the  bottles  could  then  be  easily  hid  by  the  surrounding 
plants,  and  if  nece.s.sary,  moss  could  be*  packed  in  firmly  to  keep 
the  stems  in  position.  A  little  later  on  when  giant  blooms  of 
Chry.santheinums  are,  for  the  time,  the  kings  of  our  gardens,  the 
stately  Maize  plants  would  be  fitting  companions  to  associate 
with  them  in  filling  large  vases,  or  in  groups  of  plants.  In  fact, 
the  uses  to  which  sluch  bold  materials  may  be  put  are  so  numerous 
that  the  busy  decorator  would  welcome  them  in  largo  quantities. 
The  great  point  is  to  have  them  when  wanted  ;  and  those  who 
lack  them  now  should  provide  a  supply  for  next  year  by  sowing 
successional  batches  of  Maize  seeds  next  spring,  and  growing  some 
of  the  plants  in  a  .sheltered  position  in  the  open  air,  others  in 
pots,  and  a  few  in  odd  corners  of  glass  houses,  where  they  may 
be  planted  in  borders,  and  will  give  but  little  trouble. — Onward. 
[The  following  are  useful  for  large  vases  perhaps  not  often 
enough  requisitioned  ;  Golden  Cut-leaved  Elder,  golden  and  purple 
Corylus  or  Hazel-nut  ;  yellow  forms  of  the  Elm;  Prunus  Pissardi  ; 
Berberis  in  sorts;  Rosa  rubrifolia,  Physalis  Alkekengi,  Snow- 
berry,  golden  reticulated  Honeysuckle,  and  variegated  Vinca.] 
Sir  William  Chambers. 
Sir  William  Chambers,  of  Scottish  parentage,  was  born  in 
Sweden  in  1726,  but  came  to  England  when  only  two  years  old, 
and  was  placed  at  Ripon  School.  On  arriving  at  manhood  he  be¬ 
came  supercargo  of  a  Swedish  East  India  sl.ip,  and  made  one  voyage 
in  that  capacity  tO'  China.  On  his  return  he  commenced  the  study 
of  architecture  under  the  patronage  of  Lord  Bute,  by  whose  in¬ 
terest  he  was  appointed  drawing  master  to  the  Prince  of  Wales, 
afterwards  George  HI.  His  first  architectural  erection  was  a 
villa  for  the  Earl  of  Besborough  at  Roehampton.  He  was  after¬ 
wards  employed  in  laying  dut  the  Royal  Gardens  at  Kew,  where 
he  introduced  the  Chinese  ornaments.  In  1771  he  was  invested 
with  the  Swedish  order  of  the  Polar  Star.  He  became  a  Fellow 
of  the  Royal  and  Antiquarian  Societies. 
In  1775  he  was  appointed  to  conduct  the  erection  of  Somerset 
House,  being  Architect  to  the  King,  Surveyor  General  to  the 
Board  of  Works,  and  Treasurer  to  the  Royal  Academy.  In  1758 
his  style  of  design,  &c.,  was  severely  attacked  in  two  .satires 
termed  ‘  An  Heroic  Epistle,”  and  “  An  Heroic  Postscript  of  Sir  W. 
Chambers.”  In  that  Heroic  Epistle  is  observed  that  “  he  teache.s 
us  that  a  perfect  garden  must  contain  within  itself  all  the  amuse¬ 
ments  of  a  great  city;  that  urhs  hi  rure,  not  rus  in  urhe,  is  the 
thing  which  an  improver  of  true  taste  ought  to  aim  at.” 
The  volume  which  entitles  him  to  our  notice  is  entitled  “  Plans, 
Elevaticn-s,  Sections,  and  Perspective  Views  of  the  Gardens  and 
Buildings  at  Kew  in  Surrey,  the  Seat  of  H.R.H.  the  Princess 
Dowager  of  Wales.  1763.”  In  the  introductory  description  of 
the  plates  is  mentioned  that  Mr.  Kent  designed  .some  of  the  ceil¬ 
ings  and  chimneypieces.  Sir  William  remarks  that  “  the  situation 
of  the  gardens  is  not  advantageous,  as  it  is  low  and  commands  no 
prospccLs.,  Originally  the  ground  was  a  dead  flat,  the  soil  in 
general  barren  and  without  either  wood  or  water.  What  was 
once  a  desert  is  now  an  Eden.  The  judgment  with  Avhich  art 
has  been  employed  to  supply  defects  of  nature  and  to  cover  its 
deformities  hath  very  justly  gained  universal  admiration.  The 
orangery  or  greenhouse  design  is  mine,  and  wa.s  built  under  my 
inspection  in  the  year  1761.  The  physic  or  exotic  garden  wa.s 
begun  in  1760.  For  the  cultivation  of  the  plants  I  have  built 
several  stoves.”  The  thirty-ninth  plate  is  of  the  aviary  and 
flower  garden.  Sir  William  Chambers  died  March  7,  1796,  at  his 
house  in  Norton  Street,  London,  and  was  buried  in  Poet’s  Corner, 
Wc  stminster  Abbey. 
Beddiog  in  London  Parks. 
{Continued  from  page  210.) 
The  following  notes  are  a  continuation  of  the  descriptions  of 
Hampton  Court  bedding: — 
3.  Another  bed.  27ft  long  by  loft  broad,  had  La  Fayette 
Begonia  a  foot  apart  all  over,  with  two  dozen  plants  of  Gardeners’ 
Garter  (Arundo  Lindleyana)-;  the  same  number  of  Eulalia  gracil- 
lima;  while  all  ever  the  surface,  between  the  Begonias,  wa.s  the 
wiry,  grey-skinned  Leucophyton  Browni.  The  edging  was 
Abutilon  megallanicus,  otherwise  called  A.  vexillarium,  the  latter 
pegged  down.  This  was  at  once  a  simple,  yet  brilliant  bed. 
4.  Foliage  and  flowering  bed  (27ft  by  15ft).  This  was  filled 
with  Abutilon  vexillarium  as  stanclards,  5ft  and  6ft  high,  bearing 
flowers.  Beneath  these  wore  Salvia  Horminum  and  DIrs.  Pollock 
P<  largonum,  edgecl  with  Antenn.aria. 
5.  Ivochia  scoparia  and  Centaurca  candidissima  were  used  in 
another  bed  similar  in  all  its  other  features  to  the  foregoing. 
The  Kochia  is  very  neat,  and  its  pea-green  colour  is  beautiful  ; 
but  the  plants  must  be  maintained  small,  else  they  get  too  forma! 
and  dumpy. 
6.  Foliage  and  flowering  bed  (27ft  by  15ft).  There  w'orti 
twenty-one  Fuchsia  gracilis,  of  bushy,  floriferous  character;  also 
Arundo  Lindleyana,  and  a  good  toning  of  Begonia  semperflorens 
atro-purpurea  (chocolate  leaved)  above  a  dense  white  carpet  of 
Koniga  maritima,  the  Sweet  Alyssmn,  and  edged  with  Echeveria. 
1726— Sir  William  Chambers — 1796. 
7.  Circular  bed  (12ft  diameter).  This  had  double  crimson 
tuberous  Begonias,  yellow  Celosia  pyramidalis,  and  Arundo 
Lindleyana,  the  surface  being  carpeted  with  Mesembryanthemum. 
8.  Salmon-apricot  coloured  double  tuberous  Begonias  over  a 
carpeting  of  Mesembryanthemum,  and  having  dot  plants  of 
Eulalia  gracillima,  (he  vhole  edged  with  Abutilon  vexillarium, 
was  exceedingly  rich  and  fine.  This  was  certainly  one  of  the 
finest  beds.  The  B.gonias  were  a  selected  strain,  all  coloured 
apricot,  or  apricot-salmon  and  carmine. 
9.  Lobelia  fulgens  and  Gaura  Lindhcimeri  over  Harrison’s 
Musk,  was  very  graceful  and  highly  effective.  So,  too,  was  the 
large  bed  (20yds  long)  filled  with  Tritemas  or  Red-hot  Poker's, 
Montbretias,  and  (ialtonia  candicans.  Then,  again,  bushy, 
pyramidal  plants  of  Veronica  Andersoni  variegata  over  Verbena 
venosa  and  V.  ericoides  eirecta  (white),  was  good.  A  few  Abutilon 
Tlrompsoni  plants,  and  the  broad  edging  of  Stcllaria  repens,  gave 
added  effect.  Anemone  japonica  above  Blue  Bell  Viola,  is  per¬ 
fection. 
Regent  s  Park. 
Under  the  superintendence  of  Mr.  A.  D.  Webster,  who  suc¬ 
ceeds  Mr.  Jordan  (now  in  charge  at  Hyde  Park),  the  many  fre¬ 
quenters  of  thi.^  fashionable  park  have  every  reason  to  feel 
thoroughly  satisfied  with  the  bedding  arrangements  of  this  season. 
Perhaps  hr  colour  contrasts  some  alterations  for  the  better  might 
be  effected,  but  the  season  has  been  of  the  worst  description  pos¬ 
sible  for  effective  bedding. 
Regent’s  Park  boasts  one  very  large  bed  of  Cactaceous  plants 
imposinglj’  grouped.  In  it  are  Aloes — huge  plants  towering  high 
upon  eminences,  and  having  smaller  .samples  of  their  kin  at  tlieir 
base  and  round  about  them.  Sedum  glaucum  and  Lotus  Jacoboea 
are  two  of  the  carpeting  plants  used  all  over  the  surface.  Yucca 
filamentosa  variegata  stands  out  here  and  there,  as  do  plants  of 
Echinocaeti ;  while  the  bays  and  interspaces  are  devoted  to 
Kleinia  repens,  Pachyphyton  rosea  and  Mesembryanthemum 
corclifolium  variegatum.  Kcheveria  metallica  and  8edum  tabuhe- 
forme  are  placed  in  places  best  suited  for  them;  these  are  large 
plants  of  their  type. 
A  narrow  border  of  Nicotiana  affinis  with  small  slender  plants 
of  Fuchsia  virgata  (finer  than  F.  Riccartoni),  and  thirdly,  a 
.sprinkling  of  crimson  Celosia  i)yramidalis,  is  worthy  of  note.  A 
similar  narrow  border,  in  fact,  a  yard  wide,  and  backed  by  a 
dwarf  hedge,  contaiirs  a  back  line  of  Dracpenas,  set  6ft  ajjart,  the 
intcrspac.s  having  bushy  plants  of  Veronica  Andersoni  variegata, 
the  undulating  front  line  being  of  variegated  Dactylis  or  Cocks¬ 
foot  Grass,  mixed  with  rosy  everflowering  Begonias  (B.  semper- 
florens),  and  a  margin  of  Bluebell  Viola.  This  is  v'cry  pretty. — 1). 
