PART III.

SELECTIONS OF PLANTS FOR VARIOUS PURPOSES 221

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

_Separate plates to face the pages given._

PAGE

_Frontispiece_--Hardy and

tender Plants in the Subtropical

Garden.

Cannas in a London park 13

Anemone japonica alba 17

Group and single specimens

of plants isolated on the

grass 23

Portion of plan showing

Yuccas, etc. 25

Formal arrangements in

London parks 26

Tree Ferns and other Stove

Plants 28

Ailantus and Cannas 30

Young Conifers, etc. 32

Gourds 34

Section of raised bed at

Battersea 40

Acanthus latifolius 47

Aralia canescens 58

Aralia japonica 60

Aralia papyrifera 61

Asplenium Nidus-avis 70

Bambusa aurea 72

Bambusa falcata 74

Berberis nepalensis 79

Blechnum brasiliense 80

Bocconia cordata 81

Buphthalmum speciosum 83

Caladium esculentum 84

Colocasia odorata 85

Canna 86

Carlina acaulis 110

Caryota sobolifera 111

Centaurea babylonica 112

Chamædorea 114

Chamærops excelsa 116

Cycas 120

Tree Fern 123

Dimorphanthus mandschuricus 124

Erianthus Ravennæ 132

Ferula communis 136

Ficus elastica 139

Gynerium argenteum 142

Gunnera scabra 144

Heracleum 147

Malva crispa 153

Melianthus major 155

Monstera deliciosa 156

Montagnæa heracleifolia 157

Morina longifolia 158

Mulgedium alpinum 159

Musa Ensete 160

Nicotiana Tabacum 163

Onopordum Acanthium 164

Poa fertilis 174

Rheum Emodi 178

Rhus glabra laciniata 180

Seaforthia elegans 185

Solanum robustum 190

Solanum Warscewiczii 195

Uhdea bipinnatifida 205

Wigandia macrophylla 208

Yucca filamentosa 212

Yucca pendula 214

Yucca filamentosa variegata 217

PART I.

INTRODUCTION AND GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS.

SUBTROPICAL GARDENING.

INTRODUCTION AND GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS.

The system of garden-decoration popularly known as “Subtropical,” and

which simply means the use in gardens of plants having large and

handsome leaves, noble habit, or graceful port, has taught us the value

of grace and verdure amid masses of low, brilliant, and unrelieved

flowers, and has reminded us how far we have diverged from Nature’s ways

of displaying the beauty of vegetation, our love for rude colour having

led us to ignore the exquisite and inexhaustible way in which plants are

naturally arranged. In a wild state brilliant blossoms are usually

relieved by a setting of abundant green; and even where mountain and

meadow plants of one kind produce a wide blaze of colour at one season,

there is intermingled a spray of pointed grass and other leaves, which

tone down the mass and quite separate it from anything shown by what is

called the “bedding system” in gardens. When we come to examine the

most charming examples of our own indigenous or any other wild

vegetation, we find that their attraction mainly depends on flower and

fern, trailer, shrub, and tree, sheltering, supporting, relieving and

beautifying each other, so that the whole array has an indefinite tone,

and the mind is satisfied with the refreshing mystery of the

arrangement.

We may be pleased by the wide spread of purple on a heath or mountain,

but when we go near and examine it in detail, we find that its most

exquisite aspect is seen in places where the long moss cushions itself

beside the ling, and the fronds of the Polypody peer forth around little

masses of heather. Everywhere we see Nature judicious in the arrangement

of her highest effects, setting them in clouds of verdant leafage, so

that monotony is rarely produced--a state of things which it is highly

desirable to attain as far as possible in the garden.

We cannot attempt to reproduce this literally--nor would it be wise or

convenient to do so--but assuredly herein will be found the chief source

of true beauty and interest in our gardens as well as in those of

Nature; and the more we keep this fact before our eyes, the nearer will

be our approach to truth and success.

Nature _in puris naturalibus_ we cannot have in our gardens, but

Nature’s laws should not be violated; and few human beings have

contravened them more than our flower-gardeners during the past twenty

years. We should compose from Nature, as landscape artists do. We may

have in our gardens--and without making wildernesses of them either--all

the shade, the relief, the grace, the beauty, and nearly all the

irregularity of Nature.

Subtropical gardening has shown us that one of the greatest mistakes

ever made in the flower-garden was the adoption of a few varieties of

plants for culture on a vast scale, to the exclusion of interest and

variety, and, too often, of beauty or taste. We have seen how well the

pointed, tapering leaves of the Cannas carry the eye upwards; how

refreshing it is to cool the eyes in the deep green of those thoroughly

tropical Castor-oil plants, with their gigantic leaves; how grand the

Wigandia, with its wrought-iron texture and massive outline, looks,

after we have surveyed brilliant hues and richly-painted leaves; how

greatly the sweeping palm-leaves beautify the British flower-garden;

and, in a word, the system has shown us the difference between the

gardening that interests and delights all beholders, as well as the mere

horticulturist, and that which is too often offensive to the eye of

taste, and pernicious to every true interest of what Bacon calls the

“purest of humane pleasures.”

But are we to adopt this system in its purity? as shown, for example, by

Mr. Gibson when superintendent of Battersea Park. Certainly not. It is

evident, that to accommodate it to private gardens an expense and a

revolution of appliances would be necessary, which are in nearly all

cases quite impossible, and if possible, hardly desirable. We can,

however, introduce into our gardens most of its better features; we can

vary their contents, and render them more interesting by a better and

nobler system. The use of all plants without any particular and striking

habit, or foliage, or other desirable peculiarity, merely because they

are natives of very hot countries, should be tabooed at once, as tending

to make much work, and to return--a lot of weeds; for “weediness” is all

that I can ascribe to many Solanums and stove plants, of no real merit,

which have been employed under this name. Selection of the most

beautiful and useful from the great mass of plants known to science is

one of the most important of the horticulturist’s duties, and in no

branch must he exercise it more thoroughly than in this. Some of the

plants used are indispensable--the different kinds of Ricinus, Cannas in

great variety, Polymnia, Colocasia, Uhdea, Wigandia, Ferdinanda, Palms,

Yuccas, Dracænas, and fine-leaved plants of coriaceous texture

generally. A few specimens of these may be accommodated in many gardens;

they will embellish the houses in winter, and, transferred to the open

garden in summer, will lend interest to it when we are tired of the

houses. Some Palms, like Seaforthia, may be used with the best effect

for the winter decoration of the conservatory, and be placed out with a

good result, and without danger, in summer. Many fine kinds of Dracænas,

Yuccas, Agaves, etc., which have been seen to some perfection at our

shows of late, are eminently adapted for standing out in summer, and are

in fact benefited by it. Among the noblest ornaments of a good

conservatory are the Norfolk Island and other tender Araucarias; and

these may be placed out for the summer, much to their advantage, because

the rains will thoroughly clean and freshen them for winter storing. So

with some Cycads and other plants of distinct habit--the very things

best fitted to add to the attractions of the flower-garden. Thus we may,

in all but the smallest gardens, enjoy all the benefits of what is

called Subtropical Gardening, without creating any special arrangements

for it.

But what of those who have no conservatory, no hothouses, no means for

preserving large tender plants in winter? They too may enjoy the beauty

which plants of fine form afford. A better effect than any yet seen in

an English garden from tender plants may be obtained by planting hardy

ones only! There is the Pampas grass, which when well grown is

unsurpassed by anything that requires protection. There are the Yuccas,

noble and graceful in outline, and thoroughly hardy, and which, if

planted well, are not to be surpassed, if equalled, by anything of like

habit we can preserve indoors. There are the Arundos, conspicua and

Donax, things that well repay for liberal planting; and there are fine

hardy herbaceous plants like Crambe cordifolia, Rheum Emodi, Ferulas,

and various graceful umbelliferous plants that will furnish effects

equal to any we can produce by using the tenderest exotics. The

Acanthuses too, when well grown, are very suitable for this use. Then we

have a hardy Palm, that has preserved its health and greenness in

sheltered positions, where its leaves could not be torn to shreds by

storms, through all our recent hard winters.

And when we have obtained these, and many like subjects, we may

associate them with not a few things of much beauty among trees and

shrubs--with elegant tapering young pines, many of which, like Cupressus

nutkaensis and the true Thuja gigantea, have branchlets as graceful as a

Selaginella; not of necessity bringing the larger things into close or

awkward association with the humbler and dwarfer subjects, but

sufficiently so to carry the eye from the minute and pretty to the

higher and more dignified forms of vegetation. By a judicious selection

from the vast number of hardy plants now obtainable in this country, and

by associating with them, where it is convenient, house plants that may

be placed out for the summer, we may arrange and enjoy charms in the

flower-garden to which we are as yet strangers, simply because we have

not sufficiently selected from and utilized the vast amount of vegetable

beauty at our disposal.

In dealing with the tenderer subjects, we must choose such as will make

a healthy growth in sheltered places in the warmer parts of England and

Ireland at all events. There is some reason to believe that not a few of

the best will be found to flourish much further north than is generally

supposed. In all parts the kinds with permanent foliage, such as the New

Zealand flax and the hardier Dracænas, will be found as effective as

around London and Paris; and to such the northern gardener should turn

his attention as much as possible. Even if it were possible to cultivate

the softer-growing kinds, like the Ferdinandas, to the same perfection

in all parts as in the south of England, it would by no means be

everywhere desirable, and especially where expense is a consideration,

as these kinds are not capable of being used indoors in winter. The many

fine permanent-leaved subjects that stand out in summer without the

least injury, and may be transferred to the conservatory in autumn,

there to produce as fine an effect all through the cold months as they

do in the flower-garden in summer, are the best for those with limited

means.

But of infinitely greater importance are the hardy plants; for however

few can indulge in the luxury of rich displays of tender plants, or

however rare the spots in which they may be ventured out with

confidence, all may enjoy those that are hardy, and that too with

infinitely less trouble than is required by the tender ones. Those noble

masses of fine foliage displayed to us by tender plants have done much

towards correcting a false taste. What I wish to impress upon the reader

is, that in whatever part of these islands he may live, he need not

despair of producing sufficient similar effect to vary his flower-garden

or pleasure-ground beautifully by the use of hardy plants alone; and

that the noble lines of a well-grown Yucca recurva, or the finely

chiselled yet fern-like spray of a graceful young conifer, will aid him

as much in this direction as anything that requires either tropical or

subtropical temperature.

Since writing the preceding remarks I have visited America, and when on

my way home landed at Queenstown with a view of seeing a few places in

the south of Ireland, and among others Fota Island, the residence of Mr.

Smith Barry, where I found a capital illustration of what may be easily

effected with hardy plants alone. Here an island is planted with a hardy

bamboo (_Bambusa falcata_), which thrives so freely as to form great

tufts from 16 ft. to 20 ft. high. The result is that the scene reminds

one of a bit of the vegetation of the uplands of Java, or that of the

bamboo country in China. The thermometer fell last December (1870)

seventeen degrees below freezing point, so that they suffered somewhat,

but their general effect was not much marred. Accompanying these, and

also on the margins of the water, were huge masses of Pampas grass yet

in their beauty of bloom, and many great tufts of the tropical-looking

New Zealand flax, with here and there a group of Yuccas. The vegetation

of the islands and of the margins of the water was composed almost

solely of these, and the effect quite unlike anything usually seen in

the open air in this country. Nothing in such arrangements as those at

Battersea Park equals it, because all the subjects were quite hardy, and

as much at home as if in their native wilds. Remember, in addition, that

no trouble was required after they were planted, and that the beauty of

the scene was very striking a few days before Christmas, long after the

ornaments of the ordinary flower-garden had perished. The whole

neighbourhood of the island was quite tropical in aspect; and, as behind

the silvery plumes of the Pampas grass and the slender wands of the

bamboo the exquisitely graceful heads of the Monterey and other

cypresses and various pines towered high in the air, it was one of the

most charming scenes I have yet enjoyed in the pleasure-grounds of the

British Isles. And this, which was simply the result of judiciously

planting three or four kinds of hardy plants, will serve to suggest how

many other beautiful aspects of vegetation we may create by utilising

the rich stores within our reach.

[Illustration: Clumsy mass of Cannas in a London park.]

We will next speak of arrangement and sundry other matters of some

importance in connection with this subject. The radical fault of the

“Subtropical Garden,” as hitherto seen, is its lumpish monotony and the

almost total neglect of graceful combinations. It is fully shown in the

London parks every year, so that many people will have seen it for

themselves. The subjects are not used to contrast with or relieve others

of less attractive port and brilliant colour, but are generally set down

in large masses. Here you meet a troop of Cannas, numbering 500, in one

long formal bed--next you arrive at a circle of Aralias, or an oval of

Ficus, in which a couple of hundred plants are so densely packed that

their tops form a dead level. Isolated from everything else as a rule

these masses fail to throw any natural grace into the garden, but, on

the other hand, go a long way towards spoiling the character of the

subjects of which they are composed. For it is manifest that you get a

far superior effect from a group of such a plant as the Gunnera, the

Polymnia, or the Castor-oil plant, properly associated with other

subjects of entirely diverse character, than you can when the lines or

masses of such as these become so large and so estranged from their

surroundings that there is no relieving point within reach of the eye. A

single specimen or small group of a fine Canna forms one of the most

graceful objects the eye can see. Plant a rood of it, and it soon

becomes as attractive as so much maize or wheat. No doubt an occasional

mass of Cannas, etc., might prove effective--in a distant prospect

especially--but the thing is repeated _ad nauseam_.

The fact is, we do not want purely “Subtropical gardens,” or “Leaf

gardens,” or “Colour gardens,” but such gardens as, by happy

combinations of the materials at our disposal, shall go far to satisfy

those in whom true taste has been awakened--and, indeed, all classes.

For it is quite a mistake to assume that because people, ignorant of the

inexhaustible stores of the vegetable kingdom, admire the showy glares

of colour now so often seen in our gardens, they are incapable of

enjoying scenes displaying some traces of natural beauty and variety.

The fine-leaved plants have not yet been associated immediately with the

flowers; hence the chief fault. Till they are so treated we can hardly

see the great use of such in ornamental gardening. Why not take some of

the handsomest plants of the medium-sized kinds, place them in the

centre of a bed, and then surround them with the gaily-flowering

subjects? The Castor-oil plants would not do so well for this, because

they are rampant growers in fair seasons, but the Yuccas, Cannas,

Wigandias, and small neat Palms and Cycads would suit exactly. Avoid

huge, unmeaning masses, and associate more intimately the fine-leaved

plants with the brilliant flowers. A quiet mass of green might be

desirable in some positions, but even that could be varied most

effectively as regards form. The combinations of this kind that may be

made are innumerable, and there is no reason why our beds should not be

as graceful as bouquets well and simply made.

However, it is not only by making combinations of the subtropical plants

with the gay-flowering ones now seen in our flower-gardens that a

beautiful effect may be obtained, but also with those of a somewhat

different type. Take, for instance, the stately hollyhock, sometimes

grown in such formal plantations as to lose some of its charms, and

usually stiff and poor below the flowers. It is easy to imagine how much

better a group of these would appear if seen surrounded by a graceful

ring of Cannas, or any other tall and vigorous subjects, than they have

ever yet appeared in our gardens.

Consider, again, the Lilies, from the superb, tall, and double varieties

of the brilliant Tiger lily to the fair White lily or the popular L.

auratum. Why, a few isolated heads of Fortune’s Tiger lily, rising like

candelabra above a group of Cannas, would form one of the most brilliant

pictures ever seen in a garden. Then, to descend from a very tall to a

very dwarf lily, the large and white trumpet-like flowers of L.

longiflorum would look superb, emerging from the outer margin of a mass

of

[Illustration: Anemone japonica alba. Type of fine-flowered herbaceous

plant for associating with foliage-plants.]

subtropical plants, relieved by the rich green within; and anybody, with

even a slight knowledge of the lily family, may imagine many other

combinations equally beautiful and new. The bulbs would of course

require planting in the autumn, and might be left in their places for

several years at a time, whereas the subtropical plants might be those

that require planting every year; but as the effect is obtained by using

comparatively few lilies, the spaces between them would be so large, as

to leave plenty of room to plant the others. However, it is worth

bearing in mind, that most of the Cannas, by far the finest group of

“Subtropical” plants for the British Isles, remain through the winter in

beds in the open air protected by litter: hence, permanent combinations

of Lilies and Cannas are perfectly practicable.

Then, again, we have those brilliant and graceful hosts of Gladioli,

that do not show their full beauty in the florist’s stand or in his

formal bed, but when they spring here and there, in an isolated manner,

from rich foliage, entirely unlike their own pointed sword-like blades.

Next may be named the flame-flowered Tritoma, itself almost subtropical

in foliage when well grown. Any of the Tritomas furnish a splendid

effect grouped near or closely associated with subtropical plants. The

lavishly blooming and tropical-looking Dahlia is a host in itself,

varying so much as it does from the most gorgeous to the most delicate

hues, and differing greatly too in the size of the flowers, from those

of the pretty fancy Dahlias to the largest exhibition kinds.

Combinations of Dahlias with Cannas and other free-growing subtropical

plants have a most satisfactory effect; and where beds or groups are

formed of hardy subjects (Acanthuses and the like), in quiet half-shady

spots, some of the more beautiful spotted and white varieties of our own

stately and graceful Foxglove would be charmingly effective. In similar

positions a great Mullein (_Verbascum_) here and there would also suit;

while such bold herbaceous genera as Iris, Aster (the tall perennial

kinds), the perennial Lupin, Baptisias, Thermopsis, Delphiniums, tall

Veronicas, Aconites, tall Campanulas, Papaver bracteatum, Achillea

filipendula, Eupatoriums, tall Phloxes, Vernonias, Leptandra, etc.,

might be used effectively in various positions, associated with groups

of hardy subjects. For those put out in early summer, summer and

autumn-flowering things should be chosen.

The tall and graceful Sparaxis pulcherrima would look exquisite leaning

forth from masses of rich foliage about a yard high; the common and the

double perennial Sunflower (_Helianthus multiflorus, fl. pl._) would

serve in rougher parts, where admired; in sheltered dells the large and

hardy varieties of Crinum capense would look very tropical and beautiful

if planted in rich moist ground; and the Fuchsia would afford very

efficient aid in mild districts, where it is little injured in winter,

and where, consequently, tall specimens flower throughout the summer

months; and lastly, the many varied and magnificent varieties of

herbaceous Peony, raised during recent years, would prove admirable as

isolated specimens on the grass near groups of fine-foliaged plants.

Then again we have the fine Japan Anemones, white and rose, the showy

and vigorous Rudbeckias, the sweet and large annual Datura ceratocaula,

the profusely-flowering Statice latifolia, the Gaillardias, the Peas

(everlasting and otherwise), the ever-welcome African Lily (_Calla_),

the handsome Loosestrife (_Lythrum roseum superbum_), and the still

handsomer French Willow, and not a few other things which need not be

enumerated here, inasmuch as it is hoped enough has been said to show

our great and unused resources for adding real grace and interest to our

gardens. This phase of the subject--the association of tall or bold

flowers with foliage-plants--is so important, that I have bestowed some

pains in selecting the many and various subjects useful for it from

almost every class of plants; and they will be found in a list at the

end of the alphabetical arrangement.

Many charming results may be obtained by carpeting the ground beneath

masses of tender subtropical plants with quick-growing ornamental

annuals and bedding plants, which will bloom before the larger subjects

have put forth their strength and beauty of leaf. If all interested in

flower-gardening had an opportunity of seeing the charming effects

produced by judiciously intermingling fine-leaved plants with brilliant

flowers, there would be an immediate revolution in our flower-gardening,

and verdant grace and beauty of form would be introduced, and all the

brilliancy of colour that could be desired might be seen at the same

time. Here is a bed of Erythrinas not yet in flower: but what affords

that brilliant and singular mass of colour beneath them? Simply a

mixture of the lighter varieties of Lobelia speciosa with variously

coloured and brilliant Portulacas. The beautiful surfacings that may

thus be made with annual, biennial, or ordinary bedding plants, from

Mignonette to Petunias and Nierembergias, are almost innumerable.

Reflect for a moment how consistent is all this with the best gardening

and the purest taste. The bare earth is covered quickly with these

free-growing dwarfs; there is an immediate and a charming contrast

between the dwarf-flowering and the fine-foliaged plants; and should the

last at any time put their heads too high for the more valuable things

above them, they can be cut in for a second bloom. In the case of using

foliage-plants that are eventually to cover the bed completely, annuals

may be sown, and they in many cases will pass out of bloom and may be

cleared away just as the large leaves begin to cover the ground. Where

this is not the case, but the larger plants are placed thin enough to

always allow of the lower ones being seen, two or even more kinds of

dwarf plants may be employed, so that the one may succeed the other, and

that there may be a mingling of bloom. It may be thought that this kind

of mixture would interfere with what is called the unity of effect that

we attempt to attain in our flower-gardens. This need not be so by any

means; the system could be used effectively in the most formal of

gardens.

One of the most useful and natural ways of diversifying a garden, and

one that we rarely or never take advantage of, consists in placing

really distinct and handsome plants alone upon the grass, to break the

monotony of clump margins and of everything else. To follow this plan is

_necessary_ wherever great variety and the highest beauty are desired in

the ornamental garden. Plants may be

[Illustration: Group and single specimens of plants isolated on the

grass.]

placed singly or in open groups near the margins of a bold clump of

shrubs or in the open grass; and the system is applicable to all kinds

of hardy ornamental subjects, from trees downwards, though in our case

the want is for the fine-leaved plants and the more distinct hardy

subjects. Nothing, for instance, can look better than a well-developed

tuft of the broad-leaved Acanthus latifolius, springing from the turf

not far from the margin of a pleasure-ground walk; and the same is true

of the Yuccas, Tritomas, and other things of like character and

hardiness. We may make attractive groups of one family, as the hardiest

Yuccas; or splendid groups of one species like the Pampas grass--not by

any means repeating the individual, for there are about twenty varieties

of this plant known on the Continent, and from these half a dozen really

distinct and charming kinds might be selected to form a group. The same

applies to the Tritomas, which we usually manage to drill into straight

lines; in an isolated group in a verdant glade they are seen for the

first time to best advantage: and what might not be done with these and

the like by making mixed groups, or letting each plant stand distinct

upon the grass, perfectly isolated in its beauty!

Let us again try to illustrate the idea simply. Take an important spot

in a pleasure-ground--a sweep of grass in face of a shrubbery--and see

what can be done with it by means of these isolated plants. If, instead

of leaving it in the bald state in which it is often found, we place

distinct things isolated here and there upon the grass, the margin of

shrubbery will be quite softened, and a new and charming feature added

to the garden. If one who knew many plants were arranging them in this

way, and had a large stock to select from, he might produce numberless

fine effects. In the case of the smaller things, such as the Yucca and

variegated Arundo, groups of four or five good plants should be used to

form one mass, and everything should be perfectly distinct and isolated,

so that a person could freely move about amongst the plants without

touching them. In addition to such arrangements, two or three

individuals of a species might be placed here and there upon the grass

with the best effect. For example, there is at present in our nurseries

a great Japanese Polygonum (_P. Sieboldi_), which has never as yet been

used with much effect in the garden. If anybody will select some open

grassy spot in a pleasure-garden, or grassy glade near a wood--some spot

considered unworthy of attention as regards ornamenting it--and plant a

group of three plants of this Polygonum, leaving fifteen feet or so

between the stools, a distinct aspect of vegetation will be the result.

The plant is herbaceous, and will spring up every year to a height of

from six feet to eight feet if planted well; it has a graceful arching

habit in the upper branches, and is covered with a profusion of small

bunches of pale flowers in autumn. It is needless to multiply examples;

the plan is capable of infinite variation, and on that account alone

should be welcome to all true gardeners.

[Illustration: Portion of plan showing Yuccas, Pampas grass, Tritomas,

Retinospora, Acanthus latifolius, Arundo Donax variegata, etc.,

irregularly isolated on the grass.]

One kind of arrangement needs to be particularly guarded against--the

geometro-picturesque one, seen in some parts of the London parks devoted

to subtropical gardening. The plants are very often of the finest kinds

and in the most robust health, all the materials for the best results

are abundant, and yet the scene fails to satisfy the eye, from the

needless formality of many of the beds, produced by the heaping together

of a great number of species of one kind in long straight or twisting

masses with high raised edges frequently of hard-beaten soil. Many

people will not see their way to obliterate the formality of the beds,

but assuredly we need not do so to get rid of such effective formality

as that shown in the accompanying figure!

[Illustration: Formal arrangements in London parks.]

The formality of the true geometrical garden is charming to many to whom

this style is offensive; and there is not the slightest reason why the

most beautiful combinations of fine-leaved and fine-flowered plants

should not be made in any kind of geometrical garden.

But in the purely picturesque garden it is as needless, as it is in

false taste, to follow the course here pointed out. Hardy plants may be

isolated on the turf, and may be arranged in beautiful irregular groups,

with the turf also for a carpet, or some graceful spray of hardy

trailing plants. Beds may be readily placed so that no such

objectionable stage-like results will be seen as those shown in the

preceding figure: tender plants may be grouped as freely as may be

desired--a formal edge avoided by the turf being allowed to play

irregularly under and along the margins, while the remaining bare ground

beneath the tall plants may be quickly covered with some fast-growing

annuals like Mignonette or Nolanas, some soft-spreading bedding plants

like Lobelias or Petunias, or subjects still more peculiarly suited for

this purpose, such as the common Lycopodium denticulatum and

Tradescantia discolor. Choice tender specimens of Tree ferns, etc.,

placed in dark shady dells, may be plunged to the rims of the pots in

the turf or earth, and some graceful or bold trailing herb placed round

the cavity so as to conceal it; and in this way such results may be

attained as those indicated in the first plate, in those showing the

Dimorphanthus, Musa Ensete, and in the frontispiece. The day will come

when we shall be as anxious to avoid all formal twirlings in our

gardens as we now are to have them perpetrated in them by

landscape-gardeners of great repute for applying wall-paper or

fire-shovel patterns to the surface of the reluctant earth, and when we

shall no more think of tolerating in a garden such a scene as that shown

in the preceding figure, than a landscape artist would tolerate it in a

picture.

The old landscape-gardening dogma, which tells us we cannot have all the

wild beauty of nature in our gardens, and may as well resign ourselves

to the compass, and the level, and the defined daub of colour and

pudding-like heaps of shrubs, had some faint force when our materials

for gardening were few,[A] but considering our present rich and, to a

great extent, unused stores from every clime, and from almost every

important section of the vegetable kingdom, it is demonstrably false and

foolish.

[A] “In gardening, the materials of the scene are few, and those few

unwieldy, and the artist must often content himself with the reflection

that he has given the best disposition in his power to the scanty and

intractable materials of nature.”--ALLISON.

To these observations on arrangement, etc., one good rule may be

added:--Make your garden as distinct as possible from those of your

[Illustration: Shady and sheltered Dell, with Tree Ferns and other Stove

Plants placed out for the summer.]

neighbours--which by no means necessitates a departure from the rules of

good taste.

I wish particularly to call attention to the fine effects which may be

secured, from the simplest and most easily obtained materials, by using

some of our hardy trees and shrubs in the subtropical garden. Our object

generally is to secure large and handsome types of leaves; and for this

purpose we usually place in the open air young plants of exotic trees,

taking them in again in autumn; and, perhaps, as we never see them but

in a diminutive state, we often forget that, when branched into a large

head in their native countries, they are not a whit more remarkable in

foliage than many of the trees of our pleasure-grounds. Thus, if the

well-known Paulownia imperialis were too tender to stand our winters,

and if we were accustomed to see it only in a young and simple-stemmed

condition and with large leaves, we should doubtless plant it out every

summer as we do the Ferdinanda. There is no occasion whatever to resort

to exotic subjects, while we can so easily obtain fine hardy

subjects--which, moreover, may be grown by everybody and everywhere. By

annually cutting down young plants of various hardy trees and shrubs,

and letting them make a clean, simple-stemmed growth every year, we

will, as a rule, obtain finer effects than can be got from tender ones.

The Ailantus, for example, treated in this way, gives us as fine a type

of pinnate leaf as can be desired. Nobody need place Astrapæa Wallichii

in the open air, as I have seen done, so long as a simple-stemmed young

plant of the Paulownia makes such a column of magnificent leaves. The

delicately-cut leaves of the Gleditschias, borne on strong young stems,

would be as pretty as those of any fern; and so in the case of various

other hardy trees and shrubs. Persons in the coldest and least

favourable parts of the country need not doubt of being able to obtain

as fine types of foliage as they can desire, by selecting a dozen kinds

of hardy trees and treating them in this way. What may be done in this

way, in one case, is shown in the accompanying plate, representing a

young plant of Ailantus, with its current year’s shoot and leaves,

standing gracefully in the midst of a bed of Cannas.

A few words may now be added about some types of vegetation which,

though not included among what are commonly termed subtropical plants,

may yet be judiciously used in combination with them, and go far to

produce very charming effects.

[Illustration: AILANTUS AND CANNAS

Suggesting the effects to be obtained from young and vigorous specimens

of hardy fine-leaved trees.]

Among conifers we find many subjects of the most exquisite grace, and of

a beautiful free and pointed habit, which it is most desirable we should

have associated with vegetation more distinguished for brilliancy than

grace. They are in many cases as elegantly chiselled and dissected as

the finest fern, and it is difficult to find more beautiful masses of

verdure than such plants as Retinospora plumosa and R. obtusa display

when well developed; they are simply invaluable for those who use them

with taste. Apart altogether from our want of a more elegantly

diversified surface in the flower-garden--the best and most practical

way to meet which is by the use of such plants as these and neat and

elegant young specimens of such things as Thujopsis borealis--there is,

in many British gardens, a great gulf between the larger tree and shrub

vegetation and the humbler colouring material, which most will admit

should be filled up, and there is nothing more suitable for it than the

many graceful conifers we now possess. Much as conifers are grown with

us, how few people have any idea of their great value as ornamental

plants for the very choicest position in a garden! We are sometimes too

apt to put them in what is called their “proper place,”--or, at all

events, too far from the seat of interest to thoroughly enjoy them in

winter, when the beauty of their form and their exquisite verdure are

best seen. If the dwarfer and choicer conifers were tastefully disposed

in and immediately around a flower-garden not altogether spoiled by a

profusion of beds for masses of colour, that flower-garden could hardly

fail to look as well in winter as in summer; in fact I have seen places

where, from rather close association of the more elegant types, the best

kind of winter garden was made. Our efforts must tend to prevent a

desert-like aspect at any time of the year; and to this end nothing can

help us more than a judicious selection of conifers. Almost every beauty

of form is theirs. They possess a permanent dignity and interest, always

occupying the ground and embellishing it, displaying distinct tints of

ever-grateful green in spring and summer, waving majestically before the

gusts of autumn, and beautiful when bearing on their deepest green the

snows of winter. Some of the more suitable kinds are named in a list at

the end of this book, but the graceful pines are so commonly grown that

few will have any difficulty in securing proper sorts.

The Gourd tribe is capable, if properly used, of adding much remarkable

beauty and character to

[Illustration: Young Conifers and hardy fine-leaved Plants.]

the garden; yet, as a rule, it is seldom used. There is no natural order

more wonderful in the variety and singular shapes of its fruit than that

to which the melon, cucumber, and vegetable marrow belong. From the

writhing Snake-cucumber, which hangs down four or five feet long from

its stem, to the round enormous giant pumpkin or gourd, the grotesque

variation, both in colour and shape and size, is marvellous. There are

some pretty little gourds which do not weigh more than half an ounce

when ripe; while, on the other hand, there are kinds with fruit almost

large enough to make a sponge bath. Eggs, bottles, gooseberries, clubs,

caskets, folded umbrellas, balls, vases, urns, small balloons,--all have

their likenesses in the gourd family. Those who have seen a good

collection of them will be able to understand Nathaniel Hawthorne’s

enthusiasm about these quaint and graceful vegetable forms when he says:

“A hundred gourds in my garden were worthy, in my eyes at least, of

being rendered indestructible in marble. If ever Providence (but I know

it never will) should assign me a superfluity of gold, part of it shall

be expended for a service of plate, or most delicate porcelain, to be

wrought into the shape of gourds gathered from vines which I will plant

with my own hands. As dishes for containing vegetables they would be

peculiarly appropriate. Gazing at them, I felt that by my agency

something worth living for had been done. A new substance was born into

the world. They were real and tangible existences, which the mind could

seize hold of and rejoice in.” Of course the climate of New England is

much better suited for fully developing the gourd tribe than ours, but

it is satisfactory to know that they may be readily and beautifully

grown in this country.

[Illustration: Gourds]

There are many positions in gardens in which they might be grown with

great advantage; on low trellises, depending from the edges of raised

beds, the smaller and medium-sized kinds trained over arches or arched

trellis-work, covering banks, or on the ordinary level earth of the

garden. Isolated, too, some kinds would look very effective, and in fact

there is hardly any limit to the uses to which they might be applied. In

the Royal Botanic Gardens at Dublin, there is a singular wigwam made by

placing a number of dead branches so as to form the framework, and then

planting Aristolochia Sipho all round these. It runs over them, and the

large leaves make a perfect summer roof. A similar tent might be made

with the free-growing gourds, and it would have the additional merit of

suspending some of the most singular, graceful, and gigantic of all

known fruits from the roof. A few words on their culture, and a

selection of kinds, occur at the end of the book.

Although some Ferns are named in the descriptive part of this book, it

is desirable to allude to the family here. Why do we always put ferns in

the shade, when many of the best and hardiest kinds grow freely in the

full sun if sufficiently moist at the root? Why do we always confine

them to the fernery proper, when there are so many other places that

could be graced by their presence? The very highest beauty of form might

be added to beds of low flowers, by the introduction of such ferns as

the Struthiopteris, Pteris, Lastrea, etc., while they should also be

freely planted in various parts of the pleasure-ground, either alone, or

grouped with the Acanthuses and other hardy fine-leaved plants. Not a

few of the Umbelliferous plants recommended have foliage as finely cut

as any of the Ferns, and would associate very well with them. Even in

cases where the soil might not be suitable for ferns, it would, instead

of confining them to the fernery proper, be much better to arrange for

having small groups or beds of them in places alongside of shady

wood-walks or similar positions. By reference to the Osmunda article, it

will be seen how these have been grown to magnificent proportions. It

may be easily imagined that groups of fine ferns, grown to the

luxuriance there described, would contrast with and relieve groups of

the brilliant flowers in a superb way.

As the culture of most of the subjects has been sufficiently spoken of

in the descriptive part, it is needless to say much of it here, but a

few general remarks may help to make the matter clearer to the amateur.

It is hoped that the greater number of the hardy subjects enumerated

will sufficiently prove that it is not only those persons who have

streets of glass-houses to whom the luxury of “subtropical gardening” is

accessible. Once placed in suitable soil and position, these hardy kinds

may, as a rule, be left to take care of themselves.

A great number of subjects, like the Ricinus and the Annuals, may be

considered practically hardy, inasmuch as they only require to be raised

in warm or cool frames, or even (some of them) in the open air. When

once planted out for the summer, they give but little further trouble.

In the next group may be placed the tender greenhouse kinds; long-lived

subjects, like the Dracænas, American Aloe, etc., which thrive in

greenhouses or conservatories in winter, and are great ornaments there,

and which may be placed in the open air in summer without the least

injury. Next to the hardy group, this is the most important, from the

fact that the subjects are effective at all seasons of the year, and

useful indoors as well as without. They also, unlike the following, may

be enjoyed by every one who possesses any kind of a cool glazed

structure; and even, in some cases, this is not needed, for I have seen

some very fine specimens of Agave americana kept in a large entrance

hall in winter, and put out of doors in May to be taken in again in

October.

Lastly, we have the least important group of all, and happily also the

most costly, viz., those plants which must be kept through the winter

and spring in warm stoves, such as Ferdinanda, Solanum, etc. Considering

the vast number of hardy and half-hardy plants from which we may

select, this type is not worthy of encouragement in gardens generally,

with the exception of a few fine things, such as Polymnia grandis. They

may, for the sake of convenience, be considered in two sections: those,

like the Polymnia, that should be put out in a young state, and which

make a fresh and handsome growth during the summer months; and those

which, like the Monstera and Anthurium acaule, make no growth whatever

during that season. It need not be said that the first section is by far

the most important: it comprises the Wigandia, and some of the noblest

things used in this way. Plants of the other section can, in the nature

of things, be tried in but few places in this country; they are too

expensive, and they are not the most effective: but some persons no

doubt may take a pleasure in showing what will endure the open air, even

if useless for any other purpose. One general rule may be applied to

these last-named subjects--they should be allowed to make a strong

growth in the hothouse in spring or early summer, and to mature, and, so

to speak, harden off that growth before being placed in the open air

early in June, or even later if the season be unfavourable.

Speaking generally of all the tender subjects used, it is necessary to

discriminate between kinds that should be planted out in a young state

every year, and those which are valuable in proportion to their age and

size. Some plants are all the better the higher and larger they are

grown; others must be started in a dwarf fresh state every year, or, if

not, their foliage will not possess that pristine freshness which charms

us when they are properly treated. A large plant of Polymnia grandis,

for example, would, if placed in the open air in early summer, speedily

become a far from attractive object, while a young plant of the same

kind, put out on the same day, would soon produce and carry to the end

of the season a mass of fresh and noble leaves. But of course this only

applies to kinds that grow rapidly during the summer months in our

climate.

With respect to the preparation of the beds for the finer subtropical

plants, a peculiar mode is practised in Battersea Park. Here many of the

beds are raised above the level of the ground, and underneath and around

the mass of light rich soil is a good layer of brick-rubbish, as shown

in the accompanying engraving. The soil is first excavated and thrown

round the margin of the bed; then the brick-rubbish is put in on the

bottom and

[Illustration: Section of raised bed at Battersea, with brick-rubbish

beneath and around the soil.]

around the sides also, raising the bed somewhat above the level of the

ground; the cavity in the centre is then filled up, generally with fine

light rich soil, using as much of the soil that was dug out as is fit to

be used, and arranging the remainder round the edge of the raised bed,

covering it neatly with turf. The soil may vary in depth from three feet

to eighteen inches, according to the kinds of plants to be grown in it.

In this way, by presenting a larger surface to the sun, it is considered

that a greater amount of heat is obtained; but I certainly think the

advantages of the method are not so great in this way as is generally

supposed, and that it is quite needless to adopt it in the case of the

great majority of subjects. Its chief merit probably is that it secures

a better drainage. Good drainage is undoubtedly indispensable, and,

still more so, a thoroughly rich and light mass of deep soil, with

abundance of water; without these two last conditions it is hopeless to

expect a free rich growth, which is the great charm of these plants.

Ricinus, Cannas, Ferdinanda, and some of the freer-growing kinds

certainly succeed perfectly without any such arrangement as that above

described. The more delicate kinds, such as the Solanums and Wigandia

macrophylla, would be those most likely to be benefited by it. It is

needless to say, that the numerous fine and hardy subjects enumerated in

Part II. do not require anything of the kind, although they too will, as

a rule, be fine in proportion to the care bestowed in securing for them

a deep and rich body of soil.

One most essential matter is the securing of as perfect shelter as is

possible. Warm, sunny, and thoroughly sheltered dells should be chosen

where convenient; and, in any case, positions which are sheltered should

be selected, as the leaves of all the better kinds suffer very much from

strong winds, from which they will be protected if judiciously planted

near sheltering banks and trees. Even in quite level districts it will

be possible to secure shelter, by planting trees of various kinds, among

which such graceful conifers as Thujopsis borealis, Thuja gigantea

(true), Cupressus macrocarpa, Cryptomeria elegans, etc., should be

freely used in the foreground, as in beauty of form they are unsurpassed

by any short-lived inhabitants of the summer garden. Except, however, in

the case of the Tree-ferns, and various other things not grown in the

open air but simply placed there for the summer, it is very desirable

not to place the plants in the shade of trees. All the things which have

to _grow_ in the open air should be placed in the full sun. Not a few

hardy subjects will thrive very well without any but ordinary shelter,

as, for example, the Yuccas and Acanthuses; but, judging by the

remarkable way in which the hardy Bamboo thrives when placed in a

sheltered dell, shelter has a considerable influence on the well-being

even of these, as it must have on all subjects with large leaf-surfaces.

But it should not be forgotten that shelter may be well secured without

placing the beds or groups so near trees that they will be robbed,

shaded, or otherwise injured by them.

W. R.

_March 1, 1871._

PART II.

DESCRIPTION, ARRANGEMENT, CULTURE, ETC., OF SUITABLE SPECIES, HARDY AND

TENDER, ALPHABETICALLY ARRANGED.

SUBTROPICAL GARDENING.

PART II.

[*]=Acacia Julibrissin.=--A native of Persia, with large and elegant

much-divided leaves, and flowers somewhat like short tinted brushes from

the numerous purple stamens. Though this does not succeed as a standard

tree in all parts of England (where it grows well against walls, and

sometimes flowers), yet doubtless it would do so in some parts of the

south, and I have seen it make presentable standards about Geneva and in

Anjou. But for our purposes it is better that it should not be perfectly

hardy, as by confining it to a single young stem and using young plants,

or plants that have been cut down every year, we shall get an erect stem

covered with leaves more graceful than a fern, and that is the kind of

ornament we want as a graceful object amidst low-growing flowers. The

leaves, like those of some other plants of the pea tribe, are slightly

sensitive. On fine sunny days they spread out fully and afford a

pleasant shade; on dull ones the leaflets fall down. This interesting

phenomenon takes place with other members of the same family--for

instance, the elegant _A. dealbata_ of our conservatories. Seed of _A.

Julibrissin_--or the silk-rose, as it is called by the Persians in

consequence of its silky stamens--is readily obtained, and it is much

better raised from seed, as then you get those single-stemmed and

vigorous young plants which are to the flower-garden what an elegant

fern is to the conservatory or show-house. To succeed with it in the way

above named, it may be protected at the root and cut down every year in

spring, or strong young plants may be put out annually, in much the same

way as those of _A. lophantha_.

[*] _The names of all hardy species and other kinds easily raised from

seed in spring (the kinds useful in all classes of garden), are preceded

by an asterisk._

=Acacia lophantha.=--This elegant plant, though not hardy, is one of

those which all may enjoy, from the freedom with which it grows in the

open air in summer. It will prove more useful for the flower-garden than

it has ever been for the houses, and, being easily raised, is entitled

to a place here among the very best. The elegance of its leaves and its

quick growth in the open air make it quite a boon to the flower-gardener

who wishes to establish graceful verdure amongst the brighter ornaments

of his parterre. It has graceful fern-like leaves and a close and erect

habit, which permits us to closely associate it with flowering plants

without in the least shading them or robbing them. Of course I speak of

it in the young and single-stemmed condition, the way in which it should

be used. By confining it to a single stem and using it in a young state,

you get the fullest size and grace of which the leaves are capable.

Allow it to become old and branched, and it may be useful, but by no

means so much so as when young and without side branches. It may be

raised from seed as easily as a common bedding plant. By sowing it

early

[Illustration: ACANTHUS LATIFOLIUS (_lusitanicus_).

Ornamental foliaged herbaceous Section; retaining its leaves till very

late in the year.]

in the year it may be had fit for use by the first of June; but plants a

year old or so, stiff, strong, and well hardened off for planting out at

the end of May, are the best. It would be desirable to raise an annual

stock, as it is almost as useful for room-decoration as for the garden.

Native of New Holland.

ACANTHUS.

These stout and hardy herbaceous plants are of the greatest importance

in the subtropical garden or the pleasure-ground, their effect being

very good when they are well established. They thrive in almost any

soil, but attain their greatest luxuriance and beauty in deep warm ones.

The best uses for these species are as isolated tufts in the grass, in

the mixed border, or in picturesque groups with other hardy subjects. In

all cases they should be placed in positions where they are not likely

to be disturbed, as their beauty is not seen until they are well

established. All are easily propagated by division. Few herbaceous

genera may be made more useful than this.

=*Acanthus hirsutus.=--This uncommon species has a narrow spiny leaf,

more in the way of _Morina longifolia_ than the ordinary Acanthuses, and

is dark green in hue. The leaves grow to a length of about 15 ins. or 16

ins. in ordinary soil. Being distinct, it may be worth growing, though

in point of character or importance it is inferior to the larger kinds.

South of Europe.

=*Acanthus latifolius.=--The leaves of this are bold and noble in

outline, and the plant has a tendency, rare in some hardy things with

otherwise fine qualities, to retain them till the end of the season

without losing a particle of their freshness and polished verdure. In

fact, the only thing we have to decide about this subject is, what is

the best place for it? Now, it is one of those things that will not

disgrace any position, and will prove equally at home in the centre of

the mixed border, projected in the grass a little from the edge of a

choice shrubbery, or in the flower-garden; nobody need fear its

displaying anything like the seediness which such things as the

Heracleums show at the end of summer. I should not like to advise its

being planted in the centre of a flower-bed, or in any other position

where it would be disturbed; but in case it were determined to plant

permanent groups of fine-leaved hardy plants, then indeed it could be

used with great success. Supposing we have an irregular kind of

flower-garden or pleasure-ground to deal with (a common case), one of

the best things to do with this Acanthus is to plant it in the grass, at

some distance from the clumps, and perhaps near a few other things of

like character. It is better than any kind of Acanthus hitherto commonly

cultivated, though one or two of these are fine. Give it deep good soil,

and do not grudge it this attention, because, unlike tender plants, it

will not trouble you again for a long time. Nobody seems to know from

whence it came. Probably it is a variety of _Acanthus mollis_. The plant

varies a good deal; I have seen specimens of it about a foot high, with

leaves comparatively small and stiff and rigid, as if cast in a mould,

by the side of others of thrice that development, and of the usual

texture.

=*Acanthus longifolius.=--A fine, distinct, and new species from

Dalmatia and S. Europe, 3½ ft. to 4 ft. high, distinguished from _A.

mollis_ (to which it is allied) by the length and narrowness of its

arching leaves. They are about 2½ ft. long, very numerous, of a bright

green colour, growing at first erect, then inclining and forming a

sheaf-like tuft, which has a very fine effect. The flowers are of a

wine-red colour, becoming lighter before they fall. A specimen in the

gardens of the Museum at Paris, in four years after planting, had

twenty-five blooming-stems rising from the midst of a round mass of

verdure nearly 2½ ft. in height and width. This would be very effective

on the undulating and picturesque parts of landscape-gardens. It does

not run so much at the root as _A. mollis_. It seeds more freely than

the other kinds, and may be readily increased by seeds as well as by

division. Its free-flowering quality makes this species peculiarly

valuable, while it is as good as any for isolation or grouping.

=*Acanthus mollis.=--A well-known old border-plant from the south of

Europe, about 3 ft. high, with leaves nearly 2 ft. long by 1 ft. broad,

heart-shaped in outline, and cut into angular toothed lobes. The flowers

are white or lilac, the inflorescence forming a remarkable-looking

spike, half the length of the stem. Well adapted for borders, isolation,

margins of shrubberies, and semi-wild places, in deep ordinary soil, the

richer the better. Increased by division of the roots in winter or early

spring.

=*Acanthus spinosissimus.=--This is in all respects among the finest of

thoroughly hardy “foliage-plants,” growing to a height of 3½ ft., and

bearing rosy-flesh-coloured flowers in spikes of a foot or more in

length. It is perfectly hardy, very free in growth, and is quite

distinct from any of the other species, forming roundish masses of

dark-green leaves, with rather a profusion of glistening spines, by

which it is known immediately from its relatives. As a permanent object,

fit to plant in a nook in the pleasure-ground or on the grass,

associated with the nobler grasses or other plants, there is nothing to

surpass it. I know of no hardy foliage-plant so thoroughly neat in its

habit at all times. It does not often flower; and if it should throw up

a spike, it will perhaps be no loss to cut it off, as its leaves are its

best ornament, though the flowers too are interesting. Never at any time

does it require the least attention; it will stand any exposure; and is,

in a word, invaluable as a hardy ornamental plant. It will thrive best

in good and deep soil. South of Europe.

=*Acanthus spinosus.=--This species appears to flower well more

regularly than any other. Its leaves are rather narrow, and very deeply

divided into almost triangular segments: they are also covered with

short spines. The flowering-stems are about 3 ft. high, and bear dense

spikes of purplish flowers. Useful for borders, or grouping with the

other kinds and plants of similar character and size. South of Europe.

=*Adiantum pedatum.=--This fern, which abounds in the woods of Canada

and the United States, is unquestionably one of the most elegant of

those which are able to endure the climate of Britain, and grows from 16

ins. to 20 ins. high. From the tops of the erect black stems the fronds

branch and spread horizontally in a very graceful and peculiar manner.

The leaflets are slightly wedge-shaped, the upper margin resembling an

arc of a circle. The American Maiden-hair flourishes in a light cool

soil, and in a half-shaded position, or in a coarsely-broken, shallow,

turfy peat soil, covered with a layer of moss to keep it constantly

cool. It is commonly grown in the greenhouse with us, but is especially

adapted for embellishing the low and shady parts of rockwork, and for

ornamenting beds and mounds of peaty soil which have a north aspect or

are sheltered from the full sun. It is propagated by division of the

tufts in autumn or early spring. If done in autumn, the divisions should

be potted and placed under a frame for the winter, as they form new

roots more readily if so treated. There can be no question that, if

planted in rich moist soil in a shady wood, we should have no trouble in

naturalising this graceful fern, the fronds of which are such graceful

objects in the dense woods of the “great country.”

=Agave americana.=--This and its variegated varieties are plants

peculiarly suited for subtropical gardening, being useful for placing

out of doors in summer in vases, tubs, or pots plunged in the ground,

and also for the conservatory in winter. It forms a large rosette of

thick fleshy leaves of a glaucous ashy-green colour, overlapping each

other at the base, from 4 ft. to 6½ ft. long, and from 6 ins. to 10 ins.

broad, ending in a strong spine, and having numerous spines along the

margin. When the plant flowers, which it does only once, and after

several years’ growth, it sends up a flowering-stem from 26 ft. to

nearly 40 ft. high. The flowers are of a yellowish-green colour, and are

very numerous on the ends of the chandelier-like branches. It will grow

in any moderately dry greenhouse or conservatory in winter, or even in a

large hall, and may be placed out of doors at the end of May and brought

in in October. All the varieties are easily increased from suckers. N.

America.

=*Agrostis nebulosa.=--This beautiful annual grass forms most delicate

feathery tufts about 1 ft. or 15 ins. in height, terminated when in

flower by graceful panicles of spikelets, which are at first of a

reddish-green colour, and afterwards change to a light red in the upper

part, the remaining two-thirds being of a deep green: the pedicels are

extremely slender and of a violet colour. It forms very handsome

edgings, and is very valuable for bouquets, vases, baskets, room and

table decoration, etc. If cut shortly before the seed ripens, and dried

in the shade, it will keep for a long time. Dyed in various colours it

is much used by makers of artificial flowers. It may be sown either in

September or in April or May. In the former case it will flower from May

to July, in the latter from July to September. The seed, being very

fine, should be only slightly covered. Though small, this deserves a

place in groups of the finer and dwarfer plants, such as _Thalictrum

minus_, and also in herbaceous borders. Spain.

=*Ailantus glandulosa.=--Much trouble and expense are incurred in the

purchase, growth, and protection of tender plants with fine compound

leaves like this, but which in our climate never display anything like

the fresh vigour, health, spotless appearance, and youthful grace

characteristic of hardy subjects. This is one of the most valuable of

the hardy trees which, if kept in a dwarf state by being planted young

and cut down annually, will furnish as good an effect as any tropical

plant. The Ailantus should be kept in a young state, with a single stem

clothed with its superb pinnate leaves; and we can readily keep it in

this form by planting it young and cutting it down annually, taking care

to prevent it from breaking into an irregular head, as then the symmetry

of the leaf beauty becomes confused and is not at all so effective as

when it is kept to a single stem. Vigorous young plants and suckers in

good soil will produce handsome, arching, elegantly divided leaves 5 ft.

and even 6 ft. long, not to be surpassed by those of any stove-plant.

Under such treatment it could be grown conveniently to about from 4 ft.

to 7 ft. high, and would thus do grandly for association with the larger

class of garden flowers--Gladioli, Dahlias, and Hollyhocks, for

example--while among Cannas and the like it will prove fine. The leaves

are not liable to be attacked by insects--a good point in a plant used

for the purpose I suggest--and they retain their healthy green till the

first frosts in November, when they suddenly drop off. It is propagated

with facility by cuttings of the roots, but is cheap in all nurseries.

China and Japan.

=*Aira pulchella.=--One of the most ornamental grasses, with numerous

hair-like stems, growing in light elegant tufts 6 ins. to 8 ins. high.

It is useful for forming very handsome edgings, or for interspersing

amongst plants in borders, or growing in vases or pots for

room-decoration. Its delicate panicles give an additional charm to the

finest bouquets. May be sown either in September or in April. S. Europe.

=*Alisma Plantago.=--A native perennial water-plant, growing nearly 3

ft. high, and bearing a very handsome pyramidal panicle of rosy-white

flowers from June to September. The leaves are oval-lance-shaped with a

cordate base, and are borne nearly erect on long stalks for some

distance above the surface of the water. A graceful object on the

margins of ponds, lakes, etc., where a plant of it transferred from any

place where it grows will soon increase.

=Alsophila excelsa.=--A noble tree-fern, native of Norfolk Island, where

it attains a height of 40 ft., crowned with a magnificent circular crest

of bipinnate fronds. These fronds or branches fall off every year,

leaving an indentation in the trunk. It stands well in the open air in

this country in shady, moist, and thoroughly well sheltered places. It

should be put out at the end of May, and taken indoors at the end of

September or early in October, and receive warm-greenhouse or

temperate-house treatment in winter. The same remarks apply to _A.

australis_, and probably others of the family will be found to thrive

well in the open air when sufficiently plentiful to be tried in that

position.

*THE AMARANTUSES.

Among the common annuals of our gardens I know of none more in want of

judicious use and appreciation than these. The few we grow are usually

treated as rough common annuals, and sown so thickly that they never

attain half their true development, or never fulfil any of the graceful

uses for which they are adapted. But the family possesses greater claims

on our attention by reason of the more recent additions to it. The old

“Love lies bleeding” (_A. caudatus_), with its dark-red pendent racemes,

is a very striking object when well grown, but _A. speciosus_ and some

of the more recent varieties are still more so.

=*Amarantus caudatus.=--A hardy and vigorous-growing species, from 2 ft.

to 3¼ ft. high. Flowers from July to September, dark purplish, very

small, collected in numerous whorls, which are disposed in drooping

spikes so as to form a handsome pendent panicle. There is a variety

which has yellow flowers and is equally hardy. It is advisable to give

this plant plenty of room to spread; otherwise much of its picturesque

effect will be lost; and to use it in positions where its fine and

peculiar habit may be seen to advantage,--as, for example, in large

vases, edges of large beds of subtropical plants, or dotted among

low-growing flowering plants. Although as easily raised as any common

annual, it deserves to be properly thinned out, and each plant isolated

in rich ground, so that it may attain its full size. E. Indies.

=*Amarantus sanguineus.=--Is distinguished by the blood-red colour of

its leaves, and grows about 3 ft. high. Its purple flowers appear from

July to October, disposed partly in small heads in the axils of the

upper leaves, and partly in slender, flexible spikes which form a

panicle more or less branching. This plant, though a native of the East

Indies, is quite hardy, and seems to do best in light soil with plenty

of leaf-mould and having a warm aspect. It may be sown in hotbeds in

April and pricked out in May, or in the open air at the end of April or

beginning of May, and, like the others, should never be allowed to get

crowded.

=*Amarantus speciosus.=--A very large kind, well adapted for associating

with subtropical plants, as it grows from 3 ft. to nearly 5 ft. high.

The flowers are very numerous, of a dark crimson purple, and arranged in

large erect spikes, forming a fine plumy panicle. The leaves are

suffused with a reddish tinge. Plants of this species are occasionally

met with having leaves with a light green centre surrounded by wavy

zones of a reddish hue. This colouring disappears at the time of

flowering. It is an effective subject in the autumn months. Culture, the

same as for the preceding kind. Nepaul.

=*Amarantus tricolor.=--Distinguished by the very handsome and

remarkable colouring of its leaves, which are of a fine transparent

purplish-red, or dark carmine, from the base to the middle. A large spot

of lively transparent yellow occupies the greater part of the upper end

of the leaf, and sometimes covers it altogether, with the exception of

the point, which is mostly green. The leaf-stalk is either of a light

green or yellow colour. Sometimes leaves occur which have the lower half

green and the upper part red. Another variety (_bicolor_) has leaves of

a tender green variously streaked with light yellow. It is rather

delicate, and requires very good soil, and a warm, open aspect. Another

variety (_bicolor ruber_) is hardier than the last-named, and has leaves

which are of a brilliant glistening scarlet when young, gradually

changing to a dark violet-red mixed with green. Another variety

(_ruber_) has a more squat and ramified habit, and leaves of a deep

rose-colour thickly clothing the stems. Other varieties recommended are

_elegantissimus_ (with scarlet leaves), _Gordoni_, _melancholicus

ruber_, and _versicolor_, all having some claims as bedding plants. The

foliage of these varieties is exceedingly ornamental, and rivals the

finest flowers in the richness of its hues. Planted along with

large-leaved subjects, such as the Cannas, Wigandias, Ricinus, Solanums,

etc., the effect is very fine. They may also be advantageously employed

in borders and flower-beds of all sizes, and for fringing the edges of

shrubberies. The varieties of _A. tricolor_ are a little more tender

than the other kinds, and a light soil and a warmer position are

necessary for them. They do well in gardens by the seaside. They should

be sown in April in a hotbed, pricked out in a hotbed, and finally

planted permanently about the end of May. _A. t. giganteus_ is described

as very fine in recent catalogues of the nurserymen. To these may be

added a beautiful new kind, _A. salicifolius_, in the possession of the

Messrs. Veitch, but not yet sent out. It has highly coloured and very

long, narrow, and arching leaves, and is a singularly graceful and

brilliant object. E. Indies.

=*Andropogon squarrosus= is a hardy East Indian grass, which survives

the winter with but slight protection, making luxuriant tufts seven feet

high, or more, when in flower. It would probably make a beautiful object

in the warmer and milder parts of England and Ireland in good soil, but

it is not a subject which can with confidence be recommended for every

garden. However, all who value fine grasses should try it. Well-drained

and deep-sandy loam.

*ARALIAS.

This genus embraces many plants of very diverse aspects, and few that

are fitted for the open air in our climate; but in the case of _A.

canescens_, and its relative (_A. spinosa_), the Angelica-tree of North

America, we have subjects which thrive perfectly well in our gardens,

and which in the size and beauty of their leaves are far before many

“foliage-plants” carefully cultivated in hothouses at a perpetual

expense.

=*Aralia canescens.=--The specimen of this species figured was one of a

batch of young plants growing in a London nursery, and sketched in the

summer of 1868. The engraving falls far short of rendering the beauty of

the plant. It is easy to imagine what a graceful effect may be realised

by such an object, either isolated on the turf near the edge of a

shrubbery, or grouped with subjects of similar character. Success with

these plants may be secured by first selecting a sheltered and warm

position, so that their noble leaves may be well developed and not

lacerated by storms when they are fully grown; secondly, by giving them

a deep, free, and thoroughly-drained soil; and thirdly, by confining

them as a rule to a simple and rather dwarf stem, so that the vigour of

the individual may not be wasted in several branches. The effect of a

plant kept to a single stem, as shown in the plate, is always much

superior to that of a branched one. Young plants present this aspect

naturally; but old ones may be cut down,

[Illustration: ARALIA CANESCENS.

Deciduous fine-leaved Shrub; hardy everywhere.]

when they will shoot vigorously. If the effect of a full-grown specimen

be desired, the shrubbery is the place for it. = _A. japonica (Hort.)._

=*Aralia edulis.=--This is a vigorous herbaceous perennial, well suited

for those positions in which we desire a luxuriant type of vegetation.

It is perfectly hardy, is of a fresh and vigorous habit, and grows 6, 7,

and even 8 ft. high in good soil, even so early as the end of June. The

leaves attain a length of nearly a yard when the plant is strong, while

the shoots droop a little with their weight, and thus it acquires a

slightly weeping character. It is rare in this country now, but, being

easily propagated, may, it is to be hoped, not long prove so. As it dies

down rather early in autumn, it must not be put in important groups, but

rather in a position where its disappearance may not be noticed. An

isolated position, or one near the margin of an irregular shrubbery,

fernery, or rough rockwork by the side of a wood walk, will best suit

it. Japan. Division.

=*Aralia japonica.=--A valuable species, quite distinct from any of the

others, with undivided, fleshy, dark-green leaves. It is usually treated

as a green-house plant, but is hardy and makes a very ornamental and

distinct-looking shrub on soils with a dry porous bottom. It grows

remarkably well in the dwelling-house; in fact it is one of the very few

plants of like character that will develop their leaves therein in

winter. Not difficult to obtain, it may be used with advantage in the

flower-garden or pleasure-ground among medium-sized plants--say those

not more than a yard high. It would form striking isolated specimens on

the turf, and is also very suitable for grouping. A native of Japan. =

_A. Sieboldi._

[Illustration: Aralia japonica.]

=*Aralia nudicaulis.=--A very vigorous perennial, with a smooth stem

scarcely rising out of the ground, bearing large leaves with

long-stalked, oval-oblong, pointed, toothed leaflets, and a shorter

naked flower-stem, with from two to seven umbels of blossoms. Roots

several feet long and highly aromatic. Similar uses to those directed

for _A. edulis_. North America.

=Aralia papyrifera= (_Chinese Rice-paper Plant_).--This, though a native

of the hot island of Formosa, flourishes vigorously with us in the

summer months, and is one of the most valuable plants in its way, being

useful for the greenhouse in winter and the flower-garden in summer. It

is handsome in leaf and free in growth, though to do well it must, like

all the large-leaved things,

[Illustration: Aralia papyrifera.]

be protected from cutting breezes. If this Aralia be planted in a dwarf

and young state, it is likely to give more satisfaction than if planted

out when old and tall. The leaves spread widely out near the ground, and

then it is very ornamental through the summer. Prefer therefore dwarf

stocky plants when planting it in early summer. It should have rich,

deep soil and plenty of water during the hot summer months. For the

public gardens of Paris it is kept underground in caves during the

winter; but in private gardens it will doubtless be thought worthy of a

place in the greenhouse throughout that season. In Battersea Park a bed

of _A. papyrifera_, 13 ft in diameter, attained a height of 5 ft, from

cuttings struck in the spring of 1868. The plants were left out all the

next winter, and, although killed to the ground, the thick fleshy roots

next season produced numerous strong shoots or suckers. These were

produced irregularly, and so numerously that they had to be thinned out

in many places; a few spaces only requiring to be filled up. It is

easily increased by cuttings of the root, and is usually planted in

masses, edged with a dwarfer plant; but as a small group in the centre

of a bed of flowers, or even as an isolated specimen in a like position,

it is most excellent.

=*Aralia racemosa= (_American Spikenard_).--An herbaceous species, with

smooth, widely-branching, diverging stems, about 4 ft. in height, and

pinnate, slightly downy leaves with ovate heart-shaped leaflets. Flowers

numerous, white, in racemose umbels. Thrives best in good soil in shady

or half-shady positions. Similar positions, etc., to those for _A.

nudicaulis_ and _edulis_. N. America.

=*Aralia spinosa= (_Angelica tree of North America_) is highly useful,

in consequence of its beauty of foliage, among subtropical plants. Like

many of the hardy things, it should not be placed in positions where it

would be necessary to remove it, nor closely associated with tender

plants requiring frequent disturbance of the soil Flowers in autumn,

small, white, in numerous umbels arranged on a much-branched panicle

beset with velvety stellate down. The leaves are twice and thrice

pinnate, with ovate, deeply serrated, smooth leaflets. In most cases it

grows with a single erect stem--the very type we require--and it should

not be allowed to depart from this habit. The stem is fiercely arrayed

with spines. On account of its umbrella-like head this fine thing has

often been planted in exposed open spaces, where it would produce a

distinct feature, but it is better planted where the great leaves will

not be lacerated. It generally grows not more than 10 ft. high; and in

every size from that down to a plant with a stem not more than 18 ins.

high, it may be effectively used in the ornamental garden. It is

propagated by cuttings of the roots. N. America.

=Aralia macrophylla= is a fine large digitate-leaved species which

stands summer exposure pretty well, but does not make any growth in the

open air; hence it can be but of comparatively slight importance for

this purpose. Norfolk Island.

=Areca sapida.=--A New Zealand palm from 6½ ft. to nearly 10 ft. high,

with a beautiful crown of bright-green pinnate leaves, which when young

are tinged with a bronze colour: leaflets from 16 ins. to 2 ft. in

length, lance-shaped. The young leafstalks are of a greyish red hue. A

fine palm for placing in the open air in summer, and equally so for the

conservatory in winter and spring. It is of very easy culture, if

supplied with plenty of water.

=Aristolochia Sipho.=--This well-known huge-leaved plant is capable of

being used with excellent effect where large and distinct foliage is

desired. Generally it is used as a wall plant; but it is far finer when

used to cover bowers or any like structure. I have seen a most effective

object formed by making the framework of a tent loosely with rough

boughs, and then planting the Aristolochia around it. It formed a dense

green and singular-looking wigwam. _A. tomentosa_ is smaller, but

distinct in tone of green, well worthy of a place, and to be employed

in like manner. N. America.

=*Artemisia anethifolia.=--A hardy perennial species about 4 ft. high,

with a simple round stem, woody at the base, and branching vertically

above, clothed from about a foot above the ground with much-divided

leaves, the segments of which are almost thread-like. Flowers very

numerous, small, in a dense, large, terminal panicle, with erect

branches. Useful in groups, or as isolated specimens in beds or borders.

Division.

=*Artemisia annua= (_Annual Wormwood_).--An exceedingly graceful kind of

wormwood, with tall stems reaching to a height of 5 ft. or 6 ft. in a

season; the foliage is small and fine, and the flowers inconspicuous but

arranged in not inelegant panicles. The hue of the plant is a peculiarly

fresh and pleasing green, and it forms an elegant object in the centre

of a flower-bed or group with plants of like character. Raised from seed

as easily as any half-hardy annual.

=*Artemisia gracilis.=--An exceedingly graceful plant, 3 or 4 ft. high,

with leaves cut into very fine hair-like segments, having some

resemblance to fennel or other umbelliferous plants with minutely-cut

leaves, and of a deep grass-green, except in the hearts of the shoots,

where the young leaves are unfolding, where there is a slight hoary

pubescence. The flowers are in compound panicles, quite obscure, of a

pale green, not at all ornamental in the common sense, but forming a not

ungraceful inflorescence. However, the plant is only likely to be grown

for its graceful foliage and habit, and the flowers, which only appear

in autumn, may be pinched off if not admired. Similar positions to

those recommended for the preceding species. Seed.

=*Arum crinitum.=--The appearance of this plant when in flower is very

grotesque from the singular shape of its broad, speckled, contorted

spathe. The leaves are divided into five or seven deep segments, the

central division being much broader than the others, and the

leaf-stalks, overlapping each other, form a sort of spurious stem a foot

or 14 ins. high, marbled and spotted with purplish-black. The treatment

for this plant is similar to that given for _A. Dracunculus_; but as it

is rather more tender, it will require more care and shelter in winter.

Warm borders, fringes of shrubberies, or beds of the smaller subtropical

plants, will suit it best. The appearance of the flower is almost too

repulsive for the nerves of some persons. Division. S. of Europe.

=*Arum Dracunculus.=--A strange-looking but handsome plant, with a white

stem curiously marbled with black, about 3 ft. high, and very deeply cut

palm-like leaves, broadly veined and spotted with white. The spathe is

of a pale green colour on the outside and of a deep purple-violet

within, and, as well as the flowers, exhales a powerful carrion odour.

Requires a light, deep, and dry soil, and does best in half-shady

positions. Easily multiplied by division in spring or autumn. It is best

fitted for the fringes of shrubberies, etc., or among the vegetation

that sometimes starts from the bottoms of warm walls. S. of Europe.

=*Arum italicum.=--This plant, which is a native of the Isle of Wight

and the Channel Islands, resembles the common _A. maculatum_ in habit

and in the shape of its leaves, which are, however, of a dark

bluish-green colour, handsomely spotted with white, and marked with

yellow veinings. Although it is a very hardy plant, and will thrive

almost anywhere in moist soil and a shady position, it will be better to

place it in sheltered positions along the sunny fronts of shrubberies,

amidst low-spreading evergreens, and in cosy spots about the flanks of

rock work and ferneries, to prevent its handsome foliage from being

disfigured by cold wintry winds. One great merit of this is that it may

be used to ornament positions in which few other plants will

thrive,--as, for instance, under trees, groups of shrubs, etc. Easily

multiplied by division in the end of summer and in autumn. S. of Europe.

=*Arundo conspicua.=--A companion for the Pampas grass, though by no

means equal to it, as has been stated by some writers. In some very fine

deep and free sandy loams it attains a height of nearly 12 ft., but this

is rare. As a conservatory subject it is fine in flower, and it will be

often seen in large conservatories after a few years. A large pot or tub

will be necessary if it is grown indoors. The drooping foliage will

always prove graceful, and it sends up long silvery plumes, drooping

also, and strikingly beautiful. Judging by its different appearance when

freely grown in a tub indoors, and when planted out even in favourable

spots, my impression is that it by no means takes so kindly to our

northern climate as the Pampas grass. However, it is well worth growing,

even in districts where it does not attain a great development. It comes

into flower before the Pampas grass, and may be considered as a sort of

forerunner of that magnificent herb. New Zealand.

=*Arundo Donax.=--This great reed of the south of Europe is a very noble

plant on good soils. In the south of England it forms canes 10 ft. high,

and has a very distinct and striking aspect. It will grow higher than

that if put in a rich deep soil in a favoured locality; and those who so

plant clumps of it on the turf in their pleasure-grounds will not be

disappointed at the result. Nothing can be finer than the aspect of this

plant when allowed to spread out into a mass on the turf of the

flower-garden or pleasure-ground. It seems much to prefer deep sandy

soils to heavy ones; indeed, I have known it refuse to grow on heavy

clay soil, and flourish most luxuriantly on a deep sandy loam in the

same district. Like all large-leaved plants, it loves shelter. No garden

or pleasure-ground in the southern parts of England and Ireland should

be without a tuft of it in a sheltered spot. But, fine as it is for

effect and distinctness, its variegated variety is of more value for the

flower-garden proper.

=*Arundo Donax versicolor.=--We have already noticed several fine things

for grouping together, or for standing alone on the turf and near the

margin of a shrubbery-border, and this is as well suited for close

association with the choicest bedding-flowers as an Adiantum frond is

with a bouquet. It will be found hardy in the southern counties, and,

considerably north of London, may be saved by a little mound of

cocoa-fibre, sifted coal-ashes, or any like material that may be at

hand. In consequence of its effective variegation, it never assumes a

large development, like the green or normal form of the species, but

keeps dwarf, and yet thoroughly graceful. It is of course best suited

for warm, free, and good soils, and abhors clay, though it is quite

possible to grow it even on that with a little attention to the

preparation of the ground. But it is in all cases better to avoid things

that will not grow freely and gracefully on whatever soil we may have to

deal with: and it is to those having gardens on good sandy soils, and in

the warmer parts of England, that I would specially recommend this grand

variegated subject. For a centre to a circular bed nothing can surpass

it in the summer and autumn flower-garden, while numerous other charming

uses may be made of it. Not the least happy of these would be to plant a

tuft of it on the green turf, in a warm spot, near a group of choice

shrubs, to help, with many other things named, to fill up the gap that

is now nearly everywhere observed between ordinary fleeting flowers and

the taller tree and shrub vegetation. It is better to leave the plant in

the ground, in a permanent position, than to take it up annually.

Protect the roots in the winter, whether it be planted in the middle of

a flower-bed or by itself in a little circle on the grass. Increased by

placing a shoot or stem in a tank of water, when little plants with

roots will soon start from every joint; they should be cut off, potted,

and placed in frames, where they will soon become strong enough for

planting out.

=*Arundo Phragmites= (_Common Reed_).--A native marsh-or water-plant, 5

ft. or 6 ft. high, bearing when in flower a large, handsome, spreading,

purplish panicle. The stems are smooth, simple, very erect, and grow

closely together. The plant is only attractive when in flower, as its

flat, ribbon-like leaves do not of themselves present any very striking

appearance. Useful for the margins of artificial waters, etc., to which

it may be brought from its wild haunts. It should, however, if possible,

be kept in one spot and not allowed to spread too much.

=*Asclepias Cornuti.=--A handsome hardy perennial from N. America,

sending up from its running, underground rootstock a number of erect,

unbranched stems, from 4 ft. to 6½ ft. high, thickly covered with large

opposite oval leaves. The flowers are of a light rose-colour, and

agreeably fragrant, and are borne in large umbels at the tops of the

stems. The plant does well in almost any kind of soil or position, and

is well adapted for planting in places which do not require much

attention. As it spreads very rapidly at the root, it is better to

exclude it from small beds or gardens, which would soon be overrun by

it. Several other species are in cultivation, the best of which are _A.

speciosa_ (Douglasii), _A. incarnata_, and _A. tuberosa_.

=*Asparagus Broussoneti= (_Giant Asparagus_).--A vigorous, climbing

asparagus, with a tapering, shrubby stem, 10 or 12 ft. high. The flowers

are small and inconspicuous, and are followed by numerous small red

berries. An excellent subject for tall trellises, rustic bowers, stumps

of trees, tall poles, etc. Canary Islands.

=Asplenium Nidus-avis.=--This is a remarkable fern, which has been

placed out of doors in the garden in summer, from early in June to

October; but it is not vigorous or hardy enough to be generally

recommended for this purpose. However, as it may have been noticed in

abundance at Battersea Park, I allude to it here. The leaves are rather

broad, pointed, and undulating, nearly 3 ft. long, and form roundish,

spreading, nest-like tufts. It is a favourite subject in places where

large collections of tropical ferns are grown, and in such places a

plant may be tried in the open air in a very warm, shady, and perfectly

sheltered position. E. Indies.

[Illustration: Asplenium Nidus-avis.]

=*Astilbe rivularis.=--A large-leaved and striking plant from Nepaul,

with the habit and general appearance of a _Spiræa_, growing to a height

of more than 3 ft., and of a free and graceful habit, which makes it

useful for association with the finer-foliaged herbaceous plants, and

for dotting here and there in the wild or picturesque garden. It keeps

its foliage well through the season, unlike some herbaceous plants, and

is therefore all the more valuable. Flowers late in summer, small,

yellowish-white, in large panicled spikes. The radical leaves are broad,

twice ternate with toothed divisions, and the base of the leaf-stalk is

covered with numerous rough tawny hairs. Being pretty hardy, the

Astilbe usually succeeds well in any cool rich soil, and best in

half-shaded positions. Easily multiplied by division. It is suited for

isolation, borders, fringes of shrubberies, or for groups of hardy

plants.

*=Astilbe rubra.=--A very pretty and hardy plant, also resembling a.

_Spiræa_ in habit and appearance, and growing from 4 ft. to 6 ft. high.

The leaves are twice ternate, with oblique, heart-shaped leaflets, 1 in.

to 2 ins. long, and with lengthened serrated points. The flowers are

numerous, in dense panicles, and of a rose-colour, appearing late in

summer and in autumn. The same positions, etc., as those for the

preceding kind. North America, Japan, and mountains of Northern India.

=*Bambusa.=--I wish to call the attention of all horticulturists who

live in the southern and more favoured parts of these islands to the

fact that there are several bamboos and bamboo-like plants from rather

cool countries that are well worth planting. Nothing can exceed the

grace of a bamboo of any kind if freely grown; but if starved in a

crowded house, or grown in a cold dry place, where the graceful shoots

cannot arch forth in all their native beauty, nothing can be more

miserable in aspect. In cold bad soils and exposed dry places in the

British Isles these bamboos have little chance; but, on the other hand,

they will be found to make most graceful objects in many a sheltered

nook in the south and southwestern parts of England and Ireland. We have

some knowledge of the capabilities of one kind in this country. In a

well-sheltered moist spot at Bicton I have seen _Bambusa falcata_ send

up young shoots, long and graceful, like the slenderest of fishing-rods,

while the older ones were branched into a beautiful mass of light

foliage of a distinct type. The same plant grows in the county of Cork

to a height of nearly 20 ft. This is the best known kind we have. At

Paris I was fortunate enough to observe various other kinds doing very

well indeed, although the climate is not so suitable as that of Cork or

Devon. These were _Bambusa edulis_, _aurea_, _nigra_, _Simonii_,

_mitis_, _Metake_, and _viridi-glaucescens_, the first and last of this

group being very free and good. All the others will prove hardy in the

south of England and Ireland, though, as some of them have not yet been

tried there, it requires the test of actual experiment. Those who wish

to begin cautiously had better take _B. Simonii_, _viridi-glaucescens_,

and _edulis_ to commence with, as they are the most certainly hardy, so

far as I have observed. The best way to treat any of these plants,

obtained in summer or autumn, would be to grow them in a cool frame or

pit till the end of April, then harden them off for a fortnight or so,

and plant out in a nice warm spot, sheltered also, with good free

soil--taking care that the roots are carefully spread out, and giving a

good free watering to settle the soil. There are no plants more worthy

of attention than these where the climate is at all favourable, and

there are numerous moist nooks near the sea-side where they will be

found to grow most satisfactorily, as well as in the south.

=*Bambusa aurea.=--A very hardy and graceful Chinese species, differing

but slightly from _B. viridi-glaucescens_ in size and habit, and forming

elegant tufts with its slender much-branched stems, which attain a

height of from 6½ ft. to 10 ft., and are of a light-green colour when

[Illustration: BAMBUSA AUREA.

Thriving in warm and mild southern districts.]

young, changing into a yellowish hue, and finally becoming of a

straw-yellow when fully grown. The leaves are lance-shaped acute, light

green, and are distinguished from those of _B. viridi-glaucescens_ by

having their under surface less glaucescent, and the sheath always

devoid of the long silky hairs. The preliminary remarks on culture,

etc., will apply to all the species here described.

=*Bambusa edulis.=--A hardy and vigorous kind, with very elegant

light-green shoots and olive-green stems, attaining a height of 10 ft.

in the neighbourhood of Paris. The leaves are small, and the plant is

not nearly so branching as in some other kinds.

=*Bambusa falcata= (_Arundinaria falcata_).--A very ornamental species

from Nepaul and the Himalayas, and at present the only kind of bamboo

much planted with us. It grows from 7 ft. to 20 ft. high, and has woody,

twisted, smooth stems of a yellowish-green or straw-colour, knotty,

bearing on one side of each of the knots a bundle of small branches

equally knotty and twisted. The whole plant has a pale yellowish hue,

except in the young spikelets and sheaths, which are occasionally

purplish. The leaves are of a fine delicate green, from 4 ins. to 6 ins.

long, ribbon-like, linear-acute, sickle-shaped, in two rows,

short-stalked, and sheathing. It is hardy over the greater part of

England and Ireland, but only attains full development in the south and

west. I have seen it attain great luxuriance in Devon, and nearly 20 ft.

high near Cork, though in many districts it is stunted. It loves a deep,

sandy, and rich soil, and plenty of moisture when growing fast.

=*Bambusa Fortunei.=--A pretty dwarf variegated species from Japan, of

which I have not seen the green form in cultivation, with very dwarf,

slender, branching, hollow, half-shrubby stems, seldom growing more than

18 ins. high, and with very short internodes. The leaves are 3½ ins. to

8 ins. long, linear-lance-shaped, abruptly pointed, somewhat rounded at

the base, serrated and often fringed with long hairs on the margin,

downy on both sides; they are distinctly variegated, the transverse

veins being often of a bottle-green colour; stalks very short and hairy.

This kind has proved hardy in our gardens, but it has not the charm of

grace possessed by the other kinds, and is chiefly desirable in

collections of variegated and edging plants.

=*Bambusa japonica= (_B. Metake_).--A large-leaved and rather dwarf

species from Japan, growing from 4 ft. to 7 ft. high, with erect

thickly-tufted stems, which are entirely covered by the sheaths of the

leaves; the branches are also erect. The leaves are lance-shaped, with a

very sharp point, dark green, persistent, narrowed into a short

leaf-stalk, and nearly a foot long. This species sometimes flowers with

extraordinary profusion at the expense of a portion of the foliage,

which withers away and leaves the naked stems exposed. This may,

however, be prevented to some extent, by placing the plants on mounds

somewhat above the level of the surrounding soil. I have seen it thrive

very freely in the late Mr. Borrer’s garden in Sussex, and in one or two

other places. It loves a peat soil, or a very free moist and deep loam,

and runs a good deal at the root.

=Bambusa mitis.=--A fine and vigorous kind from Cochin China, somewhat

tenderer than most of the other

[Illustration: BAMBUSA FALCATA.

Hardy Bamboo Section; growing 16 to 20 feet high in the milder southern

parts of England and Ireland.]

kinds enumerated, though no doubt it will be found to thrive in the

milder southern districts; or it may be found useful if grown in the

conservatory in winter and placed out in the open air in summer, as is

sometimes done with _B. arundinacea_, which otherwise could not possibly

be seen out of doors in our climate. Panicle simple, erect, close;

spikes long, imbricated. Leaves rather large, lance-shaped, striated,

clasping the stem, which is woody and tapering; nodes rather distant,

and not very prominent.

=*Bambusa nigra.=--A rather compact-growing Chinese kind, with nearly

solid stems, and thinner leaves than those of any other species. The

stems are smooth and bushy, about 7 ft. high, of a light green, dotted

and striped with purple when young, changing to a glistening black when

fully grown; they branch very much at the top, and sometimes from the

base up. The leaves are oval-oblong, acute, shortly-stalked, with a

hard, dry, persistent sheath; their tender green colour contrasting

finely with the blackish hue of the stems. It is best planted as

isolated specimens near the margins of shrubberies, or on slopes in the

pleasure-ground in warm, sunny, and sheltered positions, in deep, sandy,

and well-drained soil.

=*Bambusa Quilioi.=--A Japanese species of vigorous growth, with robust

green stems and bright-green leaves, polished above and slightly mealy

beneath, the ligule bearing a little bundle of brownish-grey hairs at

the top. This kind I first saw in the gardens of the Acclimatisation

Society at Paris, where it was thriving vigorously, and I have little

doubt of its proving valuable in Britain.

=*Bambusa Simonii.=--A handsome, distinct, and vigorous species, which

has grown very freely for some years past in the neighbourhood of Paris.

The stems are numerous and grow as much as 10 ft. high in a season. They

are mealy-glaucous at the joints, and the branchlets are numerous and

rather closely crowded. The leaves are narrow, sometimes nearly a foot

long, and are occasionally striped with white. This species, which was

obtained from China some years since, has thriven very well in the

gardens at Paris, where M. Carrière first drew my attention to it. From

what I have seen it do there I have no doubt it will prove of great

value in the milder southern parts of England and Ireland.

=*Bambusa violascens.=--A hardy and vigorous kind, intermediate between

_B. nigra_ and _B. viridi-glaucescens_, most resembling the

last-mentioned however. It has blackish-violet much-branched stems,

which assume a yellow tinge with age. The leaves are green above,

bluish-grey beneath, with an elongated ligule surrounded by a bundle of

black hairs. Native of China.

=*Bambusa viridi-glaucescens.=--A species from Northern China, which has

been proved very hardy and free in the Paris gardens, and will,

probably, in warm parts of our islands, make a more vigorous growth and

prove a more beautiful object than any other kind. The stems, of a

light-yellowish-green, grow from 7 ft. to 12 ft. high, branching from

the base, each branch again branching very much. The leaves are very

numerous, especially at the ends of the branches, of a pale-green,

bluish underneath, sheathing the stem for a considerable length. It

forms a fine object when planted as isolated specimens in sheltered warm

glades in the pleasure-ground, or in snug open spots near wood-walks,

in very deep, rich, light, and well-drained soil.

=*Bambusa viridis striata.=--Described as a vigorous-growing, hardy

kind, with numerous branches, having its long leaves green on both

sides, and marked with bands, some of a yellowish and others of a deeper

green. It is a native of Japan, and was recommended by MM. Thibaut and

Ketteleer of Paris, but I have had no experience of its growth.

=*Baptisia australis.=--A handsome hardy perennial from N. America,

forming strong bushy tufts from 3 ft. to 5 ft. high, and from 3 ft. to 6

ft. across, with sea-green trifoliate leaves which reflect a metallic

lustre. The flowers are of a delicate blue, with wings of a

greenish-white colour, and are borne in long erect spikes. Grows well in

ordinary, deep, well-drained soil, preferring a sandy loam. _B.

exaltata_ and _B. alba_ are closely allied to the preceding species, and

form equally handsome bushes. The foliage of these is of a character to

permit of their being grouped along with some of the finer perennial

foliage-plants with good effect. Division.

=*Berberis Aquifolium.=--A well-known shrub from N. America, with simple

stems from 3¼ ft. to 6½ ft. high, and very glistening, bright green

leaves, each consisting of 7 or 9 sessile, oval, spiny leaflets. Where

the plant is fully exposed to the sun, the foliage frequently acquires

an agreeable reddish tinge. There are numerous varieties, of which _B.

floribunda_ may be mentioned as very handsome in habit and profuse in

flower, and _B. nitens_, remarkable for the extremely glossy appearance

of the old leaves, which when young are of a rich bronze changing to a

dark green. This variety is of a dwarf and compact habit. It requires a

shady situation and a compost of peat, loam, and sand. Though so very

common, it will be found worth planting in some places among groups of

hardy things, and also for isolation on the turf, its leaves being very

ornamental.

=*Berberis Bealii.=--This is perhaps the finest of all the hardy

species, whether as regards foliage or flower, while the fruit, in

colour and size, surpasses that of any other kind. The leaflets vary to

a very great degree on the same plant, both in form and size, some being

5 ins. long and 3½ ins. broad, the average size being 3 ins. long by 2

ins. broad: some again are nearly square, while others are long and

narrow, with a very stiff triangular point. Shade, shelter from gusts of

wind, and rich, well-manured soil are absolutely necessary to do full

justice to the merits of this species. By pruning it to a single stem,

it may be made to assume a very effective palm-like character. It is

easily propagated from seed; a single berry frequently producing three

plants. Being a noble subject for quiet half-shady wood-walks in peat or

moist sandy loam, it should be much planted in the southern and milder

districts. Where it thrives freely, it would prove a fine object on the

margins of shrubberies grouped with the hardy “subtropical” plants, or

indeed in any position.

=*Berberis japonica.=--A very handsome species, 5 ft. or 6 ft. high,

with very leathery, pinnate, spiny leaves, from 1 ft. to 18 ins. long,

slightly tinged with pink when first opened, then becoming pale green,

and finally changing to dark green blotched with yellow. Flowers yellow,

in large racemes, succeeded by large handsome

[Illustration: BERBERIS NEPALENSIS.

Fine-leaved evergreen shrub Section; very effective when well-grown, in

the warmer southern districts.]

clusters of purple berries. This is also a fine kind for half-shady

walks, and for similar positions and soil to those recommended for _B.

Bealii_. Japan.

=*Berberis nepalensis.=--The noble habit of this plant makes it

peculiarly valuable, possessing, as it does, the grace of a luxuriant

fern with the rigidity of texture and port of a Cycas. The leaves are

occasionally 2 ft. in length and of a pale green colour, sometimes with

eight pairs of leaflets and an odd one: some of the leaflets 6 ins. long

and nearly 2 ins. broad, with coarse spiny teeth on the margin. The

inflorescence is very striking and beautiful. The Nepaul Barberry is one

of those subjects that are too hardy to perish in our climate, yet which

do not usually attain perfect development in it. It exists about London

in the open air, and flowers in early spring; but the leaves seldom

attain one-fourth of their full development, and the plant scarcely ever

displays its vigorous grace. In mild parts, principally in the south and

south-west, it grows more freely, and when judiciously placed in

sheltered positions, in deep and rather sandy soil, it becomes a

beautiful object. Where it thrives in the open air, it may be most

tastefully used in the more open spots near the hardy fernery, here and

there among “American plants,” or other choice shrubs with simple

leaves, and also isolated in the grass a little way from the margin of

the shrubbery in sheltered spots in the pleasure-ground. It should also,

in places favourable to its growth in the open air, prove very useful as

a hardy “subtropical” plant. Where it does not thrive well in the open

air, it should not be planted. Nepaul.

=*Beta cicla variegata= (_Chilian Beet_).--Under this name a very showy

plant has recently come into cultivation. When well grown the leaves are

often more than a yard long, and present a vivid and most striking

coloration. Their midribs are 4 ins. or more across, and vary from a

dark deep waxy orange to vivid polished crimson. The splendid hue of the

lower part of the leaf-stalk flows on towards the point, and spreads in

smaller streams through the main veins and ramifications of the great

soft blade of the leaf, which is often 1 ft. and even 15 ins. in

diameter, if the plant be in rich ground. The under sides of the leaves

are most richly coloured, and the habit such that these sides are well

seen. It requires the treatment of an annual--to be raised in a gently

heated frame, and afterwards planted out in very rich ground, though it

may also be kept over the winter in pots. It varies a good deal from

seed, and the most striking individuals should be selected before the

plants are put out. Used sparingly, its effect would perhaps be more

telling than if in quantity, and it is well suited for isolation. Chili.

=*Bocconia cordata.=--This is a fine plant in free soil, but

comparatively poor in that which is bad or very stiff. It forms handsome

erect tufts from 5 ft. to over 8 ft. high, and is admirably suited for

embellishing the irregular or sloping parts of pleasure-grounds. The

stems grow rather closely together, and are thickly set with large,

reflexed, deeply-veined, oval-cordate leaves, the margins of which are

somewhat lobed or sinuated. The flowers, which are rosy-white and very

numerous, are borne in very large terminal panicles. The flowers are not

in themselves pretty, but the inflorescence, when the plant is well

grown,

[Illustration: BLECHNUM BRASILIENSE.

Dwarf tender Tree Fern: in sheltered shady dells during the summer

months.]

has a distinct and pleasing appearance. The plant is seen to best effect

when isolated, and does well in ordinary garden-soil or free sandy loam.

It attains its greatest size when placed in the angle of two walls which

shelter it from the north and east, which seems to indicate that it does

not like sudden changes of temperature and light. It should not be

stirred too often, nor divided for several years. It will prove a good

thing for associating with other fine hardy plants in bold groups. Seed

or cuttings. China.

[Illustration: Bocconia cordata.]

=Bocconia frutescens.=--A vigorous-growing Mexican shrub, 3½ ft. to

nearly 6 ft. high, with few and very brittle branches, large, sea-green,

handsome leaves, and greenish flowers. Very effective when placed on

grass-plats, either in groups, or as isolated specimens. It requires a

somewhat warmer climate than ours to thrive well, though it is sometimes

seen in fair condition in the London parks. A mixture of free sandy loam

and peat, well-drained ground, and an airy position are necessary.

Multiplied by sowing in a hotbed in spring, and may be placed out from

June to the end of September. It is difficult to propagate it by

cuttings.

=*Brassica oleracea crispa.=--A handsome kind of cabbage nearly 4 ft.

high, with elegantly-cut arching leaves, the divisions of which are

finely curled or frizzled. In autumn and winter it may be advantageously

employed in the embellishment of winter-gardens, the leaves being at

their best during that part of the year.

A still more striking subject is _B. o. palmifolia_, which attains a

height of 6½ ft., and bears its leaves near the summit of the stem,

having quite a palm-like appearance in the end of the summer and in

autumn. This kind might be used with good effect in various positions,

as its “cabbage” character is not so evident. The fact of their being

cabbages prevents many people from using these really ornamental plants.

The variegated Kales have been much employed and with a very good result

in the winter-garden at Wardie Lodge in Scotland and in other places:

they lose their beauty early in spring. “To keep them dwarf and compact,

and to bring out their fine colours,” say Messrs. Stuart and Mein, “we

sow at the beginning of March thinly. After the plants are a moderate

size, we transplant them into a poorish soil, in an open space of

ground, but not too closely together. They remain there until they are

wanted for use, when they are removed at any time to the winter-garden.

We plant out into our beds in November, and keep the heads with their

foliage close to the ground. We cut off all the lower rough leaves,

leaving the rich-coloured head or centre, which in all weathers will be

found to stand up neat and trim, even in bright frosty weather. As the

plants are thus much reduced in size, they can be planted much closer in

the beds. We may add that, as in other hybrids, worthless plants will

occasionally make their appearance: these we discard. No plants should

be selected for the beds except those showing pleasing shades of

colour.”

=Brexia madagascariensis.=--A handsome shrub with a slender erect stem

(which sometimes attains a height of 25 ft. or 30 ft. in its native

country, but with us is seldom seen more than a fourth of that), clothed

with alternate, leathery, long, rather narrow, light-green leaves,

nearly or quite smooth at the margin. It is one of the tropical

stove-plants that have stood well in the open air from June to early in

October, but very few places can spare it for this purpose. It requires

ordinary stove culture during winter and spring, and should only be

placed out after having made a strong growth, and having that growth

hardened off. Madagascar.

[Illustration: Buphthalmum speciosum.]

=*Buphthalmum speciosum.=--A hardy, distinct, and vigorous herbaceous

plant, the stems of which are stout, very slightly branching, and about

4 ft. high, with broad, oval-acute leaves mostly clustered around the

base of the plant, the lower ones falling gracefully towards the earth.

The flowers, which have a red or purple disk and yellow rays, are more

than 2 ins. across, and are terminal, solitary, long-stalked, borne in

the axils of the upper leaves, and appear in June, July, or August,

according to the season. The plant seldom flowers well before the third

year. It is of easy culture in any soil, is increased by division in

autumn, winter, or spring, and is best fitted for association with the

more vigorous herbaceous plants in rough places. S. of Europe.

=Caladium esculentum.=--This species has, for outdoor work, proved the

best of a large genus with very fine foliage. It is only in the midland

and southern counties of Great Britain that it can be advantageously

grown, so far as I have observed; but its grand outlines and aspect when

well developed make it worthy of all attention, and of a prominent

position wherever the climate is warm enough for its growth. It may be

used with great effect in association with many fine foliage-plants; but

_Ferdinanda_, _Ricinus_, and _Wigandia_ usually grow too strong for it,

and, if planted too close, injure it. This may have been noticed

particularly in cases where it was used as a bordering to masses of the

strong-growing kinds above named. For all kinds of stonework, vases,

etc., it is peculiarly effective and beautiful. This plant, requires,

above all others, a thoroughly-drained, light, rich, warm soil. In times

of great heat, it should be plentifully watered, and occasionally with

liquid manure. The month of May is the best time for planting it out;

and if groups are formed, the plants should have an interval of 2 ft. or

2½ ft. between them. The foliage generally arrives at its full beauty

and development in August and September. At the approach of cold frosty

weather, all the leaves, or all but the central one, should be cut down

to within an inch or two from the crown, and a few days afterwards the

tubers should be taken up and left on the ground for a few hours to

dry:

[Illustration: CALADIUM ESCULENTUM.

Tender Section; displaying noble leaves during summer in the warmer

parts of the southern counties.]

[Illustration: COLOCASIA ODORATA.

Tender stove Section; will endure exposure only during summer in the

warmest parts of the southern counties.]

they should then be stored on the shelves of a greenhouse, or in a

cellar or other place where they will be sheltered from frost and

moisture. By placing the tubers in a hotbed in March, plants may be

obtained with well-grown leaves for planting out in the open air about

the end of May or the beginning of June. New Zealand.

=Caladium odorum= (_Colocasia odora_).--A very striking plant, with

stout stems usually from 3 ft. to 8 ft. in height, but growing much

taller in a warm stove. The leaves are erect, very broad, and

heart-shaped, marked with strong veinings, and frequently measure more

than 3¼ ft. in length. The flowers are exceedingly fragrant. It is a

fine subject for isolation on grass-plats, its tall arborescent habit

distinguishing it from all the other species; but it is unfortunately

too tender to thrive in our climate except in sunny sheltered dells in

the southern parts, and should not be planted out until June. E. Indies.

=*Calla æthiopica= (_Lily of the Nile_).--This well-known plant may be

grown either as an aquatic in pieces of ornamental water,

fountain-basins, etc., or in the open ground in cool, moist soil, and

equally well in positions exposed to the full sun and in those which are

shaded. Being so very distinct in leaf and beautiful in bloom, this old

favourite will be seen to as much advantage grouped with the smaller

fine-leaved plants in beds as ever it has been in our stoves or windows.

S. Africa.

*THE CANNAS.

If there were no plants of handsome habit and graceful leaf available

for the improvement of our flower-gardens but these, we need not

despair, for they possess almost every quality the most fastidious could

desire, and present a useful and charming variety. The larger kinds make

grand masses, while all may be associated intimately with

flowering-plants--an advantage that does not belong to some free-growing

things like the Castor-oil plant. The Canna ascends as boldly, and

spreads forth as fine a mass of leaves as these, but may be closely

grouped with much smaller subjects. The general tendency of most of our

flower-garden plants is to assume a flatness and dead level, so to

speak; and it is the special quality possessed by the Cannas for

counteracting this that makes them so valuable. Even the grandest of the

other subjects preserve this tameness of upper-surface outline when

grown in great quantities: not so these, the leaves of which, even when

grown in dense groups, always carry the eye up pleasantly from the

humbler plants, and are grand aids in effecting that harmony which is so

much wanted between the important tree and shrub embellishments of our

gardens and their surroundings, and the dwarf flower-bed vegetation.

Another good quality of these most useful subjects is their power of

withstanding the cold and storms of autumn. They do so better than many

of our hardy shrubs and plants, so that when the last leaves have been

blown from the Lime, and the Dahlia and Heliotrope have been hurt by

frost, you may see them waving as gracefully and as green as the

vegetation of a temperate stove. Many of the subtropical plants, used

for the beauty of their leaves, are so tender that they go off in

autumn, or require all sorts of awkward protection at that season; but

the Cannas last

[Illustration: CANNA.

The most important and generally useful of tender plants for our

climate. Many kinds are hardy if protected in winter.]

in good trim till the borders must be cleared. All sheltered situations,

places near warm walls, and nice snugly-warmed dells, are suitable

positions for them. They are generally used in huge and ugly masses,

both about Paris and London; but their true beauty will never be seen

till we learn to place them tastefully here and there among the

flowering-plants--just as we place sprigs of graceful fern in a bouquet.

A bed or two solely devoted to them will occasionally prove very

effective; but enormous meaningless masses of them, containing perhaps

several hundred plants of one variety, are things to avoid and not to

imitate. As to culture and propagation, nothing can be more simple: they

may be stored in winter, as readily as potatoes, under shelves in the

houses, in the root-room, or, in fact, anywhere if covered up to protect

them from frost. And then in spring, when we desire to propagate them,

nothing is easier than pulling the roots in pieces, and potting them

separately. Afterwards it is usual to bring them on in heat, and finally

harden them off previous to planting out in the middle of May; but a

modification of this practice is desirable, as some kinds are of a

remarkably hardy constitution, and make a beautiful growth if put out

without so much as a leaf on them. The soil for all Cannas should be

deep, rich, and light.

In rambling through the suburbs of Paris, I once came upon a tuft of

Canna springing up strongly through a box-edging--pretty good evidence

that it had remained there for some years. Upon inquiring of the

proprietor of the garden I found this was the case, and that he had no

doubt of the hardiness of several other kinds. They were planted not

more than 8 ins. or 10 ins. deep. When we remember that the Cannas are

amongst the most valuable plants we use for giving grace and verdure to

the flower-garden, this surely is a hint worthy of being acted upon, as,

of course, they will prove equally hardy with us. Considering their

diversity of colour and size, their graceful pointed habit and facility

of propagation, we must concede them the first place; but their

capability of being used by anybody who grows ordinary bedding-plants,

and the fact that they may be preserved so very easily through the

winter, enhance their value still more. Cannas, protected by a coating

of litter, have been left out in Battersea Park through severe winters,

and during the unfavourable summer of 1867 attained a height of nearly

12 ft. Where it is desired to change the arrangements as much as

possible every year, it may not be any advantage to leave them in the

ground, and in that case they may be taken up with the bedding-plants,

and stored as simply and easily as carrots. Wherever they are grown as

isolated tufts, in small groups, or in small beds, it will be best not

to take them up oftener than every second or third year. These noble

plants would also adorn the conservatory, which is often as devoid of

any dignified vegetation as the unhappy flower-gardens which are seen

all over the country. Few subjects would be more effective, none more

easily obtained.

SPECIES AND VARIETIES OF CANNA.

In the following list of the species and varieties of Canna, the first

thirteen kinds are considered species: but the finest kinds for garden

use will be found among the Hybrids and Varieties.

=Canna aurantiaca.=--A vigorous kind, 6½ ft. or more in height, with

large, broadly oval-lance-shaped leaves, of a pale green colour,

slightly waved on the margin. Flowers with rose-coloured outer, and

reddish inner, divisions, the upper lip being of an orange colour and

the lower one yellow dotted with orange. Rhizome tuberous, with long

subterranean shoots. Antilles.

=Canna discolor.=--One of the finest kinds, and, although it does not

flower regularly in the open air, one of the most valuable on account of

its foliage. The leaves are very large, broadly oval-oblong, the lower

ones tinged with a blood-red hue, and the upper ones veined or streaked

with purple. Stems reddish, stout, growing to a height of more than 6

ft. Flowers orange-red, with bright-red inner divisions. S. America.

=Canna edulis.=--A vigorous species, largely cultivated by the Peruvians

for the sake of its edible roots, growing from 6 ft. to 7 ft. high, the

stems tinged with deep purple. Leaves broadly oval-lance-shaped, green

tinged with purple maroon. Flowers large: external divisions purple,

upper internal division scarlet shaded with yellow, the lower one of an

orange-red. S. America.

=Canna flaccida.=--A species remarkable for the great size of its

flowers, which bear some resemblance to those of _Iris Pseud-acorus_.

They are entirely yellow, flaccid, few in number, and very transitory.

This is not a tall species, seldom exceeding 2 ft. 8 ins. in height.

Leaves oval-lance-shaped, erect, glaucescent. South America. This

species should not be confounded with the _C. flaccida_ of Willdenow

which is found on the shores of the Mississipi.

=Canna Gaboniensis.=--A species from the Gaboon River, with the habit of

_C. nepalensis_. Rhizomes large and round; stalks green, large; leaves

deep green lightly edged with purple, longish, acuminate; flowers

medium-sized, clear orange; habit fine, special; height 5½ ft. to 6 ft.

=Canna gigantea.=--A robust kind, growing about 6½ ft. high. Flowers in

summer, large and very handsome; external divisions orange red; internal

ones deep purple-red; spathes reddish. Leaves more than 2 ft. long;

stalks covered with a velvety down. S. America.

=Canna indica.=--Flowers in summer, tolerably large, irregular, in erect

spikes; external divisions light yellow; upper inner divisions of a

carmine-red; the lower one yellow dotted with carmine. Leaves large,

alternate, oval-lance-shaped; the stalks sheathing at the base. Stems 3

ft. to 6 ft. high. A variety (_C. i. superba_) has much larger flowers

of a scarlet colour. India. It is not nearly so useful or imposing in

appearance as some of the newer hybrid kinds.

=Canna iridiflora.=--Flowers in midsummer, large, lively rose-colour,

with a yellow spot on the lip; divisions of the calyx red, erect,

oval-acute; spikes somewhat drooping, issuing several together from the

same spathe. Leaves broadly oval-acuminate, slightly membranous at the

margin, and having some hairs at the lower part of the midrib. Stems 6

ft. to over 8 ft high. Peru. A somewhat tender species, and although one

of the finest, does not flower freely. To secure its blooming, the

plants should be taken up towards the end of summer, potted, and kept

in a hothouse through the winter. They should be watered moderately,

and, treated in this way, will almost always begin to show flower in the

ensuing spring.

=Canna limbata.=--This has numerous stems nearly 3 ft. high, and

oblong-lance-shaped, acute leaves. Flowers in long loose spikes issuing

from glaucous spathes tinged with red; outer divisions pale yellow;

upper lip scarlet edged with a yellow margin; lower lip red, with golden

reticulations. Brazil.

=Canna musæfolia.=--This species was formerly described in the English,

Dutch, and German horticultural journals under the name of _C. excelsa_.

It was named _musæfolia_ by M. Année, who introduced it into France in

1858, from the resemblance of its leaves to those of the Musa or

banana-tree. It reaches a height of more than 8 ft., and has green,

downy stems, and very large, oval, green leaves. Flowers small,

orange-yellow. It is a tender species without rhizomes, and requires to

be kept constantly growing. Peru.

=Canna nepalensis.=--A variety of _C. glauca_ (according to M. Chaté),

introduced into France by M. Wallich, director of the Botanic Garden at

Calcutta. About 6½ ft. high, with oval-lance-shaped glaucous leaves,

narrowed at both ends. Outer divisions of flower greenish-yellow; inner

ones, sulphur-coloured or light orange.

=Canna purpurea spectabilis.=--Rhizomes cylindrical. Stalks

medium-sized, purple. Leaves deep greenish purple, fair size. Flowers

small, scarlet. Rather uncommon; habit fine; height 6 ft. to 6½ ft. This

is a very hardy species, and has given rise to all the varieties with

red or striped leaves.

=Canna Warscewiczii.=--A very early-flowering species, easily raised

from seed, and if sown early in spring, may be used for decorative

purposes the same year. Stems numerous, reaching a height of somewhat

over 3 ft. Leaves oval-elliptical, narrowed at both ends, and deeply

tinged with dark purple. Flowers with brilliant scarlet inner divisions;

outer ones purplish. S. America. There are many handsome varieties of

this species in cultivation.

=Canna Alfred Dumesnil.=--Rhizomes clouded, elongated. Stalks medium

thickness, deep greenish-purple. Leaves medium-sized, acuminate and

erect, deep green striped with violet-purple. Flowers large,

well-formed, scarlet. Free-flowering; height 3½ ft. to 4 ft.

=Canna Annei.=--A vigorous kind, with numerous stiff stems, of a

sea-green colour, 6½ ft. high, and large green, glaucescent, oval-acute

leaves, 2 ft. long by 10 ins. wide. Flowers large, well-formed,

salmon-colour, continuing to appear from July until the first frosts.

=Canna Annei-rosea.=--Flowers late and scantily. Stems numerous, dark

green with a reddish base, attaining a height of nearly 10 ft. Flowers

small, carmine rose-colour. Leaves dark green, very narrow and pointed,

erect, about 2 ft. 4 ins. long. Rootstock long, conical-cylindrical,

reddish.

=Canna Annei-bicolor.=--A kind with rather thick green stems nearly 6

ft. high, with a violet-coloured base. Leaves light green, oval-acute.

Flowers few, of medium size, orange-coloured; the two upper petals

reddish. Rootstock of a violet colour.

=Canna Annei-floribunda.=--Resembles the type in habit and foliage, but

is not so tall, is more free-flowering, and has yellow leaves.

=Canna Annei-fulgida.=--Stems small, of a dark-red colour, from 3 ft. to

5 ft. high. Leaves deep purple, erect, 20 ins. long and 6 ins. wide.

Flowers large, well-opened, orange-red. Very tender.

=Canna Annei-marginata.=--Stems of medium size, dark-red colour, and

about 3½ ft. high. Leaves of a deep green with a dark-red margin.

Flowers rather large, orange-red. (Considered an inferior variety.)

=Canna Annei-discolor.=--Stems five or six in number, vigorous and

erect, of a uniform red hue, from 3 ft. to 5 ft. high. Leaves

lance-shaped, erect, of a light-red colour, 2½ ft. long and 10 ins.

wide. Flowers late and few, small, rose-coloured, tinged with yellow.

Rootstock conical, very small and short, covered with violet scales.

=Canna Annei-rubra.=--Rhizomes of good thickness. Stalks medium

thickness, purple. Leaves acuminate, deep green striped with purple,

good size; habit fine. Flowers bright orange, well-formed. One of the

most free-flowering Cannas. Height 6½ ft.

=Canna atronigricans.=--Stems of medium thickness, seldom exceeding 3¼

ft. in height. Leaves of a purplish shade passing into dark-red, of a

deeper hue than those of _C. nigricans_. Flowers few, of a golden-brown

colour. Rootstocks small and few, with reddish scales. A very handsome

but tender kind.

=Canna aurantiaca-splendida.=--Stems green, downy, rather thick, 6½ ft.

to over 8 ft. high. Leaves oval, erect, 2 ft. 4 ins. to 2½ ft. long and

1 ft. wide, with very prominent membranes. Flowers in September,

orange, well-formed, and of a good size. Rootstocks small. A very

vigorous-growing variety.

=Canna aurantiaca-zebrina.=--Stems brown, downy, 3¼ ft. to nearly 5 ft.

high. Leaves of a light green, striped with fine violet bands, and 2 ft.

in length by 10 ins. wide. Flowers very few, light red. Rootstocks few

and short.

=Canna Amelia.=--Stems of a sea-green colour, nearly 5 ft. high. Leaves

oval-acuminate, glaucous, and gracefully recurved. Flowers large,

well-opened, of a golden yellow, spotted with orange-purple on all the

petals. Rootstocks conical and cylindrical. Blooms abundantly and

continuously from July till the first frosts.

=Canna atropurpurea.=--Stems very small and downy, of a reddish hue, and

not exceeding 3¼ ft. in height. Leaves small, recurved, of an almost

black colour. Flowers rather large, of a reddish golden-brown.

Rootstocks small, cylindrical, closely crowded around the plant. This

variety seeds well and freely.