Only a few years ago, not one of the Coleus family had a place in the
gardens of Europe and America, and I have been told that in our absence
gardeners depended chiefly upon plants with showy flowers for
ornamenting their gardens and grounds. When some of my remote relatives
were introduced, numerous were the surmisings as to what place they
should occupy amongst cultivated plants. This was especially so in the
case of Perilla Nankinensis, a plant of most sombre hue, but so striking
withal as to attract general attention. Some looked upon it as the
forerunner of a class of plants destined to play an important part in
the future, whilst others regarded it as a vile weed. Nevertheless,
considerable attention was bestowed upon its cultivation for a time; but
ultimately became so neglected as to be met with chiefly as a garden
weed. This may have been owing in some measure to the introduction of
Coleus Blumei, which species was regarded with greater favor, and at
once took a place which it held fairly well for a time, or until he
whose name I bear obtained from it varieties so novel and brilliant in
color, as to entitle them to rank high amongst the time-honored
favorites of the garden. From the most reliable information, I infer
that this species at least is one of my immediate ancestors, and whether
I owe as much of kinship to any other, has not been made known. But this
I do know, from the day I was first introduced to the public, in my
chocolate and violet colored suit until the present time, I have been
praised as few plants have been. But being neither envious nor vain, I
have desired the company of those whose colors are brighter than my own,
as variety in harmony gives greater satisfaction than any one can singly
bestow. Some of the older varieties are well fitted to produce this
effect, and none more so, perhaps, than my old friends Aurea Marginata,
and Golden Circle; but the majority of their class either lack
expression, or are so delicately constituted as to become perfect
"frights" when planted out of doors.
[Illustration: DREER'S NEW HYBRID COLEUSES.]
During my time, many varieties with excellent characters when in my
company, have performed their parts but poorly, whilst others have had
enough to do to keep up a doubtful reputation. It was with pleasure,
therefore, I hailed the arrival of a fresh set from England a short time
ago, headed by George Bunyard, who, with his companions were so highly
spoken of, that I hoped one or more of them would prove of service to
me. But this hope has not been realized, and to-day, for all of them, I
am as destitute of support as I was before their arrival. Poor George,
after being much in his company for a season, it is only fair to say, he
performed his part so poorly that I hope, for the credit of both, we
shall never meet again under similar circumstances.
What the incoming season may bring forth, yet remains to be seen, but at
present the prospects are good for a grand display, as a new order of
aspirants are being marshaled for duty, whose merits, some say, are such
as to eclipse the old members of our family, and even take from me the
honors I have enjoyed so long. Should their claim be well founded, I
shall surrender my right to the first place without regret, and be even
glad to take any subordinate place I may be deemed competent to fill.
But should they fail to meet the expectations thus produced, it will be
my duty to remain at my post until such time as new varieties are found,
regarding whose merits there can be no doubt.
Be it understood that what has been said about my associates has
reference only to them as bedders; for it is well known, many varieties
when grown under glass, and partially shaded from the glare of sunshine,
possess greater brilliancy and beauty than I lay claim to. For this
reason, I think those so constituted as to require the protection of a
green-house, should be sparingly, if at all, planted out of doors, and
the outside department exclusively occupied by such as attain their
greatest perfection in free air and the full tide of sunlight.
Before closing this monologue, I am forced to say a word in behalf of a
plant seemingly possessed of extraordinary capacity for the work in
which I excel. I refer to Acalypha Macaffeana, the leaves of which are
large and finely formed; color, reddish-brown, and irregularly blotched
with bright shades of crimson. When fully exposed to sunlight, it looks
as if "on fire through all its length," and being much more stately than
myself, might form the central figure in a group of Coleus or other
plants with the greatest acceptance.--VERSCHAFFELTII, in _Gardeners
Monthly_.
We do not know who is the author of this very interesting autobiography
of an old and popular Coleus. The florist for whom it was named, M.
Nuytans Verschaffelt, was the adopted son of the late Jean Verschaffelt,
of whose nursery near Ghent, he was the manager, and to which he
succeeded on the death of the proprietor. M. Nuytans was a very
distinguished and highly esteemed horticulturist; he was an active
member of the Royal Agricultural and Botanical Society of Ghent and
Chevalier of the Order of Philip the Magnanimous. He died June, 1880, in
the forty-fourth year of his age.
There has been a remarkable progress in the development of the Coleus
since the introduction of Blumei, but the two past years have been more
distinguished than any previous ones by the originating of many new and
beautiful hybrids. Pre-eminent among these are "Dreer's Set of
Tri-colored Coleus," fifteen varieties; "Queensland Set," fifteen
varieties, and "Queensland Set of Dwarfs," ten varieties. Mr. Henry A.
Dreer says of them: "These varieties which it is a pleasure to offer,
have originated in our nursery grounds during the past summer, were
selected from perhaps six thousand seedlings excelling in point of
color, variety, habit and novelty, and we feel safe in predicting for
them a future that leaves nothing wanting in this class of plants."
Mr. Dreer is sustained in his statement by the verdict of many of the
leading florists who visited them, and the committees of the Cincinnati,
Philadelphia and New York Horticultural Societies, the summer and autumn
before they were offered to the public.
In the February number of the _Gardeners Monthly_, a lady asks some of
the correspondents who have tried the new Coleuses, to report thereon,
whether as brilliant as their illustrated types, and if they retain
their colors in bedding out. We will give the replies from the March
number.
J. R. H., Richmond, Va., says: "In response to the query of Mrs. R. B.
Edson about Dreer's New Hybrid Coleus, I take pleasure in giving my
experience with regard to their hardiness in the summer sun. As the
summers in our city are extremely dry and hot, I think it a very fair
trial of them.
"When I received my box of Coleus from Mr. Dreer and opened it, the
first thought was that I was swindled nicely, while I at once perceived
that they were of an entirely new type of Coleus, but considered their
colors very ugly indeed, and quite different from the colored sheet in
his catalogue. However, I determined to give them a trial before
expressing my opinion. I put them in the hottest place I could find,
determined to get out of them all the 'come out,' should there be any,
and to my utter surprise, their colors changed so rapidly and
beautifully, that after a lapse of two weeks, I could scarcely believe
they were the same plants. I so much liked them I determined they should
have a prominent place in my garden, and accordingly planted them in my
border where they did not miss the sun at all while it shone. They grew
off at once with the old colors (as when received), which discouraged me
again, when to my surprise, about the middle of June, they began to
show their bright colors again, and in three weeks they were the
brightest and prettiest Coleuses I have ever seen, and remained so with
a continual growth until they were killed by the frost.
"I must confess I never saw plants resemble as much the colored plates
of their likeness, as did my Coleus; just like the plate with the
exception of the fine gloss, which of course I did not expect. It seemed
that the hotter the atmosphere was the brighter they looked, and have
stood the sun about twenty per cent better than the older varieties.
They have given me more pleasure than any set of new plants I have ever
received. I consider them the greatest acquisition I have known in the
soft-wooded class of plants. While there is quite a similarity in the
tri-colored set, it is not at all an objection. The only objections to
any of them are that Amabilis and Mrs. E. B. Cooper, while very rank
growers, are exceedingly ugly, and Superbissima entirely worthless. It
will not grow, I don't care what I do with it. Some seedlings that I
have raised from them are very richly colored, and I think them much
prettier than their parents, though I have not had a chance to test
their qualities in the summer."
We regret that the writer did not give the names of those Coleus he so
much admired as well as those which are "exceedingly ugly" and "entirely
worthless." We can report the same lack of success with Superbissima. It
would not grow one bit, but remained stationary several months, and then
died.
Mr. E. L. Koethens reports from a large collection: "For bedding these
are the chosen ones, Gracilliana, Miss R. Kirkpatrick, Superbissima, and
above all, Speciosa. But for inside culture, many of the new ones are
unsurpassed for beauty in any class of decorative plants. Here again
Speciosa and Miss R. Kirkpatrick of Dreer's set, lay claims to
attention, and his Amabilis is attractive for its free blooming
properties. Fairy is also conspicuous, and Beacon takes the place of
Superbissima indoors, but Zephyr, in my opinion crowns them all as a
foliage plant for indoor culture; a single head often measuring ten
inches across, with a rich bronzy-brown color. The above are all
valuable acquisitions and should be in every collection."
Mrs. M. D. Wellcome thus writes: "Mrs. R. B. Edson in her charming
'Garden Notes and Gossip,' asks that some of the correspondents who have
tried the new Coleus, Dreer's and Henderson's new sets, report thereon.
I have not tried Henderson's, and only six of Dreer's, so I am not
prepared to report very fully. But I wish to make special mention of
Miss Ritta Kirkpatrick, which looks like the picture only it is
handsomer. It is the one represented by a large leaf, creamy white
center, broad, green lobed margin. It was a wee plant when it came to me
in early spring, but it very rapidly outgrew the other five, branching
out finely, so that I began in June to take slips from it, and have
continued to do this each month to the present time. I should think I
had rooted full thirty cuttings, and the original plant, which has been
beheaded on three of its branches, has now twenty-eight that would I
think all make very nice plants, if treated as were the others. I rooted
them all in sand, kept constantly wet, and exposed nearly all day to the
rays of the sun. I never saw anything so quickly take root and so
rapidly grow as did those cuttings. At one time I kept half a dozen
about two months in the pure sand, till they were fine large plants,
with a great mass of roots. They can be removed from the sand to pots of
earth without retarding their growth. I always allow the particles which
adhere to remain in transplanting. This Coleus is a special favorite
with me. Fairy, foliage yellow and green, blotched with crimson-scarlet,
and Charm, yellow, tinged with bronzy scarlet, stained with dark brown;
green deeply serrated margin, were very beautiful in the open ground,
and from these I rooted also in sand several very fine cuttings. But
the original plants did not grow rapidly. I think the Coleus adds much
to the attraction of the border, but it is for the winter window-garden
they are specially valuable."
These new Hybrids have stood the test of a year's trial, and three
varieties exhibited at the June meeting of the Royal Horticultural
Society, London, carried off the highest prize for this class of plants,
and received very flattering newspaper notices. In Mr. Dreer's catalogue
for 1881, he has selected twenty-four which he calls the cream of those
New Hybrids. Superbissima is included, while Zephyr is omitted.
Kirkpatrick is among them, we are happy to say. So superb are some of
the recent Coleuses, Verschaffeltii, we fear, will have to retire still
further into private life. Being quite advanced in years, we presume he
will not regret this. We are sure that he will always be treated with
that respect which is due to honorable old age.
Ornamental Foliage Plants.
How much one who gives attention may learn in the vast field of Nature!
How varied are its attractions, how wonderful its work, how
indescribable its beauties! There is a fascination in these studies,
whatever may be the department to which they are directed, and the more
one learns the more sensible they become of the limitations of their
knowledge. I have already told you I had within a year or two been
awaking to a realization of the value of ornamental foliage plants in
giving an abiding brightness and beauty to the window-garden and open
border. As humanity is ever prone to extremes I may become too
enthusiastic in this direction. I thought there was some danger of it as
I surveyed my array of pots filled with fine specimens of various sorts.
I will take them for my subject to-day, giving whatever facts of
interest I have been enabled to gather from various sources.