B Y W. ROBINSON, F.L.S., AUTHOR OF ‘ALPINE FLOWERS,’ ‘THE WILD GARDEN,’ ‘HARDY FLOWERS,’ ETC. WITH ILLUSTRATIONS. LONDON: JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET. 1871. The right of Translation is reserved. LONDON: PRINTED BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, STAMFORD STREET AND CHARING CROSS....

Image not available T HIS book is written with a view to assist the newly-awakened taste for something more than mere colour in the flower-garden, by enumerating, describing, indicating the best positions for, and giving the culture of, all our materials for what is called “subtropical gardening.” This not very happy, not very descriptive name, is adopted from its popularity only; fortunately for our gardens numbers of subjects not from subtropical climes may be employed with great advantage. Su

SUBTROPICAL GARDENING. Image not available...

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 naturall

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 b

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,

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

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

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 oran

*Cannabis sativus ( Hemp-plant ).—A well-known annual, native of India and Persia, and largely cultivated in Europe for the sake of its fibre. In ordinary situations it grows from 4 ft. to 10 ft. high, but in Italy, under very favourable circumstances, it sometimes grows as high as 20 ft. In plants growing singly the stem is frequently much branched, but when grown in masses it is generally straight and unbranched. The leaves are long-stalked, and composed of from five to seven long, lance-shape

Long as this noble family has been known in our gardens, we have yet to learn a great deal about its use and beauty. Hitherto only allowed to grace a stove or conservatory now and then, the Dracænas in future will be among the indispensable ornaments of every garden where grace or variety is sought. They are among the very best of those subjects which may be brought from the conservatory or greenhouse in early summer, and placed in the flower-garden till it is time to take them in again to the h

I wish it were not necessary to write in praise of such very fine plants as these, so noble in aspect and beautiful in leaf. If 2000 kinds of herbaceous plants are grown, the first things that show clearly above the ground in the very dawn of spring (even in January) are their deep-green and most elegant leaves. In good garden soil they look like masses of Leptopteris superba , that most exquisite of ferns. Their chief charm will probably be found to consist in their furnishing masses of the fre

The Rhubarbs, from their vigour and picturesqueness, are well worthy of cultivation among hardy, fine-leaved plants. They are so hardy that they may be planted in any soil, and afterwards left to take care of themselves. Their fine leaves and bold habit make them valuable ornaments for the margins of shrubberies (the best way is to plant one singly a few feet from the margin of the shrubbery, so that when they die down in autumn no blank may be seen), and for semi-wild places where a very free a

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ Subtropical Plants to raise from seed. [In this list annual plants grown for the beauty of the flower only are usually omitted.] A selection of Flowers of various classes for association with Subtropical Plants. [In this selection the dwarfer bedding-plants, etc., are omitted. Those selected are chiefly such as would bear more intimate association with fine-foliaged plants.] List of Plants for forming mixtures and carpets beneath Subtr