The Catalpa

So much has been said of the Catalpa as a timber tree, that we may forget that it is also one of the most desirable of ornamental trees. In July it is a mass of lovely flowers at a time when almost all other showy flowering trees are gone. It is late in coming into leaf, and its seed vessels are not particularly desirable, but the attractiveness of its flowers atones for all other defects.

Large Pinus Excelsa

The Garden describes a Himalayan Pine that is7 feet 9 inches, 3 feet from the ground. We are not sure but we can beat this in America. There are some very fine trees of this grand Pine in the vicinity of Philadelphia. If not mistaken we believe there are very large ones at Bloomsdale and at Rosedale. There are some in Germantown 60 to 70 feet high.

Combination Plants

Not nearly as much advantage is taken of combinations among plants as they are capable of affording. Last June we noted a plant of the Bladder Senna, Colutea ar-borescens, and the Amorpha frutescens, which had managed to grow together forming one stock, that, both coming into bloom at the same time, one with bronzy purple, the other with orange yellow flowers, bad a very pretty effect indeed.

A Magnificent Specimen Of The Cephalon-Ian Fir

The grounds of the late Robert Buist have been cut through in several directions by the growing demands for city streets, and a magnificent specimen nearly 6 feet in circumferencei is now standing on the side-walk. It is only about 35 years old. It may be, perhaps, 28 or 30 ft. high, however - from the opportunity it has to spread its heavy side branches. These have spread many feet. Many connoisseurs would give a thousand dollars to have such a lovely specimen safe on their grounds.

Andromeda Japonica

This new addition to hardy plants from Japan promises to be a good one. It is a very early flowerer, the racemes of blossoms being about 8 inches long. It will be a good companion plant to the sorrel tree of the South, which has always been a rare favorite in American gardening.

Red Platycodon Grandiflora

Of this capital hardy herbaceous plant we have white and blue in our gardens. A rosy violet variety has been introduced from Japan by Mr. Maries, and which bears his name.

Prunus Pissardi

This proves to be only a colored leaved variety of the Myrobalan plum. It is a very beautiful variety, and if it will keep clear of the blights and bugs which trouble almost every flowering plum in gardens, it will prove a great favorite.