Ageratum

THE AGERATUM, Ageratum Mexicanu

AS every question has two sides, so the question whether the massing of plants in the flower--e.g., the "bedding system"--is worthy of respect as a feature in garden art, has not only two but many sides. There has been much said against it, and much that is true. Its advocates have not lacked argument and demonstration in its favour. One thing may be said in its defence, while the figure of the ageratum is before us, and it is that the bedding system has brought into repute many plants that were unknown until it was discovered that they were adapted for massing, and while it has accomplished thus much, it has also improved them for the purpose. Ageratum Mexicanum, as figured in Sweet's "Flowr Garden," 1823 (t. 89), is a poor thing as compared with the varieties that have been raised within the past few years for bedding purposes; and, indeed, as they say of an actor who succeeds perfectly that he has "created" the part, so we may say that the bedding system created the ageratum. Sweet's figure represents a long-legged weedy herb, with small indecisive heads of flowers of a pale blue colour. It was raised from seeds obtained from Mexico by Mr. Bullock, and was first grown by Mr. Tate, nurseryman of Sloane Street, more than half a century ago. Now we have varieties of several shades of colour--some of a fine light azure blue, others silvery-grey, lavender-grey, and white, the plants also varying in height, some of them being so dwarf as to form moss-like tufts upon the ground. A collection of the best would comprise the Queen, silver-grey; Swanley Blue, light clear blue; Cupid, very dwarfed, the flowers blue; and Malvern Beauty, the most dwarfed of all, the heads of the flowers large, and of a beautiful blue colour. The last-named is dwarf enough for carpet bedding, and is associated with the most dwarfed of the blue lobelias. The demand, during a quarter of a century or more, for material adapted for bedding, has proved of such "creative" power that a very considerable proportion of our ornamental garden plants have been remodelled, and we may even say beautified by the hybridist for the purpose.

As is usual in such cases, several species have been employed. Amongst the garden varieties may be noted more or less of the features of Ageratum caeruleum, which has sky-blue flowers; A. conyzoides, which has greyish-blue flowers; A. Mexicanum, lavender; and A. striatum. With the exception of the Mexican plant, which is tender, all of them are hardy annuals, and yet it is customary to treat them as tender perennials, and they answer very well to such treatment. However, as in most seed catalogues two or three sorts are entered, it is an easy matter to obtain the seeds; and to sow them in the month of March on a sunny border is sufficient to insure in the course of the summer useful clumps of flowering plants.