THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



339 



roses consist of various kinds brought together with no nice fore- 

 reckoning as to colours, they never mar each other, because there 

 are no strong contrasts amongst them. The English style of gar- 

 dening is admirable for the display of this most English flower, 

 because the bold breadths of green required, and the easy transitions 

 from light to shade, from unbroken turf to semi-wilderness, and 

 from formal lines to graceful sweeps, suit the rose at every step. 

 On the terrace, standards are inadmissible ; on the lawn they are 

 less inappropriate ; but in mixed planting they are the noblest of all 

 the subjects we possess to light up the scene with colour, and delight 

 old and young with their grace and perfume. 



"When an amateur is bent on forming a rosarium, it is a very easy 

 matter to waste money in producing a complication which shall at 

 last prove unsatisfactory, for roses — even if we select the best for 

 bedding purposes — do not comfortably fit into hearts and diamonds, 

 and scollops and corkscrews, such as we find in gardens under the 

 designation of " geometry." During the month of June, groups of 

 such a kind may be agreeable, but in August considerably less so, 

 and the true bedding plants will certainly have stronger claims to 

 patronage on artistic grounds, whatever may be the peculiar pre- 

 dilection of the amateur for roses. I cannot imagine a more simple 

 and effective arrangement for a small collection than that which I 

 have adopted myself. On either side of the walk is a broad piece of 

 ground, with tall privet hedges beyond for background. Next the 

 privet is a narrow walk, and on the lines of the walk trellis wires 

 strained to oak posts. Against the trellis are a few climbers, and 

 thence across to the central walk a regular arrangement of standards 

 in lines, with dwarfs next the wall ; the whole scheme forming two 

 banks of roses with the walk between. One advantage of such a 

 scheme is that those who like to see a mass of roses in bloom are 

 sure to be gratified. Another advantage of the arrangement is that 

 an inspection of any particular tree may be made without difficulty ; 

 in fact, the rose-fancier is sure to take his walks amongst them 

 frequently to criticise and compare, to indulge in occasional raptures, 

 and sometimes — who knows ? — to condemn some of them, and 

 determine on exchanging them for better. Another and not the least 

 advantage is that you can call it a rosery without having committed 

 yourself to an arrangement attended with expense, and which cannot 

 be easily altered. The rosery is after all only a couple of broad 

 borders, say 16 feet wide, and as long as may be suitable to the 

 place and the purse of the owner, and the plan of it will be under- 

 stood by the diagram which the printer has prepared for me. 



16 feet. 



4 feet. 



16 feet. 



