200 



THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



submitted in such, a way as will be 

 likely to interest many of our readers. 

 I select tbe latter alternative, and 

 tbe first business is to say that this is 

 a very well designed geometric gar- 

 den, and the planting should of ne- 

 cessity be according to strict rules of 

 art. As it is cut off from other highly 

 coloured scenes by grass ramps, and 

 is seen in its whole plan and detail at 

 once from the steps by which access 

 is obtained to it, as well as from the 

 grass slopes on either side, the colour- 

 ing should present a complete and 

 harmonious picture, and the details 

 thereof must be governed by the 

 colour of the gravel, which is de- 

 scribed on the plan as " a slate colour 

 with a tinge of red in it." The pre- 

 sent planting is as follows : — 



1, Centre heel. Centre dot of Alma, 

 circle of Stachys lanata, circle of 

 dwarf marigold (Tagetes pumila), cir- 

 cle of Crystal Palace scarlet gera- 

 nium, edge all round of Cerastium 

 tomentosum. 



2, 2, Blue Lobelia. 



3, 3, Gazania splendens. 



4, 4, Tom Thumb. 



5, 5, Stella. 



6, 6, 6, 6, Calceolaria aurea flori- 

 bunda, edged with Cerastium tomen- 

 tosum. 



7, 7, The upper bed Golden Cham, 

 edged Blue Lobelia, the lower bed 

 Golden Fleece, edged Blue Lobelia. 



8, 8, The upper bed Christine, 

 edged Flower of Spring, the lower 

 bed Helen Lindsay, edged Bijou. 



9, 9, Crystal Palace geranium, 

 band of Tropseolum Lobbianum ele- 

 gans, edged Cerastium tomentosum. 



10, 10, On the left, Sunset, on the 

 right, Mrs. Pollock. 



In this planting there is a consi- 

 derable amount of muddle. To make 

 a neutral bed it is not needful to 

 make a confusion ; but the planters 

 of this appear to have thought that 

 neutrality and confusion are one and 

 the same thing. The centre bed must 

 be a sad affair with its white, scarlet, 

 grey, orange, scarlet, and silver. The 

 crescents of Gazania splendens are 

 not bad, but they are not good, be- 

 cause in fine weather they are too 

 yellow for so central a position, and 

 in dull weather very much too green. 



Looking down the centre, it will be 

 observable that there is a want of 

 decision, which is not so in the large 

 outer compartments. This want of 

 decision is the more to be lamented 

 because the colour of the gravel does 

 not tend to bring out indecisive 

 colouring, but otherwise it tends to 

 make it more indecisive, which would 

 not be the case were it very white or 

 very yellow. 



Let us now suppose that the owner 

 of this garden would like a general 

 balance of colours, such as we might 

 call a chromatic harmony, the scheme 

 to have in it as many colours as pos- 

 sible, all in suitable proportions and 

 arrangements, to produce a pleasing 

 effect. Having such an object in 

 view, the following would no doubt 

 be satisfactory : — 



1, Circles of Mrs. Pollock and 

 blue Lobelia all through, the outside 

 circle to be blue Lobelia. 



2, 2, Christine, edged blue Lo- 

 belia. 



3, 3, Crystal Palace, edged blue 

 Lobelia. 



4, 4, Christine in solid block. 



5, 5, Attraction in solid block, 

 broad band of Lobelia Paxtoniana 

 all round, edged Cerastium tomen- 

 tosum. 



6, 6, 6, 6, Flower of the Day in 

 solid block, band of blue Lobelia, 

 edged with two rows Calceolaria 

 Aurea floribunda, or better still Cal- 

 ceolaria canariensis. 



7, 7, Cloth of Gold, edged blue 

 Lobelia. 



8, 8, Cybister, edged variegated 

 Alyssum, or Stachys lanata, or Ce- 

 rastium, or variegated mint (if it will 

 keep true). 



9, 9, Stella, edged Purple King. 



10, 10, Sunset in circles, with 

 circles of blue Lobelia, the outside 

 circle to be blue Lobelia. 



Probably the peculiar hue of the 

 gravel might render it necessary to 

 edge all the beds alike with Ceras- 

 tium or Gnaphalium. I can scarcely 

 determine this point by dealing with 

 the case on paper. Only those who 

 know the ground can say whether 

 it would be well to use the whitest 

 possible edgings, and to have them 

 alike all through. If compelled 



