NOVEMBER. 347 



central beds will, generally speaking, be suitable for planting entirely 

 with shrubs, which will sober down the colours of the beds devoted to 

 liow^ering plants alone ; for w-e must recollect that most spring flowers, 

 as the Crocus, Hyacinth, Tulip, &c., show but few leaves while they 

 bloom, and consequently there is nothing to shade down the colour, as 

 is the case wdth summer-flowering plants, which have more foliage ; 

 and to remedy this defect, I have sometimes made use of Omphalodes 

 verna for covering the soil between early Tuhps und Hyacinths, with 

 good effect. Where the design is large, and contains a number of beds, 

 the outside ones may likewise be filled with such low shrubs as 

 dwarf hardy Heaths, Polygala Chamcebuxus, Daphne Cneorum, and 

 similar things, bearing in mind that the plants are placed in symme- 

 trical order, according to the shape of the beds ; and that the comple- 

 mentary ones should be filled with the same kind of plant, to preserve 

 the unison of the whole design. Where the beds are very large — too 

 much so to plant with one kind of plant — it will be found preferable to 

 plant alternately a row of the plant or bulb selected, and a row^ of dwarf 

 shrubs ; in this case the shrubs must be sufficiently low to admit the 

 flowers of the bulbs, &c., to be fully seen ; and in all cases both kinds 

 of plants should be planted from the outside towards the centre, taking 

 the shape of the bed. I have used gold-striped Hollies and Yews, 

 instead of flow^ering plants, and these, w^ien surrounded wath darker- 

 leaved shrubs, produce a pretty effect in the winter. 



To carry out this winter embellishment a reserve ground of greater 

 or less extent, according to the quantity of plants to be growm for the 

 purpose, is indispensable, and w^here the stock during the summer 

 should be kept. To enable the shrubs to be moved w^hen w'anted, 

 without injury, they are usually kept in pots plunged in the ground ; 

 but if a poor sandy or peaty soil can be selected, nearly all the shrubs, 

 &c., may be grow^n in the free soil. ]\Iy practice is to well cut in both 

 root and top, when bedding them out for the summer, as the object is 

 to have low, healthy plants, well furnished with numerous roots, and 

 not strong-growing specimens ; this practice answers the purpose, and 

 I have found no difficulty in moving even gold-striped HoUies, the 

 dwarf-growing Arbutuses, Pernettyas, and other rather shy plants at 

 any season. When grown in this way, a year or two's training will 

 make them answer much better than growing them in pots ; but a 

 light sandy soil is required, which, if not found naturally, should be 

 made so. As most of the bulbs, &c., will have finished their grow^th 

 before the time arrives for removing them, they may be taken up and 

 dried at once, and afterwards kept in dry sand or boxes till wanted 

 again. Any late-blooming Narcissus, Anemones, or Tuhps, whose 

 foliage is not fully ripened, when the beds are wanted, must be carefully 

 lifted with a small handfork, and laid in in beds in the reserve ground, 

 to ripen off. Scillas, which are among the very prettiest spring- 

 blooming plants we have, should always be kei)t in pots, and when out 

 of bloom may be taken up and placed in the shade cf a hedge, or wall, 

 to ripen their leaves. To get Anemones and some kinds of Narcissus 

 to bloom early, they will require being in the ground before, perhaps, 

 the beds are cleared to receive them ; these should be potted when they 



