49 



FORMS OF FLOWER-BEDS, AND THE ART OF 

 PLANTING THEM. 



BT MR. HOWLETT. 



|F we may judge from the specimens often met with in 

 small gardens, the art of forming pretty groups, or indivi- 

 dual beds of tasteful character, is very little understood 

 by amateur practitioners who layout their own gardens. 

 There seems to be a general impression among such per- 

 sons that each individual bed must be the representation of some 

 geometrical figure or object, as hearts, diamonds, stars, butterflies, 

 etc. ; but that such arrangements are not the best I shall endeavour 

 to show by a series of diagrams illustrating the manner of forming 

 groups of beds suitable to various objects and situations. And as the 

 season is not yet so far advanced but that those who feel any mis- 

 givings as to the arrangement of their flower gardens being entirely 

 to their satisfaction, or beyond the power of invidious criticism, may 

 yet make an attempt at improvement. Plan No. 1 is a group of 

 beds for summer bedding plants to be cut out in a grass lawn. 

 Supposing masses of shrubs, or beds for herbaceous plants to 

 occupy positions on either side, perhaps for the coarse-growing 

 species and varieties of the latter there is no better arrangement 

 than a modification of that adopted by our forefathers — viz., that 

 of planting them with a proportion of dwarf and choice flowering 

 shrubs, in beds of considerable size, at a propoi'tionate distance 

 from the house. What a glorious chance for bringing under 

 notice such things as the Spireas, Hibiscus, Deutzias, Mezereons, 

 Loniceras, etc., amongst shrubs ; and such of our old herbaceous 

 things, as Phloxes, Delphiniums, Iris, Rockets, Paionies, etc. ; to say 

 nothing of the host of biennials, as Silenes, Campanulas, Dianthus, 

 Antirrhinums, Stocks, etc., as well as a host of tall and showy 

 annuals, the mere thought of which carries me back to my boy- 

 hood, when every inch of a garden was invested with an interest 

 for which now I search in vain. In that day, to look over a garden 

 was the work of hours, whilst now-a-days we can see such places 

 as Holkham, South Kensington, etc., in almost as many minutes. 



But I am digressing from my subject, and shall run the risk of 

 being understood as expressing myself as entirely favourable to the 

 heterogeneous jumble that occurred in places where everything that 

 came to hand found one common receptacle, and produced almost as 

 great a monotony as is the case now-a-days where bedding plants are 

 injudiciously used. For instance, I would plant deciduous flowering 

 shrubs, of very moderate growth only, with herbaceous plants, or 

 plants of intermediate habit, known as " under-shrubs ;" but as I 

 am now engaged with flower-bed shapes more especially suited to 

 summer bedding plants, I must leave the subject of mixed beds and 

 borders for future papers. 



In summer bedding the system of planting which obtains favour, 

 and also offers the means of getting the greatest variety of flowers 



TOL. I.— NO. IT. 4 



