iSyi.] PICTURESQUE BEDS. 101 



bed, the ground sweeps away like a wave inwards and upwards to 

 the centre, where stands a large plant of Chamserops Fortunii, round 

 the base of which is a dense circle of Sedum spectabile, with its 

 glaucous foliage, and late in autumn its reddish-pink flowers. In the 

 centres of the four circles are match-plants of Yucca aloifolia vari- 

 egata. These five plants alone give a more bold and distinct aspect 

 to the bed than the photograph brings out ; and they are placed 

 so as to display their own characters to the very best advantage. To 

 intrude upon them with plants having lines and statures to compete 

 with them, would destroy the effect of both. A little inwards from 

 the junction of the circles with the body of the bed are single dwarf 

 plants of Corypha australis ; further inwards, and about 3 feet from 

 the margin in each side, are moderate-sized ISTew Zealand Flax; and a 

 few Ficus and other plants, thinly put in, give outline to the bed. 

 Round each Yucca there is a group of large Echeveria metallica. The 

 whole surface of the body of the bed is made up of Iresine Lindenii 

 and Centaurea Ragusina alternately. The margin all round consists 

 of two rows of the beautiful and most useful Pyrethrum Golden 

 Feather, which, from the bright golden-yellow of its ferny-looking leaves, 

 gives distinctness to the ground-plan of the bed when viewed from a 

 distance. The bed stands on a circular piece of smoothly-kept grass, 

 and forms the centre of a very extensive group of beds on grass, inter- 

 sected and surrounded with broad gravel -walks. The four circle- 

 terminating corners of the bed point to the centres of four very broad 

 gravel- walks which converge upon the circle of grass. 



It will be remarked that in clothing this bed with foliage there is 

 not any attempt at minute and elaborate design or detail. Such 

 would not harmonise with the extreme simplicity yet boldness of the 

 position of the plants which give character to the bed. We have 

 never yet seen elaborate designs in planting a single bed that did not 

 appear a mere confusion when viewed from a distance. We consider 

 it much more desirable to dispose of a few telling and picturesque 

 specimen plants in this fashion, than to crowd a quantity of them to- 

 gether in given spots. The plants used from year to year may be 

 varied. We have used large plants of the fountain -like Dracaena 

 australis where the Chamaerops stands in this illustration, dwarf 

 plants of Dicksonia antarctica in place of the Coryphas, Phormiums in 

 place of the Yuccas. At other times we have such as large plants 

 of variegated American Aloes alternating with less rigid -growing 

 plants in the four circles, thus increasing the variety. A handsome 

 Chamserops in each of the circles, with a Dracaena australis in the 

 centre, and Agaves in place of the Coryphas, with Dracaenas in the 

 body of the bed, would be very effective. For carpeting the surface, 



