52 THE GARDENER. [Fee. 



towards their attempts to rear even desirable features on the ruins of 

 others equally, or even more, desirable. 



There is no more reason, surely, why we should show all gay groups 

 of flowering plants to the garden-gate, in order to so exclusively accom- 

 modate another feature, however desirable, than there is for tearing the 

 glowing works of a Eaphael or Michael Angelo from our picture-gal- 

 leries to make room for the quiet sky gradations of a Claude, when 

 there is room for both ; and should there be room for both, it can be 

 no proof of good taste to exclude either — it may be proof that " pre- 

 judice runs, w^hile reason lags behind." 



Flat surfaces, with great flaunting daubs of colour, -without any 

 toning down, or mingling of graceful objects, we have long waged 

 war against, both by pen and practice ; and the step in the right 

 direction, by the more liberal introduction of plants less remark- 

 able for bright colouring than for elegant forms, deserves to be hailed 

 with heart and hand. No man can stand still, no man cares to stand 

 still : where jDrogress ceases, retrogression commences. It is so in 

 everything, flower-gardening included, which, if it does not progress 

 and accumulate fresh charms, must retrograde and fall short of serving 

 its true end and purpose. All hail, therefore, to all that is not merely 

 new, but worthy of the name of progress and increased interest, and 

 among which we class "beds of succulent and curious-looking plants." 



This is a style of grouping which is beginning to attract a consider- 

 able share of attention. The plants that come under this designation 

 are singularly distinct from such as have absorbed so much of the 

 gardener's care and resources ; and beds of them are so distinct in 

 character, and so interesting, that they have much to recommend them 

 to popular favour. They are, moreover, from their singular, in some 

 cases grotesque, appearance, scarcely admissible in the same beds with 

 ordinary bedding-plants remarkable chiefly for their profuse and bril- 

 liant flowers. Unless, indeed, it be in some cases as edgings to flower- 

 beds, it is more appropriate to devote a few beds to themselves, both 

 because they thus become a feature all the more distinct and appreci- 

 able, and, to our mind, are not appropriate for mingling up with 

 flowering plants. There is so much character and singularity of 

 appearance about these plants, that, when nicely arranged, they never 

 fail to prove interesting, and to attract a large share of attention. 



Their characters are most distinctly displayed when they are planted 

 rather thinly on a carpeting of many of our singular-looking and per- 

 fectly hardy alpine plants ; and in small gardens, for which they are 

 specially to be recommended, and where, perhaps, only one or two 

 beds can be devoted to them, the more natural way of grouping them 

 is to be recommended. What we wish to be understood by this is, that 



