THE 



GARDENER. 



FEBRUARY 1871. 



BEDS OF SUCCULENT AND CURIOUS -LOOKING 

 PLANTS. 



T has been a little amusing to notice the frantic attempts 

 that have recently been made to bring into contempt the 

 flower-gardening which has been popular in British gar- 

 dens for a long time now. So furious and ultra has 

 been the character of these efforts, that there is some difficulty 

 in believing that those who have made them possess the know- 

 ledge and skill necessary to properly appreciate the best features 

 of the flower-gardening to which we refer. A correspondent has 

 remarked that, like John Barleycorn, the more loudly popular flower- 

 gardening has been abused, the stronger it has grown. Be this as it 

 may, we are certainly of opinion that any fashion of flower-gardening 

 that has continued for more than a quarter of a century, and that is 

 likely to continue for an equal period to yield so much pleasure to 

 the public at large, scarcely deserves all the hideous epithets that have 

 been hurled at its existence, in some cases by those who evidently do 

 not understand it, even admitting that rejoicings could be indulged in 

 over a superior and more refined order of things. While we thus 

 write, we disavow any sympathy with stereotyped forms of any branch 

 of horticulture, and would tender thanks to those ultra opponents of 

 gay flower-beds for their assistance in introducing interesting features 

 into our gardens. At the same time, we cannot extend our sympathy 



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