442 



HINTS ON FLOWER GARDENS. 



of a fluwcr-garden, wlicllicr in ihe geotnctric, 

 or the natural, or ihc '' gardmesquc" style, 

 that sliall satisfy the eye of the beholder. 

 But it is far more difficult to plant and ar- 

 range a garden of this kind, in such a way 

 as to aflbrd a constant succession of beauty, 

 both in blossom and leaf. Indeed, among 

 the hundreds of avowed flower gardens, 

 Avhich we have seen in different parts of the 

 country, public and private, we cannot name 

 half a dozen which are in any considerable 

 degree salififactory. 



The two leading faults in all our flower 

 gardens, are, the wayit of proper selection in 

 the plants the/nselves, and a Jaulty arrange- 

 ment , by which as much surface of bare soil 

 meets the eye as is clothed with verdure and 

 blossoms. 



Regarding the first effect, it seems to us 

 that the entire beauty of a flower garden al- 

 most depends upon it. However elegant or 

 striking may be the design of a garden, 

 that design is made poor or valueless, when 

 it is badly planted, so as to conceal its mer- 

 its, or filled with a selection of unsuitable 

 plants, which, from their coarse or ragged 

 habit of growth, or their remaining in bloom 

 but a short time, give the whole a confused 

 and meagre effect. A flower garden, de- 

 serving the name, should, if possible, be as 

 rich as a piece of embroidery, during the 

 whole summer and autumn. In a botanical 

 garden, or the collection of a curious ama- 

 teur, one expects to see variety of spec' es — 

 plants of all known forms, at the expense 

 of every thing else. But in a flower gar- 

 den, properly so called, the whole object 

 of which is to afford a continual display 

 of beautiful colors and delicious odors, we 

 conceive that every thing should be rejected, 

 (or only most sparingly introduced,) which 

 docs not combine almost perpetual blooming, 

 with neat and agreeable habit of growth. 



The passion for novelty and variety among 

 the lovers of flowers, is as great as in any 

 other enthusiasts. But as some of the 

 greatest of the old painters are said to owe 

 the success of their masterpieces to the few 

 colors they employed, so we arc confident 

 the most beautiful flower gardens arc those 

 where but few species are introduced, and 

 those only such as possess the important 

 qualities we have alluded to. 



Thus among flowering shrubs, taking for 

 illustration the tribe of Roses, we would re- 

 ject, in our choice flower garden, nearly 

 all the old class of roses which are in bloom 

 for a few days and but once a year, and ex- 

 hibit during the rest of the season, for 

 the most part, meagre stems and dingy fo- 

 liage. We would supply their place by 

 Bourbons, Perpetuals, Bengals, etc., roses 

 which offer an abundance of blossoms and 

 fine fresh foliage during the whole growing 

 season. Among annuals, we would reject 

 every thing short lived, and introduce only 

 those, like the Portulaccas, Verbenas, Pe- 

 tunias, Migno7iette, Phlox Drummondii, and 

 the like, which are always in bloom, and 

 fresh and pretty in habit.* 



After this, we would add to the effect of 

 our selection of perpetual blooming plants, 

 by abandoning altogether the old method 

 of inte^-mhigling species and varieties of all 

 colors and habits of growth, and substitute 

 for it the opposite mode of grouping or 

 massing colors and particular species of 

 plants. Masses of crimson and white, of 

 yellow and purple, and the other colors and 

 shades, brought boldly into contrast, or dis- 

 posed so as to form an agreeable harmony, 



* Some of the most beautiful of the perpetual blooming 

 plants for the flower garden, are the Salvias, Bouvardias, 

 Scarlet Geraniums, &c., properly green-liouse plants, and re- 

 quiring protection in a pit or warm cellar in winter. " Bed- 

 ded out" in May, they form rich flowing masses till the frosts 

 of autumn. 



