LITERARY NOTICES. 



exquisitely fair and perfect, by continual culture. Indeed, the finest, choicest flowers are 

 the very result of civilization, cultivation, and refinement, and preach a continual lesson 

 to our race, of the wonderful and transforming influence of a fine culture and perfect 

 training. The Rose, with form of beauty and soul of perfume, — the brilliant and long il- 

 lustrious Tulip, — that lively, sparkling little pet, the Verbena, and the stately, gorgeous 

 Dahlia, are all creations of civilization and high culture. What a change, from the strag- 

 ling bramble, with insignificant blossoms, to the protean queen of flowers, — with full blooms 

 of every various tint and fragrant odor; or from the coarse and single Mexican flower, 

 with its scanty petals of dull purple, to the splendid, full, round, quilled, cupped Dahlia, 

 with every variety of shading, streaking, and tinting and coloring — except blue. And I 

 should take delight in the Dahlia for this, if for no other reason, that it is a glowing and 

 exquisite historj"-, as well as a persuasive exhortation of the importance and value of high, 

 true culture. And we should be thankful for any work that treats lucidly on the sub- 

 ject of flowers, — and especially for a writer, that without any pretence of mere tech- 

 nical science, makes an intelligible, practical book — like the one before us — for popular use, 

 that can aid us in the pursuit of this most elevating and refining art — by selecting for us 

 a good assortment of shrubbery, as well as of annuals and perennials, explaining simply 

 their habits and wants, and showing us how to cultivate them. And here, a word or two 

 now, at the opening of the season, may not be amiss on the subject of — 



Flower Beds and Flower Borders. — In all cases, where possible, I prefer borders to 

 beds; it is so dilBcult to relieve the latter from an air of stiff"ness, primness and artificial- 

 ity, that reminds one of the old fashioned, Frenchified, geometric school of gardening. 

 Again : the paths and avenues on which the boders touch, should never be straight or angu- 

 lar. In the early days of science it was said, that nature abhorred a vacuum; but it is 

 always true, that nature abhors straight lines and angles, and delights in curves ; and so does 

 the lover of the beautiful, and every horticulturist of true taste. See to it, then, if you 

 would "gratify both soul and sense," " that you make your avenues and walks and paths, 

 curvilinear. A flower border is most beautiful when stealing out and sloping down to the ave- 

 nue, from luxriant groups of trees and shrubbery, that are verdant down to the very 

 ground. If these are wanting, low evergreens, or a deep green hedge, or at any rate, a 

 hack ground of verdure — with the tall flowers set ofi" against it, has a most beautiful and 

 charming effect. These tall flowers at the back of the borders should be Yuccas, Spireas, 

 as. Lobelia fulgens. Campanulas in variety, Foxgloves, Gladiolii, Bee Larkspur, L. sinen- 

 sis. Hollyhocks, and all such plants as send up tall and brilliant spikes of flowers, from 

 a pyramid of leaves against the back ground of shrubbery. Mingling in with these, there 

 should be light frames for the best climbers, such as the Calystegia pubescens, Lobb's 

 pretty new Nasturtium, pink, white, and purple, Maurandias, Eternal and Sweet Peas, 

 Thunbergias, Cypress Vine, and Canary Bird flower, (Tropoeolum peregrinum.) Then 

 should come the flowers of middle height and bright colors, — and these should gradually 

 slope off" into masses of Petunias, Portulaccas, Verbenas, Convolvulus minor, Ca- 

 lystegias. Scarlet Geraniums, &c., &c. Indeed, a temporary or late flower garden, can 

 be rapidly improved with nothing but Fever-fews, Scarlet Geraniums, Petunias and Ver- 

 benas, by properly arranging and grouping the colors — and marking the distances with a 

 bunch of Gladiolii or Roses. Beds of Roses, Verbenas and Mignonette, with a climber 

 or Dahlia, if you please, in the center, in a round, oval or curvilinear figure, are admissi- 

 ble, cut out of the turf and embroidered upon a lawn. Poeonias and Dahlias should not, I 

 think, be in a border, but should set alone among shrubbery, between evergreens, &c 

 word on grouping according to forms and colors, as well as heights, and I have 



