November 21 , 1885. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



427 



convoyed of a nicely kept piece of ground, near the residence, 

 and disposed to the best advantage, so as tu bo pleasing to the 

 eye and refreshing to the mind. To have this, it is necessary 

 to adhere to some mode of laying out tho ground, so as to givo 

 it, if possible, a diversity of appearance. There are many 

 ways of doing this, but it is unnecessary for me at present to 

 enter into details respecting each ; but, whatever mode be 

 adopted, the garden should be complete in itself, and arranged 

 so as to have suitable places to receive ditTerent flowering 

 plants and bulbs all tho year. Plants and bulbs should have 

 each their own jdace independent of the other, and by giving 

 them this we would avoid any clashing between tho two classes 

 of plants, for bulbs are often taken out of tho ground before 

 thoy have properly matiu'ed their growth, iu order that they 

 may be replaced by bcdiling plants iu May. 



Now, I will take May to bo tho first flower gardening month 

 in summer ; we in general bod out in that month, after that we 

 nurso and coax the plants tor live or six mouths, tlien comes 

 autumn, and their beauty fades away. We have then to clear 

 away the plants which wo loved so much, and dress an<l clean 

 tho bods, which, nine times out of ten, are left empty until the 

 May of the following year, with tho exception, perhaps, of a 

 few" bulbs in a bed or border in front of tho windows. 



It should be the same with tho flower garden as with tho 

 drawing-room— that is, always fit to bo looked at in the depth of 

 winter as well as in tho height of summer, no matter with what 

 materials it is furnished. In order to have such an interesting 

 garden, my notion is that a nice pattern laid with Box is the 

 most eligible, as tho beds can bo of any width, and all in a 

 group with gravel between them. There can also be alleys and 



other places for bulbs, permanent plants, and diiferent coloured 

 materials, of which I can recommend three — viz., red, white, 

 and black — bm-nt flintstone for white, coals for black, and red 

 brick ends for red. They are the most distinct materials I 

 know of for giving effect. 



To show more clearly what I have said I send a copy of a 

 flower garden that I recently laid out here, and which is 

 much admired by all who have seen it. It will suffice to say 

 that the beds are at present planted with Alyssum saxatile, 

 Ai-abis, Pansies, Stachys lanata, Cerastium tomentosum, and a 



few dwarf variegated Holly plants introduced to give effect : 

 also in the outside hne of Box next to the gi-ass edge, there are 

 some nice Box plants planted 8 feet apart, which help to define 

 the figure very much. The small circles outside the semicircle, 

 or the top of the figure, represent plants of Aucnba and Thuja 

 Lobbi alternately, and which contrast well with each other, 

 o. Indicates the places covered with flints, coals, and bricks, 

 these materials being arranged so as to produce the best effect. 

 Were bulbs planted iu these places there would be a grand dis- 

 play in spring. 6 Indicates the beds, aud c the common gravel. 



