ON CLUMPING OUT FI.OWKES. 305 



long wholly satisfactory ; it may answer as regards colour, but 

 is very frequently unpleasing in point of figure or outline : fur 

 instance, how rich a bed of the Scarlet Geranium is in mere 

 colour, yet in general form or figure how defective !■ — a lot of 

 flat-headed low bushes, which \^ould not be tolerated a moment 

 but for tlie redeeming quality of colour. The question then 

 naturally arises in the mind, whether elegance of outline may 

 not be joined to richness of colouring to heighten the effect. It 

 is a practice in some places to fill whole beds with the Esch- 

 scholtzia or Chryseis, the Clarkia, &c. &c., or lines extending 

 the whole length of a promenade, in which our most gorgeous 

 annuals alternate. This produces a very strong impression at 

 first sight, inasmucli as colour is the first essential ; such, how- 

 ever, I conceive will never afford the lasting satisfaction that a 

 due attention to f(jrm, as well as colour, is capable of effecting. 

 It would be well, I think, to render every individual bed in a 

 parterre so complete in these respects, that it would bear to 

 stand alone, and not offend the eye of taste ; this would prove a 

 strong test. The making a bed or beds subordinate to the 

 general plan is another affair ; this also must be taken fairly 

 into the account when a scheme is devised. To give a definition 

 of elegance of form to a bed is not a very easy task ; certainly a 

 lot of flat headed bushes will not constitute it, neither will a 

 congregatiDU of mere stalks. I take it for granted, that in 

 order to pursue this principle, edgings become necessary ; few 

 will contend, I think, that the outside flowers of a bed should 

 be as high or iiigher than the centre ones. Neither should the 

 steady graflations of a mere stage be observed — at least in my 

 opinion — for which (be it observed) I do not by any means 

 claim infallibility ; my aim is to invite attention to the subject. 

 To accomplish neat edgings or margins to a bed, it appears to 

 me that the pegging down system should be had recourse to 

 whenever the plant will admit of it. Again; I think the centre 

 of the bed should, for the most part, be the highest, unless 

 spiral plants can be introduced right and left of the centre. To 

 further illustrate the matter I will suppose a case or two. 



For a scarlet and crimson bed, I would place a row thinly of 

 strong growing Scarlet Geraniums down the centre, then a row 

 of the tall Scarlet Lobelias on- each side, next a row of the Tom 

 Thumb Scarlet Geranium on each side of the Lobelias, and finally 

 a bordering or margin of tlie Cuphea pegged neatly down. This 

 bed — well grown — would be tolerably complete, I conceive, in 

 point of both form and colour. But take away the Lobelias and 

 the Cuphea, and you will lose the sprightliness of figure directly, 

 especially if their places are supplied by flat-headed Geraniums. 

 In like manner, the Salvia patens may be made to relieve the 



