THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



Drainage is often the simplest and best way for the farmer to alter 

 the tilth and texture of saturated and cold or sour land, whereas the 

 flower gardener, dealing with a small space for his beds, has the power 

 of altering the tilth and texture of his land in a thorough way, and so 

 making it open to the influence of rain and air. The position of the 

 flower garden also is usually wholly different from that of agricultural 

 land. The flower garden itself is frequently raised, and in a terraced 

 or at all events often dry position, where the main drainage is long 

 settled, and gently raising the surfaces of flower beds, to a height 

 say of 4 inches to 6 inches, enables us to get rid in our flower beds 

 of the surface water, which very often troubles the farmer, and 

 which he can best get rid of by drainage. By raising our beds 

 slightly — not in the ugly way practised in the London parks — we free 

 the surface of any water lying on it, and this is a good plan to follow, 

 except in hot and shallow soils, where it would be better not to raise 

 the surface above the level. 



Rotation in the Flower Garden. — Flower gardeners do not 

 think enough of change of crop, or what in farming is called rotation. 

 A farmer soon comes to grief if he does not change his crops, but in 

 gardens one may see the same plants grown in the same beds for 

 many years. A cause of the poor growth of hardy flowers is want of 

 change of soil, and in addition the soils in which they grow are often 

 robbed by a network of hungry tree roots. There are botanic gardens 

 in Europe where the same wretched plants have been starving in the 

 same soil for fifty years, and little ever done to help them. So, again, 

 there are favourite borders in gardens which are almost as much in 

 want of a change, but, owing to their position sometimes being a 

 favourite one, people hesitate to give it to them. In such cases we 

 should prepare a new border for the plants and remove them, and 

 trench, renew and improve the soil of the old beds or borders, after- 

 wards taking a crop as different as possible for a year or two. If we 

 take a crop of annual flowers, the annuals rejoice in the fresh ground, 

 and they might be followed by a year of Carnations, after which a re- 

 turn might be made to a good mixed border. When, however, we 

 do change a border or bed, the staple of the soil ought to be made 

 deep enough — changed if need be. In dealing with a soil which is 

 too rich in humus, an addition of lime will improve it, but generally 

 the soils are too poor, and require renewing and deepening. Bedding 

 plants have the advantage of fresh soil and often a total change every 

 year, and hence the bright vigour they often show when the seasons 

 are fair. A little of the same generous change would help Roses, 

 Lilies, and all the finer things in an equal degree, though many of 

 these will be quite happy in the same soil for years if it be well pre- 

 pared at first. 



