104 



EDWARDSIA. 



above the sui'face of tlie walk more 

 tiian two inches ; otherwise, wheu 

 they rise higher, unless the walk 

 be of more than the usual breadth, 

 they give it a sunken appearance, 

 which is very unpleasant to the eye. 

 In forming edgings of brick, the 

 bricks should generally be placed in 

 the ground endwise ; and the best 

 effect is produced by using bricks 

 that have been moulded with round 

 ends on purpose. Edgings of tiles, 

 to be kept securely in their places, 

 should be set in concealed brickwork ; 

 otherwise they are apt to get out of 

 place, and to have a ragged and 

 temporary appearance. The same 

 may be said of edgings of slate ; and, 

 in general, brick and slate edgings are 

 much improved by a line of dwarf 

 evergreens, planted close to them on 

 the bed, or border side. Edgings of 

 boards should be of oak, for the sake 

 of durability ; and they should be 

 kept securely in their places by con- 

 cealed posts, driven into the ground, 

 to which the boards should be nailed, 

 beneath the surface of the walk. 



Much of the beauty of all gardens, 

 whether useful or ornamental.depends 

 on the neatness and high keeping of 

 the edgings ; for v/hatever may be the 

 state of the boundary fence, of the 

 gra-vel, or pavement of the walks, and 

 of the soil or plants of the borders, if 

 the edgings have an uneven, ragged, 

 appearance, or if the plants be either 

 too large or too small, the garden will 

 be at once felt to be in bad keeping. 



Hitherto nothing has been said 

 of edgings of turf, because these 

 are chiefly applicable to pleasure- 

 grounds. To form them, the ground 

 is first dug, and then levelled, so as 

 to be about the intended height of 

 the gravel, or half an inch below it. 

 It is then firmly beaten, so that it 

 may not sink afterwards ; and the 

 turf, which should be procured from 

 a smooth, even pasture, is laid down, 



and rolled or beaten with a broad 

 flat mallet, fixed in a long handle, 

 called a turf-beater, so as to be 

 rendered perfectly firm and even. 

 The breadth of turf-edgings should 

 seldom be less than two feet, because 

 less than this width cannot be 

 conveniently mown. After the turf 

 has been laid down, a garden-line 

 should be stretched along its margin, 

 and the edges should be cut smooth 

 with a spade or a turfing iron. The 

 walk may now be filled in with 

 gravel to within an inch of the upper 

 surface of the turf, and the soil of 

 the border may also be raised to the 

 same height. In the management 

 of the turf afterwards, the greatest 

 care must be taken not to cut the 

 edgings of the turf so as to show a 

 line of earth, which always produces 

 a raw and harsh appearance. Gren- 

 erally speaking, only the grass should 

 be clipped close on the side next the 

 walk ; and if it be found that the 

 roots of the grass have penetrated 

 into the gravel, so as to make the 

 use of the turf-cutter necessary, the 

 edges of the cut turf should be after- 

 wards gently pressed down, so as to 

 make the grass slope gently up from 

 the walk. This slope will, however, 

 be very trifling ; as, if the vralks are 

 kejit pro2:)erly full of gravel, they 

 ought to be as nearly as possible on 

 a level with the turf. These remarks 

 will, of course, apply to all cases 

 where there is a gravel walk through 

 or round a lawn ; or, in short, to all 

 points of junction between gravel and 

 grass. 



Edwa'rdsia. — Leguminosce. — 

 Half-hardy low trees and shrubs, with 

 pinnate leaves, and very curiously- 

 shaped flowers (which are of a dark 

 golden yellow) and seed-pods. The 

 plants will grow well in the open air, 

 against a wall, if protected during 

 winter by a thatched coping. The 

 soil should be sandy loam, and kept 



