FLOWER-GARDENS. 



118 



FLOWER-GARDENS. 



flowers, Roses, and one or two other 

 kinds of low flowering slirubs. The 

 flowers in the beds are generally 

 mixed in such a manner that some 

 may show blossom every month 

 during summer, and that some may 

 retain their leaves during winter. 

 This kind of garden should be sur- 

 rounded by a border of evergreen 

 and deciduous shrubs, backed by low 

 trees ; and in the centre there should 

 be a sun-dial, a vase, a statue, or a 

 basin and fountain. 



Theraodern Englishflower-garden 

 has the groundwork of turf, on which 

 a system of beds is formed in such a 

 manner as to constitute a symmetrical 

 figure ; or, if on a veiy large scale, 

 groups of figures. The French flower- 

 garden and the ancient Engli sh garden 

 were chiefly calculated for being seen 

 from an elevated situation, so as to 

 show the whole at once ; but the 

 modem English flower-garden is 

 calculated to be walked through, 

 and seen by degrees. The beds are 

 generally of roundish or curvilinear 

 figures, and they should never be of 

 figures with numerous narrow angles, 

 or projecting points ; because such 

 parts can never be properly covered 

 with plantS; and therefore have always 

 a bad efiiect. These beds are some- 

 times planted with a mixture of 

 flowers alone, and sometimes with 

 flowers and shrubs ; but they are 

 more generally planted, each bed, 

 with one kind of flower or one kind 

 of shrub, so as to produce masses of 

 colour, or of shades of colour, which 

 will harmonise "«-iththe masses in the 

 other beds. The spaces between the 

 beds should not be less than two feet, 

 for the convenience of walking and 

 mowing ; and the surface of the beds 

 should never be much higher than 

 that of the turf, because, if it is, the 

 beds will look like blotches on a 

 lawn. Besides, the plants in the 

 highest part of the bed (which should 



be in the centre) being drier than 

 those on the sides, they will grow 

 with less vigour in dry seasons, and 

 with too much vigour in moist 

 seasons, if they are too much ele- 

 vated ; so that the plants in the 

 garden will never produce a uniform 

 surface throughout. Some beds in 

 flower-gardens of this description are 

 I entirely filled with Roses which are 

 \ often pegged down and kept low ; 

 ' and other beds are filled witt low 

 evergreen shrubs, or with deciduous 

 I shrubs which have conspicuous 

 I flowers, such as Rhododendrons, 

 Azaleas, &s. For eveiy garden of 

 this kind there is, or ought to be, a 

 basin of water, as well for eff'ect, as 

 for watering the plants ; and if the 

 garden be on a large scale, there may 

 be statues, vases, open and covered 

 seats, rustic baskets containing 

 plants, rock-work, and a variety of 

 other objects ; but these require to 

 be introduced with great caution, 

 and afford an excellent opportunity 

 for a lady to exercise her taste in 

 their arrangement. In fact, these 

 ornaments, if not well managed, 

 destroy the simplicity and elegance 

 of the garden, and do more harm 

 than good. When flower-gardens 

 are close to the house and are in- 

 tended to be very highly kept, the 

 beds are often surrounded with a 

 low frame- work of wire or trelii-s- 

 work, so as to give them the eftect 

 of baskets of flowers ; and this has 

 sometimes a very good effect. Very 

 often handles of wire- work are ap- 



pended to these baskets, over which 

 are trained beautiful climbingplants, 

 such as the j\Iaurandyas and Lophos- 

 permums, which flower abundantly 

 during the whole summer. 



The architectural jioxcer-garden, 

 or Italian garden, always adjoins the 

 house, and is bordered and separated 

 from the rest of the pleasure gi-ounds 

 by an architectural parapet or wall. 



