362 APPENDIX. 



GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ON FLOWER-GARDENS. 



The foregoing plans will give a general idea of the usual method of 

 planting flower-gardens ; and, of course, the designs and the plants may- 

 be varied at pleasure. The principal points to be attended to, in order 

 to make the beds of a flower-garden look well, are the size of the plants 

 and their colours. 



With recjard to the size, no plant should be mucb higher than the 

 others, and those that would grow taller should be pegged down. The usual 

 rule is, that no plant should exceed six inches in height in a bed eighteen 

 inches wide ; and that the plants may increase about six inches in height 

 for every foot the beds increase in width. The plants should not be too 

 near, or they will be drawn up in height instead of spreading laterally ; 

 and when this is the case, they never flower well, but become bare of both 

 leaves and flowers towards the root. If jDlants should be in this state, the 

 only remedy is taking up and replanting wider apart ; but it is generally 

 best to use new plants, as the old ones which have been diawn up will 

 generally have weakened themselves too much ever to do well. 



The management of the colours of plants in flower-beds is a point of 

 some difiiculty ; but it is also reducible to rules. Every colour is said to 

 contain within itself the germ of another colour, which, if mixed with it, 

 would make black, or dingy white ; and these two [colours harmonise 

 better together than either would do with any other colour. It is well 

 known that every ray of light may be divided into seven colours, which 

 may be seen in a rainbow or in a prism ; and of these colours three are 

 primitive or simple, and four compound. Now, it is found that every 

 simple colour harmonises best vnih. a compound colour ; and thus, that 

 the secondary colour of red, which is a simple colour, is green, which is 

 a compound colour ; that of yellow, is violet or purple ; and that of 

 blue, oi-ange. It is found, also, that no primitive colour harmonises well 

 with a compound colour composed from it. Thus, red does not look well 

 with purple, which is composed of red and blue ; but it looks very well 

 with green, which is composed of blue and yellow. It is true that in 

 plants green is so common, as to come in contact with every other colour ; 

 but we shall also find that there are so many shades of gi-een, as to render 

 the hue of the leaves in harmony with every varied tint that may be found 

 in the flowers. Green is also the most agreeable of all colours to the eye. 

 It may be further observed, with regard to colours, that certain colours, 

 such as red, yellow, and orange, are what are called warm ; and that 

 others, such as blue, lilac, and sea-green, are what are called cold : also, 

 that where the walks in a flower-garden are of gravel, cold colours ought 

 to predominate in the flowers in the beds ; and where the walks are of 

 grass, warm colours ought to predominate among the flowers. 



The usual way to try the effect of a neio mode of forming and plant- 

 ing a regular flower-garden is, to make a plan of the intended design on 

 paper ; and then, after colouring the walks gi'een or reddish, according 

 as it may be wished to have them of grass or gravel, to tint the beds 

 according to the colours of the flowers to be planted on them, or, what is 

 better, to put coloured wafers on the beds, as these will admit of being 

 removed and shifted about at pleasure, till a proper efi"ect has been pro- 



