THE CARNATION MANUAL. 37 



So far as hardiness is concerned, Ave had no 

 trouble in proving the absohite hardiness of the 

 Carnations mentioned — the harder the winter, the 

 happier the flowers. An open, changeable winter 

 is much more against them, by exciting growth, 

 than a hard winter. They were planted in large and 

 simple flower-beds near the house, between groups 

 of tea-roses, occasionally running into the more open 

 groups. In mixed beds such as I employ, where 

 there are many tufted pansies and other hardy and 

 half-hardy flowers, it is easy to get places for groups 

 of Carnations in early autumn. It is essential to 

 get enough of each kind after first determining 

 what kinds and colours are desired. I mostly 

 planted in informal groups of from twenty to fifty. 



On the margins of mixed borders the same 

 Carnations may be used with excellent effect, 

 especially for those who frequent their gardens late 

 in the summer and autumn. Beautiful effects of 

 colour may occasionally be had in such borders by 

 associating with the Carnations other grey-hued 

 plants, such as Lavender and Rosemary, also 

 planted in some quantities. The soil of my own 

 garden was a deep unctuous loam, the rainfall of 

 the district being rather higher than that of the 

 surrounding country. Though successful, the ex- 

 periment could not be said to have been made 

 under the best conditions. 



The next experiment was at Shrubland Park, 



