ON THE DISPOSITION OF FLOWERS IN MASSES. 5 



like all other principles, it may be carried too far. In a small flower- 

 garden which I very much admire, I have seen a group, composed of 

 myrtles and China roses, planted alternately in quincunx order, the 

 larger plants being in the centre ) and, in my opinion, a better effect 

 was produced than if the two genera had been in separate masses : the 

 rich green colour of the myrtles' leaves, forming a ground to the 

 beautiful white of the flower ; the light and elegant foliage and 

 pendant bloom of the rose ; the mingled colour, and the associations 

 connected with both, made an impression upon me which I shall not 

 easily forget. In the same garden there was a group consisting of an 

 acacia, the broader and more shadowy plumes of the sumach, and 

 the pendulous clusters of flowers of the laburnum, composing a little 

 picture of the most highly finished character. 



Gardeners might find much instruction from an examination of even 

 cottage gardens, in many of which I have seen a degree of good taste 

 that is not always found where there is more reason to expect it. In 

 such gardens, it often happens that very striking effects are produced 

 by a judicious disposition of plants of the most common description ; 

 and I think it would be a very useful study to endeavour to imitate 

 them with plants of more rare and choice species. I was once much 

 struck by a particular effect (not, however, of sufficient general 

 interest for a place in your Magazine,) produced by a plant of the 

 common hop ; and it was not until after many trials that I could 

 find a substitute for it among more choice plants; at length, how- 

 ever, I succeeded to my own satisfaction by means of one of the 

 genus Clematis ; the species I do not with certainty know. 



In small gardens, nothing can be more unpleasing than a want of 

 neatness and high finish ; it reminds me of a flower-painter of the 

 last century, who used the most dingy and sombre colours that he 

 could find, saying that he imitated Raphael, and painted for posterity. 

 In the case of a small garden, it should be remembered that, what- 

 ever may be the beauty of the design, constant attention, and the 

 frequent removal of plants, are indispensable : three or four years of 

 neglect would leave nothing, either to posterity or the designer himself, 

 but a tangled and matted thicket of such plants as might come off 

 conquerors in the struggle for life incident to want of sufficient 

 space. 



