86 PLANTING FLOWER GARDENS. 
of the pot in which the stock grew ; and when the union had taken 
place completely, they used to repot them into deeper pots so as to 
bury the wound under the mould. A practice so unskilful was of 
course unsuccessful ; the plants being thus too deeply potted did not 
prosper, and, as might be expected, deterred many from purchasing, 
from an idea that the plants were either short-lived, or would not grow 
without the care of a proficient person. The case, however, is other- 
wise ; scarcely any plant is easier than the Camellia, although it must 
be admitted that, to grow them in the first degree of excellence, much 
judgment is required. Camellias, like most other plants, have their 
periods of growth and also of rest; during the former state they 
cannot hardly be watered over much, and during the latter they will 
soon languish if too bountifully supplied. For this no rules can be 
laid down ; experience and observation on the part of the cultivator 
alone can be a safe guide. 
PLANTING FLOWER GARDENS. 
Tue time for planting and bedding out plants, in the places where 
they are to form the great display of the flower-garden, is fast approach- 
ing; and it cannot be too strongly urged upon those who have this 
work to do, that system in arranging the colour is absolutely essential 
to complete success. It ought to be no satisfaction to a gardener that 
his grounds look well, while it is easily demonstrated that they might 
have looked better. By those who have paid much attention to this 
part of the gardener’s business, it must have been often noticed that 
different artistes produce very different effects with the same plants ; 
and this upon a careful examination will be found to arise more from 
the judicious arrangement of the colours than from any other cireum- 
stance. It is also easily seen that this subject receives very little 
attention generally, although nothing can be more important; thus 
what can be more beautiful than some of the white Verbenas, or the 
yellow Escholtzia, but place these two sorts together, and the pure 
white of the Verbenas is quite destroyed. Neither should colours be 
placed, as many persons suppose, in violent contrast, because richness 
of effect is not produced by contrast but by harmony. Thus the 
scarlet Verbena or Geranium harmonizes with the purple Verbena, or 
any of the blue Lobelias; these again with the Erysimum or any 
orange-coloured flower. The new Geranium lucea rosea will har- 
monize most delicately with any flower of a pure white colour; for 
that purpose it will be almost invaluable, while the great want of a 
good violet colour to harmonize with the numerous yellows is likely to 
be supplied by the Plumbago Larpente. In some cases, however, 
especially on gravelled terraces, complementary or contrasted colours 
are desirable ; and these are much more easily managed, there being 
an easy and well-known method of finding the true constant to any 
colour, which is this; take a piece of paper, of the colour of the flower 
for which it is desired to find the contrast, or a petal of the flower 
itself, cut a small circle out of it, which lay upon a sheet of white 
paper, gaze on it steadily for a minute, and then, without allowing the 
