246 HINTS TO JUVENILE GARDENERS. 



steady. When this is done, you may consider what the horder is 

 to consist of. Some prefer, as a garden border, what the agricul- 

 turists call a dead fence : and this may be made of bent Oziers, 

 or other flexible sticks, put round your ground in little arches ; or 

 it may be framed ; or stones, or bits of tile, or wood, placed regu- 

 larly. Others like better what is called a live fence ; and this 

 may he made of Daisies, Thrift, Stonecrop, turfs of Grass, or Box. 

 I own that I much prefer a union of both a live and dead border. 

 A pretty edging may be made with large white sand stones, which 

 are found on the sea-beach, and may be easily collected by those 

 who live near the coast. In place of these, the odd-shaped flint 

 stones, that arc to be found in almost every clay, gravel, or chalk 

 pit, if placed round a little plot of ground with taste, form no 

 unpleasing border. These must be half-way bedded in the earth, 

 or they will not hold firm, and an edge of plants proper for the 

 purpose must be placed just within the row of stones ; the roots of 

 the plants will bind the stones tight in the ground, and the whole 



looks well together.* 



The Stonecrop is called, in some countries, gold dust, and in 

 others, wall-pepper ; it is one of the numerous tribe of Sedums. 

 Like the House-leek, it grows on the tops of walls, which it covers 

 with its bright golden blossoms ; the leaves are little thick three- 

 cornered knobs, and have, if bitten, a very pungent, hot taste ; it 

 grows wild on many parts of the coast, and there are three varie- 

 ties of the same plant, yellow, pink, and white. Its advantages as 

 a border are, that it is very small — grows thick, and close to the 

 ground — is a long time in flower — and blossoms a considerable 

 time : like the rest of its tribe, it is apt to spread too much ; this 

 defect is easily remedied, by the edge being now and then cut 

 with a knife. Double Daisies form a charming border, and they 

 are seldom out of flower at any time of the year. 



Thrift is likewise useful for this purpose. One of the varieties 

 is a very bright carmine pink — this is rare ; the common is lilac ; 

 some I have gathered in the salt marshes, of a pale flesh colour. 

 Like the Stonecrop, this is a marine plant. If the seed-vessels of 

 the Thrift are cut down when the blossoms fade, more flowers will 



* Short stakes driven into tho ground, at a few inches apart, to which plain or 

 otriped-Jeaved Ivy, &c, is trained, make a very neat fence tor beds (if Hollyoiik-, 

 Dahlias, fcc Or Larch, Yew, ITolly, Arbor yitw, &p, kept clipped a foot high, am -• 



veil— Ho, Cm, 



