378 GARDEN MANAGEMENT. 



and not quite so high, placing about a foot of soil on it ; all that is necessary- 

 is a slight heat to start them, and covering with handlights. 



1 1 15. Frame potatoes, carrots, cauliflowers, &c. will be fit for the table this 

 month, and may be replaced by any of the above, taking out the old soil and 

 replacing it with fresh, and applying new linings. Such are also very useful 

 for growing capsicums and tomatoes, either for fruiting or merely prepara- 

 torily to planting them under a wall : in either case, they should be grown in 

 pots. They may be used for other tender annuals : celosias and cockscombs 

 always do best when plunged in heat, and grown in a frame or shallow pit. 



1 1 16. Frames are also excellent for hardening off all sorts of bedding-stock 

 for the flower-garden ; the lights can be pvilled quite off, and the plants are 

 thus inured gradually to the open air. 



§10.— Cottage Gardens. 



1 1 17. Cottage gardens may, and often do, look exceedingly pretty, 

 because, being on a small scale, they are completely under control, more 

 so than large gardens, which rarely receive an amount of attention pro- 

 portioned to what the cottager may bestow on his few square rods. The law 

 of proportion is applicable to garden matters as to other things : a small 

 garden may be made a perfect picture of neatness and gaiety, whereas in 

 larger gardens, unless there is plenty of labour, the gardener is always doing, 

 and nothing ever appears to be done. This ought to reconcile many who 

 dream of the wonders of floral skill they would display had they more 

 space. Cottage gardens being on a limited scale, the object should be to 

 make the most of what they have. Old worn-out shrubs, trees, or plants, 

 should be discarded. Not a foot of valuable space should be occupied by 

 anything that is not either useful or ornamental. Clear the ground of all 

 such, and then ascertain what subjects will best repay, with real enjoyment, 

 the labour and expense of planting. But first of all, is the plan or shape 

 to your liking ? If not, set about altering it. The planning of gardens admits 

 of variations as numerous as designing for shawl-patterns. However that 

 may be, let every small garden present one predominating feature ; let it be 

 either shrubbery, lawn, geometric flower-beds, or rockery; this will give 

 a distinct and withal an attractive appearance, which it would not otherwise 

 possess ; at the same time everything should be proportioned to the place. 

 Cottage gardens may be made to look neat and attractive by merely laying 

 down the centre with grass, and cutting flower-beds of various shapes on 

 it the grass lawn being surrounded by a gravel walk, the whole skirted with 

 a border next to the inclosure. The form and style of the garden must in a 

 great measure depend on the aspect, the situation, and the nature of the 

 inclosure. For instance, if much overshadowed by trees, few deciduous 

 shrubs would pay for planting, while most kinds of evergreen shrubs would 

 thrive and be in good keeping. Grass gets drawn up or dies oflf and seldom 



