796 



PRACTICE OF GARDENING. 



Part III. 



6102. According to Nicol, " the most proper situation for the green-house and conservatory, in an exten- 

 sive and well laid out place, is certainly in the shrubbery or flower-garden ; and not, as they are very 

 generally to be found, in the kitchen-garden, combined with the forcing-houses. In smaller places, no 

 doubt, they must be situated so as to suit other conveniences ; and we often find them connected with the 

 dwelling-house. In this latter way they may be very convenient, especially in the winter season, and may 

 answer for keeping many of the hardy kinds of exotics ; but it is seldom they can be so placed and con- 

 structed, on account of their connection with the building, as to suit the culture of the finer sorts, and 

 bring them to a flowering state. Such may rather be termed green-rooms, as being connected with the 

 house." (Kal. 539.) 



6103. Abercrombie says, " A green-house may be made a very ornamental object as a structure ; its 

 situation is, therefore, usually in a conspicuous part of the pleasure-ground, contiguous to the family resi- 

 dence. The front of the building should stand directly to the south, and the ends have an open aspect to 

 the east and west." (Pract. Gard. 557.) 



6104. Flower-nursery, and pits for forcing flowers. To every complete flower-garden 

 and shrubbery, a piece of ground should be set apart in a convenient and concealed situ- 

 ation, as a reserve-ground, or nursery of flowering plants and shrubs. The situation 

 should, if practicable, be behind and near to the range of hot-houses, and it may at the 

 same time include the pits for forcing flowers, and the hot-bed department of the 

 flower-garden. Here plants may be originated from seed, cuttings, pipings, and a pro- 

 per stock kept up, partly in beds and partly in pots, for more easy removal, to supply 

 blanks, and in the more select scenes, to replace such as have done flowering. No 

 flower-garden can be kept in complete order without a nursery of this description ; nor could 

 the management of some sorts of florists' flowers, as the auricula, during the latter part 

 of summer and winter, the carnation, &c. be well carried on without it. Here they may 

 be grown, and, when in bloom, exhibited in proper stages in the main garden. 



6105. Walks. In most styles of parterres these are formed of gravel ; but in the mo- 

 dern sort {fig. 549.), which consist of turf, varied by wavy dug beds (1 and 2), and 

 surrounded by shrubbery, they 549 



are sometimes dispensed with. 

 Such a flower-garden is recom- 

 mended by the author of the Flor- 

 ist's Manual, as suitable for the 

 «' midst of pleasure-ground," and 

 the beds " peculiarly adapted to 

 the advantageous exhibition of 

 flowers." The general length of 

 the beds she recommends to be 

 from twenty-three to twenty-five 

 feet, and the width in the broad- 

 est part, about four feet ; the 

 grass to be five or six feet wide 

 between the beds, that it may be 

 conveniently mown and rolled ; 

 all the beds a good deal raised, 

 and a tree (3) placed at the en- 

 trance (4) of light and rather 

 pendulous foliage, and pruned to 

 form a high stem. " If the space of grass between the borders appear too great, it may 

 be lessened by baskets of ever-blowing roses, carnations, or any other plants ; and these 

 baskets may be formed by circular beds, surrounded by cast-iron, made to resemble the 

 open edges of a basket, and painted of a very dark-green color. " (p. 6.) 



6106. In extensive and irregular parterres, one gravel-walk, accompanied by broad margins of turf, to 

 serve as walks by such as prefer that material, should be so contrived as to form a tour for the display of 

 the whole garden. There should also be other secondary interesting walks of the same width, of gravel 

 and smaller walks for displaying particular details. The main walk, however, ought to be easily dis- 

 tinguishable from the others by its broad margins of fine turf. In general the gravel is of uniform 

 breadth throughout the whole length of the walk ; but in that sort of French parterres which they 

 call parterres of embroidery {jig. 550.), the breadth of the gravelled part (a) varies like that of the turf. 

 Such figures, when correctly executed, carefuUy planted, judiciously intermixed with basket-work, 

 shells, party-colored gravels, &c. and kept in perfect order, are highly ornamental ; but very few 

 gardeners enter into the spirit of this department of their art. The French and Dutch have long 

 greatly excelled us in the formation of small gardens, and the display of flowers ; and whoever wishes 



