04 PRACTICAL GARDENING. 



there is mucli to be considered in the planting. I^ot one 

 flower garden in a hundred is ever decently filled ; uniformity 

 and s}Tiimetry are lost sight of in the endeavour to use as 

 many kinds of flowers as possible ; and not one have we seen 

 that has not been spoiled by the mode of planting. Generally 

 speaking, it is desirable to have twenty-four beds— three, or 

 six, or twelve, of one form, besides a centre one — though to 

 see one of these geometrical gardens in perfection, the centre 

 should be gravel, that the proper efi'ect may be seen from the 

 middle, whereas a centre bed deprives us of this view. If, 

 as is usual, there be six beds of a form, it is throwing all the 

 advantage away to aim at too many colours. Every alternate 

 bed may be of one subject, which, being uniform, gives a good 

 effect ; but we prefer all six alike. Another six may be all 

 alike, and of another colour. So also may be a third and 

 a fourth six. Annuals are great favourites in geometrical 

 gardens, but there is nothing comes up to the verbena for 

 iength and steadiness of bloom, unless it is the scarlet geranium. 

 Let the outside of the figure be planted with anj^thing you 

 please, but have the figure itself planted with subjects that 

 require no changing. The more intricate the figure, the more 

 the necessity for dwarf plants and for permanent subjects. 

 Those beds which form the outside cbcles cannot be better 

 planted than with various scarlet geraniums ; they are striking 

 and lasting. The diversity of colours in the verbena, and the 

 exceedingly dwarf habit of the creeping varieties, afford great 

 facilities for completing the inner beds — there are purple, 

 white, pink, lilac, salmon colour, crimson, and indeed almost 

 every shade but yellow may be secured from May until the 

 frost cuts them off. The only colour we seem to want is 

 yellow, and these are for the most part temporary. Calceo- 

 larias are the best subjects. 



If, however, changes are to be made, we have abundance of 

 colours among the annuals and perennials of other kinds, so 

 that we need not cross our fancy for colours. Tlie nemo- 

 philas, convolvulus, and Lupinus nanus, give us blue ; the 

 eschscholtzia and erysimums, orange ; the mimulus and yellow 

 pansies are bright "^and beautiful ; but to see a geometrical 

 garden stuffed with hehotropes, which are nothing to look at, 

 or mignonette, or any of the usual straggling and ineffective 

 subjects, is aggravating to every man of taste. 



Everything in one of these flower gardens should be striking 



