THE MANAGEMENT OF VILLA GARDENS. 345 



Phlox Drummondii ; dwarf red, purple, and all the shades 

 of them ; one foot. 



Ten-week Stocks ; many colours, from Germany, all but 

 yellow ; six to twelve inches. 



China or German Asters j many colours, all but yellow ; 

 one foot. 



Now these annuals are the most showy in patches, about 

 the size of a thirty-two-sized pot, and therefore, if not sown 

 actually on the borders where they are to flower, should be 

 so sown elsewhere as to be easily removed in patches. But 

 the plants, or rather the annuals we have mentioned, are of 

 two classes ; one ought to be sown and thinned out, and 

 allowed to stand where they are to flower ; the others ought 

 to be sown, and, when large enough, planted out where they 

 are to flower. Of the former we have the dwarf larkspur, 

 Collinsia bicolor, convolvulus minor, lupinus nanus, sweet 

 peas, erysimum Peroffskianum, and calliopsis bicolor ; of the 

 latter, French marigold, nemophila insignis, phlox Drum- 

 mondii, ten-week stock, China aster, and balsam, are the 

 better for the check they receive in planting out. But where 

 there is not room to sow all these things where they are to 

 occupy room all the while they are growing without detri- 

 ment to the garden, the management is as follows : — Sow as 

 many patches of each as you anticipate you will want, in a 

 bed in the back garden or nursery ; treat them just the same 

 as you would if they were going to bloom there ; thin them 

 properly, not allowing more than sufficient to be together, so 

 as to weaken or draw one another up. Let them all be 

 within the circle marked by a thirty-two-sized pot, and about 

 six strong plants, or from that to eight, even of the smallest 

 subject, is enough. These may be in the nursery bed until 

 they are far advanced towards showing bloom; when the 

 subjects which they are to succeed are quite exhausted, and 

 begin to look untidy, get a box barrow, and as you wheel it 

 round, take your spade and lift out the whole spadeful of 

 earth A\dth the roots of the plants undisturbed, and lift it into 

 the barrow ; do this with all you are removing, whether they 

 are exhausted subjects, dead and done with, or perennials, or 

 bulbs which have not completed their growth. Then, having 

 left in each place the vacancy occasioned by removing a whole 

 spit of earth, carefully water, so as to soak the ground all 

 through below the roots, all the patches in the nursery bed 



