212 THE FLOWER-GARDEN. [CHAP. VIII. 



water, being grown in rich light soil, on a porous 

 or well-drained subsoil, the verbena will soon 

 become a splendid mass of scarlet, almost too 

 dazzling for the eye to bear, unless it be relieved 

 by grass walks between the beds. If, on the 

 contrary, the bed in question had been planted 

 with one of the scarlet lobelias, or even with 

 scarlet pelargoniums, the effect would have 

 been quite different, from the taller growth of 

 the plants, and the greater proportion of leaves 

 to their flowers. Where pelargoniums are grown 

 to produce an effect in beds, either the variety 

 called Tom Thumb should be used, or the plants 

 should be kept bushy while in the greenhouse 

 or frame, by continually shifting them into larger 

 pots, or frequently taking off the points of their 

 shoots ; and, when planted out, they should be 

 at least a foot or eighteen inches asunder, in- 

 creasing the distance if the plants are very 

 large. The Frogmore and Dropmore varieties 

 are very suitable for central beds, or for situa- 

 tions where the height is of no consequence; 

 but where a geometrical figure is to be pre- 

 served, the Tom Thumb variety is preferable to 

 any other from its low growth. The plants 

 should be well watered, and frequently pruned 

 wherever they throw up long shoots. Other 

 plants should be treated in a similar manner ; 

 and great care should be taken to keep all the 

 plants, in the beds which are to combine to 

 form a figure, of the same height, and equally 

 covered with flowers. The centre bed alone 

 may have taller plants. Where the walks are 

 of gravel, a greater proportion of leaves may 

 be allowed to the flowers; but a geometrical 



