CHAP, vm.] CULTURE OF FLOWERS. 213 



flower-garden never looks half so well on gravel 

 as on grass. Some gardeners spoil the effect 

 of a garden of this kind by putting too many- 

 plants in each bed, and when this is the case, 

 the plants frequently produce more stalks than 

 either leaves or flowers. Whenever, therefore, 

 beds of verbenas look overgrown, and of a 

 dingy green, the plants should be examined, 

 and 'half of them taken up. Three plants are 

 quite sufficient for a bed four feet wide and 

 twelve feet long ; and less in proportion. It 

 must never be "forgotten that the bed appears 

 fuller when there are only a few plants in it, 

 than when there are many; as, when there are 

 only two or three plants in a bed, there is room 

 to peg the branches down, and this makes them 

 flower profusely; whereas, when there are six 

 or eight plants in the same space, the branches 

 are forced to ascend, and the beauty of the bed 

 is destroyed. 



The walks of a geometrical flower-garden, if 

 of grass, may be laid down with turf, or sown 

 with grass seeds ; and in either case they should 

 neverbe pared (as that would enlarge the beds, 

 and destroy their proportion to the walks), un- 

 less some part should accidentally project into 

 the bed, when it should be removed, and the 

 turf pressed down, so as to form the same gra- 

 dual slope from the bed to the walk as in the 

 other part. Where the walks are of gravel, 

 the beds should have a neat edgino- of box, or 

 of any other plant that may be preferred, kept 

 quite low and narrow by frequent pruning, but 

 which should never be clipped. 



TJie Culture of Flowers. — The ornamental 



