24 Subtropical Gardening. 



done with these and the like by making mixed 

 groups, or letting each plant stand distinct upon 

 the grass, perfectly isolated in its beauty ! 



Let us again try to illustrate the idea simply. 

 Take an important spot in a pleasure-ground — a 

 sweep of grass in face of a shrubbery — and see 

 what can be done with it by means of these isolated 

 plants. If, instead of leaving it in the bald state 

 in which it is often found, we place distinct things 

 isolated here and there upon the grass, the 

 margin of shrubbery will be quite softened, and a 

 new and charming feature added to the garden. 

 If one who knew many plants were arranging 

 them in this way, and had a large stock to select 

 from, he might produce numberless fine effects. In 

 the case of the smaller things, such as the Yucca 

 and variegated Arundo, groups of four or five good 

 plants should be used to form one mass, and 

 everything should be perfectly distinct and isolated, 

 so that a person could freely move about amongst 

 the plants without touching them. In addition to 

 such arrangements, two or three individuals of a 

 species might be placed here and there upon the 

 grass with the best effect. For example, there 

 is at present in our nurseries a great Japanese 

 Polygonum (P. Sieboldi), which has never as yet 



