122 



The Canadian Hoi'ticnltnrist. 



{a) Mass bedding, where all the 

 flowers in one bed are of the same 

 kind. In the case of such plants as 

 Portulacca this is very effective. 



ih) Ribbon bedding, where the 

 plants are arranged in lines; each 

 line made up of plants of the same 

 kind, e.g., a line of geraniums, beside 

 it a line of the coleus, etc. 



(c) Carpet bedding, where the 

 plants are arranged according to 

 some pattern. This pattern may be 

 simple or complicated. A simple 

 arrangement is diamond in the cen- 

 tre ; this will be made up with plants 

 of one kind; bordering, it may be, 

 triangles, each with different flowers. 

 Any pattern may be followed and 

 rendered very attractive by the selec- 

 tion of proper flowers which must be 

 chosen with regard to color and size. 



id) Promiscuous bedding, where 

 a great variety of flowers are used in 

 one bed. Great care requires to be 

 exercised in order to make this 

 method effective ; both color and 

 size of flower are of importance here. 

 This method of bedding may be 

 called the common one, but in a 

 great many cases it consists merely 

 of a number of plants put in the bed 

 without any reference to habit, size 

 or color. 



Arrangement of flowers with reier- 

 ence to size : In circular beds the 

 high flowers should occupy the cen- 

 tre, and the lowest the borders, 

 filling up with flowers, which, as far 

 as possible, form a regular slope from 

 the lowest to the highest. In a bed 

 of this kind the flowers may be 

 arranged in a series of circles ; the 

 border very low, and each successive 

 circle with higher plants until the 

 centre is reached. This mav be 



occupied by a single plant which is 

 higher than any of the others. If 

 each circle contains plants of the 

 same kind, and these circles are 

 arranged with reference to the color 

 of the flowers in them, the effect is 

 ver}' striking. In other shapes the 

 idea of arranging according to size 

 should always be considered. 



Arrangement with reference to 

 color : The effect of flowers is often 

 lost on account of there being no 

 attention paid to the matching of 

 colors ; color has its effect in a 

 garden as well as on a lady's bonnet. 

 Attention to the following combina- 

 tions may prove of use to those who 

 desire to give more attention to this 

 matter : 



1. Blue, red and yellow, usually 

 called primary colors, should not be 

 too near each other. 



2. Yellow and violet, red and 

 green, blue and orange, contrast 

 favorably. 



3. Violet and orange, violet and 

 green, also contrast well. In this 

 case you have composite colors con- 

 trasted, and not simple as in pre- 

 ceding. 



4. Red and orange, red and violet, 

 blue and violet, green and blue, form 

 poor contrasts ; but if the simple 

 color is in small proportion the 

 result is greatly improved. Red, 

 blue and yellow are what we term 

 simple colors. Violet, orange and 

 green are composite ; violet being 

 composed of red and blue; green, of 

 blue and yellow; orange, red and 

 yellow. 



5. All colors, simple or compound, 

 are improved near white, conse- 

 quentl}^ the introduction of white 

 between colors has a good effect. 



