URNS, VASES, TUBS, ETC. 93 



growth, and especially avoid those which have a narrow 

 neck. When vases are mounted on pedestals, they should 

 only be used very sparingly, and not, as is the case in some 

 gardens, dotted about until the eye is wearied by their 

 number. The corners of lawns are the spots most usually 

 chosen for vases, but it is questionable whether this is the 

 best position which can be afforded. An uninterrupted 

 stretch of turf is usually pleasing to the eye, and rarely 

 requires to be broken up, and it is quite a mistaken idea 

 to suppose that a vase gives a suitable " finish " to the 

 angle. It would be better to reserve the vase, with its 

 note of colour, for dull corners, where, perhaps, a heavy 

 mass of foliage becomes unduly monotonous. At the 

 entrance to shrubberies, or to mark the junction of two 

 or more pathways, a vase with its floral contents is often 

 the only means of introducing colour into the scene. In 

 these latter instances, a good effect is gained by allowing 

 the base of the pedestal to be partly concealed with a 

 tangle of ground ivy, a few shoots being encouraged to 

 grow upwards to meet the trailing plants. 



Terra-cotta is an excellent material for garden vases, 

 but the warm flower-pot red should be rigorously avoided, 

 as coloured flowers seldom harmonise well with it. An 

 advantage of terra-cotta is that the sides of the cup can 

 be made quite thin, thus allowing more room for soil 

 than is possible where stone is the material employed 

 in construction. The less embellishment there is on 

 the outside of the vase the better, as such decoration 

 would only be hidden by the overhanging creepers. 

 Shrubs, or other stiffly growing subjects, cannot be con- 

 sidered as suitable for raising high above the ground, and 

 the plain vase with good outline, filled with trailing 

 plants, is the only form which can be advocated for 

 general use. 



Tubs and boxes are extremely useful for containing 

 delicate shrubs and plants, which require to be wintered in 



