124 THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



garden of Roses, lasting in beauty throughout the summer and 

 autumn. 



Knowing that we had to face the fact of all the Roses being 



grafted on the Dog Rose it was important to give them a deep, 



cool loam, and the beds in most cases were dug 



Forming Rose out to a depth of 30 inches below the surface. 



beds. Although a rocky bottom no drainage was used, 



no liquid manure was ever given, and no water 



even in the hot summers. The beds were filled with the cool 



heavy loam of our best fields, mixed with the old dark soil of the 



beds and raised gently above the surface, say, to an average 



height of not less than 6 inches, so that there were about 3 feet of 



good, rich soil. And this preparation was sufficient for years, the 



beds being in some cases quite vigorous after many years' 



growth. 



Instead of mulching the beds in the usual way, and always vexing 

 the surface with attentions I thought dirty and needless, we covered 

 them with Pansies, Violets, Stonecrops, Rockfoils, Thymes, and any 

 little rock plants to spare. Carpeting these Rose beds with life and 

 beauty was half the battle. We do not mulch except with these 

 living plants, many of which are so fragile in their roots that they 

 cannot have much effect in a bed of 3 feet of moist, good soil. So 

 that instead of the .bare earth in hot days, the flower shadows are 

 thrown on to soft carpets of fragile rock or mountain plants that we 

 think worth growing for their own sake also. 



There are a great number of Roses that lend themselves to this, 



the old climbing Roses being now aided by a splendid series 



of long-blooming climbing Tea Roses which are 



Climbing Roses, more valuable still. They should be trained 



abundantly over well-formed pergolas, covered 



ways, trellises, and fences. In countries a little warmer than ours we 



see what can be done with Roses as noble climbers ; in Algeria, and in 



Madeira, the climbing Tea Roses running up trees in the loveliest 



bloom. 



These do not appear to advantage in shows ; but on cool grass 



in the hot summer days there is nothing more delightful, whether 



they be those of our own country, like the Sweet 



Wild and single Brier, Dog and Field Roses, or those of other 



Roses. countries, such as the beautiful Altai Rose, the 



Rosa gallica and many others. In growing wild 



Roses, the best way is not to put them in the flower garden, but 



rather by grass walks or rough banks, or in newly made hedgerows. 



If their beautiful bloom does not last long, the fruit is pretty, and 



though they are not of the things that repay us well for garden 



