WALKS AND EDGINGS. 211 



is not considerable, and the natural material should be used wherever 

 it be possible. 



Even small things may mar the effect of a flower garden, however 



rich in its plants, and among the things that do so are cast edgings 



of tiles or iron, often very ugly, and as costly as 



Edgings, live and u g lv > some of tne earthenware edgings perishing 



dead- rapidly in frost. But if they never perished, and 



were as cheap as pebbles by the shore, they would 



be none the less offensive from the point of view of effect, with 



their hard patterned shapes, often bad colour, and the necessity 



Stone edging. From a photograph by Mr A. Emblin, Worksop, Notts. 



of setting them with precision in cement or mortar ; whereas the 

 enduring and beautiful edging wants none of these costly attentions. 

 The seeming advantage of these patterned and beaded tile edgings 

 is that they appear permanent, and get rid of the labour of clipping 

 and keeping box edgings in good order; but these ends are met 

 quite as well by perfectly inoffensive edgings. Edgings may, for 

 convenience sake, be divided into dead and permanent ones and 

 living ones formed of plants or dwarf bushes, which involve a 

 certain amount of care to keep in order, and which will some day 

 wear out and require a change of replanting. 



The true way in all gardens of any good and simple design is to 

 get edgings which, while quite unobtrusive in form or colour, may 

 remain for many years without attention. In all good gardens there 



