280 THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



making it open to the influence of rain and air. The position of the 

 flower garden is usually wholly different from that of agricultural 

 land. The flower garden itself is frequently raised, and in a terraced 

 or at all events often dry position, where the main drainage is long 

 settled, and gently raising the surfaces of flower-beds, to a height 

 say of 4 inches to 6 inches, enables us to get rid of the surface water. 

 By raising our beds slightly not in the ugly way practised in 

 the London parks we free the surface of any water lying on 

 it, and this is a good plan to follow, except in hot and shallow 

 soils, where it would be better not to raise the surface above the 

 level. 



A cause of the poor growth of hardy flowers is want of change 

 of soil, and in addition the soils in which they grow are often 



robbed by a network of hungry tree roots. There 

 Rotation in the are botanic gardens in Europe where the same 

 flower garden, wretched plants have been starving in the same 



soil for fifty years, and little ever done to help them. 

 So, again, there are favourite borders in gardens which are almost as 

 much in want of a change, but, owing to their position sometimes being 

 a favourite one, people hesitate to give it to them. In such cases we 

 should prepare a new border for the plants and remove them, and 

 trench, renew and improve the soil of the old beds or borders, after- 

 wards taking a crop as different as possible for a year or two. If we 

 take a crop of annual flowers, the annuals rejoice in the fresh ground, 

 and they might be followed by a year of Carnations, after which a 

 return might be made to a good mixed border. When, however, we 

 do change a border or bed, the staple of the soil ought to be made 

 deep enough and changed if need be. In dealing with a soil which is 

 too rich in humus, an addition of lime will improve it, but generally 

 the soils are too poor, and require renewing and deepening. Bedding 

 plants have the advantage of fresh soil and often a total change every 

 year, and hence the bright vigour they often show when the seasons 

 are fair. A little of the same generous change would help Roses, 

 Lilies, and all the finer things in an equal degree, though many of 

 these will be quite happy in the same soil for years if it be well pre- 

 pared at first. 



Upon suggesting once in a beautiful garden in Essex that an 

 opening should be made from a pleasure ground into a picturesque 



grove of old Oak trees, we were met with the 



Weeds and objection that the rubbish heap was there ; and, 



rubbish heaps, on making our way in, this was found to cover 



half an acre almost picturesque in its wild up 

 and down heaps of rubbish, earth, leaves, branches, and broken 

 crockery, etc. A fire was kept alight for six months in the year 



