2QO THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN 



flower garden, these plants being with few exceptions far less precious in 

 every way for flower garden or for room than those that are quite hardy. 



A few years ago, before the true flower garden began to get a place 

 in men's minds, many of the young gardeners refused to work in 

 places where there was no glass. A feeble race this pot and kettle 

 idea of a garden would have led to : men to get chills if their gloves 

 were not aired. I met the difficulty myself by abolishing glass 

 altogether. Only, where we do this we must show better things in 

 the open-air garden, than ever flourished in a glass-house. 



Next to moving heaven, the heaviest undertaking is that of moving 



earth, and there are no labours of gardening men that lead to more 



wasted effort, where care and experience are not 



Moving earth, brought to bear on the work. Labour in many 

 parts of the country has become dearer, and the 

 question of moving earth without needless waste of energy is a 

 serious one for all who have much groundwork to do. As instances 

 of misuse of labour we see the soil from foundations carted far, and 

 then put deep over the roots of old trees, to their death or injury. 

 A man of resource would place this soil in some well-chosen spot 

 near, and having first removed the surface soil and, resurfaced with it, 

 plant it with a handsome group of beautiful shrubs or trees, so that the 

 surface would in no ugly way differ from the general lie of the ground 

 near. Carts and horses very often lead to waste of labour in removing 

 earth when barrows and a few planks would do the work better. 



In necessary groundwork there is inevitably much moving of earth 

 in getting levels, carrying roads and paths across hollows, and for 

 various other reasons. We should make a rule of getting the soil in 

 all such cases as near at hand as possible. Mistakes in levelling ground 

 are frequent, and often lead to twice moving of soil. The best man 

 for groundwork is often a good navvy ; many such men know how 

 to make heavy groundwork changes without putting a barrowful of 

 soil in the wrong place. Very often spare soil has to be removed, 

 and in this necessary work ugly mounds are made, when, by a little 

 care in choosing the place well and never leaving any ugly angles, 

 and making the ground take the natural gradation of the adjacent 

 earth, it could be well planted. Hardy trees take well to such banks 

 if the good soil is kept on the top, as it should always be. 



The same remarks may serve for the moving of turf, gravel, stones, 



and soil, save that to get good soil for the formation of beds, we must 



go where the good soil is ; whereas for the bottoms 



Moving turf, etc. of roads and paths, the support of banks, base of 



terraces or mounds, much saving may be effected 



by getting what we want in the nearest possible place, never fearing 



to make a hollow if need be, as that can be so easily planted with 



