Grouping" For planting in front of the Peaches, if they are in a border 



and of shrubs, there are several early Spiraeas which are suitable. 



Carpeting" ^ fhunbergii is the first of all, flowering so early that its 

 of Peach Delicate beauty is often spoilt by bad weather. It should make 

 ^P a round bush six to eight feet high, covered the end of March or 

 beginning of April with thousands of minute starry white flowers, 

 to be succeeded very shortly by multitudes of tiny leaves. S. pruni- 

 folia is the next to open, and should also be out with the Peaches; 

 the stems are arched, and studded nearly their whole length with 

 small white rosettes. It is a delightful plant also to force, succeed- 

 ing well if taken from the open ground in autumn and potted. 



In considering plants to cover the bare ground below the 

 Peaches, if they are standing, as in the sketch, in a group by 

 themselves, it is perhaps more important to think of the future 

 than of the moment of flowering, as the blossoms are so gay 

 they do not really need any additional colour. The small 

 white or blue Periwinkle always makes a good carpet, or ferns 

 with groups of the white and mauve Scilla Hispanica, or if the 

 bed is on a little slope and worthy of choicer plants, Veronica 

 prostrata or Phlox Nelsoni may be used, both of which run 

 with such delightful freedom, if they find the soil they like and 

 a few stones to crawl over. But there are a good many 

 unobtrusive little plants which flower with the Peaches and 

 would be an addition to the picture, such, for instance, as the 

 double white Wood Anemone nemorosa flore pleno white 

 Violets, any Primroses, such as the double white or Harbinger , 

 or the invaluable double Arabis, which starts with such a pretty 

 effect of cream buds before its moment of whiteness. It is a rich 

 time of the year for plants of this description, and the choice of 

 bulbs is even greater the only difficulty lies in selection. 

 no 



