THE SIX OF SPADES. 1G3 



prettiness, which no rains could mar, of their hardy 

 and varied plants, and shrubs, and trees, to the 

 brilliant but ephemeral splendour which delighted 

 them yestereve. I should feel, speaking as a 

 cricketer, that the satirical opponent had made a 

 clean hit for six, and that there must be a change of 

 bowling. Messrs. Flower and Bloom being too much 

 alike in style, I should substitute for one of them Mr. 

 Leaf. The alternation is irresistible. 



Since my first acquaintance with the bedding-out 

 system, and I have known it almost from its birth, I 

 have always advised, and introduced into my own 

 garden, a large proportion of those plants which have 

 beautiful foliage, simply because, being weather- 

 proof, they are attractive from first to last, from the 

 time of their appearance in the beds to their removal 

 for safety, or destruction by frost. When koniga, 

 and cerastium, and Flower of the Day, and Manglesii, 

 and Golden Chain (still one of the best) geraniums 

 (we knew not then in our terrible ignorance why they 

 should be called pelargoniums, and I have beentoldthat 

 there are still two or three gardeners in very obscure 

 localities who are not quite clear on the subject) 

 when these were our only foliage plants, I used them 

 largely; and well I remember the joyous welcome 

 which we gave to Bijou and Alma, Cloth-of-Gold and 

 Golden Fleece (I once saw it designated as " golden 

 fleas"), as more recently to the lovely Flower of 

 Spring, Crystal Palace Gem, and May Queen. 



Not with the same unmixed gratification do I recall 

 the introduction of the darker foliage. I obtained 

 seed of perilla nankinensis before any of my neigh- 



