JANUARY. 



to represent those portions of them which are under 

 close-mown grass. A hedge of Cytisus surrounds 

 the whole, for ornament and shelter. 



Uniformity, without formal stiffness, characterizes 

 the entire plan, the principle of which may obviously 

 be applied and accommodated to any dimensions of 

 flower-knot. 



Then for an edging Box is chiefly recommended. 

 This is not always kept in order, and in such case is 

 a harbor for vermin. Box is the most greedy and 

 rapacious bloodsucker of every thing within its reach, 

 the exhauster of the virtues of the richest compost ! 

 Next come Thrift, Bachelors' Buttons, Primroses, 

 and London Pride, all tending to weeds, and all 

 growing out of line : to avoid this, flower-beds are 

 often edged with board, which soon falls to decay. 

 The best and most permanent edging I have ever met 

 with, is slate set lengthwise, three inches under and 

 three inches over the level of the alley or walk, the 

 edges of the beds rilled in the interior to the full 

 height of the slate. I know an edging of this de- 

 scription made sixteen years ago, which is still in 

 the highest perfection ; at first, the outside of the 

 slate was painted green, which gave a great neat- 

 ness to the garden ; soon after, an edging of Gen- 

 tianella was planted at the inside of the slate and 

 close to it, which came into great beauty, and hung 

 over the outside, forming an edging at top of three or 

 four inches wide, requiring very little attention, and 

 decorating the edges of the beds with a profusion of 

 its large, rich, and graceful blue flowers, which, when 

 lined by a single row of yellow crocus, usher in the 

 spring in the most vivid colors. A chief perfection 

 of this edging is, that it is permanent. The border 

 bulbs, such as Crocus, Snowdrop, Iris, Colchicum, 

 Gladiolus, &e.,may now be planted, but the following 



