CHAPTER XI 



THE MAKING Of BEDS AND BORDERS 

 The Shape of the Beds. 



WE have already seen (page 49) that although the flower 

 beds should bear some relation to each other, yet that 

 relation should not be the direct outcome of any geometric 

 conception, or so apparent as to show that more pains 

 have been taken to set down the plan on paper than to 

 furnish one to suit the special exigencies of the case. Let 

 us now address ourselves to the question of the special 

 shape which beds should take. Obviously no hard and 

 fast rule can be laid down, but it is desirable to guide the 

 taste of the amateur grower into the right channels, for 

 there is abundant opportunity for error. Let it then be 

 asserted that an easy simple outline is invariably more 

 pleasing than ingeniously conceived and skilfully worked- 

 out plans, which have a multitude of angles or of so 

 intricate a nature that it would occupy more time in 

 committing it to paper than it would take to work an 

 easier one on the ground. Some idea of what is meant to 

 be avoided may be gleaned from the three Figs. 48, 49, 

 and 50. It might be well also to give in figure the method 

 employed for forming beds of different shapes. (See Figs. 

 51 to 62.) 



There is perhaps no more pleasing shape for a bed than 

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