VABIETT. 53 



The horticultural calendar has certain well-marked 

 divisions to which the exhibitor of growing plants may 

 well have thoughtful regard. The first essay that was 

 ever wiitten in the English language on the subject of 

 ornamental gardening opened with an extreme prescrip- 

 tion for tliis arrangement. '' I do hold it," says Bacon,* 

 **in the royal ordering of gardens, there ought to be gar- 

 dens for all the months of tlie year, in which, severally, 

 things of beauty may be then in season." The essayist 

 proceeds immediately to give a catalogue of the plants 

 seasonable to each month of the year, **for the climate 

 of London." We may doubt whether ten or twelve 

 classes of plants can practicably be made on this basis ; 

 but we distinguish in our own aesthetic sensibilities with 

 great differences between spring greens, June roses, 

 midsummer's wealth of foliage, autumn colors and choice 

 winter scenes. Any particular plant is not likely to 

 figure in its perfection through more than one or two of 

 these seasons ; and this opens to the landscai)e gardener 

 a serious problem. The question is, shall we attempt 

 to intermingle the perfections of all the year so as to 

 have somewhat of attractiveness in each several group at 

 all times ? Or shall we rather follow the dictum of Lord 

 Bacon, and group together those plants suitable to each 

 successive season ? Doubtless each method is at times 

 expedient. If one's garden is so small as to hold only a 

 single group of i^lants he will scarcely care to buy a single 

 month of superlative perfection at the expense of eleven 

 months of dullness and desolation. But Avhere the gar- 

 dening is on a more extensive scale the artist may dis- 

 tribute his beauties into any sort of an annual cyclorama 

 which he chooses. He will gain, at all events, a most 

 acceptable variety by having regard to the special sea- 

 sons mentioned. 



•Lord Francis Bacon, Essays, " Of Gardening." 



