36 bkeck's new book of flowers. 



Dwarf-rocket Lackspur in variety ; all the beautiful Ne- 

 mophilas, etc. With good taste in their arrangement so 

 that all the colors are well blended, these flowers will make 

 a very brillant show through all the summer." 



PLANTS FOB, BEDDING. 



There is no more pleasing or tasteful arrangement of 

 certain flowers than disposing of them in masses upon the 

 margin of a lawn, or in a grass plot in figures cut out in 

 the grass. These figures should not look stiif and set, as 

 they will, if laid out in squares, parallelograms, or triangles, 

 but there should be ease and grace in their appearance. 

 Figures with gentle curves should be adopted, fern-leaved 

 shaped scrolls, or any other fanciful form which may be 

 adopted by a person of taste, and no one should be em- 

 ployed for laying out these beds, who has not an eye to 

 the beautiful. 



No disposition of plants can be made which will be so 

 satisfactory and pleasing as flowers massed in this way, 

 provided the grass be kept smooth and close. — The figures 

 are first marked out with stakes; the sods carefuly taken 

 out, and the edges of the beds pared true with a sharp 

 spade or turf-parer. The space should be filled up with 

 rich garden mould, and compost, sufl[icient, after it has been 

 dug and settled, to raise the beds in the centre — so as to 

 have them crowning. They are then ready for the recep- 

 tion of the plants. As a general rule, one variety or one color 

 should be in each bed ; but where there is a limited extent 

 of ground, two or three colors may be disposed in one 

 figure, for example red, rose, and white will harmonize, or 

 purple dark blue, light blue and white ; blue and scarlet, 

 bright red and yellow ; orange, yellow, sulphur and white, 

 and many other combinations and shades harmonize. But 

 blue and yellow should not stand side by side, nor dull 

 red and yellow. It will be found a very interesting study 



