152 BIENNIAL AND PERENNIAL PLANTS. 



beds, either in Autumn or early in the Spring ; the mod* of 

 increasing such, is by layers, cuttings, offsets, &c. detach- 

 ed from the old plants. 



As the earth within the flower beds will need to be 

 fresh dug and replenished with good compost or manure, 

 (once in two or three years, it may he necessary to take up 

 all tha Perennial plants at such times. Such roots as may 

 be overgrown, should be deprived of their surplus offsets, 

 and may be either planted in a nursery bed, or returned 

 with ihe parent plants into the regular flower beds ; they 

 should be inserted a little deeper than before, and the fine 

 fresh earth distributed well about the fibres. 



In removing plants into the beds where they are intended 

 to blossom, great pains should be taken to preserve some of 

 the earth to their roots. The ground should be previously 

 brought into good condition, so that they may strike freely, 

 and produce their flowers in perfection. The plants should 

 be so arranged that they may all be seen, the most dwarfy 

 may be placed in front, and others in a regular gradation to 

 the tallest behind ; or the tallest may be planted along the 

 middle of the beds, and the others on each side according 

 to their varied heights and colours. 



There is no part of gardening which requires so much 

 elegance of taste and fancy, as in setting off a border or bed 

 of intermixed flowers to advantage. In assemblage with 

 other flowers, the different kinds of hardy bulbs may be 

 planted in small clumps of six, seven, or eight inches in 

 diameter, three, four, five or more roots in each, according 

 to their size and growth, and these at suitable distances 

 from one another. Likewise observe to diversify the kinds 

 and colours, so as to display when in bloom, the greatest 

 possible variety of shades and contrasts. 



If Greenhouse plants be plunged ii}to the flower borders 

 in the month of May, they will not only tend to ornament 

 the garden, by their diversity of foliage and blossom, but the 

 roots will receive a more uniform supply of moisture, than 

 if the pots were openly exposed to the sun and wind : care 



