66 SATURDAY IN MY GARDEN 



with the most satisfactory results either to the park-like gardens 

 of country mansions or to the modest little plot that adds to the 

 amenities of the suburban villa or the country cottage. 



The size of the garden will of course determine the numbei 

 and the dimensions of the beds which it is intended to devote to 

 summer bedding plants. It will not however necessarily affect 

 their shape. This will depend largely upon personal idiosyncrasies. 

 But a moment's consideration will demonstrate the utter un- 

 desirability of the adoption of elaborate and fantastic designs. 

 Five-pointed stars, crosses, and crescents, worked out with geo- 

 metrical precision, are sometimes recommended to the amateur 

 gardener, but if he be wise he will reject them unhesitatingly. 

 Such elaborately designed beds are not easy to construct, and 

 even after they are made they involve an expenditure of time and 

 labour in preserving their outline, and in keeping the rampant 

 growth of their occupants in check, which might be utilised with 

 far better rewards in other directions. Simple circles, ovals, 

 squares, diamonds, and oblongs are infinitely more serviceable 

 than fantastic designs. Let " Use before ornament " be the 

 guiding principle in the shaping of flower beds. 



For the sake of appearances, and also because it has a utility 

 of its own in that it promotes good drainage for the many bedding 

 plants that do not thrive well in over-moist situations, it is a good 

 plan in constructing flower beds to have the soil raised above the 

 level of surrounding paths and stretches of lawn. If the existing 

 soil is of a heavy, retentive nature it had better be removed to a 

 depth of eighteen inches ; the base of the bed be covered with six 

 inches of pebbles, stones, or brick rubbish for drainage, and the 

 surface soil be composed principally of sound turfy loam. The 

 excessive use of manure should be avoided, since in the case of such 

 plants as zonal pelargoniums its influence would be merely to pro- 

 duce an undue amount of foliage and few flowers. As in nearly all 

 the rules that are laid down for the guidance of amateur gardeners, 

 there are exceptions which call for the exercise of judgment and 

 discrimination. Plants that are grown chiefly for their fine 

 foliage require rich feeding, and in constructing a bed in which 



