THE 



UJ3HICAN FLOWER-GARDEN 

 DIRECTORY. 



)N LAYING OUT A FLOWER-GARDEN. 



1 lower-Garden is chiefly devoted to the cultivation of 

 *kowy lloweriog plants, shrubs, and trees, either natives of 

 ttiiis country or those of a foreign clime ; it is a refined ap- 

 pendage to a country seat, " suburban" villa, or city resi- 

 dence ; every age has had its principles of taste, and every 

 country its system of gardening. Our limits do not permit 

 us to enter minutely into the details of any of these sys- 

 tems ; but a Tew hints may riot be out of place to those whose 

 design is the laying out or improvement of the garden. 

 The Italian style is characterized by broad terraces and pa- 

 rallel walks, having the delightful shade and agreeable fra- 

 grance of the orange and the myrtle. Terraces may be ad- 

 vantageously adopted to surmount steep declivities ; and, if 

 judiciously laid out, would convert a sterile bank into a 

 beautiful promenade, or choice flower-garden. 



The French partially adopt the above system, interspers- 

 ing it with parterres and f'gures of statuary work of every 

 character and description. When such is well designed and 

 neatly executed, it has a lively and interesting effect ; but 

 now the refined taste says these vagaries are too fantastic, 

 and entirely out of place. A late writer says of Dutch gar- 

 dening, that it " is rectangular formality :" they take great 

 pride in trimming their trees of yew, holly, and other over 

 2 * (17) 



