JAN.] FLOWER GARDEN. 91 



in the form of sheep-shears, but a little larger and longer in the 

 blades. 



The shrubbery plantations should generally be all suifered to take 

 their own natural growth, and branch out into full heads, only just 

 giving a little occasional trimming to any very irregular growths, such 

 as retrenching or reducing any very luxuriant rude shoots, or con- 

 siderable ramblers running wildly from all the other branches. Cut 

 out all dead wood and keep all the shrubs from entangling with one 

 another, so as the head of each shrub may appear distinct, and show 

 itself to proper advantage. 



The ground of the principal shrubbery plantations, in which the 

 shrubs stand distant, not covering the surface, should be digged every 

 year, late in autumn, or in spring, previously giving the shrubs any 

 necessary pruning as above observed ; this operation gives health and 

 vigor to the plants, kills weeds, and gives the place an air of culture, 

 and a lively neat appearance. 



After this general digging, the ground must be kept clean from 

 weeds all summer, by occasional hoeing in dry weather, which with 

 a scuffling-hoe may be expeditiously performed. 



Particular care must be taken of the flower borders, &c.; they must 

 be neatly and carefully dug in autumn, and pointed and dressed afresh 

 in spring, according as the various plants grew up, let such as need 

 support have sticks placed to preserve them upright; and as the 

 herbaceous perennials and annuals have done flowering and their 

 stalks decay, cut them down close, clearing off all decayed leaves and 

 other rubbish. 



All kinds of hedge-work and detached trained figures of evergreens 

 should be clipped twice a year that is to say, in June and in Sep- 

 tember, for without this, they will not have that neat, handsome ap- 

 pearance that inspires admiration and does credit to the person under 

 whose care they are. 



For further particulars, see the work under this head in the differ- 

 ent months. 



THE FLOWER GARDEN. 



A commodious piece of good ground for a flower garden, situated 

 in a convenient and well-sheltered place, and well exposed to the sun 

 and air, ought to be allotted for the culture of the more curious and 

 valuable flowers. 



The form of this ground may be either square, oblong, or some- 

 what circular, having the boundary embellished with a collection of 

 the most curious flowering shrubs ; the interior part should be divided 

 into many narrow beds, either oblong, or in the manner of a par- 

 terre ; but plain four feet wide beds arranged parallel, having two 

 feet wide alleys between bed and bed, will be found most convenient, 

 yet to some not the most fanciful. 



In either method a walk should be carried round the outward 

 boundary, leaving a border to surround the whole ground, and with- 

 in this, to have the various divisions or beds raising them generally 

 in a gently rounding manner, edging such as you like with dwarf- 



