46 THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



the dwarf plants only, be they hardy or tender, it would be well to 

 see that there is ample repose or room for the full expression of the 

 beauty of each bed or group, and no complication or crowding, no 

 complex or angular beds. The contents of the beds and not their out- 

 lines are what we should see. By this way of planting with beautiful 

 flowering summer or evergreen shrubs, with abundant space for 

 flowers to grow between, we might see beauty in our terrace garden 

 beds on the dullest day in winter. Between the low bushes we could 

 have evergreen carpets of Alpine plants and tiny hill shrubs, and 

 through these the autumn, winter, and spring flowering bulbs could 

 bloom, untarnished by the soil splashing of the ordinary border. 

 Shelter, as well as the best culture, could be thus secured for many a 

 fair flower, which, once well planted, would there come up year after 

 year. Among the flowering shrubs we have many lovely wild and 

 garden Roses to help us with our plans. 



SHEEN COTTAGE. The late Sir Richard Owen's garden is one of 

 the most charming and simple in the neighbourhood of London. 

 Many a visitor to Richmond Park enjoys the view of his cottage, 

 as it nestles on the margin of the sweep of ground near the Sheen 

 gate, but it is from the other or the garden side that the picture 

 is best. A lawn, quite unbroken, stretches from near the windows to 

 the boundary, and is fringed with numerous hardy trees. Here and 

 there are masses of flowering shrubs and an odd bed of Lilies, while 

 numerous hardy flowers are seen among the Roses and Rhododen- 

 drons. There is in the main part of the garden only one walk, which 

 takes one round the whole, and does not show, as it glides behind 

 the outside of the groups which fringe the little open lawn. 

 Instead of coming quite close to the house it is cut off from it 

 by a deep border of evergreen shrubs, intermingled with Lilies and 

 hardy plants, and their flowers look into the windows. Instead of 

 looking out of the window, as usual, on a bare gravel walk, the eye is 

 caught by Rhododendrons or Spiraeas, with here and there a Lily, a 

 Foxglove, or a tall Evening Primrose. From the other side of the 

 garden the effect of the border is quite charming, and the creeper- 

 covered cottage seems to spring out of a bank of flowers. The 

 placing of a wide border with Evergreens against the house is a 

 pleasant change from the ordinary mode of laying out little gardens. 

 Another agreeable feature of this garden is the grass walks, which 

 ramble through a thick and shady plantation. Even in our coolest 

 summers there is many a day on which such shady walks, carpeted 

 with grass, are the most enjoyable retreats one can find. And their 

 margins form capital situations for naturalising many beautiful hardy 

 plants Daffodils, hardy Ferns, Scillas, the tall Harebells, Snowdrops, 

 and Snowflakes. 



