234 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



try and see beauty of form everywhere among plants that suit our 

 climate. The willows of Britain are as beautiful as the olives of 

 Italy, or the gum trees as seen in Algeria and the South of France, 

 so that, although the sub-tropical as a system of flower gardening has 

 failed throughout our country generally, and can only be carried out 

 well in the south of England and the warmer countries of Europe, never- 

 theless we need not deprive ourselves of the enjoyment of the finest 

 forms near and in our gardens. The new Water Lilies take us to the 

 waterside, and there are many good forms even among our native 

 flowers and weeds. The new hardy Bamboos are also very graceful 

 and most distinct, of which several of the highest value promise to be 



Gunnera and Bamboo (Fota, co. Cork). 



hardy in our country. What can be done with them, and a few 

 other things, we can now see in the Bamboo garden at Kew, at 

 Batsford Park, and other places. The common hardy Japan Bamboo 

 has thriven even in London, and it is not only waterside or herbaceous 

 plants of all kinds we have to think of but the foliage of trees, 

 which in many cases is quite as .beautiful as that of the dwarfer 

 plants. The hardy trees of North America are many of them beauti- 

 ful in foliage, from the Silver Maple to the Scarlet Oak, and Acacias 

 from the same country have broken into a number of beautiful 

 forms ; some are as graceful as ferns. These trees, if obtained on 

 their own roots, will afford us fine aid as backgrounds. The Aralias 

 of Japan and China are quite hardy and almost tropical in foliage, 



