VARIOUS FLOWER GARDENS. 41 



individual character and form are crushed away in the crowd ; yet 

 there is scarcely a shrub that has not a charm of form it will 

 show if allowed room. One good plan is to allow no crowding, and to 

 place the finest hardy flowers in groups between the free untortured 

 shrubs. Thoroughly prepare the beds ; put in the choicest shrubs, 

 which, without being high enough to obscure the view, adorn the 

 earth all the winter as well as all the summer, and give us a broken 

 surface as well as a beautiful one, and, far from leading to monotony, 

 this would lead to an infinite and varied succession of beauty. 



We should not then have any set pattern to weary the eye, 

 but quiet grace and verdure, and little pictures, month by month. 

 The beds, filled with shrubs and garlanded with evergreens and 

 creepers, would everywhere afford nooks and spaces among the 

 shrubs where we could grow some of the many fine hardy Lilies 

 with the Gladioli, Phlox, Iris, tall 'Anemone, Peony, and Delphinium. 

 The choice shrubs suited for such beds are not gross feeders, like 

 trees, but on the other hand encourage the finer hardy bulbs and 

 flowers. They also relieve the plants by their bloom or foliage 1 , and 

 when a Lily or Cardinal Flower fades after blooming it is not noticed 

 as it might be in a stiff border. In this way we should not need the 

 wretched and costly plan of growing a number of low evergreens in 

 pots, to " decorate " the flower garden in winter. 



To get artistic effects in such a flower garden we must not by any 

 means adopt the usual close pattern beds, because no good effect 

 can be got from beds crowded on each other like tarts on a tray. 

 Repose and verdure are essential. Before making the change from 

 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 jof his cottage, 



