198 THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



The gentler warmth of the shore in some way influences this, and in 

 any case the best results I have seen from out-door culture have been 

 in places like Scarborough, Edinburgh, Anglesea, the shores of 

 Dublin Bay, and in sea-shore gardens generally where the soil is warm 

 and good. It is wonderful what one may do in such places as 

 compared with what is possible, say, in the Weald of Kent. At 

 Scarborough we may see Carnations almost forming a bush ; near 

 Edinburgh I have seen tufts of the Clove Carnation 5 feet in 

 diameter, whereas in Sussex and Kent we have to plant annually. 

 In our island the area for shore gardens being very large, we may see 

 how important the flower in gardens in sea-shore districts may be, 

 valuable as it is in any place where it Happens to do well ; but some 

 sandy and warm soils, like that of the Bagshot sands for example, 

 are singularly adverse to the Carnation. 



In advocating an extension of ways of growing this noble flower, 

 I may perhaps be permitted to state the results obtained in my own 

 garden in Sussex, and in a garden in Suffolk, two districts widely 

 different as regards soil and climate. In my own garden I collected 

 all the kinds of Carnations of the self, or one colour, that could be 

 got in France or England, and grew them in lines in a very exposed 

 and quite unprotected situation, about five hundred feet above the sea ; 

 and also in groups and masses in the flower-garden, generally with 

 very happy and distinct results both as to colour and beauty of 

 bloom, the failures being mostly from late planting. 



So far as hardiness is concerned, we had no trouble in proving 

 the absolute hardiness of the plants the harder the winter, the 

 happier the flowers. An " open," changeable winter is more against 

 them, by exciting growth, than a hard winter. They were planted in 

 large and simple flower-beds near the house, between groups of Tea 

 Roses, occasionally running into the more open groups. In mixed 

 beds where there are many Tufted Pansies and other hardy and half- 

 hardy flowers, it is easy to get places for groups of Carnations in early 

 autumn, and it is best to get enough of each kind to give a fair expres- 

 sion of its colour. 



On the margins of mixed borders the same Carnations may be 

 used with excellent effect, especially for those who frequent their 

 gardens late in the summer and autumn. Beautiful effects of colour 

 may occasionally be had in such borders by associating with the Car- 

 nations other grey-hued plants, such as Lavender and Rosemary, also- 

 planted in bold informal groups. The soil of my own garden was a 

 deep unctuous loam, the rainfall of the district being rather higher 

 than that of the surrounding country, and though successful, the ex- 

 periment could not be said to have been made under the best condi- 

 tions. 



