ANNUALS 207 



bedders should be confined to the parterre proper, for it is waste of 

 space and opportunity to place them in the borders everywhere, as is 

 too commonly done. In the sunny borders, annual and perennial 

 herbaceous plants are far more appropriate. 



Some time since, while walking over a large garden, we left the 

 rich colouring of the geometric beds to discover what should make 

 the wondrous glow of crimson on a border far away ; and to our sur- 

 prise it proved to be a clump of our good old garden friend the Indian 

 Pink, which had been sown as an annual with other annuals, and was 

 there shining not alone but in the midst of a constellation of the 

 loveliest flowers of all forms and hues, the result simply of sowing a 

 few packets of seed. No one can despise the Wallflower in the spring, 

 and the innocent gauze-like flowers of Nemophila insignis in early 

 summer will tempt many a one to walk in the garden who would 

 care little for sheets of scarlet and yellow that in full sunshine make 

 the eyes ache to look upon them. It must be remembered, too, that 

 amongst annuals are found many most richly-scented flowers ; others, 

 like the everlastings and the grasses, are valuable to dry for winter use 

 for employment in bouquets, and garlands in Christmas decorations ; 

 and the Sweet Peas, and Tropceolum canariense^ and Convolvulus 

 may be employed to cover arbours and trellises with the best effect 

 possible, and may even be allowed to hang in festoons about the 

 sunny parts of rockeries, or trail over the ground to make genuine 

 bedding effects. Another important matter must have mention here, 

 and we commend it to the consideration of all classes of cultivators, 

 and especially to gardeners who are severely taxed to secure extensive 

 displays of flowers during the summer season. It is that a number 

 of plants of highly ornamental character, usually treated as perennials, 

 are really more effective, besides occasioning less labour to produce 

 them, when cultivated as annuals. Some of the Campanulas are 

 examples of this. The Dianthus, again, and its several splendid 

 varieties, do better as annuals than perennials. For all the ordinary 

 purposes of display, Lobelias may be as well grown from seed as from 

 cuttings, and in every garden will be found proof of the small amount 

 of care it requires ; for we find stray, self-sown plants in pots of 

 Geraniums and other places, and these if left alone become perfect 

 bushes, and are a mass of flowers all the summer. We have indeed 

 made a fine bed by planting out in May all the self-sown Lobelias 

 we could find in pits and frames and greenhouses, taking some from 

 brickwork and woodwork, where, like happy vagrants, they had cast 

 their lot on the best of terms with themselves and Nature. More than 



