14 HARDY FLOWERS. 



Phloxes, Campanula persicifolia alba and C. coronata, Iris jacquesiana, 

 pallida, and De Bergii, with a host of others equally good. For 

 the middle region of the bed such plants as Dielytra spectabilis, 

 Trollius napellifolius, Armeria cephalotes, Hoteia japonica, Pent- 

 stemon in its best forms, double Wallflowers, Achillea Ptarmica 

 fl. pi., etc., would do charmingly ; while near the margin such dwarf 

 beauties as Cheiranthus alpinus, Ranunculus amplexicaulis, Achillea 

 tomentosa, the Iberises, the dwarf Phloxes, a few of the better 

 Sedums and Sempervivums, neat variegated or silvery plants, and 

 even little tiny shrubs like the charming Gaultheria procuinbens, 

 will prove quite attractive. This kind of mixed bed admits of 

 infinite variety and much interest. 



No. 5. A bed of beautiful hardy foliage plants, interspersed with 

 good bulbs or other spring-growing nowering things which will 

 show above the foliage and amongst it. In this way we may have 

 two distinct styles one of dwarf, neat objects ; and one of tall or 

 strong-growing ones. In the centre of the bed, which need not be 

 more than six feet wide or so, I would not put anything higher than 

 a well-grown plant of Arundo Donax versicolor. This Arundo is 

 fine when it is strong enough to make six or seven shoots, and has 

 been protected through the winter by a little pile of cocoa fibre or 

 something of the sort. It only pushes between two and three feet 

 high, in consequence of its variegation, and therefore is very suitable 

 for choice mixed beds. Around it I should place either a complete 

 line of some pretty green-leaved plant like specimens of Rhus glabra 

 laciniata, a little shrub with elegant leaves, or Achillea aegyptiaca or 

 both mixed, the Achillea with the flowers pinched off ; or say a line 

 of the two Santolinas, viridis and Chamsecyparissus, mixed plant for 

 plant, and outside of that one of the variegated Jacob's Ladders the 

 flower-stems of this last to be pinched off as soon as they show 

 themselves, or rather to be nipped out altogether and mixed 

 with it the fern-like Thalictrum minus. There are dozens of both 

 silvery-leaved and other plants which would edge such an arrange- 

 ment charmingly from young plants of the fine Salvia argentea to 

 Alyssum spinosum, or Antennaria tomentosa ; if, indeed, it would 

 not be better to have a mixed planting of dwarf and elegant little 

 plants all round. In most of the interspaces of such a bed the 

 judicious cultivator might, if he chose, plant bulbs, &c. say a 

 sprinkling of Gladioli towards the centre, a few Tulips about the 

 middle distance, and any choice and delicate spring bulbs about the 



