24 HARDY FLOWERS. 



which a capital one might not be made. The hest way would be to 

 select a border or strip with a good aspect, throw it into neat beds, 

 edge them neatly, and, if a strip, surround it with a dwarf edge say 

 of Lavender Cotton, which bears clipping well. But anything like 

 an approach to the farming system of growing such things should be 

 avoided. Being somewhat more precious than mangold wurzel, 

 they should not be treated on the same principle, or a dirtier one, as 

 they are by some few gardeners, who are sagacious enough to em- 

 ploy them for cutting for indoor decoration and for this purpose no 

 flowers are better than Picotees, Carnations (from Cloves to the 

 richest florist's or ordinary seedling variety), the Pinks, and not a 

 few others. In such a place the cultivator might enjoy, in addition 

 to the plants just named, his bed of good and distinct Pansies ; the 

 little groups of perpetual mule and clove-scented Pinks; the 

 splendidly coloured perennial Lobelias, if no other place were found 

 for them ; the Mimulus, in its more beautiful varieties ; the choicer 

 Pentstemons, Phloxes, Pyrethrums, and choice Antirrhinums ; bulbs 

 of sorts a little too precious to use for general decoration j the 

 Eanunculus, in its fascinating as well as rich and decided tints ; the 

 Anemones ; the Gladiolus, for which there are, however, various more 

 important uses ; the Belladonna lily, in perfection if the place be 

 warm and the soil good, deep, and light ; the rich and pretty double 

 Primulas, now very rarely seen in good condition; the Polyan- 

 thus, in its many lovely varieties; not to speak of various 

 other flowers allied to these in interest, but for which a suit- 

 able place may not be found in the flower garden proper. In 

 the same place small beds of the newer Geraniums and bedding and 

 other plants might be planted out for trial ; and, in fact, the whole 

 affair made a most useful as well as most interesting thing. Here, 

 also, some of the finer annuals, like the Stocks and everlasting 

 flowers, might be grown ; here such charming things as Clintonia 

 pulchella might be employed for covering the beds containing plants 

 that lose their leaves in early summer ; here a selection of graceful 

 ornamental grasses might be grown for indoor decoration. Many 

 things requiring attention, noting, or collecting at a certain time, 

 would be under the eye at all times, and the whole would prove one 

 of the most enjoyable divisions ever added to a garden. In addition 

 to it, we should fully employ all such plants for the general decora- 

 tion of the pleasure and flower-garden wherever they could be intro- 

 duced with correct taste knowing well that the Carnation or Pink 



