HERBACEOUS PLANTS. 249 



months of autumn, when the roses are chiefly past. Of late 

 years, quantities of standard roses have been imported from 

 the Continent. These are the finer sorts, budded on tall 

 stalks of the wild species, such as R. villosa and canina. 

 They are well adapted to stand singly on the little lawns 

 in flower-gardens, or to break the uniformity of low flower 

 borders. 



All shrubs nearly may be propagated by layers, some 

 by budding or grafting, many by separating the roots. In 

 planting out, shrubs may be arranged either singly or in 

 masses ; the latter method is perhaps the most efficient in 

 the production of effect, but it should not be very servilely 

 adhered to, as it is apt to produce monotony. Some kinds 

 should never appear in masses ; the white Portugal broom, 

 for instance, when so arranged, gives a limy tint to a gar- 

 den. Perhaps it is better that groups should contain a 

 predominance of one shrub, set off by a few others of a 

 contrasting figure or color, than that they should be en- 

 tirely homogeneous. 



HERBACEOUS PLANTS, 



Common perennial flowers, whether strictly herbaceous 

 or bulbous, afford the principal materials for floral decora- 

 tion. Botany supplies, as it were, the colors for the pic- 

 ture, and gardening grinds and prepares them for use. 

 The painting is continually varying, and new shades are 

 arriving and departing in succession. The least considera- 

 tion of the subject will suggest the rule, that in planting 

 flowers they should be arranged according to their stature, 

 .otherwise many of the most beautiful would be lost among 



their taller compeers. The lowest plants should therefore 

 11* 



