SUBDRBAN RESIDENCKS. 5/ 



effluvia from the earth, water, and plants of a conservatory. For this reason, 

 the plants grown in conservatories immediately attached to drawing rooms 

 should be such as are natives of very dry climates (for example, the Cape of 

 Good Hope, Australia, &c.), and, consequently, require very little water; 

 and the gardener should contrive to give his waterings either late in the even- 

 ing, or very early in the morning ; and previously to the hour the family are 

 likely to visit it the house should be well ventilated. 



83. Lead'mg rules for laying out and planting flower-beds in the gardens of 

 siihurban residences. — The following rules will be found useful in laying out 

 and planting all flower-gardens, but more especially those of suburban resi- 

 dences, where a i-egular gardener is not kept, 



1 . AVlicre the space is small, and surrounded by trees and high walls, so as not to be 

 open and airy, it is not desu-able to form beds or borders round the marghi of the plot, but 

 rather to have only one bed in the centre, and the rest in grass. 



2. Where the space is open and au-y, cither large or small beds may be formed ; and it 

 will generally be desirable to surround the whole plot wth a narrow border. If the ground- 

 floor of the house is 2 ft. or 3 ft. above the level of the plot, then a figure, or collection of 

 beds, may be laid out, which shall be looked down upon from the window as a whole ; and, 

 consequently, to aid this purpose, the beds ought to be planted with low-growing plants, 

 and, in generaL to have the siu-face covered by them; each bed, in this case, being of only 

 one kind of plant. 



3. Where the rooms on the gTOUnd-floor are on a level with the surface of the front 

 garden, or nearly so, large plants may be employed in the beds, provided the beds also^re 

 large ; because, as in this case the beds cannot be looked down upon, and, consequently, 

 their plan can never be taken in at one glance, they never can be seen as a whole from 

 above. It is better, therefore, to use large plants, which, by growing of such a height as 

 to fonn a whole, or group, when looked at laterally, will prevent the idea of a whole formed 

 by the shapes and lines of the beds, when seen from above, having been intended by the 

 planter. 



4. In general, no figure or assemblage of beds of any degree of intricacy, and where the 

 beauty is dependent on the shapes of the beds and then- connection together, should be 

 formed where it cannot be looked down on so as to be seen all at once. In general, also, 

 parterres, or assemblages of figures of this kind, should only be planted with very low 

 plants, which will not obstruct any part of the outline of the figures ; with the exception, 

 however, of an occasional tall plant, such as a standard rose, to produce effect by contrast. 

 It may be further observed, that, when plants are to remain permanently, such should be 

 chosen as continue in flower for a long period (say two or three months), in preference to 

 such as complete their time of flowering in a short period, s.iy two or three weeks. On the 

 other hand, when flower-beds are furnished ^vith plants in pots plunged in the soil, with a 

 view to changing them, and replacing them by others as soon as they have done flowering, 

 plants which remain a short time in flower should be chosen ; because these have, in general, 

 a greater number of blooms expanded at the same time, and, consequently, while they last, 

 they have a more brilliant effect. This is particularly exemplified in the case of bulbous 

 flowers, and in certain annuals, such as candytuft, ten-week stock, &c. 



* 5. Wliere a symmetrical figure is employed, beds wliich answer to each other in form 

 and position ought to be filled with plants, either of the same kind, or of the same general 

 appearance, and which flower at the same time : for example, a bed of mixed hyacinths 

 can only be properly opposed to another bed of mixed hyacinths ; but the mixtures need 

 not be the same in both beds. A bed of the small dwarf blue lobelia, may be opposed to 

 a bed of the blue anagallis, and so on. 



G. Where it is desirable not to have more than one plant of a species, in a symmetrical 

 figure consisting of various beds, the principle of symmetry may be preserved in planting 

 by placing each colour by itself. Thus, a bed of white flowers, consisting of ten plants of 

 as many difierent species, may be opposed to another bed of ten other different species, also 

 with white flowers 



7. The dug surface of beds formed on a grass plot ought either to be decidedly under the 



