THE COMMON SHRUBBERY. 55 



tlieiuselves. To cany out such plautiiig properly, a little 

 more time at first and a great deal more taste than are now 

 employed would be required ; Init what a diti'erence in the 

 result! All tliat llie well- covered borders would require 

 would be an occasional weeding or thinning, and, in the case 

 of the more select spots, a little top-dressing -with fine soil. 

 Here and there, between and amongst the plants, such things 

 as Forget-me-nots and Violets, Snowdrops and Primroses, 

 might l>e scattered altout, so as to give the borders interest 



Lilies coming up through carpet of White Arabis. 



even at the dullest seasons; and thus we should be delivered 

 from digging and dreariness, and see our once ugly borders 

 alive Avith flowers. The cliief rule should be — never show 

 the naked earth : clothe it, and then allow the taller plants 

 to rise in their own way through the turf or spray. Here is 

 a little sketch of what is meant. A colony of the white 

 Arabis carpets the ground in which strong hardy Lilies are 

 growing ; and the Lilies are pushing up their bold unfolding 

 shoots. The latter are none the worse in winter for this light 

 carpet of foliage over the l)order; and then for a long time in 

 spring it is bedecked with white flowers. Indeed, in fiairlj^ 

 good seasons it l)looms in winter too. It would take a big 



