1098 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART 111. 



in App. II. to twelve different copies of the plan, so as to show the ap- 

 pearance which the ericetum will have, or ought to have, in every month of the 

 year. We know that in practice it is impossible to attain to perfection in 

 matters of this kind; but still it is highly advantageous to proceed upon sound 

 principles, and to have a beau ideal of the effect to be produced in view. 

 For this reason, we recommend gardeners, when they are forming a scheme 

 for planting a flower-garden, always to try the effect which it will have 

 during the principal summer months, by drawing a plan for each of these 

 months, and colouring the beds in each with the colours of the flowers 

 of those plants which are intended to be simultaneously in bloom. Such 

 coloured plans being shown to the employers (and more especially to the 

 female part of the family, who have generally considerable taste in the ar- 

 rangement of colours), useful hints may be received, and the beds altered 

 until perfect harmony is produced. Another mode, and one which would 

 afford an excellent exercise for young gardeners, would be for the gardener to 

 lay before his employers, once in every year, twelve copies of the plan of his 

 flower-garden (for which purpose it might be lithographed), and these copies 

 being coloured by the lady of the family agreeably to her taste, or ideas of 

 what constitutes harmony, the problem for the gardener to solve would be : 

 " Required, the kinds of plants, and the modes of treating them, necessary to 

 produce the given colours in the given months." Of course, the plans and 

 this problem for every year would require to be given to the gardener a year 

 before the time when it was intended to be carried into execution, in order 

 that he might have time to prepare and propagate the requisite kinds and 

 numbers of plants. These remarks, though apparently not immediately 

 applicable to ericetums, or flower-gardens composed of hardy heaths, are yet 

 decidedly so when Cape heaths are included ; and they are also applicable to 

 gardens of low American shrubs, including azaleas, rhododendrons, &c., 

 such as will be hereafter treated on and described. 



A symmetrical Ericetum. The hardy ericetum at Woburn Abbey is of an 

 irregular shape, because it is adapted to a particular situation ; and the surface 

 being a bank, sloping towards the house containing the Cape heaths, it is seen 

 to most effect when walking along the covered way (a) ; but, where an inde- 

 pendent ericetum is to be formed, we would recommend a level surface sunk 

 2 ft. or 3 ft. below a surrounding walk ; and we would further advise, as a 

 desideratum in all hardy ericetums, that all the narrow walks between the 

 beds be paved with pebbles, brick, stone, or some other perfectly smooth 

 surface. The reason is, that when the path is of gravel or sand, the small 

 delicate foliage and flowers of the heaths, which rest almost on the ground, 

 are soiled and disfigured with the sand and lighter particles of gravel, after 

 every heavy shower. Fig. 888. is such a plan as we would recommend. The 

 sectional line (a b) shows that the beds are sunk about 3 ft. below the sur- 

 rounding terrace walk. From this walk the beds are separated by a sloping 

 bank, the upper and lower verges of which may be of turf, and the middle 

 part may be planted with that variety of heath which comes into flower at 

 the season when it is desired that the ericetum should look most gay. Thus, 

 for the ericetum of a winter or spring residence, it may be planted with Gyp- 

 socallis carnea ; and, for a summer residence, it may be planted with^Calluna 

 vulgaris, or jKrica cinerea atropurpurea. In particular soils and situations, the 

 whole of this bank, as well as the verges, may be of fine turf, or of rock- 

 work, planted with heaths. The descent to the beds, from the surrounding 

 gravel walk, is by six steps. The manner in which the beds are proposed to 

 be planted is very simple. The centre bed is to be occupied solely with 

 species exceeding 3 ft. in height, the tallest-growing kinds being placed in the 

 centre of the bed. Each of the other beds is to be filled with heaths which 

 never exceed 3ft. in height; every bed being limited to heaths which come 

 into flower in the same month.. In fig 888., one half of the beds are num- 

 bered, to show how this is done. Thus, the beds marked 1 and 12, of which 

 there will be six in the ericetum, will be wholly occupied with Gypsocallis 



