EMBELLISHMENTS. 365 



residence, of one or two acres, where the flower-beds are dis- 

 posed around the lawn in the Enghsh style : their forms 

 irregular, with curved outlines, affording a great degree of 

 variety in the appearance as viewed from different points on 

 the lawn itself. In this, the central portion is occupied by 

 the lawn ; c, d, are the flower-beds, planted with showy bor- 

 der-flowers, in separate masses ; 6, the conservatory. Sur- 

 rounding the whole is a collection of choice shrubs and trees, 

 the lowest near the walk, and those behind increasing in al- 

 titude as they approach the boundary wall or fence. In this 

 plan, as there is supposed to be no exterior view worth pre- 

 serving, the amphitheatre of shrubs and trees completely 

 shuts out all objects but the lawn and its decorations, which 

 are rendered as elegant as possible. 



Where the proprietor of a country residence, or the ladies 

 of the family have a particular taste, it may be indulged at 

 pleasure in other and different varieties of the flower-garden. 

 With some families there is a taste for botany, when a small 

 botanic flower-garden may be preferred — the herbaceous 

 and other plants, being grouped or massed in beds after the 

 Linnean, or the natural method. Some persons have an 

 enthusiastic fondness for florist flowers, as Pansies, Carna- 

 tions, Dahlias, Roses, etc. ; others for bulbous roots, all of 

 which may very properly lead to particular modes of laying 

 out flower-gardens. 



The desideratum, however, with most persons is, to have 

 a continued display of blossoms in the flower-garden from 

 the opening of the crocus and snow-drop in the spring, until 

 the autumnal frosts cut off the last pale asters, or blacken the 

 stems of the luxuriant dahlias in November. This may be 

 done with a very small catalogue of plants if they are prop- 

 erly selected : such as flower at different seasons — continue 



