Past III. WALK AND BEDS. 371 



plant, and within it are the beds formed of patterns and 

 small paths of gravel. 



Such designs in box might with advantage form one 

 portion of a large dressed garden, distinct from the other 

 geometrical beds; and it is not forbidden to unite some 

 low box patterns with these last, though they generally look 

 far better by themselves, and the flower beds may be satisfied 

 with having their edgings of box. Sometimes the box 

 patterns may be laid out in some other part of the garden ; 

 or even in the level turf, being surrounded and marked 

 out by small gravel walks ; or they may form a small inde- 

 pendent 'parterre by themselves. {See Plate vi. fig. 2.) 



Those who object to box* for edgings, may make the 

 flower beds on a somewhat lower level than the walks 

 between them, using stone instead of box; and this is not 

 altogether without reason, as the earth is often washed by 

 heavy rain into the walks when they are lower than the 

 beds ; and the slight decrease of level in the beds compared 

 to the walks has not a bad effect. At all events, whether 

 edged with stone or box, it is well that the beds should 

 not be higher than the walks, for the reason just given ; 

 they should rather be about the same height, the centre 

 of the beds being a little higher than the edges. But the 

 best method is to have the walks and beds in the geometrical 

 garden of the same level. 



The size of the beds is also an important point, and none 

 of them should be so small as to appear like spots of colour, 

 nor so large that any part cannot be easily reached by a 

 rake. In the quantity of colour, care should be taken that 

 blue, red, and yellow predominate, with orange and blue- 



* If thick box is thought to harbour snails and slugs, it is still more neces- 

 sary to have no walls or stone-work with joints and crevices, in which they 

 can find a lodgment; and plants, such as the Arabis, on walls or in beds, is a 

 great encouragcr of them, from the closeness of its stalks and foliage. 



B B 2 



