April.] FLOWER GARDEN. 35.7 



Thyme, hysop, winter savory and lavender, are sometimes 

 planted tor edgings; but these grow rather out of compass, or get 

 stubby and naked by close clipping. 



Pinks may likewise be occasionally planted for edgings; and 

 will grow in tolerably close order for a year or two, and produce 

 abundance of flowers. 



Thrift, if neatly planted, makes handsome edgings to borders, or 

 flower-beds, both in its evergreen property and as a pretty flower- 

 ing plant in summer. This may be planted either in a close edg- 

 ing as directed for box, or with a dibble, setting the plants near 

 enough to touch one another, so as at once to form a tolerable close 

 row, or, however, not above two or three inches apart, giving occa- 

 sional waterings for a week or two if necessary. 



London-pride, that is the Saxifraga tnabrosa, will make a very 

 neat edging, and is to be planted as directed for thrift. 



Double daisies are made use of in many parts of Europe for edg- 

 ings, and form very neat ones, but they are not able to bear the 

 heat of our summers, which seldom fail to destroy them, when fully 

 exposed thereto; nor can they survive, without some slight protec- 

 tion, the severe winters of the middle and eastern states. 



Any of our Sisyrinchiums, but particularly the mucronutum, will 

 make beautiful edgings; they keep blowing a long time, look very 

 gay, and may now be propagated by parting their roots, and plant- 

 ing them as directed for thrift. They are indigenous, and bear our 

 summers and winters well. 



Strawberries may be occasionally used to make edgings for large 

 walks, and answer the double purpose of pleasure and profit. 



Where box-edgings want trimming, it should now be done, 

 although this is not the general season for clipping them: but not- 

 withstanding, when they appear in need of it, let them be hand- 

 somely dressed with a pair of garden shears, which will add much 

 to their neatness. 



The sisvrinchium will bear trimming extremely well, and con- 

 tinue to produce flower-stems and flowers, notwithstanding. 



"Where any of the above edgings have, for want of care, grown 

 into rude disorder, they should be taken up, slipped, or divided, 

 and replanted in a close regular manner. 



Tuberoses. 



The PoJianthes tuberosa, or tuberose. It is said that this beau- 

 tiful flower was first brought into Europe from the East Indies by 

 Father Theophilus Minuti, and to have been cultivated by him at 

 Boisgencier, near Toulon, in France, about the year 1590. The 

 double flowering variety was obtained from the seed, by Monsieur 

 Le Cour, of Ley den, in Holland; who, for many years, was so 

 tenacious of the roots, even after he had propagated them in such 

 plenty as to have more than he could plant, that he caused them 

 to be cut in pieces, to have the vanity of boasting that he was the 

 only person in Europe that possessed this flower. It appears from 



