290 



HORTICULTURE. 



Evergreens. 



Flower 47], Among low evergreens for the front of the bor- 

 (.iatdcn. ders, different species of Cistus or rock-rose are excel- 

 lent ; and sSveral hardy exotic Heaths, which shew 

 their flowers early in the spring, particularly Erica 

 mediterranea and carnea. E. arborea, the flowers of 

 which are fragrant, sometimes attains the size of a con- 

 siderable shrub, and is very ornamental, but it succeeds 

 only in the milder parts of England. Even our four na- 

 tive species deserve a place. The most common is E. 

 vulgaris, of which there is a white-flowered variety, 

 and one with double flowers. E. cinerea, fine-leaved 

 heath or beU~heuther, is the next in point of abundance; 

 it is more showy than the former, and there is a va- 

 riety with white flowers. E. tetralix, or cross-leaved 

 heath, is the third species ; it is an elegant plant, dis- 

 tinguished by the leaves growing in fours, and by the 

 flowers coming in clusters on the tops of the stalks. 

 E. vagans is a native of the south of England, found 

 indeed scarcely any where but in Cornwall. These na- 

 tive heaths grow perfectly well in any poor soil ; but the 

 ground should not be delved close by them, as their roots 

 are generally extended very near the surface. Pittos- 

 porum to/iira is a beautiful glossy-leaved Chinese ever- 

 green, which succeeds in a well sheltered border, but 

 unless it be situated in a dry soil, is apt to be cut off by 

 the damp at the surface of the earth. Several species of 

 Daphne are very ornamental as evergreens, and pro- 

 duce their flowers in the spring months, particularly 

 D. cneorum, collina and pontica; and although the me- 

 zereon (D. mezereum) is a deciduous shrub ; yet as it 

 displays its blossoms very early in the spring, generally 

 in February, it deserves a place; there are three va- 

 rieties, dark red, pale red, and white. The Periwinkles 

 (Vinca major and minor), when regularly cut over 

 every year, form neat evergreen bushes. 



472. The.Musk rose ( Rosa moschata) may be consider- 

 ed as approaching to an evergreen ; and there is an almost 

 evergreen variety of the sweet-briar (jR. rubiginosa). 

 But of all others, R. Indica is the greatest acquisition 

 to our gardens, being not only always in leaf, but 

 flowering both late and early, in November and in 

 March. The Ayrshire Rose, a species not well ascer- 

 tained, deserves a place, especially for covering any 

 wall, pale, or winter seat ; it grows very rapidly, and 

 always retains some of its leaves. It is said to be from 

 America, and to have received the name of Ayrshire 

 rose, from having been first cultivated at Fair-field, near 

 Kilmarnock. A rampant native species (R. arvensis) 

 has likewise obtained among nurserymen the name of 

 Ayrshire rose, and is often sold instead of the other, to 

 which it bears a considerable resemblance. 



Autumn, Winter, and Spring Gardens. 



Autumn 4JS. It now very commonly happens, that the au- 



garden. tumn and early part of winter are the only seasons in 



which families, swayed by the fashionable world, reside 



at their country mansions. The forming of an autumnal 



and a winter garden is therefore important. In the 



former, many late-flowering perennial plants, such 



as asters, solidagos, rudbeckias, hollyhocks, and many 



kinds of annual flowers, may render the borders gay 



till the frost prove too severe. The carnation shed may 



with propriety be situated in the autumn garden. 



Winter 474. Addison, in one of his Spectators ( No. 477.) 



gden. se t s forth the pleasures and beauties of a winter garden. 



" In the summer season,'' he observes, " the whole 



country blooms, and is a kind of garden, for which 



reason we are not so sensible of those beauties that at 



Flower 

 Garden. 





this time may be every where met with ; but when na- 

 ture is in her desolation, and presents us with nothing 

 but bleak and barren prospects, there is something im- 

 speakably cheerful in a spot of ground which is co- 

 vered with trees that smile amidst all the rigour of 

 winter, and give us a view of the moat gay season in 

 the midst of that which is most dead ami melancholy. 

 I have so far indulged myself in this thought, that I 

 have set apart a whole acre of ground for the executing 

 of it. The walls are covered with ivy instead of vines. 

 The laurel, the hornbeam, and the holly, with many 

 other trees and plant* of the a<mie nature, grow so thick 

 in it, that you cannot imagine a more lively scene." A 

 winter garden of much smaller dimensions than here 

 suggested, would in general be found sufficient. The 

 idea was taken up also by Lord Kames, in his " Ele- 

 ments of Criticism," (vol. ii. p. 448). " In a hot coun- 

 try," he remarks, " it is a capital object to have what 

 may be termed a summer garden, that is, a space of 

 ground disposed by art and by nature to exclude the 

 sun, but to give free access to the air. In a cold coun- 

 try, the capital object should be a winter garden, open 

 to the sun, sheltered from the wind, dry under foot, 

 and having the appearance of summer by a variety of 

 evergreens." All the evergreens which have already 

 been mentioned would enter with propriety into the 

 composition of such a garden. The hornbeam, it may 

 be noticed, however, must have crept into the Specta- 

 tor's list by inadvertency, it being a deciduous tree. Be- 

 sides evergreen trees and shrubs, there are a good many 

 humble herbaceous plants which retain a greenness in 

 their foliage over winter; such are common daisies, 

 thrift, pinks, none- so- pretty, burnet, and several others. 

 These may also be admitted ; and plants which flower 

 in winter or very early in the spring, may be scattered 

 over the borders ; such are Christmas rose and winter 

 aconite (Helleborus niger and hyemalis) ; dog's-tooth 

 violet, white and pink, (Erythronium dens cants) ; bul- 

 bous fumitory (Fumaria bulbosa and solida); and others. 

 To the winter garden a Conservatory may be consi 

 dered as an appropriate appendage. 



475. A part of the winter garden may be appropria- Spring 

 ted as a spring garden, and planted chiefly with the ganrtn. 

 early flowering shrubs, such as the common and the 

 double dwarfish almond (Amygdatus nana and pumila), 



and the sweet almond (A. communis.) On the bor- 

 ders, the different species of narcissus, particularly 

 the poetic, the daffodil, jonquil, and polyanthus- nar- 

 cissus, may appear ; these, even when rising thi-ough 

 the ground, produce a lively appearance: . And other 

 early spring flowers might be added, .such as the spring 

 bitter- vetch (Orobus vemutt) ; comfrey. leaved hound's 

 tongue (Cynoglossum omphalodes) ; snowdrop, (Galon- 

 thus nivalis) ; the puccoon, (SanguiHori* Cai'adensis) ; 

 and red, blue and white hepaticas (jUoRMt hepatica.*) 

 The heathery or heath-house might very properly form 

 the principal object in the spring garden, many of the 

 exotic erica; flowering early in the year. The auricula 

 frame might likewise be situate here. 



Border Fkrvers. 



476. The principal borders are of course dedicated to Hardy per- 

 niuigled perennial plants, sufficiently hardy to endure ennial 

 our ordinary winters. A very few only can here be l''nt. 

 specified: those mentioned shall be the most showy and 

 desirable of their kinds. They arc arran'>x-d in the 

 borders* partly according to size, and partly according 



to colour. The taliest are planted in shrubbeiy bor- 





