8 HORTICULTURE. 



time, give the whole a confused and meagre effect. A flower-gar- 

 den, deserving the name, should, if possible, be as rich as a piece 

 of embroidery, during the whole summer and autumn. In a botan- 

 ical garden, or the collection of a curious amateur, one expects to 

 see variety of species, plants of all known forms, at the expense of 

 every thing else. But in a flower-garden, properly so called, the 

 whole object of which is to afford a continual display of beautiful 

 colors and delicious odors, we conceive that every thing should be 

 rejected (or only most sparingly introduced), which does not com- 

 bine almost perpetual blooming, with neat and agreeable habit of 

 growth. 



The passion for novelty and variety among the lovers of flowers, 

 is as great as in any other enthusiasts. But as some of the greatest 

 of the old painters are said to owe the success of their master- 

 pieces to the few colors they employed, so we are confident the most 

 beautiful flower-gardens are those where but few species are intro- 

 duced, and those only such as possess the important qualities we 

 have alluded to. 



Thus among flowering shrubs, taking for illustration the tribe 

 of Roses, we would reject, in our choice flower-garden, nearly all the 

 old class of roses, which are in bloom for a few days and but once 

 a year, and exhibit during the rest of the season, for the most part, 

 meagre stems and dingy foliage. We would supply their place by 

 Bourbons, Perpetuals, Bengals, etc., roses which offer an abundance 

 of blossoms and fine fresh foliage during the whole growing season. 

 Among annuals, we would reject every thing short-lived, and intro- 

 duce only those like the Portulaccas, Verbenas, Petunias, Mignon- 

 ette, Phlox Drummondii, and the like, which are always in bloom, 

 and fresh and pretty in habit.* 



After this we would add to the effect of our selection of perpet- 

 ual blooming plants, by abandoning altogether the old method of 

 intermingling species and varieties of all colors and habits of growth, 



* Some of the most beautiful of the perpetual blooming plants for the 

 flower-garden, are the Salvias, Eouvardias, Scarlet Geraniums, <fec., properly 

 green-house plants, and requiring protection in a pit or warm cellar in win- 

 ter. "Bedded out" in May, they form rich flowing masses till the frosts of 

 autumn. 



