Book II. 



PLANTING THE FLOWER-GARDEN. 



797 



to succeed in this department ought to visit Amsterdam, Antwerp, T^i-sels, and Paris ; and consult 

 the old French works of Mallet, Boyceau, 

 Le Blond, kc. 



6107. Edgings. In parterres where 

 turf is not used as a ground or basis 

 out of which to cut the beds and walks, 

 the gravel of the latter is disparted from 

 the dug ground of the former by edg- 

 ings or rows of low-growing plants, as 

 in the kitchen-garden. Various plants 

 have been used for this purpose ; but, 

 as Neill observes, the best for extensive 

 use is the dwarfish Dutch box, kept low 

 and free from blanks. Abercrombie 

 says, " Thrift is the neatest small ever- 

 green next to box. In other parts, the 

 daisy, pink, London-pride, primrose, 

 violet, and periwinkle, may be employ- 

 ed as edgings. The strawberry, with the 

 runners cut in close during summer, 

 will also have a good effect ; the wood- 

 strawberry is suitable under the spread- 

 ing shade of trees. Lastly, the limits 

 between the gravel-walks and the dug- 

 work may sometimes be marked by 

 running verges of grass kept close and 

 neat. Whatever edgings are employed, 

 they should be formed previous to lay- 

 ing the gravel." 



6108. Basket-edgings. Small groups 

 near the eye, and whether on grass or 

 gravel, may be very neatly enclosed by 

 a worked fence of basket-willows from 

 six inches to a foot high. These wicker-work frames may be used with or without ver- 

 dant edgings ; they give a finished and enriched appearance to highly polished scenery ; 

 enhance the value of what is within, and help to keep off small dogs, children, &c. 



Abercrombie scarcely approves of them. He 

 says, " Where round or oval parterres stand 

 on a ground of lawn, it is a prevailing fashion 

 to surround them with what are termed baskets. 

 These are commonly made either of wood or 

 cast-iron ; those of the latter material of course 

 are durable ; and the others, if painted, and 

 y removed under shelter in winter, will last ten 



or twelve years. Novelty is all attractive ; and 

 when men have walked as far as they can in the 

 path of nature for principles of embellishment, 

 for the sake of novelty they will walk back 

 again. A bed of flowers and shrubs within a 

 basket looks very much like a large bouquet. 

 What is artificial, should have some use. Where 

 cattle are to be kept off, a basket is service- 

 able." {Pr. Gard. 454.) 



61C9. To assist in the invention of figures for flower- 

 gardens, the simple but ingenious contrivance {fig. 651.) 

 invented by Professor Bradley may be made use of. It 

 consists of two plates of looking-glass, of any convenient 

 size, furnished with wooden backs, so as to admit of their 

 being hinged (a). One part of a circular figure being then drawn on paper (6, c), the frames are to be 

 opened the width of the figure (b, c, d), and placed on edge so as to include it, when the form will then 

 be so multiplied by the looking-glass as to complete the circle. The kaleidoscope may also be resorted 

 to, of which this instrument of Bradley's is supposed to be the origin or prototype. 



Chap. II. 



Of Planting the Floiver-garden. 



6110. The manner of planting the herbaceous plants and shrubs in a flower-garden de- 

 pends jointly on the style and extent of the scene. W T ith a view to planting, they may be 



