SHRUBBERIES AND FLOWER-GARDEXS. ClIAP. 



411. Flowers are cultivated in beds, where the 

 whole bed consists of a mass of one sort of flower ; 

 or in borders, where an infinite variety of them are 

 mingled together, but arranged so that they may blend 

 with one another in colour as well as in stature. Beds 

 are very little the fashion now, excepting amongst the 

 florists, who cultivate their tulips, hyacinths, and other 

 choice flowers in this manner -, but the fashion has for 

 years been in favour of borders, wherein flowers of the 

 greatest brilliancy are planted, so disposed as to form a 

 regular series of higher and higher as they approach the 

 back part, or the middle, of the border ; and so selected 

 as to insure a succession of blossom from the earliest 

 months of the spring until the coming of the frosts. 

 This is easily attained by paying strict attention to the 

 height and time of flowering of plants, both of which I 

 have taken care to notice under each, in the alphabetical 

 list below. In the mixed beds of flowers, there are two 

 things, which, more than all others, tend to give them 

 the desired agreeable appearance : one is, room be- 

 tween the several plants. A mat of the most beautiful 

 flowers in the world, crowded up against each other, and 

 out of all order, never can look like any other than a 

 mass of brilliant weeds. There should be room, and 

 considerable room, too, allowed to every plant ; and 

 those plants which spread much, should be carefully kept 

 within their proper bounds. The other, is, the careful 

 tying up of such plants as require it, to sticks of proper 

 height and strength. Many do not want it at all, but 

 many do, and, if this be neglected or put off, a good 

 high wind will tear up the high plants, such as holly- 

 hocks, African marigolds, marvel of Peru, and make them 



