Floriciiliural and Botanical Notices. 411 



may be called compound planting, or, in other words, by 

 forming the larger groups or beds in a flower-garden of sev- 

 eral colors in distinct masses, instead of employing one color 

 only, these several colors being so disposed as to harmonise 

 or contrast, as the case may be, both with those in the same 

 group, and those in the groups adjoining. The individual 

 masses, or sub-groups themselves, should be distinctly recog- 

 nisable both in respect to size and outline. Probably almost 

 every garden might in this way be made to contain three or 

 four times as many kinds of plants, as if otherwise filled ; and 

 this change might be made without any sacrifice of the 

 general effect, but would be rather productive of improve- 

 ment. Touching this very bearing of the subject, it has 

 been pointedly asked, " Is a red cloak more elegant than an 

 embroidered shawl ?" 



This or some such principles brought into operation would 

 tend greatly to supply flower-gardens with what they stand 

 much in need of — a greater variety of vegetable forms. As 

 it is, too much deference is paid to mere color. For exam- 

 ple, because the Verbena combines, with a habit and other 

 characteristics admirably adapting it for grouping, considera- 

 ble variety of colors, mostly brilliant and striking, it is by no 

 means clear, if mere color is to continue the chief object of 

 attraction, that we may not yet live to see the time, when 

 the term " flower-garden," will be almost an equivalent to a 

 " garden of Verbenas." A garden of Verbenas, however, 

 would have nothing like the interest that attaches to a garden 

 of varieties. 



Art. VI. Floricultural and Botanical Notices of New a7id 

 Beautiful Plants, figured in Foreign Periodicals ; with 

 descriptions of those introduced to, or originated in, Amer- 

 ican Collections. 



New Plants in European Collections. — Q,uite a number 

 of new plants are noticed in our Foreign Gardening Period- 



