123 The Ivy, and its Uses in Parisian Gardens. 



gravel a foot or so in width separates the Ivy from the border proper. 

 The effect of these outside of the masses of gay flowers is excellent. 

 They are the freshest things to look upon in that city, all through 

 the months of May, June, and July. They form a capital setting, 

 so to speak, for the flower borders the best, indeed, that could be 

 obtained 5 while in themselves they possess beauty sufficient to make 

 it worth one's while to grow them for their own sakes. In some 

 geometrical gardens we have panels edged with white stone an 

 artificial stone very often. These Ivy edgings associate beautifully 

 with such, while they may be used with advantage in any style of 

 garden. A garden pleases in direct proportion to the variety and 

 the life that are in it, and all bands and circles of stone, all un- 

 changeable geometrical patterns, are as much improved by being 

 fringed here and there with Ivy and the like, as are the rocks of a 

 river's bank. It should be observed that an Ivy edging of the breadth 

 of an ordinary edging is not at all so desirable as when its sheet of 

 green is allowed to spread out to a breadth of from twelve to eighteen 

 inches. Then its rich verdure may be seen to fall advantage. It 

 must of course be kept within straight lines if the garden be sym- 

 metrical : if it be a natural kind of garden, you may let it have its 

 own wild way to some extent. To fringe a clump of shrubs with 

 it in the English garden, for instance, would ans\ver quite as well. 

 An Ivy border is very easily made. It is better to get a quantity of 

 young plants from a nurseryman, and then plant them rather 

 thickly where the edging is desired. If a wide belt of Ivy is 

 desired, the plants may be put in in two or three rows, as the 

 French do when making such excellent Ivy edgings as are here 

 described. In any case, after the plants are inserted the shoots 

 must be neatly pegged down all in one direction. The reason why 

 Ivy edgings when seen in England look so poorly compared to those 

 in Paris is, that we allow them to grow as they like, and get over- 

 grown, wild, and entangled, whereas the French keep them the 

 desired size by pinching or cutting the little shoots well in, two or 

 even three times every summer, after the edging has once attained 

 size and health. 



