304; Arrangement of Plants in a Flower-Garden. 



duration of the flowers of which is such as to render thetn, in- 

 dividually, unfit for grouping, may produce a good effect in the 

 flowei'-garden, when planted in connexion with others bearing 

 an affinity to them in height and habit of growth, the three fol- 

 lowing perennial plants may be set apart for a distinct figure : 

 /beris sempervirens, Campanula glomerala, and Z/ysimachia 

 verticillata, each of which will occupy the whole space of the 

 figure in succession, giving their respective colours of white, 

 violet, and yellow, to the figure, at different seasons. Where 

 the object is to produce a mass of flowers at the same season, as 

 all plants are not equally profuse in flowering, it will be neces- 

 sary to select those that are so ; because, where groups of dif- 

 ferent-coloured flowers are placed so as to be in connexion with 

 each other, in order to produce a kind of pattern, a deficiency 

 in any one of these would destroy the effect. There are many 

 plants profuse in flowers, and which flower at the same time, but 

 which have such different habits of growth, as to render them, 

 apparently, unfit for grouping together; but, with a little atten- 

 tion, by pegging them on the ground, and diverting their shoots 

 for a while from the light, they may be brought to effect the 

 object in view. There are plants the growth of which is so 

 luxuriant as to preclude them from forming groups of colours, 

 in consequence of the superabundance of their leaves ; but even 

 this may, in some cases, be obviated by planting them in very 

 poor sandy or gravelly soil, as near the surface as possible, and 

 giving them very little water, the results of which will be stunted 

 plants, with a greater profusion of flowers. 



The variety of plants adapted for ornamenting flower-gardens 

 being very great, little difficulty will arise in making a proper 

 selection, either as regards height, colour of flowers, time of 

 flowering, or duration of flower. To effect the foregoing, at an 

 early period of the season, say June or July, recourse must be 

 had to sowing the seeds of some sorts the previous autumn; and 

 cuttings of others should be struck at the same time, as they will 

 be more stunted in growth when propagated at that season, and 

 will come sooner into flower, with a greater profusion of blossom, 

 than if they were plants just rooted previously to turning out into 

 the flower-beds. 



Fig. 106. shows a design for a flower-garden, of a regular 

 pattern, which it is intended to plant with herbaceous plants ; 

 each bed to contain one species or variety, so as to produce a 

 mass of one colour; and it is accompanied by a list of plants suit- 

 able for it, with the colours indicated after each. The lowest 

 plants are placed in the centre, being such as are naturally of low 

 growth, or will admit of being pegged down ; and the tallest and 

 strongest-growing plants are placed just within the outer rim. 



Cambden Hill, May, 1837. 



