412 Mixing Herbaceous Floixering Plants 



and could not be communicated by art or education. Two or 

 three centuries ago authorship was supposed to be a similar talent, 

 and a man who could write a book was considered an extraordi- 

 nary being. Now, though we freely admit that it is impossible 

 to excel, either as an artist or an author, without a favourable 

 organisation for these pursuits, which organisation is undoubtedly 

 a gift of nature; yet we maintain that every human being with 

 an average organisation, and wholly without either a particular 

 taste for drawing, or a particular taste for writing, may be taught 

 by others, or may teach himself, both to draw and write isoell. 

 If evidence of this is sought for, it will be found in the pages of 

 this Magazine, in which more than half the papers are by self- 

 taught writers, and half the engravings are from the sketches of 

 self-taught draughtsmen. The grand point is to begin in time. 



Art. III. On mixi^ig Herbaceous Flotuering Plants ivilk Trees and 

 Shrubs. By the Conductor. 



We have stated (p. 358.) that " one of the most common 

 errors in ornamental gardening is that of mixing herbaceous 

 flowers with shrubs and trees." The reason is very simple ; viz., 

 that neither can thrive properly, and that, supposing both to 

 thrive in the same degree, the one injures the effect of the other. 

 However pleasing and picturesque it may be to see trees, shrubs, 

 and flowers, all struggling together for the mastery in a natural 

 wood, yet this sort of beauty is totally unsuitable for scenes of 

 art. The object of collecting trees, shrubs, and flowers into a 

 garden, is to produce them in a higher degree of perfection, and 

 show them off to greater advantage, than can be done in a state 

 of wild nature. Now, whatever, in the planting, cultivation, or 

 management of a garden, interferes with these two objects, the 

 perfection of the plant, and its display to the greatest advantage, 

 must be wrong, unless we are wrong in our views of what is the 

 object of garden culture. 



If the object in a garden is to imitate nature by mixing trees, 

 flowers, and shrubs together indiscriminately, and crowding them 

 together as they are to be seen in a state of nature, then, of 

 course, our argument falls to the ground, and the present general 

 practice of fringing the margin of shrubberies and plantations 

 with herbaceous plants admits of justification. On the other 

 hand, if we are right in the objects proposed to be attained by 

 a garden, then flowers ought never to be planted where there is 

 some obvious impediment to their arriving at a high degree of 

 perfection, or where there is some other rival object of beauty to 

 interfere with their effect. 



Every gardener knows that no herbaceous plant will arrive 



