and of 'Rural Improvement generally, during 1839. 719 



whether of the turf or seeds, do not grow, except in the more 

 open places ; the smooth firm surface, which will soon become 

 green with moss, is more natural, and consequently more beau- 

 tiful. Box edgings, for shrubberies of this kind, and indeed 

 for any shrubberies, are altogether unsuitable, and should be 

 confined to the flower-garden or the kitchen-garden. 



In the case of a shrubbery, the walk in which is destined ul- 

 timately to be shaded by the trees on both sides, the turf verge 

 will after a few years become naked, or covered with moss 

 instead of grass. Whenever this is the case, turf up, as in the 

 case of open shrubberies. 



Very different from this is the common mode of managing the 

 edges and verges of grown-up shrubberies. The box is suffered 

 to remain, however ragged and miserable it may look, and the 

 turf verge continues to be pared on both sides, till it is reduced to 

 less than half its original width, a little gutter being formed in 

 the inner side of the verge ; and the whole shows the application 

 of labour to a purpose neither productive of beauty nor use, 

 but, on the contrary, continually obtruding on the observer the 

 unsuccessful efforts of the gardener in endeavouring; to cause 

 plants to grow where they have not the requisites of health. 



There are some shady shrubberies where the original verge is 

 totally obliterated by the operations of the gardener; that is, 

 where the verge has been literally pared away altogether. In this 

 case it is not uncommon to find either a notch or gutter made along 

 each side of the walk to mark its boundary, or a row of small 

 stones, pebbles, or flints, put down for the same purpose. The 

 true mode to proceed here, however, is, to restore the original 

 verge, to level the ground inwards among the branches, and to 

 leave it to become covered with moss, as already directed. In 

 certain cases, ivy, tutsan, or any other low trailing or creeping 

 evergreen, may be allowed to cover the soil among the shrubs, 

 and to extend over the walk, provided that in shortening these 

 shoots they are not cut off in one even line, but thinned and cut 

 out, so as to form an irregular boundary. 



The common mode of treating the branches of shrubs which 

 grow along the margins of walks, and have a tendency to spread 

 over them, is the next error that we shall point out. Every 

 one who has the slightest taste for picturesque beauty must be 

 disgusted with the hedge-like appearance which is frequently 

 given to laurels and other evergreen shrubs, which grow along the 

 margins of shrubbery walks. There is scarcely a place where 

 the shrubs are of ten or twelve years' growth, where this, to us, 

 most offensive appearance is not to be met with ; and, when it is 

 connected with a meagre turf verge pared away on both sides, 

 or the ragged remains of a box edging, it forms the climax of 

 shrubbery deformity. The remedy for this evil is very simple. 



3b 4 



