10 HORTICULTURE. 



ness, freshness and verdure of the green turf, which serves as a set- 

 ting to the flower beds, and heightens the brilliancy of the flowers 

 themselves. Still, both these modes have their merits, and each is 

 best adapted to certain situations, and harmonizes best with its ap- 

 propriate scenery. 



There are two other defects in many of our flower-gardens, 

 easily remedied, and about which we must say a word or two in 

 passing. 



One of these is the common practice, brought over here by 

 gardeners from England, of forming raised convex beds for flowering 

 plants. This is a very unmeaning and injurious practice in this 

 country, as a moment's reference to the philosophy of the thing will 

 convince any one. In a damp climate, like that of England, a bed 

 with a high convex surface, by throwing off the superfluous water, 

 keeps the plants from suffering by excess of wet, and the form 

 is an excellent one. In this country, where most frequently our 

 flower-gardens fail from drouth, what sound reason can be given 

 for forming the beds with a raised and rounded surface of six inches 

 in every three feet, so as to throw off four-fifths of every shower ? 

 The true mode, as a little reflection and experience will convince 

 any one, is to form the surface of the bed nearly level, so that it 

 may retain its due proportion of the rains that fall. 



Next to this is the defect of not keeping the walks in flower- 

 gardens full of gravel. In many instances that we could name, 

 the level of the gravel in the walk is six inches below that of the 

 adjoining bed or border of turf. This gives a harsh and ditch-like 

 character to the walks, quite at variance with the smoothness and 

 perfection of details which ought especially to characterize so ele- 

 gant a portion of the groimds as this in question. " Keep the walks 

 brimful of gravel," was one of the maxims most strongly insisted 

 on by the late Mr. Loudon, and one to which we fully subscribe. 



We insert here a copy of the plan of the celebrated flower-gar- 

 den of Baron Von Hugel, near Vienna. This gentleman is one of 

 the most enthusiastic devotees to Horticulture in Germany. In the 

 Algemeine Garten Zeituncf, a detailed account -is given, by the Se- 

 cretary of the Imperial Horticultural Society of Vienna, of the resi- 

 dence and grounds of the Baron, from which we gather that they 



