THE FLOWEE-GAEDEN. 71 



den, that. is, by cultivating such a variety of sorts in one bed or border, 

 as iDay nearly insure a constant blooming ; yet bulbous plants, while 

 essential to the perfection of the flower-garden, lose much of their pecu- 

 liar beauty, when not cultivated by themselves. The extensive variety 

 of bulbous roots furnish means for the formation of a garden, the beauty 

 of which, arising from an intermixture of every variety of form and color, 

 would well repay the trouble of cultivation ; particularly as, by a judi- 

 cious selection and management, a succession of bloom may be realized 

 throughout the summer months. 



As, however, bulbous flowers lose their richest tints about the time 

 that annuals begin to display their beauties, there can be no well- 

 founded objection why the latter may'not be transplanted into the bulb- 

 ous beds, so that the opening blossoms of the annuals may fill the place 

 of those just withered, and continue to supply the flower-beds with all 

 their gaiety and splendor. 



THE CLASSES OF FLOWERS AND SHRUBS.— Flowers are divided into 

 annuals, biennials, perennials, bulbous, tuberous, and herbaceous. 



Annuals are plants that live only one summer. 



Biennials are plants that do not produce their flowers until the second 

 year, and then die after they have ripened their seeds. Some, however, 

 are included in this class that live three or four years, as the holly- 

 hocks, snap-dragons, Canterbury bells, etc. 



Feiennial Plants are those permanent plants which are not woody, but 

 which generally die down to the ground every year and spring up again 

 the year following,' There are some, however, which are called evergreen 

 perennials, which never die down to the ground, such as pinks, carna- 

 tions, several kinds of saxifrage, etc. Perennials have the great advan- 

 tage over annuals and biennials, that they do not require renewal from 

 seed, but are propagated by division of the root or division of the plant. 



Bulbous Plants are perennials, and they are propagated by separat- 

 ing the offsets, which may be considered as a kind of division of the 

 root. Bulbs enjoy the advantage of being more independent of a fixed 

 residence in the soil than many other plants. During their period of 

 rest, they may be kept out of the ground, be made the subject of mer- 

 chandise, and be transported to verj^ considerable distances. Mean- 

 while their vitality is still in full force, and important changes, such as 

 the formation of the future blossom', is going on within them. In due 

 time, they again require the nutriment supplied by the rains and the 

 earth; just as an animal that has lain torpid all winter, sefeks his food 

 on awakening in the spring. The capability of propagation by offsets 

 is another point of interest belonging to bulbs. Young progeny, ex- 

 actly resembling the parent plant, are thus produced with certainty. 

 Bulbs often are the subjects of the first attempts at horticulture by ju- 

 venile gardeners ; and are occasionally the only means by which city 

 residents can gratify their taste for growing flowers. By far the great 

 majority of bulbs produce exceedingly handsome blossoms, often odor- 

 iferous and even highly scented. «. 



Tuberous-rooted Plants. — Tuberous-rooted plants are propagated by 

 separating the tubers ; and when these tnbers are furnished with eyes 

 like the potato, they may be cut into pieces, preserving an eye to each ; 



