176 



CASSELLS POPULAE GAEDENING. 



even the hardiest would be liable to succumb in a 

 severe winter. 



Arrangement of Plants. — There is such a 

 diversity and immensity of spring-flowering plants, 

 that it is very difficult to give an arrangement likely 

 to suit the generality of readers ; and we shall only 

 name one or two which, according to our j udgment, 

 are amongst the most effective. Simple groups and 

 mixtures of colour look best, and they should be 

 surrounded by bands or cushions of dwarf er-growing 

 plants, such as Cerastiums, Stone-crops, Sedums, 

 HerniaHa glabra, variegated Arabis, or similar 

 plants. The only " dotting " of flowers allowable in 

 spring bedding is that of Tulips, Hyacinths, and 

 Narcissus ; an these look first-rate springing from a 

 carpet of any of the mossy section of Saxifragas, and 

 Sedums ; and there is another advantage in this 

 arrangement, which is that the Sedums, or whatever 

 ground-work be used, look well the winter through, 

 and serve also as protection to the "bulbs. Such 

 " carpets " should always be prepared in the reserve 

 garden for lifting in flakes, turf-fashion, and be 

 simply pressed down on the beds ; thus the allotted 

 space is filled out at once. 



It is with spring as with summer bedding — that 

 is, simplicity of design and quietness of colouring 

 afford the greatest pleasure for the longest period. 

 Strictly adhering to this principle, the following 

 arrangements are given as amongst the best we have 

 seen. And here it may be observed that three 

 colours of flowers, or at the most five in the largest 

 bed (exclusive of foliage plants), are all that should 

 be used ; more than this have the effect of destroy- 

 ing that sense of repose that should characterise all 

 floral arrangements. 



The following is an arrangement for a circular 

 bed twelve feet in diameter: — A central plant of 

 Tticca recurva ; then two rows of dark and yellow 

 "Wallflowers, alternated; ilext, two rows of white 

 and blue Forget-me-nots, also alternated ; the .outer 

 two rows being white and coloured Polyanthus in 

 mixture, and the edging Sedum acre aiireum. 



A spring "carpet" bed of like dimensions is as 

 follows : — A ground- work over the entire bed of 

 Sedum acre elegans, creamy-yellow ; then two rows of 

 scarlet Tulips or Hyacinths ; next, two rows of white 

 ditto, the outer lines to be light pink and blue 

 Hyacinths alternated. Should the number of plants 

 present a meagre appearance, white Viola — Mrs. 

 Grey — may with excellent effect be thiuly planted 

 over the entire bed. 



The following is also a most telling arrangement 

 for a similar-sized bed, or even smaller: — White 

 Viola — Mrs. Grey — Cliveden Blue Pansy, and Silem 

 pendula compaota, pink, in regular mixture all over 



the bed, with an enclosiug band or edging of white 

 and red Daisies. 



Another arrangement is — variegated Arabis as a 

 ground-work, and over the whole, the compact- 

 growing blue Forget-me-not [Myosotia dissitijlora) 

 and Cliveden Yellow Pansy, and white Tulips, or 

 Hyacinths. 



An excellent villa or cottage garden arrangement 

 consists of scarlet and yellow Wallflowers, Cliveden 

 Blue Pansy, and yellow Viola [lutea) ; the edging to 

 be Sedum glaueum. 



From the foregoing it wiU be seen that preference 

 is here shown for mixtures rather than masses of 

 colour, a plan that, besides being more pleasing, 

 has the additional advantage of concealing any 

 defect that may arise through the failure or partial 

 failure of any of the plants. Good bold edgings of 

 some distinctive plant should be a primary con- 

 sideration for every bed. Common Primroses, 

 Arabis, hardy Heaths, vai-iegated Thyme, Daisies, 

 Sedums, and Saxifragas, and Crocuses, to be planted 

 in the two last-named plans, are some of the best 

 plants for edgings in spring bedding arrangements. 



List of Plants for Spring Bedding. — These 

 may be classed under three heads : first, Perennials, 

 or such as ai-e increased by cuttings and division ; 

 secondly. Annuals and Biennials, that can be raised 

 from seeds ; and lastly. Bulbs, and Carpeting Plants . 

 best adapted for planting in conjunction with Bulbs. 



Perennials. 



Alyssum saxatile. 



A. saxatile vaxiegata. 



Arabis albida. 



A. albida variegata. 



A. lucida variegata. 



Aubrietia purpurea varie- 

 gata. 



A. Campbellii. 



A. deltoides, 



A. grseca. 



Caltiia palustris. 



Cheiranthus aJpinus. 



C. Cheiri ( Wallflowers), 

 purple, yellow, and red 

 varieties. 



Daisies, double red and 

 white varieties. 



Erica camea. 



Gentlana a^aulis. 



G. verna. 



Iberls semperflorens. 



I. gibraltarica. 



MyoBotis (Foi^et-me-nots), 



several kinds. 

 Ompbalodes vema. 

 Fansies, many kinds. 

 Phlox sublata. 

 P. Nelsoni. 

 P.tvema. 

 Polyanthus, a great 



variety. 

 Primroses, many kinds. 

 Saxifraga granulata flore- 



pleno. 

 S. pyramidalis. 

 S. lignlata- 

 Stachys lanata. 

 Thymes, green and varie- 

 gated. 

 Vinca (Periwinkles), green 



and variegated. 

 Violaa — The Cznr, Qnecn 



Victoria, and Marie 



Louise. 



Annuals and Biennials. 



Bartonia aurea. 

 Candytufts, purple, white, 



and crimson. 

 Collinsia bicolor. 

 C. vema. 



Erysimum Perotfskiauuiu. 

 Eschscholtzia californica. 

 Limnanthus Douglasii. 

 L. sulphurea. 

 Myosotis arvensis, blue and 



white kinds. 



^emophila atomaria. 

 N. insignis. 

 Saponaria calabrica. 

 Silene pendula. 

 S. pendula compacta. 

 Stocks, Brompton and Em- 

 peror. 

 Virginian Stocks, 

 ■WaJQiowers. 



