THE COMMON SHRUBBERY. 55 
themselves. To carry out such planting properly, a little 
more time at first and a great deal more taste than are now 
employed would be required; but what a difference in the 
result! All that the well-covered borders would require 
would be an occasional weeding or thinning, and, in the case 
of the more select spots, a little top-dressing with fine soil. 
Here and there, between and amongst the plants, such things 
as Forget-me-nots and Violets, Snowdrops and Primroses, 
might be scattered about, so as to give the borders interest 
Lilies coming up through carpet of White Arabis. 
even at the dullest seasons ; and thus we should be delivered 
from digging and dreariness, and see our once ugly borders 
alive with flowers. The chief rule should be—never show 
the naked earth: clothe it, and then allow the taller plants 
to rise in their own way through the turf or spray. Here is 
a little sketch of what is meant. A colony of the white 
Arabis carpets the ground in which strong hardy Lilies are 
growing; and the Lilies are pushing up their bold unfolding 
shoots. The latter are none the worse in winter for this light 
carpet of foliage over the border; and then for a long time in 
spring it is bedecked with white flowers. Indeed, in fairly 
good seasons it blooms in winter too. It would take a big 
