78 The Public Gardens and Parks of Paris. 



equal terms, and the lilacs do not hurt them by pushing out again, 

 and making neat round heads for taking a lead in the display of 

 spripg flowers. Thus they have along the centre of each border 

 a line of green and pointed things, which always save it from over- 

 colouring, and then underneath they lay on the tones as thick as 

 need be. Around each bush or tallish plant in these borders are 

 placed rings of bedding plants — Fuchsia, Veronica, Heliotrope, 

 Chrysanthemum grandiflorum, fceniculaceum, &c., the outer spaces 

 between the rings being filled with plants of other sorts. Then 

 follows a straight line of Pelargoniums — scarlet, white, and rose 

 mixed plant for plant, and forming a very pretty line. Outside of that 

 a band of Irish ivy, pegged close to the earth, and pinched two or 

 three times a year ; and finally, on the walk side, an edging of the 

 rustic irons elsewhere described. As soon as they get beyond the 

 very primitive idea, that because one border is of a certain pattern 

 the others ought to follow it, this will be found a really good plan, 

 and it is worth attention with us ; by its means we may enjoy great 

 variety in a border without any of the raggedness of the old mixed 

 border system. Around most of the rose trees they place a ring of 

 the Gladiolus — a good plan where the plant grows well. Any 

 person with a knowledge of bedding plants may vary this plan ad 

 irifinitum, and produce a most happy result w^ith it wherever borders 

 have to be dealt with. In the Tuileries we find much the same 

 kind of garden, with a fine bloom of roses in summer, and more 

 hollyhocks and Althaeas in autumn. So also in the Palais Royal we 

 meet with the same style going around the squares, but it is only 

 the Louvre strips that have the wide margin of dark green Irish 

 ivy — a refreshing and neat finish. It is not far to step into the 

 garden of the Palais Royal, but there is little to be seen there which 

 we shall not meet elsewhere. There are great crowds sitting out 

 of doors in the evenings ; a smaller crowd at noon waiting to set their 

 watches by the little bomb which is fired by sunlight every day at 

 that hour, but in the plant way I only remember it for a few 

 specimens of the round-headed Acacia inermis in tubs, furnishing 

 as good an effect as many things more difficult to grow and obtain. 



