ROSARY. 



757 



for a rosarium, it is important that these points 

 be duly considered. In regard to its geographi- 

 cal position, if we may so speak, in the domain, 

 that must greatly depend on circumstances. It 

 forms with most propriety a link in the chain of 

 connection in the pleasure-grounds, in passing 

 from the mansion to the kitchen-garden or other 

 point of interest ; but, like the Arboretum, 

 American garden, &c., it should form a perfect 

 whole in itself, if the maximum amount of effect 

 be aimed at. Roses interspfersed amongst other 

 shrubs produce no striking feature in them- 

 selves, neither do they harmonise in character 

 with them ; nor, unless in the case of a few of 

 the most common and hardiest, do they succeed, 

 when so grown, to the same degree of satisfac- 

 tion as when grown in groups by themselves, or 

 planted in a regular rosarium. Where a regular 

 rose-garden cannot be attained, or where the 

 collection is confined to a limited number of the 

 hardier varieties, they may be planted in groups 

 on the lawn, or by the sides of walks through 

 the pleasure-grounds, but unmixed with other 

 shrubs, but never, in places of consequence, so 

 near to the mansion as to be seen from it. The 

 stiff and formal appearance of standard roses, 

 and the artificial character of such as are grown 

 as pyramids or otherwise trained, makes them 

 associate ill with other plants designed to pro- 

 duce a pictorial or natural effect, in connection 

 with architectural buildings, unless they be in 

 the cottage or most simple style. Even on 

 terraced lawns around the mansion, the rose is 

 not a fitting plant. In a terraced flower-garden, 

 at a distance from the house, even should it be 

 of a highly architectural character, standard 

 roses may be with sufficient propriety intro- 

 duced in lines, either along the top of the 

 slopes or by the margins of the walks. 



The above remarks do not, however, apply to 

 villa gardens of small extent, because there a 

 choice of situation is beyond the means of the 

 owner ; but even in these the promiscuous style 

 of planting should be avoided. The more tender 

 should occupy a space on a well-exposed wall, 

 the hardier dwarf ones being grown in a bed or 

 beds on the lawn, and the standard or pyramid 

 ones arranged in lines along the sides of the 

 main walks, or grouped in the open spaces. 



The best situation for a rosarium is a hollow 

 place, surrounded on all sides but the south 

 by higher grounds, provided it be neither too 

 damp, nor too much shaded, as the plants will 

 there derive shelter from the winds, and be seen 

 to great advantage from the higher grounds 

 above. Next to this is a situation sloping con- 

 siderably towards the south, because the whole 

 will be seen to greater advantage from the lower 

 part, or front, than were it a dead level. 



Arrangement— For designs, vide vol. i., figs. 

 p. 666 ; and in addition to what we have stated, 

 we may add that the rosarium should be in the 

 geometrical or systematic style, with gravel 

 walks, and box, stone, or slate edgings ; the 

 plants being chiefly budded on stems of greater 

 or less height, are so truly artificial in them- 

 selves that they harmonise best when sur- 

 rounded by artificial objects. Mr Paul has sug- 

 gested, and we think with sufficiently good 

 VOL. 11. 



taste, rose edgings, using the Pompon and Fairy 

 roses for the purpose, and keeping them to 

 something under a foot in height. The latter 

 is, however, too delicate for Scotland. Wire 

 basket-work, either left uncovered, or made the 

 conductor of some of the hardy climbing sorts 

 of moderate growth, would have an excellent 

 effect. Grass walks, unless the rosarium be 

 upon a very extensive scale, seldom please, and 

 are difficult to keep in proper order, and, unless 

 in dry weather, are uncomfortable to walk upon. 

 The beds should not be too broad. Those in the 

 celebrated rose-gardens of the Luxembourg at 

 Paris do not exceed 7 feet in breadth ; and 

 although the whole is laid out in parallelograms 

 running parallel with each other, and separated 

 by walks from 4 to 5 feet wide, the whole, 

 when seen from a terrace above, produces a 

 brilliant effect. This mode of arrangement ad- 

 mits of each plant being readily examined from 

 the walks, without treading on the borders. 

 Indeed, to see any garden in the formal style, it 

 must be looked down upon, so that the whole 

 may be seen, as it were, isometrically, more espe- 

 cially during the season of flowering. Roses are 

 divided into two very distinct classes — namely, 

 autumnal flowerers, and summer flowerers, from 

 their season of blooming, and in this order we 

 have hitherto treated on them. It therefore 

 would be productive of the best effect, instead 

 of having one large rosarium into which both 

 these classes were introduced, to have two sepa- 

 rate rosaries formed, one for each of these 

 classes ; or were they grouped according to 

 their habits and time of flowering, a very per- 

 fect whole might be produced, even in one 

 rosarium, which could not be the case were 

 they planted promiscuously. This arrangement 

 should be regarded, be the collection ever so 

 small, and in whatever way they may be dis- 

 posed of through the grounds. 



As roses require shelter from winds, this must 

 be provided either by shrubbei'y all round, or 

 by a wall along the north side, which in itself 

 would afford accommodation for a number of 

 the more tender sorts. Walls, unless under 

 peculiar circumstances, are extremely objection- 

 able in many situations, as they give the ap- 

 pearance of confinement where all should be 

 open and free. The east and west sides, if not 

 sheltered by shrubbery, may be so by a covered 

 walk of roses, communicating with the other 

 principal walks; but on the south nothing 

 should be planted of a height likely to deprive 

 the plants of a single glimpse of sunshine. 

 Wherever shelter is effected by shrubbery, 

 Scotch roses should form the foreground. They 

 flower profusely, if only for a short season ; their 

 compact and orderly form, and their not re- 

 quiring to be pruned or disturbed at the roots, 

 like other roses, for years together, renders them 

 exceedingly fit for the purpose. They also form 

 the connecting link between roses of high-bred 

 character, and the other plants or trees which 

 foi'm the boundaiy line. 



Where from want of space or other circum- 

 stances a regular rose-garden is not indulged 

 in, they may then be grouped through the plea- 

 Biu'e-grounds, each group to contain a selection of 



5d 



