HERBACEOUS PLANTS. 249 
months of autumn, when the roses are chiefly past. Of late 
years, quantities of standard roses have been imported from 
the Continent. These are the finer sorts, budded on tall 
stalks*of the wild species, such as R. villosa and canina. 
They are well adapted to stand singly on the little lawns 
in flower-gardens, or to break the uniformity of low flower 
borders. 
All shrubs: nearly may be propagated by layers, some 
by budding or grafting, many by separating the roots. In 
planting out, shrubs may be arranged either singly or in 
masses; the latter method is perhaps the most efficient in 
the production of effect, but it should not be very servilely 
adhered to, as it is apt to produce monotony. Some kinds 
should never appear in masses; the white Portugal broom, 
for instance, when so arranged, gives a limy tint to a gar- 
den. Perhaps it is better that groups should contain a 
predominance of one shrub, set off by a few others of a 
contrasting figure or color, than that they should be en- 
tirely homogeneous. 
HERBACEOUS PLANTS. 
Common perennial flowers, whether strictly herbaceous 
or bulbous, afford the principal materials for floral decora- 
tion. Botany supplies, as it were, the colors for the pic- 
ture, and gardening grinds and prepares them for use. 
The painting is continually varying, and new shades are 
arriving and departing in succession. The least considera- 
tion of the subject will suggest the rule, that in planting 
flowers they should be arranged according to their stature, 
otherwise many of the most beautiful would be lost among 
their taller compeers. ee lowest plants should therefore 
