In My Vicarage Garden 



be passed by with an averted eye. I am told 

 they represent rich mosaics, or Oriental carpets. 

 If that is the object, and if we are to have mosaics 

 and carpets on our lawns, I should prefer a bed 

 of encaustic tiles, or a carpet. This would 

 produce the same result with less labour and less 

 expense, and at times would be useful. 



But I have spoken too much on this. My 

 subject is the mixed garden, or the garden of 

 mixed borders. The name is a modern one, 

 though the thing is old. It is, in fact, the facilis 

 /tortus of Martial, which he contrasted with the 

 villa : — 



" Otiosis ordinata myrtetis, 

 Viduaque platano, tonsilique buxeto." — III. 57. 



and an amusing description of one, in which the 

 principle is carried out to an absurd extent, is 

 given in the Spectator, No. 477. (The supposed 

 writer says he is one who is looked upon as a 

 humorist in gardening.) The name is a modern 

 one, because it was found necessary to invent 

 some name which would show that the garden 

 was no longer wholly given up to bedding-out, 

 but it has different meanings with different 

 writers, and by most it is taken to mean a border 

 of large herbaceous plants (usually a shrubbery 

 border) in which old-fashioned plants may be 

 allowed a home, but on which very little care or 

 thought is spent, while the real labour of the 

 garden is given to the smart and formal portion 

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