GARDENS OF THE LOUVRE AND THE TUILERIES. 11 



Passing through the great court of the Louvre, and out 

 on the eastern side, we see the garden of the Louvre, which 

 is simply a rail-surrounded space, laid out with the usual 

 very green and well-kept grass, round-headed bushes of 

 lilac, ivy edgings, evergreen shrubs here and there, flowers 

 at all seasons, and the best, cheapest, prettiest, and most 

 lasting edgings in use in any garden, made of cast-iron in 

 imitation of bent sticks. Much of this garden was once 

 covered with old buildings and streets — even the great 

 square just spoken of was once packed with alleys ; but the 

 recent improvements of Paris have swept all those things 

 away, and on every side the buildings stand as free as could 

 be desired — unlike our London ones, some of which can 

 hardly be discovered, and which when they have an enclosed 

 space around them, it is merely a receptacle for dead cats, 

 &c. Against the walls of the palace numerous seats are 

 placed, and the gardens, though not large, offer a very 

 agreeable retreat at all seasons ; for even during the colder 

 months the old men and invalids improve the shining hours 

 by gathering on the seats close under the great walls when 

 the sun is out. 



The main feature of the flower gardening here is a modi- 

 fication of the mixed border system, pretty, and also capable 

 of infinite change. It is a combination of circle, and mix- 

 ture, and ribbon, quite unpractised with us. Along the 

 middle of the borders we have a line of permanent and 

 rather large-growing things — roses, dahlias, neat bushes of 

 Althaea frutex, and small Persian lilacs. The lilacs might 

 be thought to grow too gross for such a position, but by 

 cutting them in to the heart as soon as they have done 

 flowering the bedding plants start with them on equal 

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

 and make neat round heads prepared to bloom well again 

 the following spring. Thus they have along the centre of 

 each border a line of green and pointed subjects, which 

 always save it from over-colouring, and then underneath 

 they lay on the tones as thick as need be. Around each bush 

 or tall plant in these borders are placed rings of bedding 

 plants— Fuchsia, Veronica, Heliotropum, Chrysanthemum 



