800 



PRACTICE OF GARDENING. 



Part III. 



already observed, is to adopt but a moderate number of species, and those of the showy sorts that have 

 numerous varieties, and are of hardy vigorous growth. A suitable list for this purpose is given in the 

 floricultural catalogue, under the head of Border Flowers, and the reader may increase it at pleasure 

 from the Prodromus of Page. 



6119. The select Jlower-garden being limited to one kind, or class, of plants, is com- 

 paratively simple as far as respects planting. It may be devoted to florists' flowers, as 

 the hyacinth, tulip, pink, auricula, &c. ; to select flowers, as the dahlia, paeony, chry- 

 santhemum, &c. ; to annuals, hardy, half hardy, and tender ; to American or bog-earth 

 shrubs and plants ; to any one natural order, as the bulbous-rooted tribe ; or to spring, 

 summer, or autumn flowers, &c. 



6120. Florists' flowers axid. select flowers are planted in beds or compartments of carefully prepared soil, 

 and the arrangement in the beds is generally conducted on the principle of mixing the colors and shades of 

 color as much as possible. As the plants being of the same species generally grow of the same height, 

 and come into flower at the same time, no particular attention is requisite in these respects. (See Hya- 

 cinth and Auricula, in the catalogue.) 



6121. A parterre of annuals, as the different sorts generally come into flower about the same time, may 

 either be arranged according to their colors and heights jointly ; or, as there are numerous varieties of 

 some sorts, as of larkspur, jhrysanthemum, lupin, &c., each species with its varieties may be sown in 

 groups or beds, by itself ; and the general principle by which to determ.ine the sorts which are to join 

 each other, may either be color and height, or natural character. If the latter, then the table exhibiting 

 the genera, arranged according to the Jussieuean classification (589.), will be found a convenient guide. 



6122. An American garden combines shrubs and even low trees. These may be arranged in the mixed 

 method, according to color, height, and time of flowering, the trees and shrubs alone, and the plants 

 alone, or both combined : but the most suitable way is to follow the natural orders, attending, at the 

 same time, to keep the higher sorts farthest from the walk or side from which the group or border is to 

 be chiefly viewed. This arrangement has an excellent effect in an American shrubbery, where the low 

 species of heaths and other bog under-shrubs which are introduced, supply the place of herbaceous 

 plants. 



6123. A garden exclusively devoted to bulbous-rooted flowisrs, admits of being very jwrfectly arranged 

 after the natural method. No orders run into other so naturally as, and none present a more harmonious 

 assemblage both of foliage and flowers than, the Phanerogameae. (589.) The planting of such a garden 

 would require very little nicety beyond introducing the proper genera and species in succession, taking 

 care to keep the taller bulbs, as lilium, fritillaria, &c. in the interior of the groups or beds. 



6124. Gardens of spring, summer, or autumn flowers may be planted on any of the principles that have 

 been mentioned. 



6125. The changeable flower-garden. The essential principle of this garden consists in the power of 

 changing its productions at pleasure, so that whenever any plant, or group of plants, begin to decay, they 

 can be removed and their places supplied by others coming into bloom. To admit of this a large reserve- 

 nursery is requisite, in which the plants must be kept in pots, and removed and plunged in the borders as 

 wanted. The Chinese, Sir W. Chambers informs us {Dissert, on Orient. Gard. 96.), excel in this mode of 

 gardening ; and we have been informed by a traveller who has resided some time at Canton, that he has 

 known a mandarin (or noble) have the whole furniture and style of his parterre changed in a single 

 night, so as next morning to present not only a different description of flowers, shrubs, and dwarf trees, 

 but a different arrangement of the beds and compartments. Something of the same kind is practised in 

 the gardens of the Tuilleries in Paris ; in some of the Imperial gardens at Petersburg, and in the vice- 

 royal gardens at Monza. Gardens of this description admit of a very perfect arrangement of the flowers, 

 whether in the mingled manner, in select groups, or according to the natural method. It is only with 

 such resources that a flower-gardener can " paint his way," as Sir W. Chambers says the Chinese artists 

 do, " not scattering their flowers indiscriminately about their borders, but disposing of them with great 

 circumspection along the skirts of the plantations, or other places where flowers are to be introduced. 

 They reject all that are of a straggling growth, of harsh colors, and poor foliage, choosing only such as 

 are of some duration, grow either large or in clusters, are of beautiful forms, well leaved, and" of tints 

 that harmonise with the greens that surround them. They avoid all sudden transitions, both with regard 

 to dimension and color, rising gradually from the smallest flowers to the hollyhocks, paonies, sun-flowers, 

 carnation-poppies, and others of the boldest growth ; and varying their tints, by easy gradations, from 

 white, straw-color, purple, and incarnate, to the deepest blues, and most brilliant crimsons and scarlets. 

 They frequently blend several roots together, whose leaves and flowers unite, and compose one rich har- 

 monious mass ; such as the white and purple candytuft, larkspurs, and mallows of various colors, double 

 poppies, lupins, primroses, pinks, and carnations ; with many more of which the forms and colors accord 

 with each other; and the same method they use with flowering shrubs, blending white, red, and varie- 

 gated roses together, purple and white lilacs, yellow ^nd white jessamine, altheas of various sorts, and 

 as many others as they can with any propriety unite. By these mixtures they increase considerably the 

 variety and beauty of their compositions. In their large plantations the flowers generally grow in the 

 natural ground ; but in flower-gardens, and all other parts that are highly kept, they are in pots, buried 

 in the ground, which, as fast as the bloom goes off", are removed, and others are brought to supply their 

 places ; so that there is a constant succession for almost every month in the year ; and the flowers are 

 never seen but in the height of their beauty." {Dis. on Orient. Gard. 96.) 



6126. The botanic Jlower-garden being intended to display something of the extent and 

 variety of the vegetable kingdom, as well as its resemblances and differences, should 

 obviously be arranged according to some system or method of study. In modern times, 

 the choice is almost limited to the artificial system of Linnaeus, and the natural method 

 of Jussieu, though Adanson has given above fifty-six different methods by which plants 

 may be arranged. (Fam. des Plants.) The latter has much the best effect in a garden, 

 and corresponds better with culture. The former, though most convenient for the young 

 student, yet by bringing plants together that have few or no obvious relations, it destroys 

 that harmony which is so gratifying in viewing natural families. Whatever method is 

 adopted, the plants may either be placed in regular rows, or each order may be grouped 

 apart, and surrounded by turf or gravel. For a private botanic garden, the mode of 

 grouping on turf is much the most elegant, and it has this advantage, that as the species 

 belonging to the group are increased, it can be enlarged by appropriating a part of the 

 turf, and any group containing few species may be filled up with repetitions for effect. 

 The groups may be of the most irregular outlines, and those which are to contain trees 

 may be raised or lowered in surface, according as the species may be natives of hills or 



