THE FLOWER GARDEN. 



45 



fvcin a popular and a professional point of view. 

 We trust to refresh the memory of the professional 

 gardener, guide the faltering- steps of the amateur, 

 and teach the shopman and the artisan on all 

 matters relating to the forming and furnishing of 

 their flower gardens. 



The great and still increasing interest that of late - 



race with anything in seeds, plants, or flowers, that 

 may he thought to he an advance on previous intro- 

 ductions. The fact that the writer has heen one of 

 the most susceptible of mortals to the flower garden- 

 ing fever, must doubtless be credited with his selec- 

 tion for the task he has undertaken, to treat upon 

 flower gardening from his point of view. 



Garden in Old-fashioned Picturesque Style. 



years has been taken by every class of the population 

 in all that concerns horticulture, is a cheering sign 

 of the advancement, education, and refinement of 

 the people. That flower gardening is the favourite 

 hranch of horticulture, none will doubt who have 

 witnessed the crowds of admirers the flowers attract, 

 on Sundays and holiday times in particular, both in 

 the metropolitan and provincial parks. As might 

 have been expected, this appreciation by the general 

 public has had a corresponding effect on every 

 gardener, and still more on every one professionally 

 connected with gardening, so that now ever}- one 

 vies with his neighbour as to who shall be flrst in the 



Position for a Flower Garden.— This is a 

 point of great importance, but obviously circum- 

 stances must govern the selection in by far the 

 greater number of cases. As a matter of course, 

 the ruling point must be the position of the house 

 or mansion, because, to get the largest amount of 

 pleasure from the flowers, they should be so placed 

 that they may be admired independently of the 

 weather. Not that it is undesirable to have flowers 

 elsewhere, as our remarks will presently indicate ; 

 but, first and foremost, provision should certainly 

 be made for flowers "close at home." There are 

 mansions and houses so unsuitable; with regard to 



