THE FLOWER GAEDEN". 



105 



Mumea elegans, Hicinus Gibsonii, Solanum robustiim 

 and Solanum marginatum^ Wigandia Caracasana, and 

 several kinds of evergreen and variegated shrubs. 



Planting the Beds.— This of course implies 

 that they have been properly prepared, and that 

 according to the requirements of the particular 

 plants. Thus another matter turns up, Adz., that the 

 beds should be marked as to the plants they are to 

 be planted with, before the preparation of the soil 

 begins. All large foliage plants, most of the ery 

 tender kinds — Violas, Verbenas, and Calceolarias — ■ 

 ought to have abundance of manure and deep tilth. 



for digging. For long and square beds, and all beds 

 ■with straight edges, a plank is fixed edgeways, by 

 driving pegs into the turf ; then the soil being made 

 fine and sprinkled, it is trodden against the plank till 

 of the right height ; the plank is then removed and 

 the edge is complete, except a bit of levelling at the 

 surface of the beds. It is necessary to plant such 

 edgings as soon as made up ; otherwise it is diffi- 

 cult to do, as the soil gets hard and crumbly. The 

 Hemiaria, besides being the best, is a most accommo- 

 dating plant for this work, as it splits up so readily, 

 and every particle will grow. Edgings four inches 

 in height should have two rows of these particles 



SCALE OF FEET 



Fig. 3.— 1, Eaised edging of Hemiaria glabra; 2, ground- 

 work of Sedmn glaucum ; 3, edge of Mesembryauthe- 

 mum cordifolium variegatum, and filled in with, dwarf 

 blue Ageratum; 4, Dracaena Australis lineata; 5, Eu- 

 onynius aurea variegata ; 6, scarlet and rose-coloured 

 Pelargoniums intermixeci ; 7, Ajuga reptans ijurpurea ; 

 8, pink Pelargoniums and white Viola (Mrs. Grey), 

 Uitermixed. 



Fig. 4.— 1, Edging of Sedum acre elegans variegata; 2, 

 band of Alternantbera amabilis ; 3, gi'ound-work of 

 Cerastium tomentosum ; 4, edging of blue Lobelia, and 

 filled in with tricolor Pelargonium ; 5, Grevillea ro- 

 busta — single plants ; 6, edging of Colei.s, and filled in 

 with pink Pelargonium ; 7, Abutilon (Boule de Neige) 

 —single plants ; 8, edging of Erica herbacea purpurea, 

 filled in with Fuclisias of any colour in mixture. 



Ageratums, Pelargoniums, Pettmias, and the great 

 bulk of the common bedders, flower most freely 

 when the soil is not over-rich. 



The edgings of all beds that are on turf should be 

 raised at least three inches above it. All oui' own 

 are thus raised, and are every one planted Tvith 

 Hemiaria glabra (green). ^Ve have tried many 

 kinds of plants for this purpose, but this excels all 

 others. The edgings are made up as follows : — The 

 soil for about eighteen inches round the bed is forked 

 up, weeds and small stones are picked out, and the 

 soil sprinkled ; then, in the case of round beds, it is 

 trodden an inch or two over the turf, and made finn 

 to the height desired ; then the circle is struck from 

 the centre of the bed to the edge of turf ; the soil 

 being cut away with the edging-ii^on, or a sharp 

 spade, and throT\-n into the bed, which is now ready 



put in ; one row would do, but it is desirable to get 

 the edgings covered as soon as possible to prevent 

 cracking of the soil. 



The planting out of bedding plants should never 

 be hurried. Careful planting has its reward in 

 forcing the plants to start away into growth at once. 

 Thorough watering ought to be a first consideration 

 before a plant is put into the ground ; for shoidd 

 they go in dry, in that state they will remain, so far 

 as the balls are concerned, the whole season. Again, 

 the soil ought to be well compressed round the 

 plants, and icith the hands too, not with the trowel. 

 After planting a good watering is desii-able, which 

 aids in settling the soil about the plants ; and if a 

 surface mulching can be at once given either of fine 

 soil, vegetable mould, or cocoa-fibre, it will conduce 

 to the advancement of growth. 



