58 



if I can't have them as preity as any other person, I won't have 

 them at all.'' This Is why many persons do not grow plants 

 because " the plaJits don't do right." My dear reader, the plants 

 will grow themselves, if you give them half a chance. The 

 fault lies with the cultivator; through his ignorance the plants 

 are cruelly treated, and because they do not show their grati- 

 tude they " don't do right ; and I won't bother with them any 

 more." If the above has been your experience, my advice is to 

 study well the requirements and hab;is of plants in every sense 

 of the word. Know j'our plants, treat them well, and they will 

 prove a source of unceasing and unalloyed pleasure, but wc. 

 have only been speaking of wrong doing and the results of it ; 

 let us see how we can do these things right in regard to bedding 

 out our plants. 



There are a number of styles of arranging different habited 

 plants in the garden. These are popularly known as the " Rib- 

 bon Lines," "Massing,'' "Sub-Tropical,'' "Carpeting," and the 

 old way of "Mixing."' Each of these modes has its advantages, 

 and perhaps none of them can be dispensed with. The reader, 

 in order to properly decide which will be most appropriate, 

 must take into consideration the surroundings and the extent 

 of the garden. We can make good use of the design employed 

 in laying out the garden. With this design and a box of water 

 color paints, procured at a nominal cost from any stationer, 

 we can paint tlie flower beds any color or colors desired. By this 

 we can see what our garden will be. If the arrangement does 

 not suit, or the colors do not harmonize, it will be an easy mat- 

 ter to make any change that seems to be necessary, We can 

 also by this process learn just what kinds of plants we need 

 and how many of each, to make our garden complete. In col- 

 oring our design and in making the selection, if the space and 

 circumstances will permit, it might be advisable to have a 

 specimen bed of each style of arrangement, as the whol: will 

 have rather an informal though none the less fascinating ap- 

 pearance. 



PtiBBON LiN-E«. This name is given to that style of bed_ 

 ding wherein the plants of each are arranged in a line by using 

 plants whose flowers or foliage form a strong contrast with 

 those in the line in front and those in the line behind, the most 

 charming eff'ect may be produced. There is a great variety of 

 plants suitable for forming Hibbon Line beds, principal among 



