-VI r.} f LOWERS. [ 



FLOWERS. 



421. These are annual, biennial, and perennial; or, fibrous, 

 tuberous, and bulbous. The list that I give below will consist of 

 some of each of these, but they will be arranged alphabetically, 

 and not according to the above distinguishing characters. These 

 are called herbaceous, to distinguish them from shrubs, which are 

 ligneous f or woody. And, in their uses, it may be said that the 

 one is the flower of the shrubbery, and the other the flower of the 

 border. 



422. Flowers are cultivated in beds, where the whole bed con- 

 sists of a mass of one sort of flower ; or in borders, where an 

 infinite variety of them are mingled together, but arranged so that 

 they may blend with one another in colour as well as in stature. 

 Beds are very little the fashion now, excepting amongst the 

 florists, who cultivate their tulips, hyacinths, and other choice 

 flowers, in this manner ; but the fashion has for years been in 

 favour of borders, wherein flowers of the greatest brilliancy are 

 planted, so disposed as to form a regular series higher and 

 higher as they approach the back part, or the middle of the 

 border ; and so selected as to insure a succession of blossom from 

 the earliest months of the spring until the coming of the frosts. 

 This is easily attained by paying strict attention to the height and 

 time of flowering of plants, both of which I have taken care to 

 notice under each, in the alphabetical list below. In the mixed 

 beds of flowers, there are two things which, more than all others, 

 tend to give them the desired agreeable appearance : one is, room 

 between the several plants. A mat of the most beautiful flowers 

 in the world, crowded up against each other, and out of all order, 

 never can look like any other than a mass of brilliant weeds. 

 There should be room, and considerable room, too, allowed to 

 every plant ; and those plants which spread much should be 

 carefully kept within their proper bounds. The other is the 

 careful tying up of such plants as require it, to sticks of proper 

 height and strength. Many do not want it at all, but many do, 

 and, if this be neglected or put off", a good high wind will tear up 

 the high plants, such as hollyhocks, African marigolds, marvel of 



