SUMMEEHOrSES. SEATS. 



149 



either to enclose beds of gay flowers, or to be filled with 

 plants in pots. This looks very pretty, if the pots are 

 sunk in wet moss, and covered over the tops with the 

 same. A canary creeper, or some such pretty delicate 

 foliaged climbing plant, should be led over the handle. 



Summerhouses, of all shapes and sizes, arches, 

 arcades, covered ways, garden seats, pretty bits of fence, 

 and vases for holding plants in pots, may all be made of 

 rough bits of wood or root, and come in useful in 

 various positions, especially to avoid monotony in a 

 large garden. 



If a garden be large it should have plenty of seats, 

 and they should be of such a kind as to be convenient, 

 and to avoid being at any rate an eyesore. For the con- 

 venience part of the question they should be on a dry 

 spot, sheltered from sun at the time of day when shelter 

 is most needed, and they should have a board for the 

 feet, or an appropriate footrest of some kind. In our 

 climate there are not many days when delicate persons 

 can with impunity sit with the feet on the bare ground. 

 For this reason, too, seats and footrests should not be 

 of stone. Turf seats in sunny spots are good for some 

 seasons, and veiy pretty. Seats of tasteful form are 

 made of cast, wrought, and corrugated iron, wood 

 sprinkled with silver sand while the paint is wet, to 

 imitate stone, wooden and iron seats with the backs to 

 fold down upon the seats to keep them clean and dry 

 when not in use, seats of wood and iron moving easily 

 on wheels, and in fact seats of every shape, make, 

 and material, that fancy can invent, and money purchase. 

 When seats are placed along a path a gravelled recess 

 should be made to receive them, that they may not stand 

 in the way of persons walking in the garden. Wooden 

 folding chairs are light and convenient, as are also 

 those made of straw, like beehives, and those of cane — 

 all these must of course not be exposed to wet. 



Stumps of old trees, partially covered with ivy, and 

 with flats and interstices for flowering plants in pots, and 

 sprays of creeping plants hanging about them, form 

 picturesque ornaments in suitable places. 



