EVERT WOMAN HER OWN FLOWER GARDENER. 



15 



orange, blue, bright pink, crimson, and all the numberless shades that 

 flowers afford. These beds furnish a great scope for exercising one's taste 

 in arranging colors; and yery brilliant effects may be produced without 

 a great outlay of time or money. 



The crescent-shaped garden can be approached from the main walk, 

 and if the walks are hardened with ashes, it can be easily tended. All 

 flower beds should be dug a foot deep ; well enriched with animal or 

 mineral manures ; the lumps all finely pulverized, and the surface of 

 the beds raked as smoothly as possible. 



Portulacca^ Nemopliila^ Thrift, Gypsoijliila and Dioarf Asters make 

 very pretty edgings. 



Ribioii Gardening, 

 Flowers may be planted in ribbon fashion, that is, by employing those 

 of primary colors, and arranging them with the tallest for the back- 

 ground, or in the center. If sowed in a circular bed, be sure to have a 

 brilliant scarlet or white flower in the center, which should be taller 

 than all the rest. A Scarlet Geranium ( Gen, Grant), for the center, 

 "White Feverfew surrounding that ; Blue Larkspur should come next ; 

 Yellow Calceolarias next; and then the Dwarf Asters, of a rich crimson 

 color, bordering on purple, would contrast well. For borderings to the 

 plans given in this chapter, the Hyacinth-flowered Stocks would ribbon 

 beautifully. Plant a row of the Scarlet, then White, next Lilac, then 

 Canary Colored, then Bright Pink. They will grow to the same height, 

 and produce a fine effect. Verbenas are also excellent for this purpose, 

 and can be planted in concentric circles or in parallelograms, with six 

 or seven colors, arranging them as a rainbow. A narrow semi-circle 

 thus planted could be called the rainbow garden. Phlox Drummondii, 

 Candytuft, Lobelias and Zonale Geraniums can all be employed in 

 ribbon gardening. Take care to arrange the colors with vivid contrasts 

 — orange and purple, white and scarlet, but do not let blue and purple 

 mingle. The arrangement of the ribboning must depend, of course, 

 upon the stock of plants you possess, and after one year's trial you will, 

 doubtless, succeed in producing a fine effect. The only requisite rules 

 are, to arrange the plants according to their height and coloring, always 

 planting the outer edges with some dwarf plant that contrasts strongly. 

 The Alternantheras, ornamental foliaged plants that grow but four or 

 five inches high, are unsurpassed for edgings. They will receive due 

 attention in the chapter devoted to Variegated Leaved Plants. 



