FENCES. 



102 



fica'ria. 



the standards may be of the variegated 

 kinds of Holly. For a mixed hedge 

 of evergreens and deciduous flowering 

 shrubs, the Laurustinus, the Sweet 

 Briar, the Pyracantha, and the Cy- 

 donia Japdnica, with similar shrubs, 

 may be used, with the lower kinds of 

 American thorns (CratcB^gus), or the 

 flowering Crab [Pyrus spectdbilis), 

 as standards. A very excellent flower- 

 garden hedge may be formed by train- 

 ing the common or the Giant Ivy 

 over a slight wire fence or trellis (fig. 

 10) ; and its uniformity may be 

 broken, if it is very long, by standards, 

 at regular distances, either of Ivy, 

 trained on iron posts with umbrella 

 tops, or of any kind of low decidueus 

 evergreen trees. The variegated species 

 of Ivy, the Ampelopsis, and a number 

 of other climbing shrubs, ligneous 

 or herbaceous, also make beautiful 

 hedges for shelter or separation in 

 flower-gardens. The Arbor Vitse and 

 common Laurel, alternating with the 

 variegated variety, the narrow-leaved 

 variety, and the Portugal Laurel, also 

 make excellent flower-garden fences ; 



FIG. 10. 



FENCE. 



as do the evergreen and variegated 

 kinds of Privet, the variegated Holly, 

 and the Aucuba. In short, there is 



scarcely any ornamental shrub that 

 will not form a very suitable fence 

 for a flower-garden, when carefully 

 trained ; and wire fences, in the 

 summer season, may be covered with 

 creeping or climbing annuals ; such 

 as the Nasturtium, the Convolvulus, 

 <fcc, or even the tall-growing Salvias, 

 Petunias, Sweetpeas, and Pelargo- 

 niums. A very pretty fence of this 

 kind may be formed by training the 

 common Mignonette over a wire 

 trellis ; as it is well known that the 

 Mignonette, if sown in autumn and 

 kept during the winter in a greenhouse, 

 may be trained the following season 

 to the height of three or four feet. 

 Honeysuckles also make delightful 

 fences. 



Fennel Flower. — See Nkhe'lla. 



Ferns are very ornamental in 

 shrubberies, from their large and 

 handsome leaves, and the curious 

 manner in which these unrol when 

 the plants first appear in spring. 

 Some of the exotic ferns, also, are 

 very handsome, and hothouses have, 

 in many cases, been set entirely apart 

 for them. One of the most interest- 

 ing of these is at the seat of W. 

 Borrer, Esq., at Henfield, Sussex ; 

 the interior of which is formed into 

 caves of freestone in the crevices 

 between which the ferns grow. Ferns 

 disposed in this manner would form 

 a very elegant ornament for a grotto. 

 Exotic ferns are also the best plants 

 for growing in the air-tight glass plant- 

 cases, now becoming so fashionable 

 in large drawing-rooms. (See Plant 

 Cases'.) 



Ferra n ria. — Iridece. — Cape tu- 

 berous rooted plants, with very curi- 

 ous flowers, and requiring the usual 

 culture of similar plants. (See Cape 

 Bulbs.) 



Feverfew. — See Pvre v thrum. 



Fica v ria. — Ranunculacece. — The 

 lesser Celandine, or Pilewort. A 

 British perennial, with bright yellow 



