PICTURESQUE FEATURES IN GARDENS. 



55 



at the roots — hence the wisdom of selecting an open position, clear of forest trees, for 

 them. Stake out the border in good time with a view to increasing the depth of 

 fertile soil, not only by trenching, but also by the addition of a portion of the best 

 of the top soil removed when the paths and drives are formed. 



Eockeries are also very desirable, and afford great scope for the exercise of 

 taste and ingenuity in designing and planting. Some may be formed in sunny 

 positions and principally filled with dwarf flowering plants, while others may be 

 constructed under the shade of trees, and planted chiefly with ferns, for producing 

 elegant fronds in summer, while hardy bulbs inserted between them in the autumn 

 afford brightness in spring. Then some positions offer good openings for the construc- 

 tion of suitable sites for aquatics, and bog plants, many of which are both uncommon 

 and beautiful ; but avoid stagnant pools, as these are offensive in pleasure-grounds. 

 What is wanted is a stream of clear running water, which can be diverted and made to 

 pass through some portion of the grounds, then cascades, waterfalls, pools, and ponds 

 can be formed at will, many interesting features being added accordingly. It is in shady 

 nooks and hollows through which clear streams flow that British ferns, arundos, 

 bambusas, eulalias, gyneriums, and other suitable plants can be effectively arranged, and 

 in the summer these cool resorts are delightful. 



Those persons who have, or can obtain, a good stock of the hardier Palms, 

 dracfenas, musas, and other sub-tropical plants, can arrange some of them very 

 attractively in the shade of rather tall forest trees, the stems of which add to the 

 imposing appearance of the groups. A few well-grown plants plunged in the turf 

 are picturesque, and more of this style of summer decoration will probably be seen 

 in the future. Those who have no ideas of their own on the matter should make a 

 point of visiting Battersea, Hyde, and other London parks, and take note of the way 

 in which many nooks and beds are beautified by sub-tropical plants during the 

 summer months. When the plants are removed in the autumn, instead of filling up 

 the holes previously occupied by pots, let a selection of ornamental hardy evergreens, 

 also in pots, take their place— elegant conifers in variety, yuccas, and, in the more 

 southern counties, the green and variegated forms of New Zealand flax (Phormium 

 tenax). Something of this kind is especially desirable when the sub-tropical plants 

 are grouped in such a prominent position as that assigned them in the design. 



Shrubberies, well arranged and planted, are of the most permanently ornamental 

 character, and, for that reason, ought always to be regarded as of primary importance 



