640 



GEOMETRICAL FLOWER-GARDENS. 



common flowers, thus becomes enhanced; 

 and what would hardly be noticed in a 

 bed, or in a border, has a new interest, 

 and a degree of dignity lent to it, by its 

 being placed in a handsome vase, elevated 

 on a pedestal. The vase is beautiful, as a 

 work of art, whether it be filled with plants 

 or not ; but, when it serves as a receptacle 

 for fine flowers, in a situation where such 

 flowers are not seen in beds or borders, 

 its importance is increased by the addi- 

 tional beauty which it confers on them, 

 in presenting them in a distinguished 

 situation." 



The satisfaction which any kind of vase 

 or elevated basket containing flowers 

 gives in country gardens, is small com- 

 pared " to that produced by fixed stone 

 vases in town gardens ; because, in the lat- 

 ter situation, flowers of any kind are com- 

 paratively rare and cherished ; whereas, in 

 extensive pleasure-grounds in the country, 

 where there are beds of pelargoniums, and 

 other flowers without end, it seems almost 

 needless profusion to elevate them in vases. 

 Hence it is that when stone or pottery 

 vases are introduced into gardens in the 

 country, they are very seldom filled with 

 plants of any kind. They are introduced 

 there as beautiful works of art, to give 

 pleasure by their contrast to the beautiful 

 works of nature with which they are sur- 

 rounded." 



3d, Why vases of flowers should be in- 

 troduced into the little walled gardens of 

 streets is, that they harmonise admirably 

 with the masonry and architectural forms 

 by which they are surrounded. For this 

 reason also, stone vases should be spar- 

 ingly introduced in pleasure-grounds in 

 the country, except as appendages, or 

 ornaments to architecture— such as on 

 the parapets of terraces near the house, 

 or the stone borders, balustrades, &c. of 

 architectural flower-gardens." — Garden- 

 ers' Magazine, vol. x. p. 490. 



Vases, however classic their forms may 

 be, if of small size, and unconnected 

 with buildings, or if in the rustic charac- 

 ter, however ingeniously they may be 

 constructed, are meagre ornaments in a 

 flower-garden, if not planted with taste ; 

 and the plants they contain should be in 

 keeping with their respective styles. Thus, 

 architectural vases should be planted with 

 agave, acanthus, yucca, &c, of their natu- 

 ral growth; or with orange trees, on single 



stems, with globose heads ; or with similar 

 plants so trained as to show symmetry of 

 form. Rustic vases, on the contrary, should 

 be filled with plants having much less 

 the appearance of art ; and these may be 

 either mixed, or consisting of one species 

 only. It is, however, important to re- 

 mark, that vases, if intended for flowers 

 at all, should never be left entirely 

 empty. Thus, during winter, the various 

 species of yucca will in most places stand 

 the weather; and where they do not, 

 symmetrically trained hollies of various 

 sorts, box-trees, Aucuba japonica, up- 

 right yews, or junipers, may be substi- 

 tuted. Around these stems may be 

 planted in the soil various shades of cro- 

 cuses, snowdrops, and winter aconite, to 

 afford colour; and when their flowers 

 fade, Saxifraga oppositifoiia, Aubrietia 

 deltoidea, Dondia epipactis, and similar 

 vernal flowering Alpine plants, may be 

 employed ; and those again succeeded by 

 others, to carry the season onward until 

 the more showy plants, which are to be 

 their summer inhabitants, can be safely 

 set in them, at which time all the others 

 are to be removed. When orange trees, 

 agaves, or other tender exotics, are planted 

 in vases during summer, they are in 

 general placed in pots plunged under the 

 level of the top of the vase. Around these 

 various plants may be set, unless in cases 

 where the individual plant is sufficient to 

 fill the space. In the first case, elegant 

 and graceful procumbent plants may be 

 set around them, such as various species 

 of Calandrinia, Saponaria ocymoides, 

 Saponaria calabrica, &c, both to pro- 

 duce colour and to cover the surface of 

 the soil. In the latter case, various free- 

 flowering species of Mesembryanthemum, 

 or other procumbent abundant-blooming 

 plants of a succulent nature, should be 

 employed. Where brilliancy of colour is 

 a desideratum, then moderate-sized vases 

 may entirely be filled with scarlet gera- 

 niums, fuchsias, hydrangeas, cinerarias, 

 &c. ; or, if of a large size, one may be 

 furnished with a scarlet geranium in the 

 centre, bordered round with the purple 

 petunia, and again with the white-flower- 

 ing ivy-leaved geranium, whose slender 

 branches may be allowed to hang par- 

 tially over the edge in a graceful manner. 

 Another may have a fuchsia of pendant 

 habit for a centre, encircled by a row of 



