TOWN AND SMALL SUBURBAN GARDENS. 



731 



to the sun, then showy flowering plants 

 should be employed. If much shaded, 

 then the whole dependence must be 

 placed on evergreens and plants of shade, 

 out these should neither be of tall growth 

 nor much crowded. Indeed, every plant 

 should not only stand perfectly clear of 

 the others, but be kept at a considerable 

 distance from them, and be itself of sym- 

 metrical form. The Laurustinus, Aucuba, 

 Arbutus, and double-blossomed whin, are 

 amongst those best adapted for such 

 places. The less attempt made at intri- 

 cacy, either in the forms of the beds, 

 where the taste of the owner leads to their 

 admission, or the direction of the walks, 

 the better; and neither flower-beds nor 

 shrubs should be allowed to come in 

 contact with the walls of the house. 

 Damp, from want of a free circulation of 

 air, and probably imperfect drainage, is 

 a great drawback to the villa gardener ; 

 therefore, crowding such places with trees 

 and shrubs should be avoided, as increas- 

 ing the evil. Even surrounding the gar- 

 den, for greater privacy, with a hedge, 

 has its objection in this respect ; yet, in 

 many cases, this must be submitted to ; 

 and, when such is the case, a hedge of 

 variegated hollies will have a much less 

 sombre appearance than one of yew, or 

 of the common dark-green variety of holly. 

 The most convenient mode of reaching the 

 front door from the street is certainly by 

 having a straight walk leading direct from 

 the one to the other ; and the only objec- 

 tion of consequence to this is, that those 

 who may be passing see directly into the 

 lobby, or entrance-hall, as soon as the 

 door is opened for the admission of the 

 visitor. To obviate this, which is an 

 objection, a circular clump of evergreens 

 should be placed in the centre of the plot, 

 and the walk made to pass round it, on 

 both sides, or be carried parallel with the 

 boundary of the garden ; and if such a 

 walk, which should not be less than 4 feet 

 in breadth, were laid with pavement sup- 

 ported on piers below, a border of 18 

 inches would be all that would be re- 

 quired between it and the wall, as the 

 plants trained upon it would find suf- 

 ficient scope for their roots under the 

 pavement, the soil under it being pre- 

 pared on purpose. The space unoccupied 

 with the walk and circular clump, as we 

 have already suggested, should be gra- 



velled all over, and rendered perfectly 

 dry ; and on it plants in vases or baskets 

 should be set, no appearance whatever of 

 dug border being seen, except the narrow 

 one by the side of the walk ; and even 

 that, if densely planted with procumbent- 

 growing flowering plants, would give a 

 considerable amount of colour, and render 

 the whole less troublesome to keep in trim 

 order ; for unless such gardens are ex- 

 ceedingly neatly kept, they will never give 

 that satisfaction to their owner which 

 they would, if kept in the highest order 

 possible. We have stated our objection 

 to grass in such places, and we have even 

 a still greater objection to uncovered bor- 

 ders, which always have a harsh, cold, and 

 untidy appearance. Indeed, so far would 

 we carry this point, that when, from cir- 

 cumstances, a border becomes uncovered 

 with living plants, we would, for the time, 

 cover it with green moss, as associating 

 better with the surrounding parts than if 

 it were left empty and uncovered. A small 

 garden can never be too perfect in itself ; 

 it should never show a blank, or appear, 

 when seen, at any time otherwise than 

 as a very perfect whole. Those having a 

 reserve or back-garden may, with little 

 trouble, cover their front border, during 

 winter, with Erica herbacea, carnea, 

 Vinca major and minor, Gaultheria pro- 

 cumbens, Shallon, Ulex europea and 

 Nana, Arbutus, Uva-ursi, dwarf rhodo- 

 dendrons set with flower-buds before 

 planting, &c, all of which may be readily 

 removed, and with perfect safety, and 

 returned again when their season of 

 flowering is past, or when it is desirable 

 to replant the front garden with such 

 plants as are to remain during the sum- 

 mer. Indeed, such a garden should have, 

 as it were, its winter and summer dresses, 

 without which it can never be considered 

 perfect. 



In planting the boundary wall, the most 

 ornamental and showy climbing-plants 

 should be chosen, preferring such as are 

 profuse flowerers, or such as the red fruit in 

 cotoneasters, pyracanthas, &c. The follow- 

 ing will be found to stand the atmosphere 

 of town or suburban villa gardens, and 

 are at the same time free and abundant 

 bloomers : — Clematis azurea, florida, Vi- 

 orna, montana, Wistaria sinensis, Jasmi- 

 num nudiflora, (flowering all the winter,) 

 officinale, Lonicera flexuosa. And of those 



