THE SPEING FLOWER GARDEN. 



It is now many j'ears since we first put in our plea for having the flower garden gaj- during eiglit 

 months of the year, and the beds and borders furnished with objects of attraction, present or 

 prospective, all the year round. At that time the gardens at Cliveden (the seat of her Grace the 

 Duchess of Sutherland), under the able management of Mr. John Fleming, were almost the only 

 good examples of Spring gardening, and are still the best. There are now, however, numerous rivals, 

 it being universally felt that a flower garden in Spring is quite as necessary as one in Summer. 

 This is strikingly appai'ent in most of our public parks and gardens, where a rich floral display is 

 as much aimed at during the Spring months as during those of Summer ; and where Spring garden- 

 ing is not well done in such places, they are looked upon as being badly managed. In private 

 gardens, whether large or small, where the family are resident during the Spring or early Summer 

 months, an out-door display of flowers at that season of the year is indispensable, and this can only | 

 be obtained by means of a Spring Flower Garden. It is worthy of notice that Sjjring gardening has I 

 been almost as great a success in town and suburban gardens in and around London as it has been I 

 in the rural districts. 



Indeed, it may be safely asserted that there is no corner in the three kingdoms where Spring 

 gardening may not be carried on successfully. It is simply a question of selection and adaptation, 

 and, if we consider the question of outlay, the expense of stocking a Spring Flower Garden is 

 trifling compared with that of stocking a Summer Flower Garden. I'he labour, also, is but trifling; 

 the great thing is forethought in getting up stocks of the necessary plants, and as they are all hardy 

 out-door subjects, no glass whatever is required in their preparation, so that in many places this will 

 be a very great consideration. 



In all S]iring gardens bulbous roots, such as Hyacinths, Tulips, Narcissus, Crocus, Ranunculus, 

 Anemones, Scillas, &c., must also play a prominent part ; and especially in Spring gardens which 

 require to be cleared by the second week in May, to make room for the early Summer bedding out, 

 bulbous roots must take the lead, their blooming period being over by that time, and their best 

 associate will be found to be the Cliveden Pansics. These may be used as edgings, and they may 

 continue as such throughout the summer. The Viola Cornuta and V. Calcarata may also be used 

 in the same way, though not equal to the Cliveden Pansies, which bloom continuously throughout 

 the winter, weather permitting. Myosotis Sylvatica, Silene pendula, &c., bloom very early. 



A Spring garden may consist principally of Califomian annuals. These nmst be sown in a 

 reserve garden, and the period of sowing must be regulated according to the nature of the soil and 

 the locality, whether late or early. In some parts of the country the end of July is the time to sow 

 these ; in other parts, August ; and in some places September. The seed may also be sown a little 

 later in cold frames, the plants put out where intended to bloom very early in Spring. 



The letters which we are eontinttally receiving from correspondents in almost every part of the ' 

 three kingdoms fully convince us that there is really more pleasure derived from a good Spring- 

 Flower Garden than there is from a Summer Flower Garden. The immense quantity of bulbs and 

 plants which we annually supply, and this on an annually increasing scale, proves to us that the 

 treatises we have given on this subject have largely contributed to the extension of what is now felt 

 to be a boon, namely, to have our flower beds fiu-nished during the dead of winter, and gay from the 

 first dawn of Spring till it is safe to plant out the Summer flowers. This period, we may notice, I 

 since' the displacement of collections of herbaceous plants from our gardens, was too often marked 

 by desolation, our beds and borders bare and uninviting, awaiting the period when it was safe to 

 clothe them with our tender exotics, and sadly contrasting with the gay aspect of our fields and 

 woods, teeming with our native Flora. 



It is esiiecially worthy of remark that in our uncertain climate Summer flowers are oftentimes 

 a comparative failure. This, however, is not the case with Spring-flowering plants, provided they 

 have been planted at the proper time and with proper care. As soon as the bedding plants have 

 been removed, the flower beds should be forked up, manured, and filled with bulbs and plants ; tliese 

 in their turn can be removed again immediately it is safe to put the bedding stuff out. It is not 

 generally known, though in many places this season it has been satisfactorily proved, that the 

 Cliveden Yellow Pansy is the finest Summer yellow bedding plant we at present possess ; and we 

 believe that the Cliveden Pm-ple Pansy will, in its way, be as etfcctive for Summer decoration as the 

 yellow. Viola Cornuta, properly managed, makes an exceedingly effective edging ; its colour is a 

 fine lavender blue. This was sold in Spring as "Purple Queen." Viola Calcarata was sold as 

 " Mauve Queen ; " the flower is similar to Cornuta, but the colour is much darker. Sweet-scented 

 Violets and Hepaticas should not be lost sight of in Spring gardening. 



For the arrangement of a number of beds and borders we offer the following suggestions, which 

 may be modified according to circumstances. 



HYACINTH BEDS. 



No. 1 Bed. — Plant with Hyacinths, either mixed (Nos. 114 to 119) or in circles, lines or masses, in 

 distinct colours (Nos. 94 to 113), edge with a line of Dog's-tooth Violets, and then a line of Yellov,- 

 Pansy. The Hyacinths may be intersected with groups of Crocus or Suowdro])S. 



No. 2 Bed. — Plant with Ked Hyacinths, intersect these with Blue Forget-me-not, and edge the bed 

 with Single Eed Hepatica, or Red Daisy. 



No. 3 Bed. — Plant with Blue Hyacinths, intersect these with White Forget-me-not, and edge the bod 

 with variegated Arabis mollis. 



No. 4 Bed — Plant with White Hyacinths, intersect these with Pink Silene, and edge with Single 

 Blue Hepatica, or Blue or Purple Pansy. 



No. 5 Bed (Square). — Formed into diamonds with Arabis variegata, the diamonds filled in \vitli 

 Hyacinths. 



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