42 BOOK OF THE COTTAGE GARDEN 



child's garden, whose contents are frequently examined 

 to make sure that their roots are growing properly. In 

 the case of Rose-beds, the existing soil should be re- 

 moved to a depth of at least two and a half feet, and a 

 layer of drainage material placed at the bottom, as for 

 herbaceous borders. Then if a portion of the old soil 

 be retained and mixed with twice its bulk of heavy loam 

 from a pasture field, we shall have an ideal Rose-grow- 

 ing compost for making up the beds. Hardy varieties 

 of the free-blooming Teas can be planted in such 

 quarters without necessity either for their removal or 

 the addition of manure, for quite seven or eight years. 

 Not only this, but we may replace the usual mulch by 

 one of living foliage, and carpet the whole surface of 

 the beds with dwarf alpines, violas and creeping rock 

 plants. Against this background of shaded green, the 

 colour and form of the Roses is seen to fullest advantage ; 

 there is no bareness at any season ; and during hot 

 summer days the earth, protected by its dense carpet, 

 is never dry nor is watering in the least necessary. 



The first thing to be done in selecting Roses for the 

 cottage, or any small garden, is to make sure that we 

 are obtaining really hardy kinds ; secondly, that the 

 varieties chosen are free and almost continuous bloomers. 

 In connection with this latter point most people imagine 

 that they cannot do better than plant those known as 

 ''Hybrid Perpetuals." This, however, is a great mis- 

 take, as except for a few isolated varieties the so-called 

 '' Perpetuals " are anything but that; in fact, their 

 flowering period is remarkably short. One of the few 

 Hybrid Perpetuals worth growing in the small garden 

 is the old La France, whose pink flowers gleam among 

 the dark, shining foliage far into winter; Victor 

 Hugo is another constant bloomer, but speaking generally 

 the Hybrid Perpetuals, though fine in flower, give little 

 return for the space they occupy. 



