HARDY PLANTS TOE, THE SUBTROPICAL GARDEN. 211 



some hardy things with otherwise fine qualities, to retain 

 its leaves till the end of the season without losing a particle 

 of its freshness and polished verdure. In fact^ the only thing 

 we have to decide about this subject is, what is the best 

 place for it ? Now, it is one of those things that will not 

 disgrace any position, and will prove equally at home in the 

 centre of the 

 mixed border, 

 projected a little 

 from the edge of 

 a choice shrub- 

 bery in the grass, 

 or in the flower 

 garden ; nobody 

 need fear its dis- 

 playing anything 

 like the seediness 

 which such things 

 astheHeracleums 

 show at the end 

 of summer. In 

 fact, few things 

 turned out of the 

 houses will fur- 

 nish a more satis- 

 factory effect. I 

 should not like 

 to advise its being- 

 planted in the cen- 

 tre of a flower bed, 

 or in any other 

 position where re- 

 moval would be 



Acanthus latifolius (lusitanicus). 



necessary ; but in case it were determined to plant permanent 

 groups of fine-leaved hardy plants, then indeed it could be 

 used with great success. Supposing we have an irregular kind 

 of flower garden or pleasure ground to deal with (a common 

 case everywhere), one of the best things to do with it is to 

 plant it in the grass, at some little distance from the clumps, 



p 3 



