THE PICTURESQUE USE OF HARDY SUMMER PERENNIAL PLANTS. 325 



also an " art of many sacrifices," for inasmuch as it is practically 

 the making of pictures with living flowers, so the artist-gardener 

 must make a restricted selection of just such material as will, 

 according to his taste and knowledge, give the most beautiful 

 cwect in the particular garden-picture he aims at producing. 



The object of this paper is briefly to point out the desirability 

 of such a careful selection, and to give a few examples of pleasant 

 garden-pictures obtained by putting it in practice. 



It is not suggested that those who love all beautiful flowers 

 should not grow them. On the contrary, let them be grown by 

 all means ; but this should be in a separate place, a sort of 

 nursery or reserve, where they can be well grown and observed, 

 and enjoyed for the sake of their individual merits ; then from 

 time to time, as their best use may be observed, suitable plants 

 from among them can be promoted to the ornamental garden. 



Two qualifications on the part of the operator are' absolutely 

 necessary for such gardening as we are now considering— first, 

 an intimate acquaintance with the plants themselves, and 

 sympathy with their wants and likings, and then such tasteful 

 discrimination as will place a plant to exactly the best advantage, 

 and where it will be perfectly at home. Every step in the 

 acquirement of these two branches of garden knowledge is 

 full of delightful and wholesome interest — an interest that never 

 flags, but steadily increases as years go by. 



A garden that already possesses old walls, a matured shrubbery, 

 or that adjoins woodland, has advantages that greatly favour the 

 garden- artist ; but so great is the wealth of material, and so 

 abundantly varying the conditions suited to different kinds of 

 vegetation, that there is scarcely a space of ground, under natural 

 conditions, that cannot in a few years be clothed with plant - 

 beauty. 



An essential feature in a garden of hardy flowers is a well- 

 arranged mixed border. It is here that we can show the true 

 summer flowers at their best ; but it is here, more than anywhere 

 else, that the " art of many sacrifices" must be put in practice. 

 For the main spaces plants should be chosen of bold and striking 

 beauty, but as a border of all large plants would have a kind of 

 monotony, certain spaces, chiefly towards the front, but also 

 running back in many parts among groups of taller things, 

 should be planted with those of lower growth. The chief plants 



