HINTS ON FLOWER GARDENING. 
161 
orange with blue, yellow with purple, and the reverse ; and so on of the various tints 
of colour. This edging or bordering is an excellent plan when cold colours, as blue, 
or purple, are planted on grass, as it relieves or throws the colour up just the same 
as a nicely shaded black ring on a sheet of paper makes the part within it look 
whiter than the part outside. For illustration, a bed of Salvia patens on grass is, 
at a distance of say tw T o hundred yards, almost inconspicuous ; but surround the 
same bed with a broad margin of Calceolaria viscocissima, which is bright orange, 
and it directly bocomes bright and gay at a considerable distauce. 
In designing the garden, too much attention cannot be paid to introducing as 
simple forms as possible ; for though scroll patterns and intricate tracery work 
might be admired in years gone by, when gardens were more sought after for their 
form than the plants which they contained — in these days, when the cultivation of 
flowers is the principal object, those forms of beds which are the most suitable for 
that purpose must be preferred. Now, of all the forms for effect, there is certainly 
nothing equal to the circle or oval, or some modification of these, always preferring 
the curve or line of beauty ; but, of all things, avoiding acute points, and too many 
straight lines. Of course, if a geometrical garden has to be formed on a square 
piece of ground, and adjoining a square building, the boundary of the garden must, 
to a great extent, partake of the form of the ground and surrounding objects ; but, 
as a general rule, straight lines should be avoided as much as possible. Another 
great fault in designing flower-gardens, especially in small places, is that of over- 
crowding the beds ; the effect of which is, that much ground is frittered away in 
walks and small beds, neither of which can by any possibility ever look well. We 
lately re-arranged a garden, destroying upwards of thirty beds, and replacing them 
by eleven beds of good solid proportions, allowing plenty of space between the beds ; 
and the effect, now that the plants are in bloom, is much better than it ever before 
was ; while at the same time, from the beds standing free and open, they are seen 
to greater advantage, and are also better adapted for the purposes intended. 
It is not enough, however, that the beds in a flower-garden should harmonise as 
to colour, but it is also requisite that harmony should go further than this, and that 
they should correspond in height and character of plants : thus, we would not plant 
two corresponding beds, one with scarlet Pelargonium, and the other with scarlet 
Verbena, for though in point of colour such an arrangement might be near enough, 
the effect would be discordant, inasmuch as the two beds would not entirely 
correspond; therefore we should either plant both with Verbenas, or both with 
Pelargoniums. Small plants are admissible in large beds, but not tall plants in 
small ones ; but, as a general rule, it is the best to let the height of the plant be 
proportionate to the size of the bed. 
When the plan of a garden is decided upon, and the arrangement made, number 
each of the beds, and in a book, opposite corresponding numbers, enter the names 
of the several plants which each bed will require, allowing of strong growing plants 
two to each square foot, and of smaller ones, such as Lobelia compacta, azurea, and 
VOL. XIV. NO. CLXTII. Y 
