April.] FLOWER GARDEN. 357 
Thyme, hysop, winter savory and lavender, are sometimes 
planted for edgings; but these grow rather out of compass, or get 
stubby and naked by close clipping. 
Pinks may likewise be occasionally planted for edgings; and 
will grow in tolerably close order for a year or two, and produce 
abundance of flowers. 
Thrift, if neatly planted, makes handsome edgings to borders, or 
flower-beds, both in its evergreen property and as a pretty flower- 
ing plant in summer. This may be planted either in a close edg- 
ing as directed for box, or with a dibble, setting the plants near 
enough to touch one another, so as at once to form a tolerable close 
row, or, however, not above two or three inches apart, giving occa- 
sional waterings for a week or two if necessary. 
London-pride, that is the Saxifraga umbrosa, will make a very 
neat edging, and is to be planted as directed for thrift. 
Double daisies are made use of in many parts of Europe for edg- 
ings, and form very neat ones, but they are not able to bear the 
heat of our summers, which seldom fail to destroy them, when fully 
exposed thereto; nor can they survive, without some slight protec- 
tion, the severe winters of the middle and eastern states. 
Any of our Sisyrinchiums, but particularly the mucronatum, will 
make beautiful edgings; they keep blowing a long time, look very 
gay, and may now be propagated by parting their roots, and plant- 
ing them as directed for thrift. They are indigenous, and bear our 
summers and winters well. 
Strawberries may be occasionally used to make edgings for large 
walks, and answer the double purpose of pleasure and profit. 
Where box-edgings want trimming, it should now be done, 
although this is not the general season for clipping them; but not- 
withstanding, when they appear in need of it, let them be hand- 
somely dressed with a pair of garden shears, which will add much 
to their neatness. 
The sisyrinchium will bear trimming extremely well, and con- 
tinue to produce flower-stems and flowers, notwithstanding. 
Where any of the above edgings have, for want of care, grown 
into rude disorder, they should be taken up, slipped, or divided, 
and replanted in a close regular manner. 
Tuberoses. 
The Polianthes tuberosa, or tuberose. It is said that this beau- 
tiful flower was first brought into Europe from the East Indies by 
Father Theophilus Minuti, and to have been cultivated by him at 
Boisgencier, near Toulon, in France, about the year 1590. The 
double flowering variety was obtained from the seed, by Monsieur 
Le Cour, of Leyden, in Holland; who, for many years, was so 
tenacious of the roots, even after he had propagated them in such 
plenty as to have more than he could plant, that he caused them 
to be cut in pieces, to have the vanity of boasting that he was the 
only person in Europe that possessed this flower. It appears from 
