276 
MODERN FLOWER-GARDENING. 
in the case of all those subjects which it is 
required should thus fill out a given space. 
Verbenas, petunias, dwarf salvias, and other 
plants which have a kind of trailing habit, 
are those to which this course of management 
is most suited. All other subjects used in 
flower-gardening, however, even those of erect 
habit, may, if required, be similarly treated, 
only they want more watchfulness in order to 
get the whole surface covered. When the 
surface is covered over with horizontal 
branches, upright shoots are produced, which 
grow, with a little regulation, to equal height, 
and produce a continuous mass of flowers. 
It is well in arranging flower-beds to use 
plants enough, in order to get the surface 
perfectly and speedily covered. With this 
view, all the subjects employed, but especially 
free-growing and trailing plants, are usually 
planted much closer than would seem neces- 
sary for the ultimate covering of the ground. 
In this case, however, the sacrifice as regards 
the number of plants employed is not with- 
out its advantage. The actual distances at 
which the plants should be put, must always 
be determined by the actual size and strength 
of the plants employed ; that is, if they are 
planted with the view of getting the surface 
covered as speedily as possible. Thus, if one 
bed of verbenas were planted with strong 
branching plants at two feet apart, it would 
soon be covered ; whereas, if small single- 
stemmed plants — weak withal — were planted 
out at the same distances, they would be more 
than twice as long in covering the surface, 
although if they prospered they would cer- 
tainly do so ultimately. Compact bushy 
plants, like the old-fashioned shrubby cal- 
ceolarias and the fine scarlet pelargoniums, 
require especially to be planted with reference 
to the habit of the individual kinds used, so 
that when they have formed a moderate growth, 
their sides may nearly touch. In the case of 
plants, however, having this habit, it is by no 
means essential that they should at an early 
period, or indeed at all, actually intermingle, 
•as in the case of verbenas and other strag- 
gling plants. Every plant forming a neat 
and compact object, and the plants being, as 
they should be, of uniform size, the effect is 
good : equally good before the space is 
actually closed, and while the outline of every 
plant is evident, as afterwards when they 
have grown together into one mass. 
For fastening the branches to the ground 
small hooked pegs are most generally em- 
ployed, and perhaps they are at least as little 
troublesome as any of the substitutes which 
have been proposed in their stead ; and as to 
efficiency, there is perhaps hardly a choice 
between the various plans. When wooden 
pegs are used, they are formed of any slender 
branching spray from which they may be 
readily cut. In regular gardens old worn 
birch brooms are frequently used to furnish 
what hooked pegs are required for various 
purposes ; and there is no better material than 
birch twigs, as they are tough and yet slender. 
In making them, a straight portion of the 
twig, about three inches, more or less, in 
length, having a side branch at its thickest 
end, is cut to a point at the small end ; any 
knots, or buds, or inequalities, are pared off, 
the top is cut off close beyond the branch, and 
then the branch — the side branch — is cut off 
at about an inch from the main stalk ; and 
thus the hooked peg is formed. Sometimes, 
to economise materials, if the side branches 
are strong enough to form the stalk of the 
peg, these are cut at the length required, and 
then a portion of the stem whence they spring 
is split off with them to form the hook. 
Wherever there are asparagus beds, a large 
number of pegs may be made in this latter 
way from the branching stems of the asparagus 
plant, and these are quite strong enough for 
flower gardening purposes, as well as for the 
layering of all kinds of flower roots, for which 
purpose similar pegs are employed. 
One substitute, which has been recom- 
mended to take the place of pegs, is ladies' 
hair pins ! and about them we can only say, 
that they would answer the purpose. Closely 
connected with these in idea are small twigs, 
or slender split portions of twigs of any tough 
kind of wood, bent in the middle, and both 
ends thrust into the ground ; these have been 
employed, and they too are very well in their 
way, and there is little objection to their use. 
Another plan, which has been strongly advo- 
cated and has had many followers, is that of 
fastening down the shoots with little strips of 
tough bass matting such as gardeners use for 
tying. The matting is cut to a convenient 
length — about six inches — and is then pulled 
asunder into fine threads, one of which is 
placed round the twig to be fastened down, 
the ends a little twisted with the thumb and 
finger, and then thrust into the ground with 
the fore-finger. This has been said to be the 
neatest plan of all, and so perhaps it is ; but 
we should practically give preference to such 
slender twigs as those already referred to, as 
being quite as effective as any other, and more 
ready and simple in use. 
The directions already given for topping 
and training the plants, after they are planted 
out, obviously apply to the plan now so pre- 
vnlent, of forming entire masses of one plant 
or colour. If the plan which has been hinted 
at in the course of these remarks, of adopting 
a more mixed and contrasted, though still 
in some degree a massed style of planting, is 
followed, it is evident that some modification 
