FORMATION AND MANAGEMENT OF FLOWER GARDENS. 
57 
the outline of the beds may be preserved ; this 
is very essential. Also if any branches grow 
up too high among the rest, they are to be 
shortened down in a similar manner, so as to 
keep the groups dwarf, symmetrical, and com- 
pact. Finally, if any of the sets of plants 
happen, as they sometimes will, to grow faster 
than was calculated on, and pass out of flower 
before their allotted time, or if their proper 
blooming season does not quite extend to the 
end of summer, in either case, some temporary 
crop of such plants as may be at hand, must 
be planted to supply the deficiency. 
The most correct system for geometrical 
flower gardens is, to plant the groups, so that 
every corresponding bed may present the 
same kind of plant, and the same colour, and 
the only objection that can be urged to this plan 
is, that as there are at least two beds of each 
kind of flower, there must be less variety in 
the whole. On this arrangement, Nos. 2 and 
4 in the diagram given above, Nos. 3 and 5, 6 
and 8, 7 and 9, 11 and 14, 10 and 15, 12 and 
16, 13 and 17, 19 and 21, 18 and 20, 23 and 
25, 22 and 24, would be filled with the same 
identical kinds of plants. When the flower 
garden is seen from any elevated position, 
when it can be easily comprehended in one 
view, this mode of planting is desirable, and 
■very effective ; but if the garden is not so 
viewed, it is really of little importance, be- 
cause, when the beds are seen only from the 
same level, the effect of such an arrangement, 
not being taken in at one view, is lost sight of, 
and the system thus becomes virtually ineffec- 
tive. 
No one who has a flower garden, and 
values its productions, should be unaware that 
success is impracticable in the vicinity of 
large trees. Flowers will not thrive under the 
shade and drip of trees, neither will they suc- 
ceed if the trees are so close, so as to prevent 
a free circulation of air. Again, if they are 
at all near, their roots work up into the 
better soil, made for the flowers, and rob it of 
its virtues, often completely occupying it with 
their matted roots. This happens to a much 
greater distance than could be supposed. 
Elm trees are very hurtful in this way. 
Though hardly doing injury by its shade, yet 
on account of its thickly matting roots the lilac 
is very destructive to flowers ; if the roots once 
gain access to the better soil of the flower 
border, the latter will soon be filled with a 
close matted cluster of its roots, which will 
successfully rob the plants of all their nourish- 
ment, and starve, if not destroy them. Many 
other trees and shrubs are injurious in the 
same way ; and they often do this injury 
when they are so far off as to be unsus- 
pected. 
Conservative walls. — Walls for the protec- 
tion and shelter of many half-hardy plants, 
and the choicer climbing shrubs, are a valuable 
acquisition to the flower garden. Where 
there is a terrace walk facing the south, por- 
tions of wall, on the north side of this 
walk, are very appropriate for the purpose ; 
and in small suburban gardens, where the 
whole area is surrounded by a wall, that por- 
tion attached to the ground, occupied by 
flowers, ought to be devoted in this way. 
The southern aspect is, in general, preferable ; 
but where more than one aspect can be ob- 
tained, the season of any particular flowers 
may be prolonged, especially if the plants are 
managed with such a view. 
The principle or advantage of a conserva- 
tive wall is, that the wall acts as a protection 
from cold, and in some measure elevates the 
temperature ; consequently, with the addi- 
tional covering of light shutters or blinds, 
fixed with rollers to let up and down, a suffi- 
cient degree of protection is afforded for the 
cultivation of such plants as are too tender to 
endure our winters. Plants of this nature, 
planted out with this object, should not be 
mixed with those of a hardier character, as 
the protection afforded to the former would 
injure, rather than benefit the latter. Each of 
these classes of plants should therefore be con- 
fined to certain portions of the wall, the best 
situations being afforded to the most tender. 
This principle of protection may be carried 
out in a variety of ways, and in different 
degrees ; in short, the protection afforded may 
vary from the slightest that can be adopted 
to the covering of the wall with glazed sashes, 
which latter would provide nearly as much 
shelter as a greenhouse. By far the most 
essential part of the plan, so far as regards 
the growth of half-hardy and tender plants, is 
to have the soil rendered comparatively dry 
by thorough drainage. In this respect the 
preparation of the soil for such a purpose is 
very similar to that of forming borders for 
fruit trees, only the drainage should, if possi- 
ble, be still more perfect. In the preparation 
of the soil, too, there is some similarity, for 
a highly manured soil is hurtful in both cases ; 
in fact, fresh soil of an open texture is much 
more proper, inasmuch as it will secure a 
moderately healthy and solid, rather than 
an over-luxuriant and watery growth, such 
growth being far more likely to be preserved 
through the winter. 
In the case of such ornamental walls, the 
plants should be trained on a trellis, and not 
nailed directly to the wall, the former being 
a much neater, and less troublesome plan. 
The plants are all supposed to be planted out 
into the prepared soil, and the shoots trained 
assiduously until the space is filled, when 
they should be allowed to grow more unre- 
