GEOMETRICAL FLOWER GARDEN. 
36S 
The introduction of this plant into some of 
our Colonial possessions, where many of the 
European vegetables do not thrive, would 
possibly be worth attempting. 
GENERAL HINTS FOR THE MANAGEMENT 
OF GEOMETRICAL FLOWER GARDENS. 
There are two modes of doing this branch of 
gardening ; the adoption of one or the other, 
or a mixture of both, must depend on the cir- 
cumstances in which a gardener is placed. 
The one is, by preparing everything in pots, 
and making one flower succeed another several 
times in the year ; the other is, to use perma- 
nent plants only, and once planted, leave them 
to their fate. The mixture of both is, perhaps, 
the most desirable. In selecting the objects for 
a flower garden of this nature, two or three 
points have to be especially attended to. First, 
we are to remember that dwarf-habited plants 
alone can be effective, and preserve the pat- 
tern, as it were, of the garden. The second 
is, that colour alone, so that there be abund- 
ance of flower, is all that we need seek for ; so 
that the form of a flower is nothing in the 
scale, when we are weighing the merits of the 
particular subjects we require. A third con- 
sideration is, the seasons of bloom. Now, we 
are circumscribed very much in respect to the 
height of flowers, and therefore are obliged 
to dispense with many whose colour would 
otherwise be of the greatest service. Let us 
first look among the Annuals for a few of dif- 
ferent colours that will answer our purpose. 
BLUE AND WHITE, OB COLOUBS IN WHICH BLUE 
PBEDOMINATES. 
Nemophila insignis, blue, with white centre. 
Clintonia pulchella, blue, with yellow and 
black centre. 
Lupinus nanus, a dwarf Lupine, all blue. 
Lobelia gracilis, a dwarf plant, all pale blue. 
Lobelia ramosa, a dwarf plant, all dark blue. 
Nolana prcstrata, a dwarf plant, lilac, 
shaded blue. 
Nolana atriplicifolia, blue, and white 
centre. 
There can therefore be no want of blues, 
and these are every one dwarf enough for any 
flower garden, however small the pattern. We 
must now look for yellows and orange colours, 
which are the best contrast to blues ; and here 
we feel some disadvantage, because we lose 
some excellent flowers by the height of the 
plants. Of the dwarf ones we have — 
Erysimum Perofskianum, dwarf, bright 
orange colour. 
Portulaca Thellusonii, dwarf, deep orange 
scarlet colour. 
Eschscholtzia crocea, dwarf, large flower of 
orange. 
Eschscholtzia calif ornica, dwarf, large flower 
of bright yellow, with orange centre. 
French Marigold, dwarf, orange colour 
and yellow. 
Here is not much choice, but we may derive 
assistance from plants of another description ; 
and we fear we are still worse off for red 
Annuals, for we have hardly anything at all 
dwarf, and with abundant flowers. 
Portulaca splendens, rosy crimson. 
Ten-week Stocks, scarlet and crimson. 
Dwarf Larkspurs, rose colour and crimson. 
Phlox Drummondii, rich scarlet and crim- 
son. 
Silene pendula, rosy pink. 
Zinnia coccinea, scarlet and crimson. 
But none of these are exactly what we like 
for any long period. There are, however, 
whites and reddish purples to be found in the 
two varieties of Candytuft, and other subjects 
may be found to help us out. Now, every one 
of the foregoing may be sown in pots of the 
large sixty size, and as they come forward to 
blooming, let the balls be turned out, six inches 
apart, all over the beds they are intended for. 
Whatever is there already, if not quite out of 
flower, may nevertheless be always turned out 
to make way for what is in perfection. We 
must, however, consider of the flowers that 
we are to look to by way of help. We begin 
with the spring flowers. 
Crocuses of white, blue, yellow, purple, 
and striped. 
Early Tulips, white ground and yellow 
ground, red and purple marks. 
Hyacinths, white, yellowish, light blue, 
dark blue, red and pale rose. 
Cyclamen, coum and vernum, both red. 
Snowdrops, single and double, early and 
white. 
Anemones, white, red of different shades, 
and blue ditto. 
Narcissus of the dwarf kinds, yellow and 
white. 
These will be found valuable assistants in 
all the spring months, and see us safe through 
that season in which it would be difficult to 
find flowei'ing subjects that would stand the 
weather. Another powerful set of auxiliaries 
will be found among the frame plants pur- 
posely prepared for potting out in May. 
Pansies of all colours and varieties, as well 
as selfs. 
Verbenas, scarlet, white, purple, lilac, and 
rose of different shades. 
Petunias, white, lilac, purple, and rose of 
various shades. 
Geraniums, scarlet, of the dwarf kinds only. 
Wall/lowers of the dwarf kind, yellow, 
orange, and dark. 
Slocks of the two-year dwarf kind, such 
Queen, scarlet, and white. 
