400 
LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 
The patterns or figures employed are often highly intricate, 
and require considerable skill in their formation. The walks 
are either of gravel or smoothly shaven turf, and the beds are 
filled with choice flowering plants. It is evident that much 
of the beauty of this kind of flower-garden, or indeed any 
other where the figures are regular and intricate, must depend 
on the outlines of the beds, or parterres of embroidery , as 
they are called, being kept distinct and clear. To do this 
effectually, low growing herbaceous plants, or border flowers, 
perennials and annuals, should be chosen, such as will not 
exceed on an average, one or two feet in height. 
In the English flower-garden, the beds are either in sym- 
metrical forms and figures, or they are characterized by ir- 
regular curved outlines. The peculiarity of these gardens, 
at present so fashionable in England, is, that each separate 
bed is planted with a single variety, or at most two varieties of 
flowers. Only the most striking and showy varieties are ge- 
nerally chosen, and the effect, when the selection is judicious, 
is highly brilliant. Each bed, in its season, presents a mass 
of blossoms, and the contrast of rich colours is much more 
striking than in any other arrangement. No plants are ad- 
mitted that are shy bloomers, or which have ugly habits of 
growth, meagre or starved foliage ; the aim being brilliant 
effect, rather than the display of a great variety of curious or 
rare plants. To bring this about more perfectly, and to have 
an elegant show during the whole season of growth, hya- 
cinths and other fine bulbous roots occupy a certain portion 
of the beds, the intervals being filled with handsome herba- 
ceous plants, permanently planted, or with flowering annuals 
and green-house plants renewed every season. 
To illustrate the mode of arranging the beds and disposing 
the plants in an English garden, we copy the plan and de- 
