240 
THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN. 
otter first-class evergreens. During winter this plantation is 
still further enriched by plunging amongst the permanent 
shrubs pot-plants of Cupressus Lawsoniana, pyramid Ivies, 
Irish Yews, and other characteristic plants, all of which are 
removed in spring to better quarters to promote their growth 
for the season, as the scene of the plunging is very much 
overshadowed by large trees. The front lines of these borders, 
and the circular stone bed, consist of cocoanut-fibre refuse 
two to three feet deep. It is in these front lines that the 
plunging, par excellence , is carried out in the most complete 
manner, and a display of colour produced at all seasons of 
the year, the effect of which is greatly heightened by the 
depth of green and richness of variegated foliage of the back¬ 
ground. 
Two remarks are proper at this point. In the first place, 
well-grown pot-plants, plunged in cocoanut-fibre, have a 
much brighter, a much more artistic and finished appearance, 
than plants of the same kinds equally well grown in the 
open ground. The beautiful, clear, reddish-brown colour of 
the fibre refuse, by contrast, brings out every tint of green 
with peculiar brightness, and affords relief to every kind of 
flower. There is a peculiar charm about a well-furnished 
plunge bed if the material consists of cocoanut-fibre or clean 
tan ; it is owing to the colour of the material, which sets off 
and brightens every scrap of vegetation, to which it serves as 
a groundwork. An amateur who has a passion for floriculture, 
and is compelled to reside near a town, and must put up with a 
small garden, may have full gratification of his taste by fol¬ 
lowing the plunging system, and may soon have better col¬ 
lections of plants than the majority of people possessing large 
gardens, and making pretensions to large practice. Moreover, 
the system is admirably adapted to produce splendid effects 
by means of the cheapest plants, and a very large proportion 
of the subjects grown ought to be hardy, and adapted to bear 
some amount of rough treatment. 
Now let us suppose some one of our readers anxious to 
carry into effect these proposals ; with him or her the question 
will probably be, “ How am I to begin ?” We will endeavour 
to answer the question in such a way as to suit a majority of 
cases. The first thing to be done is to select the site for the 
operations, and here a word of advice may be useful to this 
effect—feel your way carefully, begin with one border or so, 
