164 
THE LADIES’ MAGAZINE OF GARDENING. 
chasing plants for their gardens, balconies, and shrubberies. I think we 
women are generally more sensitive to the effects of colour than men, pro¬ 
bably from having occasion to think more about colours in our dress; and 
I am convinced if lady-gardeners generally would turn their attention to 
the subject, a most wonderful improvement would soon be effected in our 
villas and country seats. Ornamental gardening is, indeed, peculiarly the 
province of the fair sex. Let the lords of the creation attend to their 
parks and plantations; the improvement of them forms a part of the 
money-getting, out-of-doors occupations which are the appropriate province 
of men ; but let that sex, whose lighter and more delightful task it is to 
render home agreeable, have the management of those parts of the gardens 
which are to ornament the house. 
ON FLOWER GARDENS.—No. I. 
BY THE EDITOR. 
Among the many hints with which I have been favoured since the es¬ 
tablishment of my Magazine, several have had reference to the laying-out 
and planting of flower-gardens; and as I am perfectly aware that the 
subject is one of general interest, I intend to give a few papers on flower- 
gardens, having, at least, one working plan, as the gardeners call it, in 
each. Perhaps it may be necessary to add, that when I say a working 
plan, I mean one with all the beds numbered, and with which a list of 
flowers with corresponding numbers is given, that the gardener may know 
exactly where each plant is to be. The idea once given, my readers may 
easily design flower-gardens for themselves, colouring the pattern to their 
fancy, and then filling the beds with flowers of the colour desired. 
The first thing to be done in laying out a flower-garden, is to fix on a 
suitable situation. This may, perhaps, remind my readers of Mrs. Glasse’s 
cookery receipt, beginning 44 First catch your hare; ” but it is by no means 
so superfluous a direction. What I mean is, that there are many things 
to be considered in the situation of a flower-garden, besides its proximity 
to the house, and its being seen from the drawing-room windows; it in¬ 
volves, in fact, many apparent contradictions, for it should be sheltered 
from cold winds, and yet not under the shade of trees, and the soil should 
be deep and good, but yet not too rich, and it should neither be very moist 
nor very dry. If the garden be too much exposed, the keen winds of 
March will probably destroy all the beauty of the spring flowers ; and if 
it be too much under the shade of trees, the plants will become drawn up 
and weak, and will very likely produce no flowers at all. Either a very 
