298 A HISTORY OF GARDENING IN ENGLAND 
Sir George Larpent, and exhibited in 1847. Among Geraniums, 
*' Tom Thumb ” had at that date already secured a foremost 
place, and was used everywhere for many years. Ageratum 
Mexicanum was much in demand “ for planting in masses in 
the summer/’ and was considered “ a capital thing for 
bouquets.” Bouquets were constructed of flowers pressed 
closely together, and arranged so as to present a flat surface 
of circular shape. The Ageratum was generally accompanied 
by geraniums, calceolarias, and perhaps a rosebud or two, 
surrounded by leaves of some scented geranium, tightly bound 
together with geometric precision. It was only during the 
last quarter of the century that the fashion came in of fasten¬ 
ing bouquets loosely and allowing a certain amount of freedom 
to each spray, also putting only one or two kinds of flowers 
together and limiting the shades of colour. 
A change of taste began to show itself about the same time 
in " bedding out.” This system still was held in great esteem, 
and even those who bewailed as a misfortune that the “ garden 
was only full from Midsummer to Michaelmas,” and the re¬ 
maining nine months of the year it “ was a dreary blank,” saw 
no remedy save in the further development of the same 
idea. “ The bedding system,” bemoans a prolific writer on 
gardening, 1 is “ only half developed. It is very much to be 
feared it will never be known as a complete system, but that 
it is doomed to remain an example of arrested development, 
so far as the mass of the people are concerned.” He goes on 
to regret that “ ten thousand gardens that would otherwise 
have been rich in attractions of a permanent character, and 
comparatively exhaustless in interest, have been reduced to 
the condition of manufactories, and the summer show, as a 
proof to all observers of what the factory could produce.” 
In spite of misgivings and a lurking fondness for “ the hardy 
herbaceous border, that is the best feature of the garden, 
though commonly regarded as the worst,” he advances no 
new plan beyond a suggestion that spring as well as summer 
flowers should be placed in the beds. The expense of the 
summer show was already so enormous that few could attempt 
more, and when a new solution of the difficulty was found, 
1 The Amateur Flower-Garden, by Shirley Hibberd, 1875. 
