1870. ] 
THE WILD GARDEN. 
259 
embody the names of the principal classes of flowers used in this ancient style 
of gardening, and show us what infinite delight it was capable of affording, and 
its charms we may yet see in 
little cottage gardens in Kent, 
Sussex, and many other parts 
of England, though the scar¬ 
let Geranium has begun, to 
eradicate all the fair blos¬ 
soms of many a sweet little 
garden once, and often yet, 
embowered in fruit trees 
and forest trees, evergreens 
and honeysuckles, rising 
many-coloured from amid 
shaven grass-plots.” 
About a generation ago, 
he continues, a taste began 
to be manifested for placing 
a number of tender plants in 
the open air in summer, with 
a view to the production of 
showy masses of decided col¬ 
our. The subjects selected 
were mostly from subtropical 
climates and of free growth. 
Placed in the open air of our genial early summer, and in fresh rich earth, 
every year they grew rapidly and flowered abundantly during the summer and 
early autumn months, and until cut down by the first frosts. The brilliancy of 
tone resulting from this system was very attractive, and since its introduction 
there has been a gradual rooting out of all the old favourites to make way for 
the bedding system. But even on its votaries the system at present in fashion is 
beginning to pall. Some are looking back Avith regret to the old mixed-border 
gardens ; others are endeavouring to soften the harshness of the bedding system 
by the introduction of fine-leaved plants, but all are agreed that a great mistake 
has been made in destroying all our sweet old border flowers, from tall Lilies to 
dwarf Hepaticas, though very few persons indeed have any idea of the numbers 
of beautiful subjects of every clime, which in this way we may gather together. 
It is to furnish this information and to show how the materials should be 
used, that the present little volume was written and published. Hundreds of the 
finest hardy flowers will be found to thrive better when grown under the shelter 
of others than in the trim border, forming the most delightful combinations of 
form and colour, while the raggedness of the old mixed border, one of its worst 
Fig. 2, 
