420 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
February 29, 1896. 
THE ARRANGEMENT OF PLANTS FOR 
HOME DECORATIONS AND 
EXHIBITION.* 
In the various important qualifications expected from 
a gardener the art of arrangement would be one of 
the most valuable, not only in the arrangement of 
plants, but also in the harmonious arrangement of 
colours. It may be a more important qualification 
to be able to grow plants well, for without that 
ability, which is very often tried to the utmost by 
having unsatisfactory or little convenience for the 
carrying out of his work, he cannot succeed. Very 
often the grower deserves great credit for work done 
under most adverse circumstances. Not to put my 
case too strongly. I will say that, next to being able 
to grow plants well, he ought to be able to arrange 
them effectively so that the beauty of the plants and 
their harmonious arrangement of colour may be seen 
to the best advantage. We are too apt to think that 
the arrangement is of little importance when the 
plants are well-grown. It is, therefore, on this 
interesting point I wish to ask your attention this 
evening, to see whether, by what I haveto say on the 
subject and what you will say in your discussion 
thereafter, whether we cannot add a little to our 
knowledge and all be gainers from the different 
opinions expressed. 
Home Decorations. 
The first impression I had of the arrangement of 
plants is that of a sloping bank, with the top of all 
the plants as near the one line as possible ; no 
attention was paid to harmony of colour or natural 
arrangement. The tallest plants were placed at the 
back and gradually sloped to the front. The more 
plants that could be crowded into the space at 
disposal the better was the effect considered. Let 
me ask if there is not much of this same kind of 
arrangement carried out at the present time among 
gardeners ? I am afraid we shall have to answer in 
the affirmative. Another system which was carried 
out to a great extent was one which I am pleased to 
see is now giving way to a more natural style. I 
refer to the practice of gardeners growing a few 
plants of one species and continuing them as far 
through the season as they possibly can. The only 
excuse I can find for such a custom would be in 
favour of those plants that come into flower, or are 
useful foliage plants for decorative purposes, during 
the winter months. I would have quantities of one 
thing coming into flower at once, rather than spread 
that quantity almost throughout the year, when we 
have not sufficient plants in bloom at one time to 
make a striking effect. Happily we are getting away 
from—although slowly—the dotting system that 
used to be so prevalent some years ago. In proof 
of this statement I have only to draw your attention 
to the flowers in use for table decoration, where we 
now have only one or two species of flowers used in 
the arrangement at one time. Where in former years 
we found the “ dotting ” or mixed system in general 
use, with the former we have a change of colour 
and of flowers every time fresh flowers are required 
for the decoration of the dinner table or 
drawing-room, which, I think, would make the use 
of flowers for such work more interesting, and draw 
the attention of those who did not take so great an 
interest in them before, as well as make them 
wonder at the many varied and pleasing effects that 
are to be made by the colour arrangement of flowers 
and foliage alone. On the other hand, with the 
mixed system we find that much the same colours 
must prevail every time fresh flowers are supplied, 
consequently less interest is taken in the system. 
Now if the massing system of arrangement with 
cut flowers can be shown to be both more pleasing 
and interesting, we have little hesitation in saying 
that a more natural or massing system may be 
applied to our plants. It is to our own interest, as 
well as credit, that we should make the best use we 
can of the plants after they are grown to decorative 
size. We have for a long time adopted the plan of 
growing our young plants in batches —i e., we keep 
all the young plants of one species as far as possible 
together. By this means we are better able to 
supply each group with that special treatment which 
we find beneficial, and in following such a plan I 
think we are right, and that system should still be 
continued. It is from this point I wish to draw your 
special attention, and consider whether, from the time 
’A paper read by Mr. A. Wright at a meeting of the Chiswick 
Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement Association, on February 
6 th. 
the plants we have grown on become of decorative 
value, that we make the best possible use of them. 
In my estimation the arrangement of the plants in 
our greenhouses and conservatories is as a rule 
lacking in natural arrangement. This, I think, may 
be accounted for, by the necessarily artificial construc¬ 
tion of the interior of those houses; and conse¬ 
quently we find the gardener, in too many cases, 
keeps to the artificial lines already laid down. This 
is a mistake, and the sooner we get rid of the idea, 
that because the house is arranged in straight lines, 
or symmetrical in outline, that our plants must 
follow the same arrangement, the sooner will we be 
able to make a more natural and at the same time a 
more effective arrangement with the plants with 
which we fill the house. There is no natural reason 
that because we have two corners in the house we 
should have one Palm placed in each corner, exactly 
alike; that should there happen to be four prominent 
points in the house we should have four Dracaenas 
placed there, or four of any other plant, if we are 
to follow out a natural arrangement with the plants 
at our disposal. We must keep in mind that it is 
very seldom, if ever, that Nature places a second 
plant to correspond with one in a conspicuous posi¬ 
tion. Let us think of this, and I am sure that many 
of the “pairs” of plants we see dotted throughout 
our houses and grounds will disappear, and the effect 
that we prided ourselves about—because we had two 
specimens exactly alike and one was placed on one 
side and one on the other in a conspicuous position— 
will, after all, appear incongruous and not according 
to Nature’s plan. 
To the young members of your association I know 
that such a doctrine as this may not accord with 
their ideas any more than it did with mine at one 
time ; but with experience and time to notice the 
different effects produced by different arrangements, 
they may after all, like me, think that first impressions 
are not always the best. I never expect to convert 
the world to my way of thinking, and it is better we 
should not all think alike, and better still that we 
should always be open to conviction, ready to adopt 
a better plan, or change our ideas as soon as we are 
convinced they are not correct. The man who can 
keep an open mind and profit by experience is the 
man most likely to succeed in the work he has under¬ 
taken. I am digressing; let us return to our subject. 
If then we have been wrong in our system of arrang¬ 
ing our plants, that system has been, and is to a large 
extent at the present time, what I call the dotting 
system—merely the arrangement of plants where their 
size would allow them to be used, so that they would 
be a little less in height than the plant behind them; or 
because it was a tall plant it must go in the back row, 
the same as a large Chrysanthemum flower is placed 
in the back row on the exhibition board. We must 
if we desire to get the best effect from the material 
at our disposal adopt some other plan than- this. 
If we are to study Nature’s plan and group boldly 
we must study to have quantities of the same 
plant in flower at the same time, and keep them in 
large masses to be effective. Let us adopt some 
green graceful plant as a groundwork in which to 
arrange our flowering plants. That selection would 
depend upon whether our house was a warm one, a 
temperate house, or a cool one, or to make our work 
more interesting still, we can also arrange to have 
large groups of different foliage plants, for arranging 
wich the different masses of flowering plants. 
To further relieve our groups, which are now 
composed of dwarf foliage plants and flowering 
plants arranged through them, or it may be 
dwarf-flowering plants, we can introduce tall, light, 
graceful plants, either flowering or foliage; but do not 
crowd them, otherwise our desire for effect will be 
marred. The tall plants will represent the trees of the 
forest, our flowering or foliage plantswhich tower above 
our ground work will represent the shrubs we find 
under our forest trees, or on the outskirts of the 
forest; and our groundwork, the greensward between 
the shrubs from which we find all Nature's most 
choice gems growing. Such, briefly, then, is the 
natural system we must follow to obtain the best 
effect from the material at our disposal. 
There are, however, many combinations of flower¬ 
ing and foliage plants which harmonise better than 
others, and whenever we find such a combination, a 
note should be taken of it and kept in mind for 
future use. It is only by the close study of Nature's 
arrangements that we can hope to excel in this 
important branch of our profession. Nature 
is sometimes more choice in her arrangements 
than on other occasions ; and those choice 
bits we should imitate. We have natural laws 
running throughout the universe and if we 
are to be successful we must follow them as 
closely as possible ; if we try to run contrary to such 
laws, we are running against our own judgment; for 
after all are we not part and parcel of Nature’s laws ? 
It is not only necessary to have our grouping in large 
effective masses, but we must further try to alter 
the arrangement in our different houses as often as 
necessary, so that we may interest our employers in 
the work as well as we ourselves are interested; 
because, if we are to be successful in whatever we 
undertake it is necessary that much careful thought 
should brought to bear on our work, both while we 
are at it and in our more leisure hours. Those who 
do not do so will soon find out that someone is pass¬ 
ing them in the race, and that they are being left 
behind in the race for position. Many happy 
thoughts will occur in our spare moments, which can 
be of much use in carrj ing out successfully our after 
work. Allow the mind full scope to argue out the 
question from all points, trying to decide which is 
the best. I am inclined to think that all our 
most fortunate undertakings, our best combinations 
have all been carefully thought over and matured 
long before being carried into execution. After all 
it is a matter of bringing common sense, or may Isay 
natural laws, to bear on all our undertakings, which 
will lead us to success. Therefore the less artificial 
our thoughts the more likely are we to follow our 
natural arrangements in the grouping of plants and 
colours; and the more artificial our train of thought 
the more it is likely to show in our daily work. The 
days of artificial gardening are dying out. We do 
not desire to see clipped Yews or Boxwood repre¬ 
senting peacocks standing about our lawns, or a 
group of them representing a poultry yard in our 
front garden. That is one example of artificial work 
which we do not require in our pleasure grounds, nor 
allow the mind to dwell upon, although it may have 
been a most distressing moment in our forefathers’ 
minds when they found that kind of grouping being 
discontinued in the garden. 
(To be continued.) 
-- 
EILEY DEANE 
By Evelyn C. Griffiths. 
(All rights reserved.) 
CHAPTER X. 
Carlo's Portrait.— A Visit from Susan. 
A month later, Lord Bewdley returning from the 
Manor, where he had been staying for a few days, 
was told that Mr. Graham had left Carlo’s picture 
during his absence, also a note. 
He went to the library, where the painting had 
been placed, pending his orders, expecting to see 
some very indifferent work ; there was a good-natured 
smile on his face, which turned to an expression 
of surprise when his eyes fell upon the picture. 
“Splendid!” he exclaimed. “No mean artist 
indeed; it could not have been better if Carlo had 
sat for it. He has just got the right expression, 
too ; life-like ! ’’ 
He opened the curate's note; it was very short, 
simply saying, he hoped the portrait would give 
satisfaction, and that the artist's price was five 
guineas. Lord Bewdley took up a pen there and 
then and replied thus :— 
" My dear Wilfred, 
“ I am delighted with Carlo's portrait; 
there is only one thing I must find fault with—viz., 
your artist evidently does not know how to value 
his work. Five guineas for a picture like that is 
simply absurd. I enclose cheque for fifty. When 
paying your friend, ask him to call upon me one day 
this week—I am always in after 7 p.m.—as I should 
like to arrange with him about painting my mother’s 
portrait. Come and dine with me this evening. 
Till then, adieu.— Bewdley.” 
Having dispatched his note, Lord Bewdley turned 
once again to the picture. After studying it for 
some time, he caught sight of the artist’s initials 
painted in the comer—two small letters, " E. D.” 
“ E. D.,” he exclaimed. "Can it be possible? 
She was an artist—no, this was painted by a man. 
Wilfred said it was a man—at least, I fancy he did. 
‘ E. D.,‘ ” he repeated. “ Eiley Deane !—Heigh-ho ! 
Shall I never get that girl out of my thoughts ? Of 
course it cannot be her ; ' E. D.' might stand for a 
