348 THE FLORIST. 
instructions, and enabled me also to arrange and fill a separate garden 
exclusively with flowers commencing to bloom in February, and afford- 
ing a succession up to July,, mostly) herbaceous in, character, but 
including spring bulbs and) small flowering shrubs, to the’great delight 
of the noble lady,''whose pleasure it was to patronize only ‘such flowers 
as could brave the open air of our climate, Why don’t you take up 
this question, and, help your readers ,to..a.list.of such things.as would 
make a garden gay from the earliest spring to. midsummer?) ‘So wrote 
a correspondent to us some time back, and on our asking him to favour 
us with an article on the subject, he has kindly forwarded us the 
following :— (bas feoreds 
A garden. of ‘spring flowering plants should’ be-exclusively ‘devoted to 
them, and therefore it should be arranged''in Some sheltered part of the 
grounds, at no great distance fromthe house, to be easy of access 
during the early months of the year.: A warm corner well protected by 
evergreens, and open to the south, would be the most favourable situa- 
tion. It has lately! become the) fashion to fill, ip:the parterres with 
plants which bloom,in the spring and remove them early,in ‘May before 
replanting the beds with greenhouse plants. This,may answer with a 
few plants, more especially bulbs, but the majority of spring flowers do 
not thrive when removed often, and to see them in perfection should be 
left, some kinds for several years, others for a less period, agreeably with 
their habits. I propose, then, to, have them, arranged in beds and 
borders, which should remain undisturbed after the plants have 
bloomed, excépt'so far as weeding, ‘dividing the roots, and dressing the 
beds with fresh compost is concerned.’ Some ‘of the plants should be 
provided with peat soil, others with sandy loam, which ‘is best’ suited to 
the bulbous rooted section, while for the greater part good garden earth 
is all that'is required. If a garden‘is expressly appropriated’ to this 
class, it would be additionally interesting to have beds and patches of 
early flowering shrubs which do’ not’ grow ‘too large, interspersed with 
the perennial plants and bulbs, the flowers of which would form a 
pleasing addition to the garden, and their présence would help to produce 
variety, and break up the’ monotony of the flower beds “alone, which, 
when the plants are out of bloom, look naked and ‘uninteresting ; and 
for these’ reasons’ sheltered secluded nooks are’ much’ the best suited to 
gardens of this description, with which they harmonise completely, and 
afford a good ‘contrast to the more conspicuous flower garden plants, 
which should be concentrated where they meet the eye more fully. 
The following list comprises ‘what I formerly grew, ‘nearly in the 
order of their blooming.’ No doubt additions may be made’ to the list, 
owing to the new varieties continually springing into notice. “It would 
also make the list too long, by inserting ‘all the ‘species’ ‘and ‘varieties, 
I have, therefore, merely given the genera and’ principal species. 
Harpy Pants, flowering from February onwards to May.—Daisies, many 
varieties ; Hepaticas, single and double, red, white, and blue; Primroses, single 
and double, various ; Polyanthus, all the varieties ; Heartsease, all the varieties; 
Violets, ditto; Helleborus niger, olympicus, and others; Primula: helvetica, 
nivalis, cortusoides, calycina, and others; Phlox procumbens, subulata, nivalis, 
and setacea; Anemone ranunculoides, nemorosa, appenina, Payonia, palmata, 
and garden varieties ; Saxifraga cespitosa, granulata, retusa, and many others ; 
