i l ! i, vtt,
i r é ' ■
P apvT 111.
intermixed -with basketwork, shells, party-coloured gravels, fkc., and kept in perfect order, are highly
o rnamental: but very few gardeners enter into the spirit of this department of their art. The Frencli
and Dutch have long greatly excelled us in the formation of small gardens, and the display of flowers ;
and whoever wishes to succeed in this department ought to visit Amsterdam, Antwerp, Brussels, and
P an s ; and consult the old French works of Mallet, Boyceau, Le Blond. D ’Argenville, &c.
.50.50. E d g in g s. In parterres where tu rf is not used as a ground or basis out of which to cut the beds
and walks, the gravel of the latter is disparted from the dug ground of th e former by edgings or rows of
low-growing plants, as in the kitchen-garden, Various plants have been used for this p urpose: but, as
Neill observes, the best for extensive use is the dwarfish Dutch box, kept low, and free from blanks.
Abercrombie says ” th rift is th e neatest evergreen, next to box. In other parts, the daisy, pink, London-
pi ide, primrose, violet, gentian, and periwinkle, may be employed as edgings. Lastly, the limits between
the grayel-walks and the dug-work may sometimes be marked by running verges of grass, kept close and
neat. vV hatover edgings are employed, they should be formed previous to laying the gravel.”
5051. B a sk c t-ed g in e s. SmaU groups near th e eye, and whether on grass or gravel, may be very neatly
enclosed by a worked fence of basket-willows from C in. to 1 ft. high. These wickerwork frames may be
used with or without verdant edgings ; they give a finished and an enriched appearance to highly polished
scenery; enhance the value of what is within, and help to keep off small dogs, children, &c. Abercrombie
scarcely approves of them. He says, “ where ro u n d e r oval parterres stand on a ground of
lawn. It IS a prevailing fashion to surround them with what are termed baskets. These are commonly
[ ¿ d e either of wood or cast-iron ; those of the latter material, of course, are d u ra b le ; and the others.
It painted, and removed under shelter in winter, will last ten or twelve years.” {P r . G a rd ., p. 4 5 4 .) See § 1950.
B o o k IV. P L A N T IN G TH E F LOW E E -G A ED EN .
ClIAP. II.
O f P h n tin g the F lo w e r- Garden.
5052. T he manner o f p h n tin g the herbaceous p la n ts a n d shrubs in a fo w e r-g a rd e n depends
jointly on the style and extent of the scene. 'With a view to planting, they may
be divided into five classes, which classes are independent altogether of the style in
which they are laid out. The first class is th i general o r mingled flow er-g ard en , in which
is displayed a mixture of flowers with or without flowcring-slirubs, according to its size.
The object in this class is to mix the plants, so that every part of the garden may present
a gay assemblage of flowers of different colours during the whole season. The
second class is the massed flow er-g ard en , in which the flowers are planted in masses of one
kind, either in separate beds, or in separate divisions of the same bed. The third class
is the select flo w e r-g a rd e n , in which the object is limited to the cultivation of particular
kinds of plants; as florists’ flowers, American plants, annuals, bulbs, &c. Sometimes
two or more classes are included in one garden, as bulbs and annuals; but, in general,
the best effect is produced by limiting the object to one class only. The fourth class is
the changeable flow er-g ard en , in which all the plants are kept in pots, and reared in a
flower-nurseiy or rcserve-gronnd. As soon as they begin to flower, they are plunged
in the borders of the flower-garden, and, whenever they show symptoms of decay, removed,
to bo replaced by others from the same .source. This is obviously tho most
complete mode of any for a display of flowers, as the beauties of both the general and
p a rtic u la r gardens may be combined without presenting blanks, or losing the fine effect
of assemblages of varieties of the same species ; as of hyacmth, pink, dahlia, chiysan-
themum, &c. The fifth class is t h botanic flow e r-g ard en , in which the plants arc
arranged with reference to botanical study, or at least not in any way that has for its
main object a rich display of blossoms. On each of these gardens, or manners of
arranging plants grown for their beauty or curiosity, we shall öfter some remarks.
5053. 2 ’/ie mingled flo w e r-g a rd e n , or border, was formerly the most common ; and was
what every gardener attempted when planting his flower-borders. It is still the aim of
the greater number of such as form parterres, or separate scones, for the culture of
flowers, but it seldom goes farther. The object here is to display a gay assemblage of
colours during the season of flowers, without much regard to variety of form or diversity
of character in those flowers, or the plants that produce them. The great art, therefore,
in this kind of floWer-bordor, is to employ such plants as produce large heads, or masses
of flowers; to plant an equal number of every colour, and such a variety in regard to
time of flowering as may afford some of eveiy colour in flower from Ecbrnaiy to
October. This object does not require a great variety so much as a judicious selection;
for, supposing the number four to include all the colom-s of flowers, and one sort to
continue in bloom a month, then for nine months of the yeai-, viz. from Eebiuary to
October inclusive, only thirty-six sorts will be requisite to commence, as it were, the
pattern of the border. Much more may be effected by a few sorts than by a great
number ; for the greater the number of sorts introduced in the pattern above thirty-six,
supposing It correct that one sort continues in bloom a mouth, the greater the blank
spaces that must remain between the plants in bloom. A moderate number of select
sorts, or of what are called border-flowers, and that number selected equally from the
different colours, and the sorts in bloom in the nine months of the blooming season, is
what demands the exclusive attention of whoever would plant a mingled border, or
flower-garden.
. . f Z Z Z Z I , [ plrgUmg flow e r -g a rd en s , which has lately (G a rd . Chron., April, 1849 ) 1
rS S ta ta ta f to n fe sttoosly atlvocated by Mr. Spence, in tho Ga rd en e r's M a g a jn e 1830 (vol. VI. p._408.). In _this paper Mr. Spence observes, that two nolnts seem cle.irlv
- .rt been
e l L V S i Z o ’’I ' V ' . to J “* " " Mr-'spoooe obsoties, that two 'points' seern''c'le'arry r e S S ' f a "
flower Clump: 1. T h a t it sliould present a succession of flowers; 2. T h at the flowers should be con
trasted and relieved by a due intermixture of green. The first of these points is generally acknowledged
i? M “ ‘ ré’rect opposition to the modern practice of planting in masses • though
as Mr. S p ¿ c e observes, it is so natural th at the “ native taste of the veriest peasaré oin.sif.ft m rhiihrmniirtf- lirsiifiot-c fn Hi a w.; ef„rtv-a fi« xi-4 1 . 4. • .. to tells ihiiiimii iILt IiSs free ’
.„ rftc e hv . f e n ' " '” " O fyhpte Py 'f l l Browing plants, not yet in liow‘er, anil'o't'h[r"'pOTt'fa[;'of'thS
surliice by smaller ones ; and between these were planted double stocks, purple scarlet and white id
considerable masses of each colour with other flowers of higher g r o ith aboie them] Z d ] f l o i S
growth beneath them, all in pretty large patches of each, the wholc being set offin tenfold heautv b ¥ t £
S i ] i"ol!™.re aTz!" ' t e ' “ re " ‘“"to " to r i ' " » « next to Z w e r
{G a rd .
5 0 5 5 . To obviate, the b a d effect o f
th e best mode of
managfag ornamental flo'w'e"'r'ciumpT''wSSd'feT t o ' h r l ' S
growth or k e p t low by pruning ; and between them to transfer^from t?ie pots fo whfoh foe? hadVppd
raised, the finest flowers of each season ju st taken on th e point of flowering, in sufficient raa/ses of e?/h
each
■ays to
Y'th others as soon as they had done flowerffig s™ as a l / f
hsoabveer ac noelowu ra nfrdo mbr itlhlioa nint t.dpirsmpliavyp tal tp avlpl rpoerpripondss ”o f t/h e ye\a r, and a t the same time a duve vcuohnltkraissit l?uf al
sober colour from 'thh'inrer’mi'keí'erergfy'enl.” ' " (a ir ) ' ““ “ “* “ toore
50.56. Ir i os-der to keep a m ix e d flaw e r -g a rd c n a lw a y s g a y . Dr. Lindley suggests “ that sucres.ive c r o n ,
be provided partially m pots, the same principle being observed in furnishing a flower-garden as m
embellishing a drawing-room. Suppose, for instance, th e ground to be laid out, in d p erma nStlv S la ltid
with perennials and such shrubs as are intended to remain immovaWei th e fixed fo u n d S o n of th ]
garden would thus he laid without fa rther trouble than what consists i i m an u riig “ f e time 1 1 1 1 1 ] ]
those plants which exhaust the soil, and suffer in consequence. And this may be® don¥ t o ] greate?
extent than is supposed. Primroses, for example, thrive best at the foot ot trie s or bushes liro v fa ld
they get sunshine m the first six months of the year ; so do violets i and when th e bloom of p?taroses
and Violets IS gone their foliage has its beauty. All sorts of spring bulbs crornsp? hvnPinfHs
Y®'®*'®’ jonquils and the like, if placed with skill, require no removal: narrow fines loo’k wpIi"
¿ h e r things may stand between, and when their foliage is dead, the neighbouring plants ifln n u a ls wd I
do no harm; t h ¿ may exhaust the ground, b u t periodical manuring will remedy tfS t w fn fo f wh/n
. flowers ¿ e chiefly g®ne, must be provided for by well grown evergreens with 4 r S e d oí S h e m f ^
¿ ¿ t i f u l foliage, kept in pots, to fall the ground, upon some fixed plan, as soon as the f a v o u r S ?f
autumn a r e l a d , or become hopelessly unhealthy. Plunged in the ground and the tops of t h S r é / í
covered with soil, no one can tell th a t the flower-garden is not thpir Z J l r Z X J
removed by degrees in the spring, and when finally gone, the whole scene is changed VímÍÍs w S S
ffiue, single or double, sweet or scentless, m ay b e grown in the same pots, S d will U alwávs in t / /
welcome the vernal sun.” {G a rd . Chron., for 1849, p. 243.) ^ ®
5057. Abercro?nbie, Nicol, and other practical gardeners, seem to have no distinct ideas on the subiect of
¿ r a n g in g flowers in flower-gardens; b u tth e authors o f H in ts o n la y in g o u t Gardens
M a n u a l, h a v e viewed the subject in its proper light. Neill also hasréolie^uffic % í
su ¿ e c t. He says, “ the p ants are arranged in mingled llower-borders, partly according to theft size
Ü ac c e d in g to cofour. The tallest are planted in the back part, thos? of middlfng size occunJ
th e centre, and those of humble growth are placed in front. The beauty of a f l o w e r - B / r w h /n /?
b oom, depends very much on the tasteful disposition of the plants in regar^d to ?olouT Bvfifor’mffi/hn^
¿ a n ts which flower in succession, the beauty of the border may be prolonged for som? w S in f
¿ t a n ic -g a ¿ c n the same plant cannot w ith propriety be repeated in the same border • buTinThe commn/
flower-garden a plant, if deemed ornamental, may be often repeated with the best effect • io th in e B h /
re doafile scarle. lychnis, douhie sweetfel’l f e f e 'f e d r h '; ]
with all sorts of trees and plants a t random, or filling them entirely with rare sp e d L w f a c h - l i f l f e S
S “ pro'cipal source of b e a u ty -h e a lth .” In the F to r is fs M a n u a lM is observed t h l t " the fish fa ]
able novice, who has stored her borders trom the catalogue of some celebrated name wlth a ifeie tv
bVongY„|o'n]SY"yto]"— “ wZ
« f Y “ - £ " ‘re
¿m p le cause of th e p n e iM failura m this particular is the prevalent solicitude for ra rity and varietv in
l l t / Z quantity ; as, without the frequlnt repetition of th e s a m f i lL t it wi f fo
vain to attempt a b rilliant flower-garden, and as in th e ftidicious mixture of every common
foifo consists. Hence, th e foundation thus laid, the solicitude of th ? s B T v ? i s h to
p lrte the superstructure must not be for ra re species, but for new colour, so th a t the commonest nHm.ftl
^ .^ . ----UU-.UU, OTrt.UXrt, JICIIU W , O
the separate parts s h o u l d , th e m a p p e a r ^ consta„te_a wfeope ; and this appla’ra 'fel
patlblè with finy form into which thefer'.m'nd' f e i r ó r ^ r 'o Z , I f f e t f o t iZ f e T v f e Z t o 'L ”!^^^^^^^
¿ ¿ t i n g . In some gardens this appearance of a whole is entirely destroyed by the injudicious taste cf
s i tin g apart distmct borders for pinks, hepáticas, primulas, or any other fovJuriL kinds of
1 H K species of bulbs, as anemones, ranunculuses, hyacinths, &c. ; these distinct borders’
¿ hough beautiful in themselves, break th a t whale which shoilld always be presented to the eve bv foe
mingled flower-garden, as single beds, containing one species only, i?rm a blank before th at
¿ o d u c e s 'Its flowers, and a mass of decaying leaves when the glow of their petals is n / more T h i
.i t W"xil"l Vh®e 9o*n?l'y^ nneecceessssaarryy ttqo oobbsseerrvvee tthhaatt,, ttoo wwhhaatteevveerr vviieeww tthhee ggaarrddeenn nprreesseennt s iiftirsapftff «foipe fe*vvea csHh//ififiiiad ia.pnOTt
®f't- ®f th® prevalent colours o fth e S o n ! ” (p 5 Z ^
f l n S ’ considered an unprejudiced observer of the different tastes in disposing of
flq^ei s, has foe following r e m a k s W e are apt to ridicule the Dutchman, as well as the im/fo / f s o f
him here a t h om e , who divide their gardens into small beds, or compartments planting each w fo separate
and ¿ ¿ m e t flowers : we ridicule the plan, because it exhibits too great a s a S s S f n d f¥malit/^^^^^^
H ? p / OT IS composed ol one sort of flowers only, however sweet and beautiful they may be
/ S r r a i i ! 1° becaura they want variety. It must undoubtedly be acknowledged, th a t a
parterre, no matter m what form, whether circular or square, elliptical or oblong, where all the riirubs