3.—FLOWER BEDS.
There are a great variety of opinions as regards the most effective way of planting flower beds. Some prefer to mix plants of different colors and varieties; others prefer the ribbon style of planting, now so generally seen in Europe.
If the promiscuous style is adopted, care should be taken to dispose the plants in the beds, so that the tallest plants will be at the back of the bed; if the leader is against a wall or background of shrubbery, the others graduating to the front, according to the height. In open beds, on the lawn, the tallest should be in the centre, the others grading down to the front, on all sides, interspersing the colors so as to form the most agreeable contrast in shades. But for grand effect, nothing, in our estimation, can ever be produced in promiscuous planting to equal that obtained by planting in masses or in ribbon lines. In Europe the lawns are cut so as to resemble rich green velvet; on these the flower beds are laid out in every style one can conceive; some are planted in masses of blue, scarlet, yellow, crimson, white, &c., separate beds of each, harmoniously blended on the carpeting of green. Then again the ribbon style is used in the large beds, in forms so various that allusion can here be made to only a few of the most conspicuous.
In a circular bed, say of twenty feet in diameter, the bordering can be of blue. Lobelia, attaining a height of six inches; next plant Mrs. Pollock Geranium (this does not grow very thrifty out of doors in New England), or Bijou Zonale Geranium, growing about nine inches high. If you plant Mrs. Pollock, on the next row to it plant Mountain of Snow Geranium; if the Bijou plant, a circle of the red-leaved Achyranthus; there are several varieties of this plant. Next the Coleus Verschaffeltii; the centre being a mound of Scarlet Salvia. Another style is to edge the bed with Alternanthera Spothalata (leaves pink and crimson), which grows low and thick for a border. Then the fern-like, white-leaved Centaurea Gymnocarpa; next row, the Crystal Palace Scarlet Geranium. Then Phalaris Arundinacea Picta, a new style of ribbon grass; next Coleus Verschaffeltii; in the centre a clump of Coma or Pampas Grass.
There are a great many different ways of arranging these ribboned beds. It is pleasant to exercise one’s own taste, therefore we only give examples to teach our readers how such beds can be prepared.
Narrow beds along the margins of walks, ribbon lines can be formed of low-growing plants, such as the White Lobelia Snow-flake, or Gypsophilia, or Silver Leaved Alyssum for the front line, followed next by Tom Thumb Trapæolum; then, as a centre, or third line, Fuchsia, golden fleeced; as a second marginal line on the other side, Bijou Zonale Geranium, white-leaved, with scarlet flowers, followed by a line of Blue Lobelia. Shaded stars have a fine effect on a lawn; cut a star, and plant it either with Verbenas, Petunias, Phlox Drummondii, or Portulaca. The ends of the stars should be white, and shaded to the centre, which should be dark, each point having different colors, one shade of purple, one shade of pink, one shade of red, then shades of lilac, then shades of scarlet. The centre the darkest shades. There are many pretty ways of forming the beds of a small garden. We append one diagram of a garden, and the flowers to plant it with according to our taste.
DIAGRAM.
H
C B
F A D
I E
G
A. Plant in the centre Scarlet Salvia, around that the white Centaurea Gymnocarpa, bordered by Blue Lobelia. (All these beds should have either a low border of box or turf.)
B. Heliotrope, with Sweet-scented Geranium at each end.
C. Verbenas, properly shaded.
D. Dwarf Trapæolum, Sweet Geranium at the points.
E. Varieties of Phlox Drummondii.
H. On the point of the shield Lemon Verbena, the remainder, Monthly Roses, border of Gypsophilia.
I. On the point, one Lemon Verbena, the rest to be filled with Monthly Carnations, bordered with Alyssum Variegatum.
F. Varieties of Zonale Geraniums.
G. Varieties of Fuchsias (if there is not too much sun). If so, plant Japan Lilies; border both F and G beds with Double Feverfew. Perhaps a bed of roses, arranged with standards in the centre, as we have described, might be prepared for the centre bed A, and the Salvia, &c., planted in the bed H, in place of the roses.