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.