It was a recollection of my youth, for I could recall rustic beds, tier upon tier, in a certain garden in which I had played when a child.
I sketched for my proposed bed a plan which was skilfully carried out, and all through the summer it has been so ornamental, and so much admired that I have had it photographed, and will now endeavour to describe how it was made, so that, if desired, it can be imitated, or at any rate the idea can be adapted, with such variation of size and shape as may be thought desirable.
[Fig. 1] gives a section view of details. [Fig. 2] shows the bed finished, and ready to receive the plants.
A tree stem about four feet six inches in length was firmly sunken about eighteen inches in the ground; upon it was placed half of a butter tub, obtained from the grocer. When this was nailed to the tree-stem, the outside of the tub was covered with pieces of bark and small rustic branches, which concealed its plebeian origin.
A young larch tree was cut into lengths of three feet six inches, and these were pointed at one end and driven firmly about eighteen inches into the soil.
The bark being left on these logs gives them a rustic effect, but of course any wood can be used and some bits of bark nailed on will answer almost as well. Inside the ring of logs good soil should be filled in and strips of turf inserted in the joinings of the logs to prevent the earth from falling through.
Half logs, with the bark on, should be placed round the outer edge of the bed in order to keep the soil in its place, the earth being filled in to form a sloping border for low growing plants and shrubs.
In the centre tub the photograph shows the rice paper plant (Aralia Sieboldii), which is hardy and handsome at all seasons of the year.
The pretty Ivy-leaved Toad-flax and Creeping Jenny droop over the edges of the rustic work, and the other plants, of which I subjoin a list, are as varied as possible in form and colour.
Golden Privet and Juniper, the silvery leaves of the variegated periwinkle and veronica, the silver carex, and the flowers that supply other colours make the bed an extremely pretty feature in our garden throughout the year, all the plants I have mentioned being perfectly hardy.