da. A part of the winter garden may be appropriated as a spring garden, and planted chiefly with the early flowering shrubs, such as the common and the double dwarfish almond (4ntygdalus nana and intazi/a), and the sweet almond (4. communis.) On the borders, the dif ferent species of narcissus, particularly the poetic, the daffodil, jonquil, and polyanthus-narcissus, may appear ; these, even when rising through the ground, produce a lively appearance : And other early spring flowers might be added, such as the spring bitter-vetch (Orobus vernus); comfrey•leaved hound's tongue (Cynoglossum omphalodes); snowdrop, (Galanthus nivalis) ; the puccoon, (Sanguinaria Canadensis); and blue and white hepaticas (Anemone hepatica.) The heathery or heath-house might very pro perly form the principal object in the spring garden, many of the exotic erica: flowering early in the year. The auri cula frame might likewise be situate here.
Border Flowers.
476. The principal borders are of course dedicated to mingled perennial plants, sufficiently hardy to endure our ordinary winters. A very few only can here be specified : those mentioned shall be the most showy and desirable of their kinds. They are arranged in the borders partly ac cording to size, and partly according to colour. The tallest are planted in shrubbery borders, or in the back part of broad flower-borders. Those of middling size occupy the centre ; and those of humble growth are placed in front. The beauty of a flower-border when in bloom depends very much on the tasteful disposition of the plants, in regard to colour, or on mingling the reds, the purples, the blues, the yellows, and the whites, in due proportions. To increase the variety of colours, some biennial plants, and even a few annual kinds, are occasionally introduced. By intermixing plants which flower in succession, the beauty of the border may be prolonged for some weeks. In a botanic garden the same plant cannot with propriety be repeated in the same border ; but in the common flower garden, a plant, if deemed ornamental, may be often re peated with the best effect ; nothing can he finer, for ex ample, than to see many plants or double scarlet lychnis, double wallflower, double sweet William, or double pur ple jacobRa.
477. For the shrubbery border the following are a few of the fittest tall-growing herbaceous plants. Hollyhocks (Althtea roma) of different varieties and colours ; these chew their flowers in October, when other plants are fading, and they continue till the frosts cut them off; they are properly biennial plants, but if some of the stems be cut over, before flowering, the roots continue for several years. Herb Christopher (Actaa spicata) a native of the north of England, and A. racemosa from North America,
with the goat's-beard Spirma (S. aruncus), are plants which succeed in the shade, and are therefore very tit for the shrubbery, or for any shady situation. The white-flower ed Fox-glove (var. of Digitalis purpurea) is ornamental; it is only biennial, but rises freely from seed sown by it self. Several species of Aconite or monk's-hood, with blue and with yellow flowers, may here be planted ; but the most common kind (Aconitum napellus) it is to be remem bered, is a poisonous plant. With the monk's-hoods may be united several species of perennial Larkspur, particu larly Delphinium grandiflorum, and exaltatum ; and the stavesacre, (D. staphisagria.) The common Columbine (Aquilegia -vulgar's) when very double, and of good co lours, makes a pleasing variety. All the large species of Iris, particularly the Germanica, sambucina and Sibirica, here deserve a place. The common and the white-flow ered Willow herb (Epilobiunz angustifolium), and the dou ble and double fistula• varieties of Feverfew (Pyrethrum parthenium) are showy when in flower. Several tall spe cies of Aster and of Solidigo are also proper for the shrub bery, as well as some of the perennial Sunflowers, particu larly Helianthus decapetalus, and the single and the double flowered H. multiflorns. To these may be added Rud beckia laciniata, and Thalictrum aquilegifolium or colum bine-leaved meadow-rue.
Besides tall plants, sonic of humble growth may with propriety be placed in the shrubbery or shrubbery border. Patches of sweet Woodruff (Asperula odorata), for in stance, have a pleasing effect ; the stalks and leaves ga thered when the plant is corning into flower in May, and kept in small bundles in paper under some degree of pres sure, retain their fragrance for a long time. Patches of the double wood Anemone (Anemone nemorosa) are like wise very ornamental ; and this is the appropriate place for the Lily of the Valley (Convallaria majalis), of which there is a double and a red flowered variety.
478. The borders for perennial flowers are seldom less than four or five feet in breadth. The plants are not placed immediately behind each other, but in the quincunx order; the distance between each plant varying, according to the size of their border, and in some measure according to the nature of the plant, whether it be apt to spread or to form a compact tuft. In regard to soil, it may be sufficient to observe, that most of the hardy herbaceous plants grow very well in a soil that is moderately light and mellow, such as a sandy loam. For certain plants, strong loam, turf mould, or vegetable earth, are proper; and this cir cumstance is generally noticed when treating of the par ticular plant.