Page:The Villa Gardener.djvu/139

Rh this arrangement, the three central beds might be planted with three different kinds of showy perennials, or with three different kinds of bulbs, or with three different kinds of annuals. The bulbs for the centre bed might be crocuses, as coming first into flower; and for the two others hyacinths; for the beds e e and f f, tulips; and for g g and h h, polyanthus narcissus; the smaller beds may be solely devoted to crocuses. This mode of planting would produce a fine display from March till the middle of May; when the bulbs should be taken up, and the beds, having been dug, should be immediately planted with annuals, previously brought forward to nearly a flowering state in pots. In planting these annuals, not more than one kind should be introduced in each bed; and the kinds in beds opposite should be as like in colour, height, and general appearance as possible. Thus, if one of the beds, e, were planted with the ten-week stock, the other ought to be planted with purple candytuft, or any similar flower that came into bloom at the same time; and, if one of the beds, h, were planted with Clárkia pulchélla, the other should be planted with Lobel's catchfly, &c. On the whole, however, a more striking effect is produced by planting opposite beds of exactly the same kinds; and those for fig. 51. may be the following, it being understood that the plants are to be so close together as to cover each bed entirely; and that, whenever any gap appears in a bed, the adjoining plants are to be pegged down to cover it. For b, Lupìnus mutábilis, which would produce its fine blue, white, and yellow flowers, all the summer; for c and d, German stocks in mixture, purple, red, and white; for e e, German larkspurs in mixture, purple, red, and white; for f f, new scarlet candytuft, scarlet; for g g, Calliópsis bícolor, yellow and brown; for h h, Collínsia bícolor, blue and white; for i i, Clárkia pulchélla, lilac; for k k, Eschschóltzia califórnica, yellow and orange; for l, Málope grandiflòra, dark crimson; for m, Zinnia élegans coccínea, scarlet. All these annuals are new, and eminently beautiful; and seeds of them may be procured in most of the principal seed shops.

187. Planting with bulbs, to be succeeded by half-hardy annuals and green- house plants.—The third mode is adapted for gardens where there is not only a reserve ground, but pits or hot-beds in which to preserve some of the plants which we shall recommend during winter, and to bring forward others in spring. During winter, the beds are supposed to be filled with bulbs in the manner before-mentioned; or, what would produce a truly brilliant effect, wholly with hyacinths, and the margins of the beds with a line of crocuses. The bed b might be planted with mixed hyacinths, one of a sort; the beds c and d, with white hyacinths; h h and e e, with red; and f f and g g, with blue. The smaller beds might be filled entirely with crocuses. In the course of the month of May, the bulbs should be removed, and the ground dug and planted as follows:—b, with variegated pelargoniums (geraniums); c, with Bath scarlet pelargoniums; d, with Frogmore scarlet pelargoniums; e e, with Verbèna chamædrifòl a (Melíndres), scarlet; f f, with Lobèlia lùtea, yellow; g g, with Petùnia nyctaginiflòra, white; h h, with Petùnia phœnícea, dark purple; i i, with Lobèlia grácilis, blue; k k, with Nierembérgia grácilis, white; l, with Nemóphila aurìta, blue; and m, with Senècio élegans fl. pl. rùber, red. All these plants are easily procured; and they may be preserved in pits or frames, with a very slight assistance, during cold and damp weather, from fire or dung heat. All of them ought to be planted so close together, as to cover the beds by the middle of July; and any shoots that rise above