Where, as is frequently the case, the branches of trees, both evergreen and deciduous, sweep the turf - and this, as a rule, they should be allowed to do where they are planted in ornamental grounds - a great number of pretty spring flowers may be naturalised beneath the branches, where they thrive without attention. It is chiefly in the case of deciduous trees that this could be done ; but even in the case of conifers and evergreens some graceful objects might he dotted beneath the outermost points of their lower branches. However, it is the specimen deciduous tree that offers us the best opportunities in this way. We know that a great number of our spring flowers and hardy bulbs mature their foliage and go to rest early in the year. They require light and sun in spring, which they obtain abundantly under the deciduous tree ; they have time to flower and develop their leaves under it before the foliage of the tree appears ; then, as the summer heats approach, they are gradually overshadowed by a cool canopy, and go to rest undisturbed ; but, the leaves of the trees once fallen, they soon begin to appear again and cover the ground with beauty.

An example or two will perhaps explain the matter more fully. Take the case of, say, a spreading old specimen of any summer-leafing tree. Scatter a few tufts of the winter Aconite beneath it, and leave them alone. In a very few years they will have covered the ground ; every year afterwards they will spread a golden carpet beneath the tree ; and when it fades there will be no eyesore from decaying leaves as there would be on a border - no necessity for replacing the plants with others ; the tree puts forth its leaves, covering the ground till Autumn, and in early spring we again see our little friend in all the vigour of his glossy leaves and golden buttons. In this way this pretty spring flower may be seen to much greater advantage, in a much more pleasing position than in the ordinary way of putting it in patches and lings in beds or borders, and with a tithe of the trouble. There are many other subjects of which the same is true. We have only to imagine this done in a variety of cases to see to what a beautiful and novel result it would lead. Given the bright blue Apennine Anemone under one tree, the spring Snowflake under another, the delicate blue and pencilled Crocuses, and so on, we should have a spring garden of the most beautiful kind. The same plan could be carried out under the branches of a grove as well as of specimen trees. Very attractive mixed plantations might be made by dotting tall subjects like the large Jonquil (Narcissus odorus) among dwarf spreading plants like the Anemone, and also by mixing dwarf plants of various colours : diversely coloured varieties of the same species of Anemone, for example.

Omitting the various pretty British plants that would thrive in the positions indicated - these are not likely to be unknown to the reader interested in such matters - and confining the selection to dwarf, hardy, exotic flowers alone, the following are selected as among the most suitable for such arrangements as that just described, with some little attention as to the season of flowering and the kind of soil required by some rather uncommon species. A late-flowering kind, for example, should be planted under late-leafing trees, or towards the points of their branches, so that they might not be obscured by the leaves of the tree before perfecting their flowers.

Anemone angulosa.

,, apennina.

,, blanda.

,, Coronaria.

,, fulgens.

,, Hepatiea.

,, stellata.

,, sylvestris.

„ trifolia. Arum italicum. Bulbocodium vernum. Corydalis solida.

,, tuberosa.

Crocus Imperati. ,, biflorus.

,, reticulatus.

,, versicolor, and many others. Cyclamen hederaefolium. Eranthis hyemalis. Erythronium Dens-canis. Ficaria granditiora. Snowdrop, all the kinds. Snowflake, all the kinds. Iris reticulata. Grape Hyacinths.

Grape Hyacinths Muscari, any of the numerous kinds.

Narcissus, in var. Puschkinia scilloides. Sanguinaria canadensis. Scilla bifolia.

,, sibirica.

„ campanulata. Sisyrinchium grandiflorum. Trillium graudifloruiii (peat or leaf soil). Tulipa, in var.