IRISH GARDENING. 



169 



in spring. In applying the manure now it is 

 best to use a fork to loosen the soil round the 

 plants, removing just enough to allow of the 

 manure placed round them being lightly 

 covered. Indiscriminate digging close to the 

 plants with a spade destroys innumerable roots, 

 rendering the apphcation of manure futile. 

 .Many plants, on the other hand, are gross 

 feeders, making a mass of fibrous roots and a 

 large number of " crowns," or short winter 

 shoots. Such are the tall Michaclntds Daisies, 



but careless, hai)hazard planting creates a feel- 

 ing of irritation quite foreign to the spirit of a 

 garden. Aim, then, at having a perfectly free 

 arrangement, with spring, summer and autumn 

 flowering plants carefully placed, so that from 

 March till October the border has a furnished 

 appearance. 



Those who have sutficient space, and can 

 afford to plant seasonal borders, have, of 

 course, a much simpler task. It is compara- 

 tively easy to pick out the plants which flower 



Gkoui' of Delphiniums in a Bordkr. 



Hciciiiinns, Fhluxcs, Sunflowers of the niulti- 

 fiurus set, the many varieties of CJtnjsantlic- 

 niuiii maximum, some Aconitums, Campanula 

 persicifolia, Doronicums, Erigerons, Sec. All 

 these are apt to form dense masses of shoots, 

 and if not periodically lifted and divided, re- 

 planting the sti'ongest crowns, the flowers be- 

 come small and the plants dwarfed, and hence 

 do not give the displaj' they are capable of. 

 While this work is proceeding slight alterations 

 may be made where certain combinations or 

 contrasts have not been pleasing, and in adding 

 plants or groups from time to time some parts 

 of the borders may become more thickly 

 planted than others, and a want of balance is 

 noticeable in summer. Geometrical regularity 

 is a thing to be avoided in a herbaceous border, 



at any one season, and arrange them so as to 

 form a beautiful picture, introducing all sorts 

 of colour contrasts and harmonies, with grey- 

 leaved plants as a foil. The gardener, how- 

 ever, who has to maintain one border in a blaze 

 over as long a period as possible must use 

 plants which are conspicuous for their flowers, 

 and cannot afford many foliage foils. He has 

 to bear in mind that the flowers of spring fade 

 with the advent of early summer, and those of 

 the latter season fail when the late summer 

 and autinnn flowerers are coming in and so on ; 

 hence, the skill required to keep one border 

 gay has to be gained by experience. Happily, 

 there is no lack of suitable plants, in fact, there 

 are almost too many ; so many new and im- 

 proved varieties are continually coming out that 



