112 PRACTICAL GAKDENING. 



such, a border, "wMch. reaches perhaps many himdred yards, 

 must be several feet, the back of it being a plantation of 

 shrubs ; and here, generally, some aid must be had from a 

 good choice of these. Flowering shrubs should be liberally 

 supplied in a border of this kind, and even the trees ought to 

 consist of almond, double-flowering cherries, syringas, gueldres 

 roses, laburnums, acacias in variety, especially the rose and 

 white, scarlet horse-chestnuts, mountain ash, gleditschia, 

 sumach, the tulip-tree, salisburia, and all the leading varieties 

 of Crataegus or thorns. These of themselves make the borders 

 look gay all spring and part of the summer. The more dwarf 

 shrubs must come forwarder in the border, and must be placed 

 here and there the whole length, one rank forwarder than the 

 trees we have mentioned. The dwarf flowering shrubs are 

 numerous, but they are less trouble than any flowers that 

 are merely herbaceous. The rhododendron and azalea, the 

 Magnolia conspicua and purpiu^ea, roses of the China kinds 

 which flower all the summer, honeysuckle of the dwarf kinds 

 grown independently of support, laurustinus, lilacs, Pyrus 

 japonica, Kalmia latifolia, the gum cistus, and others, all 

 contribute their flowers in abundance, and if very judiciously 

 planted along a considerable space, almost furnish the March, 

 April, May, June, and July months ; but the number of 

 hardy perennials that aid in the general effect and continue 

 flowering till IS'ovember is almost endless. All the hardy 

 bulbous kinds are remarkable for their beauty. The lilies, 

 the hollyhocks, Lupinus polyphyllus and varieties, Aconiturn 

 variegatum, antirrhinums, especially the species pictum, all 

 the hardy irises ; the old golden or Aaron's rod ; all the 

 phloxes ; and as a finisher, the chrysanthemums and ]Michael- 

 mas daisies. There are many others that actually require no 

 trouble after once planting, unless it be once in two or three 

 years to regulate the size. The tuberous-rooted spread enor- 

 mously, and may be reduced by chopping off pieces till the 

 shape and size are adapted for the place ; the bulbous-rooted 

 may be reduced by taking up once in three or four years, and 

 replanting fewer, and those of the best, while the smaller and 

 weaker may be condemned to nursery-beds, or transportation 

 somewhere else ; the fibrous-rooted may be chopped less, or 

 the roots may be parted ; but in very large borders very large 

 patches of flowers are allowable, and in general the effect is 

 the more grand and imposing. 



