A Talk on Perennial Borders 



F. E. 



THE perennial border" is a phase 

 which has been coined, as far as 

 can be ascertained, within recent 

 years. It is generally used to denote 

 any type of flower border which contains 

 a large number of perennial flowers. The 

 term "herbaceous border" is practically 

 synonymous with it, and is still used. 

 The first term is preferable because ^or 

 those borders which contain flowermg 

 shrubs as well as the herbaceous plants 

 the term "herbaceous border" is much 

 less exact. 



ORiaiN AND HISTXDET 



We get some inkling that perennial 

 borders were not unknown to our ances- 

 tors of the age of Elizabeth from the 

 literature of the period, and especially 

 from Sir Francis Bacon's "Essay on 

 Gardens." In brief their history might 

 be dismissed by saying that they are 

 neither of very ancient nor of quite 

 modern origin. It may be interesting to 

 note, however, that during the nine- 

 teenth century three types of residences 

 almost unknown until then became very 

 plentiful. These were the suburban 

 villa, the city man's summer house, and 

 the city mansion with its formal garden. 



Buck, B.S.A., Central Experimental Farm, 



These types of architecture more than 

 all others need the support of effective 

 immediate surroundings. Borders in 

 which permanent flowers would grow 

 helped immensely to form the surround- 

 ings and consequently we find that in 

 recent years a great growth has taken 

 place in the popularity of perennial bor- 

 ders and also of perennial flowers. 



PEEENNIAL PLOWEItS 



One authority says perhaps the most 

 striking advance in modern gardening 

 is the advance in favor of what are pop- 

 ularly known as herbaceous plants. . . 

 They have been the means of encourag- 

 ing thousands to take an interest in flow- 

 er gardens who formerly did not do so. 

 But love of the flowers pure and simple 

 has also been a very great factor in stim- 

 ulating their popularity. Of course a 

 great many of the best perennial flowers 

 are of recent introduction but it is inter- 

 esting to note that many of the favorites 

 were known one hundred and fifty years 

 ago. The popularity of perennial flow- 

 ers will make the perennial border much 

 more popular in the immediate future 

 than it has been in the past. 



The form of perennial borders is vari- 



Ottawa 



able. All borders may, however, be here 

 considered under four forms. 



Form one. — The straight narrow bor- 

 der. This is generally found close to 

 the house or by a boundary wall. It is 

 particularly adapted to small lots and 

 summer cottages. 



Form two, — The straight wide border. 

 This form is seldom used close to the 

 house. It is generally seen to best ad- 

 vantage when placed close to main 

 walks and when used in gardens of the 

 formal type. 



Form three. — The regular curved bor- 

 der. A very beautiful and perhaps the 

 ideal form of the perennial border when 

 rightly disposed. It appears to best ad- 

 vantage, perhaps, when placed a few 

 yards back from a long curved walk. 



Form four. — The irregular border. 

 This form looks best in the foreground 

 of masses of shrubbery. It is irregular 

 in both depth and outline. 



Perennial borders have more than a 

 single purpose to fulfil. It is a mistake 

 to think that the .main purpose of all 

 perennial borders is to give a succession 

 of bloom. That should be the purpose 

 of one particular type, but there are 



At the Centr«l Experim.ntal Farm, Ottawa. A View of On. End of the New Perennial Border 



This border is four hundred and fifty feet long by twelve feet wide. It waa nlanted in thA aiitnTn« «f ion * i * . , ' 



from ee^ .ow. the same apri.«. Thi, view waa '-'^^ atX^HoHpSS^^'^ * ^ ^ ^ fel^lt' fe^^'^^'yZ^' °U'"" 



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