A Garden of Perennials 



T 



HE establishment of a perennial 

 and shrubbery border, which will 

 increase in teauty from year to 



George Simpson, Ottawa, Ont. 



Avenue, Ottawa, a neighborhood in 

 which are found many excellent gardens 

 and enthusiastic gardeners. It is rather 



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Shrubs and Vine* at the Front of Mr. Simpion'* Residence 



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year, offers no obstacles to the garden- 

 maker if he goes about it systematically 

 snd lays the foundation in the way that 

 experience has shown to be necessary 

 to ensure success. Many people who 

 have a natural fondness for flowers— 

 and who has not? — hesitate about mak- 

 ing the attempt from an apprehension of 

 failure because of the supposed difficul- 

 ties of the undertaking — difficulties 

 which will, for the most part, be found 

 to be imaginary. The activities of hor- 

 ticultural societies and the dissemination 

 of information in popular form by such 

 publications as The Canadian Horticul- 

 turist, have done much to simplify the 

 matter and to encourage garden making 

 n its more permanent and effective 

 orms. The gardener will probably 

 look upon the adornment of his home 

 grounds from the aesthetic point of 

 iView, but there is an economic aspect 

 to the question, and garden working is 

 receiving a tremendous stimulus from 

 the realization by communities and mu- 

 nicipal authorities that the city beauti- 

 ful is an asset of great material value, 

 and that it is poor business to encourage 

 or tolerate civic untidiness. Good citi- 

 zenship and gardening go hand in hand. 

 The views here shown are taken from 

 the garden of the writer on Clemow 

 a prosaic story, but a few facts explana- 



tory of the steps which were taken in 

 the making of the garden may interest 

 someone. Before any real gardening 

 work could be done it was necesary to 



remove the second growth trees and 

 stumps from the site, a task which 

 called for the assistance of horses and 

 men. Beyond this preliminary help the 

 garden is entirely the product of the 

 owner's individual efforts, and if the 

 work has been his, so has the pleasure. 



Before the actual work of preparing 

 the ground was commenced a plan was 

 drawn to scale and every permanent fea- 

 ture of the garden to be was definitely 

 located, having reference to both im- 

 mediate and future effects. In the main 

 this sketch was followed in laying out 

 the garden but, as the effect of the ar- 

 rangement became apparent with the 

 growth of the plants, extensions and 

 modifications took place. Preference 

 will usually be given in garden planning 

 to gracefully curving lines but limita- 

 tions of space in this case restricted the 

 design to the rectangular. Continuity 

 of bloom, harmony of color, graceful- 

 ness of form, fragrance and perman- 

 ency are essential elements in any sat- 

 isfactory design for the planting of the 

 home grounds, and an effort was made 

 to give due weight to these considera- 

 tions. 



The plan having been worked out, at 

 least tentatively, the actual work of pre- 

 paring the ground for planting began. 

 Remembering that the borders were to 

 support deep rooting shrubs and hun- 

 gry perennials, and that liberal treat- 

 ment is the only guarantee of vigorous 

 growth, .-md generous bloom, the work 



The South Border, showing Sweet Willitro, Caclcibury Bells and Delphinium 



