BORDERS OF HARDY FLOWERS. 



35 



evergreen Ferns in all their fine variety ; Bamboos, Ruscus and Dwarf 

 Savin, these are an essential aid in the making of evergreen borders. 



Many years of trial with the best wooden trellising disclosed to 



me its defects as to endurance, even the best wooden trellising oak 



perishing on the ground or being blown over in 



Trellising to storms. The same objection applies to Chestnut 



endure. or any native zuood. The result of various trials for 



many years was to compel the use of an iron base 



for our trellis at the back of mixed borders, and so cut off the oak 



used from the wet ground. We used the ordinary iron fence in the 



first instance, adding a foot or so to the height by means of an iron 



attachment. This was painted oak colour and fitted with upright 



heart of oak. The battens do not touch the ground and project a 



little above the top iron rail. The effect is very good. The best 



plants for it we found to be Clematis, Roses of the nobler climbing 



type, like Bouquet d'Or, the Japanese and other Vines. The height 



of the finished trellis is 5 foot oak battens in seasoned oak ij by f 



inches. For backgrounds, so essential to the good mixed border, this 



manner of trellising is the best. 



HARDY BORDER FLOWERS FOR BRITISH GARDENS. 



From this list all families not quite hardy in Britain are ex- 

 cluded, for whatever we may do with flower-beds, mixed borders should 

 be mainly of hardy plants, and we ought to be able to plant or refresh 

 them at any time through the autumn or winter months. Well- 

 planned mixed borders, covered as they mostly should be with rock 

 plants forming green carpets, should have few gaps in early summer, 

 but where these occur they may be filled up with half-hardy plants 

 as the stock of plants may permit, or with good annuals. 



