INTRODUCTORY 7 



of the plan to have been settled, and study solely the composition of the 

 hardy herbaceous border, which is the immediate subject of this book. 

 Let us assume that our border is six feet wide, with access from one side 

 only. It might be eight or ten feet wide if it could be reached from both 

 sides, or it might be as narrow as four feet (less than that is hardly suffi- 

 cient for perennials), but six feet is a good average. We will also assume that 

 this border is fairly long, but for our purposes we will only consider a stretch 

 of twenty feet, remembering, however, that it continues on at each end. 



riA5o Plant] Mq- PL AH and Ellvatiom. 



The first thing to do is to get some "cross-section" paper, conveni- 

 ently divided off into little squares; these we can call any size we like. 

 In the accompanying sketches they are supposed to be one foot each 

 way. Now having laid off our plot we proceed to plant the "big 

 things" first. We will put down "Shrub A" and "Evergreen B" and 

 two Peonies "A & B" grouped in a "Wild regularity," and we will 

 arrange them so that in elevation, as seen in the upper drawing, they 



