BORDER 



BORDER 



523 



scillas, snowdrops, anemones, and especially the lilies, 

 are more adapted to the permanent border than these. 

 The narcissus, for instance, in several largely grown 

 forms, adapts itself to both the informal and formal 

 border plantings. Combined with iris and lilies, and 

 using certain of the late-flowering tulips, effects as per- 

 manent as they are pleasing are now produced, and at 

 little expense. The fancier of rare things may indulge 



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595. Border inclosure of a city square. 



himself according to his resources with the newer and 

 more unusual forms; there are narcissi in commerce at 

 $60 each and $5 is cheerfully paid for a gladiolus bulb. 



While the nature of hardy garden flowers, with the 

 relief of varied green foliage, seems to make agreeable 

 a heterogeneous color-combination, yet more pleasing 

 pictures are painted in harmonizing or properly con- 

 trasting hues. The raw scarlet of the oriental poppy 

 or the kniphofia, for example, does not "go" or com- 

 pose agreeably with pink or magenta phlox. It is well 

 to keep tiger lilies and certain pink hibiscus colors from 

 fighting each other, as another example. Indeed, a 

 fascination of the hardy border is this opportunity to 

 select and combine hues that shall match and succeed 

 each other agreeably. A border is in mind that blended 

 insensibly from deep crimson at one end through white 

 to pink and white to yellow along to orange and scarlet 

 at the other end. There was no clash. It must be said, 

 however, that if the larger and more vividly colored 

 flowers are judiciously placed, the general mixture of 

 blooming plants in a border is wholly agreeable, even 

 as an oriental rug including many hues in small masses 

 is agreeable. 



Fragrance, also, is a quality to plan for in hardy 

 borders, here a bit of bcrgamot in a half-shady corner; 

 there the stateliness and the sweetness of many lilies. 

 The funkia scents the evening air, and the wild rose is a> 

 fragrant in foliage as in flower. There is added delight 

 in the odorous quality of certain shrubs. 



An interesting feature of the border is the seasonal 

 succession of its bloom. It may begin before spring 

 is more than an atmospheric hint, with its hepaticas, 

 certain violets, and the snowdrops and crocuses. After 

 that there need be no flowerless moment until a freeze 

 not a mere frost stops the glow of the chrysanthe- 

 mum and finishes the dainty display of the monkshood. 

 The garden may also continue to please through ex- 



tended weeks by changing foliage and by bared twigs 

 of bright colors, as well as by glowing fruits that hang, 

 like the barberries, until the next spring signals retire- 

 ment. 



A pleasing way of creating hardy borders is by the 

 segregation of genera and families. Iris will cover four 

 months with varied flowers of as varied heights. All 

 the columbines may cover many weeks in time of beauty. 

 A collection of viburnums makes a shrub border of 

 long showiness. Lilies are gorgeous, or dainty; they are 

 short or stately, and they include months of bloom-time 

 as a family. There is great delight in studying plant 

 families grouped in neighborly fashion. 



The hardy border may endure full sun or deep shade, 

 with all variations between, if its citizens are selected 

 for their adaptability. Some plants of the border need 

 wet feet; others are best, like the moss pink, on a 

 dry and sterile sunny bank. It is this great range that 

 makes the good border so very good, for it reflects the 

 adaptability of nature for thousands of years. 



The plants for a border are now legion. The nursery- 

 men in these days have considered the needs of the 

 planter, and there is little difficulty in securing what is 

 wanted. Certain tradesmen grow perennials in small 

 pots, available nearly all the growing season. But a 

 personal hardy border can be made with little aid from 

 the nurseryman. The man or woman who loves 

 them can transplant hardy plants with success at any 

 time of the year when the ground is not frozen deeply, 

 and such persons find plants in the wild that may be 

 separated without destroying colonies of a kind. There 

 is also the fascinating and inexpensive method of 

 growing the perennials from seed, resulting in more 

 knowledge gained through failures; and in enough suc- 

 cesses to furnish plenty of plants to the grower and his 

 friends. The hardy border of the personal sort is a 

 great educator in patience, perseverance and knowl- 

 edge of plant life. j. HORACE MCFAKLAND. 



The making of the border. 



Perennial herbaceous plants should form the major 

 part of the planting in most borders, as these are per- 

 manent and eliminate the necessity of replanting the 

 whole each year. Biennials, such as the Canterbury 

 bells and foxglove, for these are best treated as such, 



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596. Border inclosing the back area of a city place, the central 

 area being planted for shade. 



