BORDER PLANTS. 



THRIFT. 



Almost every day some one inquires what is best for a low edging for flower beds. For a 

 summer edging, or course, almost any low-growing, compact plant will answer anything either 



pretty in foliage or flowers. What is generally desired, 

 however, is a permanent border; and plants adapted for 

 this purpose, and for Northern latitues, are by no means 

 abundant. While thinking of this subject, so frequently 

 brought to our notice, we remembered an old-fashioned 

 plant we had often seen in England, as a substitute for box, 

 the Armeria vulgaris, or Thrift, but most commonly 

 called, we believe, Sea Pink. The plant grows only 

 about six inches in height, and is composed of a mass of 

 narrow, short, grass-like leaves. From this mass of foliage 

 wiry stems are thrown upwards from four to six inches in 



height, and these bear clusters of pink flowers. It blooms pretty freely through the whole 

 summer, and bears our severe winters without the least injury. We may as well add that it 

 makes an admirable house plant in the winter, as will be seen by the engraving, which was taken 

 from a plant in our possession. It increases rapidly, and plants can be had for a dollar a dozen. 



OXALIS 



One of the prettiest tender things we are acquainted with for borders or edgings of beds and 

 walks, is the OXALIS LASIANDRA. It forms a fine rounded edging a foot or so in height, and 



about the same in breadth. The leaves are 

 in nine divi- 

 sions, as shown 

 in the engrav- 

 ing, the flower- 

 stems standing 

 well up above 

 j the foliage, of 

 bright, pur- 

 plish pink, and of the size seen in the illustration. The flowers open in sunny weather, and 

 close in the evening. The bulbs are small, and should be planted from one to two inches 

 apart. Eveiy little bulb will make a good strong plant. 



For the two past seasons we have been using another Oxalis for a summer border, and with 

 results quite as satisfactory, though somewhat different. This is OXALIS DEPPII, and if there is 

 anything in the world that will make a prettier border we do not remember 

 it at this moment. The leaves are of a lively green with a black zone, 

 something like the zonale Geraniums, and the . jae<^jifc^ 



leaves are so abundant as to form a globular 

 border, as shown in the little engraving. The 

 form of the leaf we have also endeavored to 

 illustrate. For some reason this Oxalis bears ==3 

 few flowers when used for a border, which we 

 think quite as well, as the foliage, unbroken, is quite handsome enough. Take up the bulbs 

 of both varieties in the autumn" and store them away from frost until time for spring planting. 



116 



