226 THE NEW GARDENING 



can be kept away from the fence with flat stones or 

 slates. 



The advantage of a raised border such as this lies in 

 the fact that it can be treated as a semi-rockery. Plants 

 can be squeezed into the crevices between the stones, 

 where they will establish themselves, spread, and over- 

 hang the walk. Quite small bits of hardy, accommodating 

 things like Aubrietias, Arabises, Mouse-ear Chickweed 

 (Cerastium) and Gold-dust (Alyssum saxatile) will soon 

 spread into large and beautiful masses. There is nothing 

 better than the silvery Cerastium ; true it has some of 

 the characteristics of a weed, running strongly at the 

 root, springing up in various unexpected places, and 

 having great tenacity of life ; but it is a very pretty weed 

 with its slender grey leaves and abundance of pure white 

 fringed flowers. With plants like these at home among 

 the stones the path-side will always be prettily fringed. 



The border itself may be planted with suitable things 

 for spring and summer flowering, all set in groups with 

 neat but not too conspicuous labels, so that the positions 

 are always known and one kind is not planted to the 

 detriment of another. Bulbs may be used, being planted 

 in the fall. There should be groups of a few good Daf- 

 fodils, selected from those named in chapter xn. Pretty 

 colonies may be formed here and there of special things. 

 For instance, the lovely little Grape Hyacinth (Muscari) 

 called Heavenly Blue may be planted in a chosen corner 

 in association with a silvery Daffodil, such as Duchess 

 of Westminster, cernuus, albicans or poeticus ornatus ; 

 if the bulbs are planted in mixture a charming effect will 

 be produced. In another corner there may be* a colony 

 of the lovely little yellow Winter Aconite, and in yet 

 another a cluster of Dog's Tooth Violets. Groups of 

 Tulips may be planted,] 



