234 PERENNIALS 



too many plants with large flowers, such as hollyhocks, 

 sunflowers, rose mallows, Japan irises, peonies, gaillardias, and 

 Oriental poppies. In the same class belong plants with big clusters 

 of bloom, such as phlox and chrysanthemums. A garden domi- 

 nated by such robust and virile plants is in danger of becoming 

 coarse. It needs the feminine refinement of delicately cut foliage 

 and airy sprays of minute flowers, such as gypsophila or baby's 

 breath. We could make our gardens a great deal cooler and 

 more restful by always having one or two fluffy white masses of 

 bloom which suggest sea foam, billows, fleecy clouds, and the like. 

 For example, note the feathery plumes of the elm-leaved spirea on 

 plate 77, the liquid beauty of the Rodgersia's tassels, the mist- 

 iness of the Heuchera (plates 80, 82) and the fleecy cloud made 

 by the Crambe on plate 78. 



In making such pictures the English have one great advantage 

 over us in being able to carpet their borders with saxifrages, which 

 are as exquisite as lace. They are also very fond of the Californian 

 heucheras, which are practically unknown in the East. But 

 there are many good plants of this same general character, e. g., 

 the feathered columbine (Thalictrum aquilegifolium), and the 

 flowers known as herbaceous spireas, especially the florists' spirea 

 (Astilbe Japonica), the fern-leaved and elm-leaved meadowsweets 

 (Ulmaria Filipendula and pentapetala) , the true and false goat's 

 beard (A runcus Sylvester and Astilbe decandra), and the lovely plant 

 known as Spiraa astilboides. 



The planning of a border is a hard enough job without com- 

 plicating it with considerations of "masculine and feminine," but 

 it might be well to stroll out to your garden to see whether the 

 two elements are well balanced. Perhaps your border needs some 

 of the plants just named. 



