THE PERENNIAL BORDER 15 



intrude and rob the flowers. The border may be hZ feet or wider, in 

 which case larger masses of flowers may be planted. Nature produces 

 its flowers in profusion and so must we if our borders are to give us 

 the maximum satisfaction. Good, big eyefuls of color are impressive; 

 little dabs of color seem puny and artificial. 



BACKGROUNDS 



It is advisable to have a background for our perennials, especially 

 behind the shorter growing sorts. A lattice fence, a border of shrubs or 

 a hedge will serve to set ofl* the colors of the flowers. None but the 

 most robust perennials should be planted directly in front of a hedge 

 or border of shrubs, for the flowers are sure to be robbed of food and 

 moisture. Leave a space of 2 feet between the hedge and the bed of 

 flowers. Shrubs and conifers may be planted here and there in the 

 perennial border to advantage in order to produce bays of tall, green 

 foliage masses. The illustration on page 12 shows various sections of 

 a border framed by the arches of a pergola. When there is a border 

 on both sides of a walk much interest is added by arches across the 

 pathway. There need not be more than one or two in a border 50 feet 

 long. Too many arches would tend to detract from the border of 

 flowers. 



SEASONS 



Shall the truth be told or shall the usual advice be given again ? 

 The facts are these: it is extremely difficult to plan a border of any 

 size which shaU display a neat, tidy appearance and at the same time 

 shall be in bloom from April until frost. There will be unsightly spots 

 where some perennial has passed its season and where the neighboring 

 sorts have failed to cover the traces of the earlier sort. However, it is 

 possible by plaiming, care and transplanting to maintain such borders 

 of almost uninterrupted bloom. 



Some persons prefer to have an entire border giving an attractive 

 Spring, Summer or Fall effect; others have pretty spots for each season. 



There are optimists, however, who have planted the border for an 

 all-the-year-round effect and who fail to notice the bare spots, so 

 charmed are they by the choice flowers which are at any one time in 

 bloom. They are the same persons who do not say "Every Rose has 

 its thorn"; they say "It is remarkable that some thorns bear Roses." 



Relative to seasons it must be said that care should be exercised 

 not to have too many of the early flower sorts toward the front unless 

 they retain their foliage until Fall. It is better to plant certain rather 

 permanent foliage plants as an edging. 



