NARROW GARDENS 



39 



between its trees. The Sweet Peas 

 form hedges alongside the path. 



Beautiful Border Flowers* 



Borders against house walls. 



Borders immediately against 

 house walls should never be so 

 closely planted that the ventilators 

 or gratings for the passage of air 

 through the foundations of the 

 building are covered up ; if these 

 are left fully exposed, however, 

 even large perennials can be cul- 

 tivated without danger of making 

 the walls damp. It is a wise plan 

 to make all such borders slant 

 from the back, then watering can 

 be freely done during drought 

 without any danger. 



Poor soil and large stones, 

 a mixture of sand and crushed 

 bricks, with many pieces of slate 

 and concrete, constitute the round 

 of numbers of these borders, 

 especially those of new houses : 

 the builder's men have simply 

 dug in their rubbish, and the out- 

 side tidiness produced by the job- 

 bing gardener covers a multitude of 

 evils. It is impossible for shrubs, 

 Roses, climbers, or perennials to 

 thrive : bulbs and bedding-plants 

 may endure the existence better, 

 but even their blossoms will be 

 poor. Let every householder make 

 sure that the soil is right before 

 he introduces his floral treasures 

 into it : nor should attention be 

 given only to the surface; deep 

 digging and trenching is necessary. 



