THE AUTUMN BORDER BEAUTIFUL 107 



make a charming massed group of scarlet, orange, and yellow, and 

 keep on blossoming. Then there are, of course, German Iris, 

 some of the grandest of flowers ever known, with a wonderful 

 diversity of hue. Snapdragons must be mentioned, and the Sweet 

 William, which proves constant in most borders where it has once 

 revelled. 



In addition to plants named there should be lavish supplies 

 of Narcissi, which are some of the sweetest occupants of the April 

 and May garden : Darwin and Cottage Tulips prove showy 

 when massed, while many Alliums, Leucojum, and Scillas are of 

 inestimable merit. Lastly, there are Lilies : the Madonna Lily 

 generally blooms in June, though late seasons may not bring it 

 out until July, and it is but one of the early birds : the Cottager's 

 Orange Lily (croceum) and the vermilion Lilium pomponium, 

 the purple-spotted orange Lilium Roezli, and the cerise, crimson, 

 and red-spotted Liliums umbellatum being others that should on no 

 account be neglected. 



The Border Beautiful in Autumn. The autumn, according 

 to the calendar, lasts from September 23rd to December 23rd ; and 

 now that our summers are cooler than of old. fine weather is often 

 enjoyed, with a moderate temperature, during almost all that period. 

 A border, if well planted, should therefore remain a delight and full 

 of beauty almost until Christmas. Rich, deeply dug soil is the first 

 necessity, away from tall trees. The plan given here is for a border 

 backed by a lence, wall, trellis, or railing, but a magnificent wide 

 border in the open garden could be filled in the same style, by 

 repeating all the plants except the back row, on the other side of 

 that row. 



Rustic Poles are recommended for the few climbers used : these 

 can be simply poles of stripped Oak, or of Larch or Birch with the 

 ornamental bark left on ; they can consist of straight poles only, set 

 near one another, or may be latticed between irregularly by smaller 

 branches : the latter method is a great help to climbers. There are 

 innumerable other plants that could be thus employed : Passion 

 Flowers keep their beautiful fruits for a long time during autumn ; 

 Crataegus Pyracantha, the Fire Thorn, if given some support, 

 creates a fine display of red berries, and the rugosa, or other Briar 

 Rose, is admirable for the same reason. Clematises of the Jack- 

 manni and lanuginosa types are often in full glory during October 

 and November, but space in this plan has only permitted the 

 ordinary purple Jackmanni to be shown. Climbing Roses are 



