OF HERBACEOUS BORDERS 75 



to study the annual lists of new roses and lark- 

 spurs and pansies and sweet-peas, and the whole 

 host of border plants that are undergoing con- 

 tinual improvement, to understand that these things 

 are no longer " out-of-date," nor surely ever will be. 



And yet, and yet, in the upkeep of herbaceous 

 borders there is not a garden-lover of us all who 

 does not find himself face to face with one supreme 

 difficulty, that of having them, if not at all times 

 bright with flowers, which is impossible, yet always 

 interesting and, above all, sightly. " It gave me 

 no pleasure, for it was the most untidy garden 

 that ever was seen," was spoken scornfully of the 

 best efforts of a true lover of plants, and one of 

 the most skilful in their cultivation. Unfortunately 

 the indictment is too often a true one. That fur- 

 tive hope of less labour to come which we allowed 

 ourselves to nurse in secret when we gave up our 

 gay summer beds, vanished long ago. Instead of 

 the precision of rule and compass, we have sub- 

 stituted that which is far more difficult of attain- 

 ment, order without formality, method without 

 monotony. 



A well-ordered garden is like a shifting kaleido- 

 scope. Be in it when we will, at morn or eve or 

 sultry midday, in any week or month of the gliding 

 year, in sunshine or in cloud, it will never be 

 exactly as it was, even a short hour before. A 

 subtle change has come to pass, a new charm is 

 ready to greet us at every turn. It is just this 

 ever-changing element that makes the dressing and 

 the keeping of it a labour, yet a labour of love. 

 Gardening, in truth, is work for an artist. 



