160 GARDENS OF ENGLAND 



out in May, and earlier still the hollyhocks, quite 

 young plants that are to bloom in August and 

 September ; the autumn-planted flowering earlier. 

 The ground was well cleaned of weeds before these 

 were planted, and, soon after, the whole border 

 had a mulch of a mixture of half-rotted leaves and 

 old hotbed stuff. This serves the double purpose 

 of keeping the soil cool and of affording gradual 

 nutriment when water is given." 



The colour scheme of this border is remarkable. 

 I have never seen a more gorgeous or harmonious 

 picture, and Miss Jekyll points out that the 

 planting is designed to show a distinct scheme of 

 colour- arrangement. "At the two ends there is 

 a groundwork of grey and glaucous foliage — 

 Stachys, Santolina, Cineraria maritima, sea kale 

 and lyme grass, with darker foliage, also of grey 

 quality of yucca. Clematis recta, and rue. With 

 this, at the near or western end, there are flowers 

 of pure blue, grey-blue, white, palest yeUow and 

 palest pink ; each colour partly in distinct masses 

 and partly intergrouped. The colouring then 

 passes through stronger yellows to orange and red. 

 By the time the middle space of the border is 

 reached the colour is strong and gorgeous, but as 

 it is in good harmonies, it is never garish. Then 



