24 BOOK OF THE COTTAGE GARDEN 



and Acanthus. Cover the earth with a growth of 

 Woodruff, evergreen Candytuft, and St John's Wort, 

 whilst shade-loving climbers of slender habit may 

 clothe the stronger shrubs with a filmy veil of tender 

 green. 



There is another position in which permanent borders 

 may be made, and that is beside the actual walls of the 

 cottage. Too seldom we see advantage taken of this 

 ideal site, but when we do we are bound to realise the 

 charm of such arrangement. Objection is sometimes 

 made to the growing of flowers close to the house, the 

 usual reason given in such circumstances being that they 

 are productive of damp. The same mistaken notion 

 exists in some minds with regard to ivy and other 

 creepers, whereas a moment's thought should serve to 

 justify their presence on the score that they are far more 

 likely to absord moisture than produce it. Properly 

 drained borders are never likely to injure the fabric of 

 walls, and cottage dwellings demand, above all things, 

 close association with flowers and graceful climbers. 

 Bare stretches of gravel seldom look well even when 

 surrounding houses of considerable size and some artistic 

 pretension ; their effect is cold, dreary, and formal 

 where a homely cottage is concerned. Nor can turf 

 be regarded as other than a troublesome and unsatis- 

 factory substitute. To keep grass evenly trimmed 

 when it is allowed to grow close up to walls, entails 

 a vast amount of labour, and the constant blunting of 

 shears. The laying down of turf further negatives the 

 use of such delightful wall coverings as Clematis, Roses, 

 and Jasmine. Borders filled with gay perennials give, 

 on the other hand, ample scope for wall gardening, and 

 in themselves form an exquisite setting to almost every 

 style of building. 



Borders close against the house can be utilised for 

 growing all the choicest plants at our command. If the 



