April, 1919 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



137 





A Rose Border by Evolution 



l^OR some time we had longingly anticipated 

 ■*■ having a rose-bordered path, but from year 

 Xo year we had postponed its achievement as a 

 luxury involving quite an expenditure of labor 

 (for we are our own gardeners) and not a little 

 expense, that is, if it materialized as we pic- 

 tured it in our mind's eye full-blown, "a thing 

 of beauty." But within a few years we have 

 brought about its successful realization, and 

 now, once started, it promises to be indeed "a 

 joy forever." The path is a long one and we 

 determined *to achieve our object by slow 

 degrees. So, attempting but one side the 

 first year, we marked off spaces where ih ft. 

 square holes should be dug in the edge of the 

 lawn so as to leave six inches of turf between 

 their outer edge and the path, and the same 

 space of green between the squares to set off 

 our plantings. This idea we liked better 

 than the continuous border. Only half 

 of these were attempted the first year, taking 

 the alternate ones, where excavations 15ft. 

 square and about 2 ft. deep were made. In 

 digging we came upon a prehistoric brick 

 gardenwalk, and this material, broken up 

 and supplemented by stones, was just the 

 thing for a drainage-layer at the bottom. 

 Upon this we placed inverted sods and turf, 

 and filled the remaining space with garden 

 soil, compost, and a little old manure. Al- 

 though it had been our original intention to 

 use older plants whenever we should make 

 our Rose border, in order to obtain immediate 

 effect, we decided to follow our usual custom 

 (thereby consistently carrying out the scheme 

 of evolution in our border), of buying small, 

 one-year size plants. We chose the Hybrid 

 Perpetuals for our permanent planting with 

 a view to securing a gorgeous riot of color 

 (eventually), rather than to carry out any 

 particular scheme, nevertheless we took 

 care to plan the arrangement of them so 

 that there should be gradations of shade and 

 color, thereby avoiding conflicts among 

 neighbors. We set one bush in the centre of 

 each space, rounding the surface well to 

 allow for settling and provide for drainage. 

 As we could not expect any bloom from these 

 till the following year, we depended upon our 

 stock of Teas and Hybrid Teas — wintered 

 in the cellar each season for bedding out — 

 using one in each corner of every square. 

 These gave us lavish bloom that first summer, 

 and by presenting a gorgeous front both on 

 the side of the lawn and of the path, saved our 

 infant border from a bare and somewhat 

 discouraging appearance. Of course, all the 

 attention bestowed upon these went to benefit 

 the Perpetuals also, so that all were regularly 

 cultivated and nourished. The permanent 

 bushes were mulched and earthed up after 

 the removal of the others for the winter. 

 The next season our Perpetuals throve so 

 well that they did not need any reinforcing, 

 and we devoted our attention to the alternate 

 vacant spaces, treating them as we had 

 the former lot. By following this plan one can 

 begin or continue a border any time during 

 the spring and summer, as the pot-grown 

 plants may be obtained throughout the 

 season. — Charlotte Brassey-Brierley, Belfast, Me. 



GETTING A SIX WEEKS' START 

 ON NATURE 



A GOOD greenhouse not only provides you with your 

 favorite flowers and fruits all through the year, but 

 also serves a most useful purpose in enabling you to get more 

 out of your garden and to get it earlier in the season. Instead 

 of planting the seeds in the garden when the weather permits, 

 you can plant them in your greenhouse, and when good 

 weather arrives your plants will be well under way and 

 ready to set out. 



And your greenhouse need not be an elaborate or expensive one. 

 We build them in all sizes, from the largest to the smallest; but 

 they all have the same LUTTON quality. Their scientific 

 construction reduces the cost of maintenance to practically 

 nothing, and insures perfect control of heating and ventilation. 



Write to us, or come in and see us about your particular problem, 

 whether it concerns greenhouses or simply garden frames. Our advice 

 will cost you nothing and we may be able to help you. 



WILLIAM H. LUTTON COMPANY 



Architects and Builders of Modern V'Bar Greenhouses and Conservatories 



512 FIFTH AVENUE * NEW YORK 



Factory: Jersey City, N. J. 



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Write for catalogue illustrating all 



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S. P. TOWNSEND & CO. 



23 Central Avenue, Orange, N. J. 



Advertisers will appreciate your mentioning The Garden Magazine in writing — and we trill, too 



