How to Plant the Hardy Border in Fall— By Robert Cameron, 



Harvard 

 Botanic Garden 



THIS IS THE IDEAL SEASON FOR SETTING OUT A PERMANENT BORDER THAT WILL GIVE FLOWERS IN 

 CONSTANT SUCCESSION ALL NEXT YEAR AND LEND A TOUCH OF COMPLETENESS TO. YOUR GARDEN 



T^ROM the earliest days of next spring 

 ■*■ until late in November you can have 

 a continuous show of blossoms from a hardy 

 border planted now. In fact, with a good 

 selection of plants and a good position one 

 may have flowers ten months of the year out- 

 of-doors. And by attention to arrangement, 

 distributing the things that flower at the 

 same time, you can have a good effect all 

 through the year. The great charm of such 

 a border is its changeableness. One has not 

 to look at the same picture for more than one 

 week, and sometimes for not more than 

 one day. 



Many people, and often those that ought 

 to know better, have their doubts about a 

 border planted in the fall giving satisfaction 

 in the first spring. My answer is to pre- 

 sent the two accompanying photographs, 

 of a border which was planted last October 

 (just a year ago) ; the pictures being taken in 

 April and May of this year. Could the heart 

 wish for a greater show of flowers ? You, too, 

 can have such a border if you will read 

 carefully the following directions: 



LOCATION AND BACKGROUND 



Almost any location will do if it is not too 

 shady. Try to get a location away from 

 large trees, so that their roots will not rob 

 the plants in the border of their food. If 

 possible, try to have a background of shrub- 

 bery because it makes such a fine setting. 



The outline of the border is not so very 

 important and can be laid to fit the place 

 or situation where the border is to be planted. 

 An irregular or sinuous line is most pleas- 

 ing, especially on a large space. 



SOIL AND PREPARATION 



If there have been any other plants grow- 

 ing on the piece of land they must all be 

 lifted and all weeds cleaned off. Then 

 thoroughly dig or trench the ground, mixing 

 in well-rotted stable manure. It is impor- 

 tant to make the soil rich at this time so that 

 it will not require much feeding afterward 

 for four or five years. In trenching, the 

 ground is completely turned over to the depth 

 of eighteen inches or two feet, and a 

 liberal supply of manure is worked into the 

 soil during the operation, it having been 

 spread over the surface first of all. A six- 

 inch layer may be thus turned under. 

 Turning the soil to the depth suggested 

 gives a good opportunity to remove all weeds 

 and other obnoxious things. Great impor- 

 tance should be paid to the preparation of 

 the soil, as many of the plants are very 

 impatient of frequent disturbing. In fact, 

 many of them do not attain their full vigor 

 for two or three years after planting. 



ARRANGEMENT AND COLOR SCHEME 



The success of a border largely depends 

 on giving thought and consideration toward 



pleasing color effects. Many times good 

 material is useless in borders either from 

 ignorance or lack of forethought. There- 

 fore in planting the border we must give 

 particular attention to the colors of the 

 flowers of the plants we are using. 



SIZE OF THE MASSES 



If the garden be small, and the whole of 

 the grounds on a small scale, the border 

 and the flower masses should also be on a 

 small scale. Bold planting is always the 

 best, and plants should be grouped in num- 

 bers of the same kind varying in quantity 

 according to the size of the border. The 

 masses of plants can be repeated at intervals 



if desired, but parallel lines should be 

 avoided as far as possible. 



HOW TO ARRANGE THE PLANTS 



Try to get the tallest plants near the back 

 of the border, and be careful not to get 

 plants of the same height to follow one 

 another, as an uneven fine is much more 

 pleasing when the plants are full-grown. 

 Use the smaller plants more in the front of 

 the border where they will not have to 

 struggle with the larger growing kinds. In 

 such a position they have a better opportun- 

 ity to get sufficient light. 



Plant all the herbaceous plants first; when 

 you have done that, carefully, and in the 



April results from October planting. Plant now all kinds of bulbs and herbaceous plants and have 

 flowers all next year. (Compare with picture on next page) 



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