The Garden Magazine, September, 1919 



59 



one. In other words, the same kinds of plants should repeat 

 in the same general way or arrangement; the same spirit 

 should prevail. Indeed, where it may be done, I prefer 

 dividing the old clumps instead of buying new plants; and 

 in this way actually extending the same plants through a 

 greater space. By doing this too there is a uniformity of 

 age and growth throughout that cannot be established in 

 any other way. 



If new kinds of plants are so greatly desired that they may 

 not be denied however, confine the choice to new varieties of 

 already established species if possible. If even this is too 

 limiting, be sure to introduce such new material as may be 

 used throughout the border and not just into the new portion. 

 No more than a single clump of new perhaps will be needed 

 in the original section to throw the suggestion of the newcomer 

 over it and take away the strangeness; but at least there 

 should be this single clump, or single plant; and similarly, 

 some of the original material should be transferred to the 

 new section, bringing it into unity with the old. In other 

 words, it is impossible to extend an old border and have it 

 maintain its finished appearance without going over the 



whole of it and breaking it up to a certain degree, and spread- 

 ing the same spirit throughout — seasoning it, I may say, 

 thoroughly from end to end with both old and new. 



How Many Plants to Use 



THE number of plants that may be required for planting 

 any given area may be approximately determined on the 

 basis of a plant to every square foot of space. Many re- 

 quire more space than this, but many also require less; the 

 average therefore will about even up. Taking a border that 

 is twenty feet long by four feet wide, for instance, it is very 

 close to correct— as close as it is possible to come — to say 

 that eighty plants will be needed to fill it, this being the 

 number of square feet it contains. If you are using one of 

 the lists appended to this article, which comprise ten kinds, 

 you may therefore provide eight of each kind. This will 

 plant larger sections of some than of others since some re- 

 quire more space and others less, and will not therefore 

 give any sense of hard regularity to the border, as might at 

 first thought seem inevitable. If a larger proportion of some 

 favorite is desired, order as many less of one of the less fa- 



THE TRUE SPIRIT OF THE COTTAGE GARDEN 

 Literally smothered in flowers, this tiny house lot achieves that intimacy with its Roses 

 and Foxgloves that is the envy and despair of many a more ambitious dwelling 



