THE HARDY BORDER 



front of the house, or it may be located at the 

 rear of the dwelling. On most grounds it will, 

 after a little, occupy both of these positions, for 

 it will outgrow its early limitations in a few 

 years. You will be constantly adding to it, and 

 thus it comes about that the border that begins on 

 each side of the lot will overflow to the rear. 



I would never advise locating it in front of 

 the dwelling. Leave the lawn unbroken there. 

 While there is not much opportunity for 

 "effect" on small grounds, a departure from 

 straight lines can always be made, and formality 

 and primness be avoided to a considerable de- 

 gree. Let the inner edge of the border curve, 

 as shown in the illustration accompanying this 

 chapter, and the result will be a hundred-fold 

 more pleasing than it would be if it were a 

 straight line. Curves are always graceful, and 

 indentations here and there enable you to secure 

 new points of view that add vastly to the general 

 efF ect. They make the border seem larger than 

 it really is because only a portion of it is seen at 

 the same time, as would not be the case if it were 

 made up of straight rows of plants, with the same 

 width throughout. 



By planting low-growing kinds in front, and 

 backing them up with kinds of a taller growth, 



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