HINTS ON HERBACEOUS BORDERS. 



353 



When autumn planting is adopted the border should be gone over in 

 March to settle down any plants that may have been lifted by frost 

 in winter, after which the border should be raked over neatly. 



If at the spring planting the weather should prove dry, start the 

 plants by giving them a watering just before finishing the planting, 

 and if after watering some loose soil is raked round the plants it will 

 check evaporation and keep the soil moist for a long period. Some 

 subjects, such as Pyrethrums and Pentstemons, should be planted only 

 in the spring. 



Presuming the borders are now planted, the next operation is 

 the thinning out of superfluous shoots in May. This particularly 

 refers to such plants as Phloxes, Michaelmas Daisies (Asters), Heli- 

 anthus, and Delphiniums. First cut out the thin and weakly shoots, 

 and leave three or five only of the strongest and most promising — 

 and at this time search for snails and slugs, which are very fond of 

 Delphiniums — and sprinkle some lime or soot around them to check 

 their depredations. As the shoots grow it will be needful to secure 

 the growths, and for this purpose some green wooden sticks, or bamboos 

 coloured green, should be used, the shoots being loosely attached with 

 bast to allow for growth. For the back row they would need to be 

 five feet long — one foot underground and four feet above — in order 

 that when the shoots grow and develop they may be hidden by 

 the spread of growth above them ; for the next row 3 -J feet, then 

 2 J feet, and there will be many in the fourth front row that can 

 stand alone. 



The neglect of staking at an early stage renders the plants liable 

 to be broken off, or to have their growths twisted and distorted so as 

 to spoil them for the season. In staking, practically each stem should 

 have a stick and the points should bend outward. Thus an Aster 

 with five shoots should have the sticks within a i-foot circle at the 

 base, and from 2 to 2\ feet at their free ends : in this manner air 

 circulates between the stems, and the full beauty of each plant will 

 be displayed. Such subjects as Eremuri will require a stout stake to 

 each spike, while Tritomas (Kniphofias) can do without sticks. 

 Phlomis bear massive spikes and must be staked. If the first sticks 

 placed prove to be too short owing to free growth, such as takes place 

 in a wet season, longer sticks may be attached without removing 

 the old ones. 



It is often urged against herbaceous borders that, although as a 

 whole they give a display over a long period, some plants get shabby 

 after flowering and thus have to be cut down, leaving ugly blanks. 

 This can be remedied by growing on in pots Canterbury Bells, Cam- 

 panula pyramidalzs (6 feet), Sweet Williams, Blue and Red Salvias, 

 Castor-oilplants, tall Antirrhinums, Lobelia ' Queen Victoria,' standard 

 Fuchsias, Streptosolen, Heliotropes, Marguerites for back rows, choice 

 Pentstemons, Lilies, and Dahlias, which can be used to fill vacancies 

 by planting near the faded plants; but Delphiniums, if, as soon 

 as the blooms fade, they are cut back to 6 inches from the soil, saving 



