354 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



all possible foliage, will generally bloom again in autumn, and it 

 strengthens the stools of many plants to cut them back before seed 

 pods form. 



In November the glory of the border will have passed, and the 

 remaining stalks can be cut down and the border tidied for the winter, 

 taking care to leave all evergreen foliage ; and in the case of a spring- 

 planted border it will be well to liven up the early appearance by 

 planting Daffodils, Scillas, Hyacinths, and other bulbs for spring 

 display, at any time before Christmas. 



During the summer and autumn notes should be taken of any 

 clashing of colours or mistakes in grouping that the taste of the owner 

 objects to, in order to remedy faults by removals and replantings 

 for the next year's display. 



A border as suggested will stand for two or three years, after which 

 the soil may become exhausted. The plants should then be lifted, 

 and the border manured after taking out some of the old soil and 

 bringing in some fresh fibrous loam. If the border cannot be renewed, 

 it is a good plan to refresh the large clumps of Asters, Helianthus, 

 Phlox, &c, by spading out the centres of the stools (making a triangular 

 cut), filling in the hole made with fresh soil, as in these and like plants 

 the best growths will be found on the outer edges of the clumps. 



In large gardens entire beds of one family, such as Iris, Asters, 

 Phloxes, and Delphiniums, are very striking, and the Asters 

 (Michaelmas Daisies) lend themselves admirably to this arrangement, 

 as they now embrace a great range of colour and the Amellus section 

 are grand for front rows. Delphiniums, of course, look rather flat 

 after they have blossomed and are cut back, but they might 

 be alternated with other plants, such as the Japanese Anemones — 

 the pale pinks and whites of this family would harmonize with the 

 autumn blue spikes of the Delphiniums, and the Anemones are very 

 pleasing. Again, in a Phlox border every alternate plant might be 

 a Pyrethrum ; their blooms would be past before the Phlox blossom, 

 and their green fern-like foliage would form a good setting for the 

 bright colours of the Phlox. With the Iris, whose foliage after the 

 flowering season is over is always striking and bold, Lilies such as the 

 easily grown tigrinum, pomponium, candidum, and Thunbergianum, 

 can be utilized, with here and there a clump of the Double White 

 Gypsophila paniculata. Other combinations could be made for borders 

 of Paeonies, with Gladiolus and Lilies, or Montbretias, or bold beds 

 of the Giant Poppies (Papaver bracteatum and P. orientate). With 

 these some bold-foliaged plants, such as Acanthus, Angelica, and Senecio 

 Veilchianus, should be introduced. Poppies are apt to lose all their 

 leaves in summer, but they come fresh and green again in autumn. 



A word as to Paeonies. These are often starved in borders when 

 mixed with other plants, and are therefore best planted 4 feet apart 

 on ground trenched 2 feet deep, using soil made very rich with manure, 

 sand, and leaf soil. After planting, mulch the surface with half- 

 rotten dung, and fork in just under the surface about March without 



