BORDER PLANTS. 
THRIFT. 
Almost every day some one inquires what is best for a low edging for flower beds. For a 
summer edging, or course, almost any low -growing, compact plant will answer — anything either 
pretty in foliage or flowers. What is generally desired^ 
however, is a permanent border; and plants adapted for 
this purpose, and for Northern latitues, are by no means 
abundant. While thinking of this subject, so frequently 
brought to our notice, we remembered an old-fashioned 
plant we had often seen in England, as a substitute for box, 
the Armeria vulgaris, or Thrift, but most commonly 
called, we believe, Sea Pink. The plant grows only 
about six inches in height, and is composed of a mass of 
narrow, short, grass-like leaves. From this mass of foliage 
wiry stems are thrown upwards from four to six inches in 
height, and these bear clusters of pink flowers. It blooms pretty freely through the whole 
summer, and bears our severe winters without the least injury. We may as well add that it 
makes an admii-able house plant in the winter, as will be seen by the engraving, which was taken 
from a plant in our possession. It increases rapidly, and plants can be had for a dollar a dozen. 
OXALIS 
One of the prettiest tender things we are acquainted with for borders or edgings of beds and 
walks, is the Oxalis lasiandra. It forms a fine rounded edging a foot or so in height, and 
about the same in breadth. The leaves are 
in nine divi- 
sions, as shown 
in the engrav- 
ing, the flower- 
stems standing 
well up above 
the foliage, of 
bright, pur- 
plish pink, and of the size seen in the illustration. The flowers open in sunny weather, and 
close in the evening. The bulbs are small, and should be planted faom one to two inches 
apart. Every little bulb will make a good strong plant. 
For the two past seasons we have been using another Oxalis for a summer border, and with 
results quite as satisfactory, though somewhat different. This is OxALis Deppii, and if (here is 
anything in the world that will make a prettier border we do not remember 
it at this moment. The leaves are of a lively green with a black zone, 
something like the zonale Geraniums, and the 
leaves are so abundant as to form a globular 
border, as shown in the little engraving. The 
form of the leaf we have also endeavored to 
illustrate. For some reason this Oxalis bears = 
few flowers when used for a bordei% which we 
think quite as well, as the foliage, unbroken, is quite handsome enough. Take up the bulbs 
of both varieties in the autumn and store them away from frost until time for spring planting. 
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