18 
T II E G ARDEN M A G A Z I N E 
February, 1 !) 1 3 
Background and enframement are the 
first consideration; Regel’s privet will most 
satisfactorily fulfil the former condition. 
This has a much greater distinction of 
growth than the ordinary hedge privet, a 
distinction of a more flowing line, more in 
harmony with the varying growths of the 
perennials. It remains in good foliage, 
and the dull, green-purple, autumn color- 
ing, and black berries form a happy 
neutral backing. As for the enframement; 
to the right a group of bridal wreath among 
which a tall white lilac rises, both, thus late 
in the year, rather thin of foliage, yet the 
one, with its thick massed warm colored 
branches, and the other stark, a study in 
line, make a pleasing incident; to the left, 
the depth of shrubbery is deeper; a group 
of the harsh, gray yucca contrasts with the 
soft Spiraea Thunbergii and above the now 
really burning bush (Euonymus europaeus) 
is a blaze of glory. 
A successful border is fundamentally the 
result of the elimination of many species. 
Often the limits are set beforehand by 
some especial desire for certain color effect, a 
certain seasonal display, or perhaps a certain 
psychological effect upon the beholder. 
The occupants of this Indian summer 
plantation must fulfil two requirements, 
first, one of growth that is agreeable well 
toward winter, and second, one of situation, 
in full view throughout the season. This 
necessarily creates a thickly settled plant 
community, a two-story tenement where 
bulbs struggle for outlet among their larger 
perennial neighbors. The English recipe 
for garden planting “that each six-inch 
square should have its growth” shall be 
fulfilled. This brings about an involved 
planting plan which will show a correlation, 
culturally and aesthetically, of individuals 
of varying habits of growth and bloom. It 
means care in the preparation of the 
ground, attention to detail in planting, 
and, in the beginning, wise weeding. As 
soon, however, as the plants have covered 
the ground, suppression of unruly members 
is the chief requirement. 
Preparation may be made in late summer 
or early fall depending upon whether the 
bulbs or the perennials are first to receive 
attention, but the latter may also be 
planted in spring. The ideal is to first 
plant the bulbs; then the perennials, allow- 
ing them sufficient time to form good roots 
before winter sets in. It is, on the other 
hand, not difficult to dibble in the bulbs 
through the summer growth of perennials. 
One partial exception to the comparative 
permanency of the border’s inhabitants 
and the consequent need for extra culti- 
vation is the case of the chrysanthemum. 
These require slight winter protection, 
annual division and enrichment, so no 
bulbs should be put within eight or nine 
inches of the space set aside for them. 
With us very few are dependable and so I 
use the cheery, little, old-fashioned terra- 
cottas for the mass of color. They are 
not so entrancing as individuals but do 
make a lovely drift and hold up their 
heads well, a natural advantage over the 
larger pompoms. For brightness use also 
a few other buttons and try a plant or two 
of the bigger flowered ones; they are 
worth while, though not so satisfying in a 
mixed, herbaceous border. Keep them 
all on the yellow side of the spectrum in 
color, in delightful tones of yellow and 
bronze, orange and brown, some clear, 
some passing from one shade to another. 
Chrysanthemums are not the sole late 
bloomers; Aster tataricus, a tall, coarse 
grower, does not open its lavender heads 
until into October; nor does Aconitum 
Wilsoni, tall also, but with clean cut, 
glossy foliage, show its characteristic, dark, 
purple-blue hoods. I would like to add a cer- 
tain helenium, a seedling ofRivertonBeauty, 
in color similar to the ordinary autumnale 
but with more enduring flowers; Crocus 
sativus, a dull lilac, and C. speciosus in 
brighter shades varying toward white, may 
still show color and were just right the 
first year of planting. Then also a touch of 
the new hybrid Phlox Arendsii, var. Helene 
sends forth scattered flowers of lavender, 
just the tone of the incomparable divari- 
cata. It is a delightful thing, blooming 
throughout a long season, and the only one 
of its group that seems clear in color and 
does not too greatly resemble a stunted 
paniculata. 
There is a large number of plants with 
practically evergreen foliage which, earlier, 
may be a mass of bloom. Of these but few 
are chosen of varying tones — silvery, cottony, 
bronze, and green. Before writing of these 
combinations, we must make note of a 
few plants that should be used rather 
scatteringly. 
Earliest of them all comes the yellow 
winter aconite (Eranthis hyemalis), and 
but little later the crocus (Largest Yellow), 
great numbers of them well in the shade 
of the shrubs and only a detached colony 
or two intruding into the border proper. 
The yellow of the crocus will be sparkling 
above the silver of Artemisia frigida, the 
metallic Dianthus plumarius or the bronzed 
Heuchera. Back in more root bound 
portions of the shrubbery put myrtle; it 
makes a glistening, evergreen carpet and 
grows almost too rampantly under adverse 
conditions; in winter it rises black through 
the thin snow, in May and sometimes later 
it is studded with bloom, blue, white, or an 
objectionable red-violet. 
Two more plants, though possessed of a 
troublesome number of seedlings, are, for 
quite other reasons, worthy of use. Both 
sweet rocket and celandine are large, early 
growers which give height and mass when 
the main elements of effect are low or 
slender. The former (Hesperis matronalis) 
comes in white, shading to a nursery cata- 
logue “pink” — a real magenta — of which 
the first only is of value for its loose, phlox- 
like clusters; the latter (Stylophorum), 
forms a delightfully vivid bush of glaucous, 
divided foliage, starred with poppy-like 
flowers of small account. Such tolerants 
should be kept under the edge of the shrub 
shadows, for they will endure these con- 
ditions. 
Of similar worth will be the yellow May 
flowering composite Doronicum caucasicum, 
with its neat, basal leaves. Its gold will 
create a striking contrast with the paper- 
white poet’s narcissus, and the intense red 
with blue-black central spot of the big 
Tulipa Gesneriana spathulata major. Now 
also the queer guinea-hen flowers gain in 
oddity peering through the sharp yucca 
spikes. Tall yellow tulips (retroflexa) rise 
above a bank of snowy candytuft while at 
its edge a tuft of the mossy pink phlox 
forms with it a bouquet just asking to be 
gathered. There lies the coral sprayed 
heuchera, a cloud above the dark hued 
leaves; beyond, a drift of vase formed 
flax rises through a mat of the low veronica 
rupestris which, in May lies a sheet of 
dark purple-blue. The flax begins in late 
May. the quaint, slender lady tulip (Clu- 
siana) peering through its grayed, delicately 
clothed stems; later the heuchera mist 
shows out against the gray and blue; and 
later still the tall coral-hung stalks of 
pentstcmon leaning toward the light, yield 
yet another picture. This latter (P. bar- 
batas, var. Torreyi) is not of proved hardi- 
hood but the gleaming, shrubby tufts and 
the four foot graceful flower sprays are 
most engaging. In it parrot tulips are 
planted that their oddly flaring blooms 
may sprawl at will on the dark pentstemon 
or on the white wooly cerastium. 
Beauty of foliage is not to be scorned 
for indeed it is the groundwork of the 
design. Just as the blossoms of the chry- 
santhemums dominate in autumn so does 
the dull, gray green foliage dominate 
earlier and its grayness should be the key- 
note, led up to by other minor masses. 
The light, glaucous gray of the old garden 
pink lies at the base of the darker, greener 
rue (Ruta graveolens), which stands clear 
cut against the even darker, greener mass 
of chrysanthemum behind. Again the 
silvered artemesia, shrubby, low spreading, 
creeps under a gray sage; the light green 
of Dicentra eximia at the foot of an out- 
standing clump of chrysanthemums grades 
up to the high dark mass of aconitum. 
Here and there gray tulip leaves, flax, and 
chickweed repeat the tone, binding the 
whole into one delightful setting for the 
varicolored flowers. 
Does all this seem too crowded a com- 
munity, too involved a process, too 
difficult of upkeep? It is not any of these. 
To me, it is the ideal way. Great tulips 
have, for some years now, appeared 
through the mat pink which carpets the 
peony border; narcissus bloom among the 
shoots of the lovely little Scotch rose; 
autumn crocus have a setting of green to 
set off their naked flowers. This is Nature’s 
way. Although we may lose some of the 
beauty of a finely grown specimen, we 
attain equally beautiful results. To be 
sure, we find one species perhaps too ram- 
pant, another too intolerant, but such are 
surprisingly few and each time I see a 
garden of individuals, each an oasis in a 
desert of earth, clean cultivated earth at 
that, I regret the neglected opportunities. 
