INTRODUCTION 
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spring and summer is often overworked ; and 
if he has to fight his way in mixed borders 
with dots everywhere, it is not half so easy 
for him as where he has good bold groups 
of each. 
One should be very particular in making a 
choice. Much harm has been and is being 
done by cultivation of hungry plants that do 
not give good effect, like not a few of the 
American sunflowers, rapacious plants of not 
much beauty. Above all things avoid ugly 
plants and those that flower for a few days 
only, and those so coarse that you cannot put 
up with them when they are out of flower, 
like the day lilies. Where there is any room 
outside the garden in shrubbery, copse, or even 
hedgerow, a good way is to put such plants in 
a place where they can grow freely. In many 
cases I do this with stout geraniums, evening 
primroses, bergamot, and meadow-sweets. 
The plan of filling up the border with 
annuals or plants to fill up gaps is not a good 
one, and shows that the border has not been 
well planted in the autumn and winter. At 
the same time, we should not hesitate to 
use a few other things if they come in, apart 
from herbaceous plants. Some long-flowering 
China roses form very pretty groups in the 
