April 1, 1893. 
TrHE GARDENING WORLD. 
485 
THE HERBACEOUS 
BORDER.* 
So much has been written on this subject, and it 
has been so exhaustively treated by many able and 
distinguished writers on horticulture, that it may 
seem superfluous to write another paper on the 
subject, unless one has something new to bring for¬ 
ward, which I must confess at the outset is not my 
case. Still, the subject is a large one, comprehend¬ 
ing something over two thousand species of hardy 
plants, not to mention the cultivation of them. 
Some objection has already been taken to bulbs 
being included, on the ground that they are not 
herbaceous plants, but it was thought better to 
include them in this paper, as in the majority of, if 
not in all, borders they are not only to be found, but 
is to have a space 8 ft. or io ft. wide in front of 
shrubberies between the shrubs and the turf or box¬ 
edging prepared for their reception, and this plan 
has a good deal to recommend it, as plants in such 
a position are generally in keeping with their 
surroundings, and when planted in such a way that 
they gradually rise upward in a bank-like form, from 
the dwarf edges, such as the Golden Thyme or the 
dwarf Saxifrages, to the tall Sunflowers at the back 
intermingling with the dark green foliage of the 
shrubs behind, the effect is very striking indeed. 
Having chosen the position of the border,whether 
inside the kitchen garden or in front of the shrubbery, 
whichever is most convenient or suitable, the next 
operation is the preparation of the soil. If the soil 
of the chosen position be good, nothing else is 
required than to trench it two feet or so, adding 
all over the border throughout the whole season of 
blooming, bearing in mind at the same time of 
course to always have the dwarf ones in front, and 
the taller they are the further back is their allotted 
position in the border. 
If all these details are carefully wrought out 
beforehand and marked down in the plan, when the 
actual operation of planting begins it is possible to 
begin at one end of the border and finish at the 
other, thus saving a great amount of trouble and 
time. How often do we see a gardener when 
commencing to plant the border take up say half-a- 
dozen or so plants of the same variety and divide 
them over the ground, then starting at the beginning 
again with another half-dozen of another variety go 
over the ground again dividing them as before, and 
so on till all the plants are laid down. All this 
Dendrobium infundibulum Jamesianum, 
n the spring and early summer, at least, they con¬ 
tribute more than half the beauty and attractiveness 
that is attached to a well-arranged and tidily-kept 
border. What plants, indeed, would fill the place 
of the sweet little Snowdrop, or the bright bold 
colours of large clumps of Crocuses ? Or, again, 
what would the border be worth in early summer 
without the Narcissi or the Tulips, or in. the 
autumn without the Liliums ? 
Before alluding to the plants it will perhaps be 
appropriate at this stage to offer a few remarks 
about the preparation of the borders, their planting, 
and subsequent management. Regarding the choice 
of situation, in the first place, it is generally most con¬ 
venient—if the herbaceous border is to be in the kitchen 
garden—to have it along the sides of the main walks 
or along a narrow border under shelter of a wall 
preferably with a southern exposure. Another way 
*A paper read by Mr. David Tanner, at the Harewood 
House, Leeds, Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement Association. 
some opening material, such as lime rubbish if the 
soil be stiff, or if too loose a good barrowful of turfy 
loam to every four square yards will generally 
speaking put a good heart into it. If on the other 
hand, the soil be bad. it is better to entirely remove 
it and replace it with some good soil, or the success 
of the plants in the border will be very problematical 
if not wholly unsatisfactory. This operation is best 
performed in winter and the soil thrown up rough 
till April or May when the plants may be put in. 
Before beginning to plant, a plan of the border 
should first be drawn out, and the position of each 
plant noted down on the plan, care being taken in 
arranging them that the colours of any two plants 
that are to stand side by side and that bloom at the 
same time should harmonise with each other, and it 
is also advisable to so arrange them that neither the 
early flowering ones nor the late flowering ones 
shall be all together, but all skilfully mixed among 
each other so that a good show of flowers may be 
walking backward and forward might easily be saved 
by simply arranging and dividing the available plants 
on the plan beforehand. 
It may also be said that the arrangement of the 
plants in the border at the time of planting is the 
most important operation in connection with the 
formation of the herbaceous border, for upon skilful 
grouping depends in a great measure the beauty of 
the border during the summer. It is very distaste¬ 
ful to see the plants so arranged that the colours are 
not in an agreeable harmony with each other, or to 
see tall growing ones near the front completely 
shutting out of sight the dwarf ones behind. 
As regards the management of the border when 
once established, the strong growing sorts will 
require to be kept in check ; when the clumps get 
too large they should be taken up and divided, and 
a piece from the outside selected, as they are 
generally the strongest and best pieces. Before 
planting this selected piece again, it is a good plan 
