May 23, 1908. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
357 
Shady Borders. 
BY 
AN OLD HAND, 
Valuable suggestions for dealing with (1) Borders facing North, and 
(2) Borders overshadowed by Trees. 
Shady borders in a garden give a lot 
; trouble in their planting, and still 
l0 re in their upkeep, if one may judge 
v the number of questions on the sub¬ 
let addressed to Editors of garden jour- 
als. But a careful observer of these 
uestions is at once struck by a curious , 
ict, viz., that the querists make no dis- 
dmination in the character, or what I 
ould call the quality, of their shady bor¬ 
er. And yet there are decidedly shady 
orders and shady borders. 
Take the border which is only shady 
y virtue of its facing the north and hav- 
ig a high wail or fence on the south side 
f it. This is in nowise to be compared 
q point of quality or capabilities with the 
(order which is rendered shady by tall 
rees, especially when the trees are on 
he fringe of the border itself. 
A shady border of the first description— 
irhat gardeners call a north border—is 
ine of the most valuable assets a garden 
an have. Not only can outdoor flower- 
ng plants of all descriptions dc had in 
ate bloom by its aid, but even pot plants 
ran be retarded several days or even 
reeks by its assistance. Who that has 
hown pot Lilies, specimen Fuchsias, 
ir Geraniums at a summer exhibition but 
ias been glad of the retarding influence 
>f a shady north wall and border when 
iis nl ants "were too forward? Personally, 
’ have found such a border exceedingly 
lseful with forced bulbs, Canterbury 
3 ells, Lilacs, and other spring plants 
prown under glass. 
That such a border will grow outdoor 
flants very well indeed I have many 
:imes demonstrated. In fact, a concrete 
example is before my eyes as I write, and 
[ cannot do better than enumerate some 
rf the plants in it, first mentioning that 
[ do not believe this border gets an aver¬ 
age of a quarter of an hour’s sunshine per 
lay throughout the year. The back wall 
is covered with a strong growing Ivy, and 
the old-fashioned Virginian Creeper, Am- 
pelopsis quinquaefolia. Next come such 
shrubs as Laburnums, Lilacs, flowering 
Currants. Syringas (Philadelphus coron- 
arius and grandiflorus), Roses William 
Allen Richardson and Gloire de -Dijon, 
Snowberry bushes, the Holly-leaved Bar¬ 
berry, variegated Privet, Aucubas, 
Laurels, Box, Veronica Traversi, and 
Spiraea salicifolia grandiflora; all of 
these are in good condition, and those 
which should flower bear annually, a pro¬ 
fusion of bloom. 
The ground-work of the border is 
largely composed of Ivy, four sorts of 
Periwinkle, two being variegated, Creep¬ 
ing Jennv, Pansy, Sweet Williams, Fox¬ 
gloves, Japanese Anemones, Corydalis 
lutea, Comfrevs, various British Ferns, 
Doronicums, Gardener’s Garters Grass, 
Chrysanthemums, and Michaelmas 
Daisies. In the spring, lots of bulbs 
bloom here, and in summer hardy 
annuals fill up all blank spaces. Not a 
bad record this for a shady border facing 
north—but then this border is wet. 
It is in the ground being constantly wet 
that such a border differs mostly from one 
shaded by trees. Such a border is never 
sufficiently wet, be its exposure what it 
may. I have helped to transplant shrubs 
on such a border in October, and found 
the soil so dry that it blew off in clouds 
of dust from "the roots of shrubs dug up 
18 in. or 2 ft. deep. How can plants of 
any description, especially surface root¬ 
ing ones, hope to thrive in such a dust- 
dry medium? 
This is the kind of shady border which 
gives trouble in planting and maintain¬ 
ing. The trees near it not only keep off 
the needed rain and dews, but with their 
immense and far-reaching roots actually 
rob smaller plants of any food which is 
in, or which is added, to the soil. I 
have had to deal with two such Borders 
as those described, and in each case have 
met with a fair amount of success, but 
only by sheer hard work. In each case 
the borders ran round one side of a lawn, 
so that it was absolutely imperative that 
they should look well, in spite of their 
drawbacks. 
In dealing with such borders, I have al¬ 
ways found it expedient to first make a 
vigorous onslaught on the tree roots. It 
should never be forgotten that it is al¬ 
most impossible to kill or greatly injure 
the growth of a large, well-established 
Elm, Lime, Chestnut, or even Conifer by 
cutting off its roots. One would have to 
go very far down and to an immensity of 
trouble to materially affect the health of 
a well-rooted tree. I have seen it tried, 
at least on two occasions, with the avowed 
object of killing a tree we were not per¬ 
mitted to cut down, and on each occasion 
the tree continued to flourish and wave its 
arms derisively at our efforts. 
It being, then, clearly understood that 
no harm is likely to be done by digging 
out a few barrowloads of tree roots from 
a border, no compunction need be felt 
in chopping them away with spade or 
pickaxe. The very best plan is to cut 
a good trench along at the base of the 
trees, a few feet from their stems, and 
bank up the side of the trench nearest 
them with slates or boards, to keep new 
roots out of the border. Leaving the 
trench open will have the same effect, as 
the roots will not cross the open space. 
When the roots are all forked out of 
the border, a good dressing of decayed 
dung should be forked in, and then plant¬ 
ing of shrubs or suitable herbaceous sub¬ 
jects may follow. But whatever is 
planted, some means must be devised of 
keeping the soil wet during the time that 
leaves are on the trees. In my own prac¬ 
tice I have laid a mulch of short manure", 
covered with a little soil, round each 
large plant and shrub as soon as the 
leafy canopv of the trees has grown dense 
enough to keep off rain. This manurial 
mulch is given a thorough soaking with 
the hose after it is put down, and again 
at intervals all through the season as 
often as the removal of a patch of dung 
shows the soil to be dry underneath. In 
this way I have managed to get a really 
good display of flowers and foliage on 
two of the worst and driest shady borders 
I have ever seen. 
-- 
Seed Sowing 
For Next Year’s Blooms. 
In the general hubbub and flurry of 
gardening operations in May, we are apt 
to overlook the fact that a large selection 
of floral gems for blooming in 1909 have 
now to be sown. Nowadays biennials and 
perennials are sown in heat in early 
spring, and pushed on to flower in the 
autumn of the same year. While this 
procedure may prove useful to force a 
flower (perhaps only an apology of its 
true character) into bloom, I question if 
this is a correct method to obtain outdoor 
biennials or perennials sturdy enough to 
survive a variable winter. The biennials 
and many perennials are sown to make 
sturdy growth the first season and bloom 
the second season, when biennials die al¬ 
together. A perusal of a good catalogue 
will enable one to select one’s favourites 
and judge what one can afford. 
Some gems from seed are Anchusa, 
Columbine, Anemone, Asters, Auricula, 
perennial Candytuft, Centaureas, 
Chelone, Chrysanthemum of sorts, Del¬ 
phiniums, Galega, Geum, Gypsophila 
paniculata, Helianthus, Lupinus, Forget- 
Me-Nots, Papaver nudicaule, Primroses, 
Hesperis, with Srveet William, Wall¬ 
flowers, and Canterbury Bells. With the 
exception of Wallflowers and Sweet Wil¬ 
liams, which can be sown in the open 
border, a cool frame, or at least a sheL 
tered warm corner, is best suited for the 
bulk of the seeds. Supposing we are 
utilising the frame, put in 4 in. deep of 
sifted soil just what is prepared for sow¬ 
ing in pots or boxes. Sow in shallow 
drills and cover by the hand with sifted 
soil, and give a fairly good watering. All 
the seeds should be correctly named with 
good white-painted labels, giving date, 
height, colour, and all particulars. The 
seed, bed, whether in a frame or exposed, 
should be kept moistened. A glass cover¬ 
ing and shading is always best till the 
majoritv of the seedlings appear, for 
heavy waterings from above are liable to 
disturb the seeds. 
By autumn those well advanced in 
growth could be transplanted to give 
more space for the others, or put into 
their flowering quarters at once, although, 
when in a small state, and in a frame, 
it is much more convenient to protect 
them with material the first winter, and 
one can thus better keep an eye on snails 
and slugs. Thev can then be planted out 
in early spring. In some instances ger¬ 
mination is very slow, so leave the bed 
undisturbed for several months. 
A. V. M. 
- ¥++ - 
. A Handsome Crab Apple. 
Notwithstanding the snowstorm in April 
and the unsettled weather in May, Pvrus 
floribunda is flowering as profusely as 
ever. 
