72 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
February 6, 190c 
Making a 
herbaceous 
Border. 
V_ 
A herbaceous border being an outstand¬ 
ing feature in a garden, and being also 
of a permanent character, it is well be¬ 
fore starting the formation of one to have 
the matter carefully thought out. 
To begin with, trench the ground two 
feet deep, adding plenty ot farmyard 
manure and some bone meal, the latter 
being essential as it sustains the plants 
after the ordinary manure is exhausted. 
Trenching should be done in the fall 
of the year, but the planting of the border 
should be deferred until spring, as many 
of the plants are sure to perish if planted 
at the end of the year. 
Have a background to your border. If 
there is a wall cover it with Clematis, 
some of the hardy vines, Aristolochia, 
and some of the finer varieties of Berberis, 
but before proceeding further have a plan 
prepared of the border, with each group 
of plants marked thereon, giving the 
height, colour, and time of flowering; one 
will then be able to make out a list of 
what will be required to fill the border. 
In making the selection of plants do 
not attempt anything in the way of a 
collection, but confine it to plants that 
have some character about them, either 
in flower or foliage, or both ; many of our 
herbaceous plants look very pretty in a 
nurseryman's shop at a flower show, but 
when grown for effect they are disap¬ 
pointing. Select plants so as to give as 
long a season of flowering as possible, 
so that with the addition of spring flower¬ 
ing bulbs the border may be of interest 
at all seasons. 
The system of grouping the plants now 
in vogue, is a great advance on the old 
method of cramming as many species as 
possible into a given space. Much has 
been said in favour of colour schemes, 
but I am not in favour of them but would 
rather imitate nature as far as possible. 
Generally speaking, three plants to a 
group will be sufficient, but in some cases 
owing to the habit of the plant one to a 
group will be enough. In planting do 
not keep to straight lines, but plant 
irregularly, having groups rising above 
the surrounding groups at intervals all 
over the border, and arrange the groups 
that no two adjoining groups will flower 
simultaneously, but succeed each other 
and so prolong the flowering season. 
Have no hard and fast lines of demar¬ 
cation between the groups, but rather 
have the one running into the next and 
so on, and arrange the groups along the 
back of the border so as to harmonise with 
the background; also avoid having the 
following colours close to each other, 
viz. : Purple, blue and mauve, yellow and 
orange, and scarlet and red. The differ¬ 
ent shades of pink and red harmonise well 
together, and for strong contrasts, scarlet 
and white. 
The great secret in planting what will 
be a pleasing border, and not a mere 
mass of colour, is to study the individu¬ 
ality of the plants, giving each its due 
as regards position, so that we may get 
something like the true form of the plant; 
for example, Actaeas should be planted 
well forward in a border otherwise their 
beauty of form is lost. 
.D. Chapman. 
The Gardens, Cawdor Castle, 
Nairn, N.B. 
-- 
Henry Eckford’s Catalogue. 
At the present time, when the horticul¬ 
tural world is practically full of seed cata¬ 
logues, readers, but particularly those 
who are fond of Sweet Peas, would do 
well to examine the pages of the hand¬ 
some catalogue got up by Mr. Henry Eck- 
ford, Wem, Shropshire. This is the old 
and original seed house for the new and 
improved Sweet Peas which are so popu¬ 
lar at the present day, and where improve¬ 
ments continue to be effected in large 
numbers every year. Only the most dis¬ 
tinct and choicest, however, are offered to 
the general public. The catalogue is or¬ 
namented on the front cover with the 
novelties, Dodwell F. Browne and Mrs. C. 
Masters, while the other two novelties 
being put into commerce this year, 
namely, Annie B. Gilroy and Mrs. Henry 
Bell, ornament the back cover. 
- a. w. -- 
Prize Competitions. 
GENERAL 00KDITI0N8:— Competitors most 
write on one side of the paper only. Regular 
paid contributors to THE GARDENING 
WORLD or other gardening journals are de¬ 
barred from entering, but occasional con¬ 
tributors may compete. The name and ad¬ 
dress of the competitor must appear on each 
article sent for competition. The Editor’s 
decision is final, and he reserves the right 
to reproduce, in any wayjl any artiole or photo¬ 
graph sent for competition. The conditions 
applying to eaoh competition should be care¬ 
fully read. 
WEEKLY 
PRIZES. 
A PRIZE OFTEN SHILLINGS wiU be given 
for the best paragraph or short artiole on any 
gardening subject, such as hints of practical 
interest to gardeners, notes on the propaga¬ 
tion or cultivation of flowers, fruits or vege¬ 
tables, eradication of pests, etc. The para¬ 
graph or article must not exceed a column, but 
value rather than length will be considered in 
making the award. Mark envelopes “ Com¬ 
petition,” and post not later than the Monday 
following date of issue. Entries received later 
than Tuesday (first post) will be left over until 
thefollowing week. 
Two prizes of fis. 6d. will be awarded eaoh 
week for the two best letters, not exceeding 
160 words, on any interesting gardening sub¬ 
ject. 
RESULTS OP 
LAST WEEK’S 
COMPETITIONS. 
Some of the best papers in this competition 
are too long, and we desire readers to keep 
within a column. 
A prize in the Readers’ Competition was 
awarded to “ F. W. S.,” for the article on 
“ Sweet. Peas,” page 64. 
In the Prize Letter Competition a prize 
Was awarded to “C. H..” for the article on 
“ Treatment of Gooseberry Bushes,” ; and 
another to “ H. Rowles ” for the article on 
“ Ooronilla glauca,” page 58. 
Propagating 
Asparagus 
pern. 
This elegant plant is far superior o 
Maiden Hair Fern for its beauty in d< - 
rations and for its lasting qualities. ' e 
latter, after being made up in a bouq t 
or buttonhole on a hot day, begins q 
the course of a few hours to droop, t 
Asparagus will last as many days , d 
still appear quite fresh. 
The best and quickest means of pro .. 
gation is undoubtedly by taking cuttin , 
although this method : s known only t< i 
small percentage of its lovers. 
It is a very easy operation to strike th 5 
cuttings. Cut them off just below a j<: t 
and insert them in some sandy comy t 
and keep moist and shaded during bri t 
sunshine. In a few weeks’ time they 1 1 
be found to have rooted freely, and: 
potted up in a compost of peat, leaf-mo- [ 
and silver sand, will soon make beauti. 
healthy and bushy plants. 
An amateur of my acquaintance sta 1 
that it was best to propagate them by se^, 
but he did not know that they take ni 
months to germinate, and then they 01 
grow very’ slow for a time. Since taki 
advice and trying the cuttings, he 1 
no further use for Asparagus seed, 
means of cuttings a large stock of plai 
can be quickly raised instead of waiti 
for seed to commence growth. Anotb 
good means of propagation is by divisk 
.When a pot becomes crammed with roi 
it should be turned out, all the old s 
washed off—not torn off haphazard, the: 
by destroying most of the tiny fibro 
roots—but carefully got away with cle 
water, the roots afterwards being cut ■ 
with a sharp knife and r-e-potted in cle. 
pots and new compost. Although this 
a good and sure method of propagatio 
the Same quantity of plants cannot be g 
as by means of cuttings. 
It is always advisable to have youi 
plants to replace the old ones, as tl 
latter are of too rank a growth for pt^ 
poses of effective floral decoration. Ne 
growths are always prettier and of fini 
texture, and for one to keep up his repi 
tation and stock he must propagate 1 
the quickest means. 
Asparagus Fern is excellent for a tab 
decoration or for parlour window displa; 
Place the Fern in the centre of two < 
more flowering plants, such as Geranium 
Begonias, spotted Calceolarias, or ar 
other of the bright floral subjects of tv 
or three different colours, and allow tl 
sprays of the Asparagus to droop grao 
fully over each, about two or three inchf 
above their bloom. The result will pr< 
vide a particularly effective floral displa 
and one which will prove very attracts 
to visitors, for its novelty and for its las 
ing qualities. 
Joseph Floyd. 
Mauve Primroses. 
Mauve Primroses, shown by’ the Misst 
Hopkins, of Shepperton-on-Thames, a 1 
tracted great attention at the Royal Hoi. 
ticultural Society’s Show at Westminster 
on January 26th. 
