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THE MIXED-FLOWER BORDER 
RAINBOW BRIDGE OVER THE SEASONS 
One of the greatest sources of enjoy- 
ment in gardening is the mixed flower 
border—perennials, annuals, bulbs, a few 
small shrubs and even a quite small tree 
or two (all depending upon the size and 
extent of the bed). Thereby it is possible in 
Southern California to have some color 
the year around in approximately the same 
position. Never is one's flower bed empty. 
Never is it impossible to add a bit of 
something new to the plan. And then 
there's the seasonal change, so often lack- 
ing in Southwest gardens, summer slipping 
into fall, fall into winter—but not without 
flowers. 
This kind of garden is loved by every- 
body, but it probably isn't for everybody 
because it requires an hour or so almost 
every day of the year—cutting back, thin- 
ning out, adding here, subtracting there, 
almost constant fertilizing, and definitely 
hand watering. And it requires, above all 
else, a real love for digging in the dirt 
and watching things grow. 
Start a bed of this nature by selecting 
three or four evergreen long-blooming 
perennials such as Limonium perezi (Sta- 
tice), Daylilies (the evergreen lemon), Shas- 
ta Marconi, and Dianthus Pink Princess. 
Three plants each of the first three and 
five of the latter will give you a beginning 
of permanence. Group each together, the 
former three toward the middle or rear 
of the bed, the Dianthus near the edge. 
Now select about seven Chrysanthemums 
which are now very much in their seasonal 
glory, say two pink ones together, three 
whites in a diagonal line off center, a dark 
red near one end, a yellow at the other. 
Fill in with two clumps of Snapdragons of 
your favorite color, maybe three of Stocks. 
Add Ranunculus in same way, some patches 
of Daffodils overplanted with Violas or 
English Daisies, and plenty of Dutch Iris 
in diagonal lines.two or more feet apart 
(so that you have plenty of room to work 
next summer without digging into the dor- 
mant bulbs). And every time you come to 
the nursery, every month, get acquainted 
with another new plant or two which may 
be in bloom or coming along at that time. 
Avoid stilted rows of anything. Avoid 
evenness of height. Learn to blend plants 
in undulating asymetrical drifts. Be ruth- 
less about eliminating anything that doesn't 
harmonize, perform well, or please you. 
Eventually you'll develop this part of your 
garden into a source of great pride and 
satistaction. And your neighbors will prob- 
ably be envious! 
If you start such a border now, here are 
some of the plants you may have in bloom 
next November |: Spires of blue Delphin- 
ium in their last gay performance ot the 
season; yellow dwart Dahlias you've se- 
lected in bloom and planted in July; bil- 
lows of lavender Aster frikarti; the first 
white flowers of annual Candytuft planted 
from plant bands in September; pink and 
white and yellow and apricot pale bronze 
and deep red Mums from cuttings of this 
years’ few plants selected flowering in cans 
now; a mass of lavender Limonium flanked 
with Ageratum which has been blooming 
for months; golden Daylilies and white 
Moraea; the last of summer's Marigolds 
and Lobelia and the first of winter's Prim- 
roses eG? 
