Perennial Borders More Popular In Auckland Gardens

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 167, 17 July 1941, Page 19

Perennial Borders More Popular In Auckland Gardens

BORDERS of herbaceous plants are now becoming so popular that the work of arranging them should not be carried out haphazardly. Before planting, the ground should be well dug over to a depth of at least two feet, and given a good dressing of well-decayed manure. In planting, it is important to arrange the plants to ensure that the display will be maintained effectively over a long period. As the flowering season of herbaceous plants ranges from spring through mid summer

to autumn, it is necessary to know the flowering period of each, so that they can be well intermingled, otherwise if the centre of the border were planted only with spring-flowering plants it would quite spoil the effect of the whole in autumn, so always bear in mind when planting the effect to be produced. Worthwhile plants which bloom in spring and early summer include such plants as delphiniums, lupins, paeonies, Oriental poppies, iris and pyrethrum, followed by displays of erigerons, campanulas, phioxes, eryngeums and many others, while heleniums, hellanthus, perennial asters and tritomas are all useful for autumn displays. Dwarf-growine subjects suitable for the front of the border include heuchera, pinks, sedums, nepeta and primulas.