THE HARDY PLANT BORDER.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1717, 25 January 1905, Page 65

THE HARDY PLANT BORDER.

(By Richard Dean. V.M.H., F.R.JIJ.S, in “Agricultural Economist.”)

The popularity of hardy plants, especially those grown under the head of herbaceous perennials, is deservedly great. The bedding plants in which gardeners used to take SO' much pride o 0 years ago, and use so lavLhiy, viz. ; Geraniums, Ageratuin®, Calceolarias, Coleus. Verbenas, etc., are now - only sparingly employed in gardens; but their place has 'been taken by a wealth of subjects, which can be had in bloom from the beginning to the end of the year, and particularly so during spring, summer and autumn. Their habit of continuous blooming in so many instance®, combined with their variety, and their generally compact and manageable growth, are now fully recognised.

To do such plants justice, they should have generous culture. A large number of them do well in ordinary garden soil of good heart ; a deep, sandy loam of a fertile character is an ideal soil for the most showy herbaceous and bulbous plants. In preparing a border for planting, it should be deeply dug and well manured, and, previous to planting, a good dressing of leaf soil, forked into the surface, will be found of groat service. If the soil to be planted is heavy, and moist provision .should be made for water to pass away from it. Road grit, finely-sifted mortar rubbish, or burnt earth, are excellent ingredients to work into a heavy soil; if, on the other hand, there is a depth of a light- sandy soil, its suitability for tiie culture of these hardy subjects will be improved by mixing stiff loam with it.

Tuberous and bulbous-rooted subjects appear to do well when planted in the autumn, though Daffodils in particular do best lifted as soon as out of bloom and replanted. Fibrous-rooted plants will succeed if transplanted when the weather is mild, and the ground in working condition, after they ripen their summer growth and up till the time they commence another season’s growth. Strong-rooting and somewhat large-growing subjects, such as Phloxes, Delphiniums, Michaelmas Daisies, etc., can be moved with impunity any time after they are cut down in autumn. -A sensible old method of securing a succession of bloom is to plant something that blooms in spring, then close by one that blooms in summer, and next an autumn-flowering subject, paying attention to contrasts of heights ot growth and colours: planting three oi four together, and not merely one only, and it will be found during the season, if the border be properly planted, there will be spaces in which pot plants maj b© temporarily placed during the sum-

mer, if a little filling up he thought advisable.

Such attentions as staking, the thinning of branches, if required, the removal of dead blossoms and decaying leaves, are all helnl’ul in maintaining an effective appearance of the border, and it will be well, once in three ot four yeans at least, to lift, manure the soil, divide and replant. Many hardy plants are allowed to remain in one position for years, receiving little or no attention ; the result is a weakened growth, shabby appearance, poor bloom, and poverty. Plants which spread rapidly, as many do. need the most particular attention, or they will soon outgrow the space allotted to them, and become mixed with neighbour, ng subjects in an untidy manner, and unpleasant to the sight.