CHAPTER IX

THE FLOWER BORDERS IN SEPTEMBER

The main flower border shows in September much the same aspect as in August. But early in the month the middle mass of strong colouring, enhanced by Tritomas and the fuller bloom of Dahlias, is at its brightest. The bold masses of Canna foliage have also grown up and show their intended effect. They form one of the highest points in the border. No attempt is made to keep all the back-row plants standing high; on the contrary, many that would be the tallest are pulled down to do colour-work of medium height. The effect is much more pictorial when the plants at the back rise only here and there to a height of nine or ten feet; mounting gradually and by no means at equal distances, but somewhat as the forms of greater altitude rise in the ridge of a mountain range. The diagram shows how it comes in the case of my own border in September. (_See_ p. 52.)

Rather near the front, the bushy masses of Gypsophila, that a month ago were silvery grey, have now turned to a brownish colour. They are partly covered with trailing Nasturtiums, but the portions of brown cloud that remain tone well with the rich reds that are near them. In the back of this region dark claret and blood-red Hollyhocks still show colour, and scarlet Dahlias are a mass of gorgeous bloom. Their nearest neighbours are tall flaming Tritomas with, in front of them, one of the dwarfer Tritomas that is crowded with its orange-scarlet flowers of a rather softer tone. Then come scarlet Gladiolus, a wide group of a splendid red Pentstemon, and, to the front, an edging and partly carpeting mass of a good, short-growing form of _Salvia splendens_.

After these strong reds comes a drift of the brilliant orange African Marigold, one of the most telling plants of the time of year. Coming to the yellows of middle strength, there are some of the perennial Sunflowers, among them the one that seems to be a form of _Helianthus orgyalis_, described in the last chapter. This and some others are trained down to cover plants now out of bloom. The fine double Rudbeckia called Golden Glow is treated in the same way. Intergrouped with it is a useful pale form of _Helianthus lætiflorus_ that takes up the colour when the Rudbeckia is failing.

In the near end region of blue-grey foliage the bloom of _Clematis davidiana_, also of a greyish blue, but of a colour-quality that is almost exclusively its own, tones delightfully with its nearest neighbours of leaf and bloom. About here some pots of _Plumbago capensis_ are dropped in; their wide-ranging branches, instead of being stiffly tied, are trained over some bushy plants of leaden blue-foliaged Rue. Near this, and partly shooting up through some of the same setting, are the spikes of a beautiful Gladiolus of pale, cool pink colour, the much-prized gift of an American garden-loving friend. Tall white Snapdragons, five feet high, show finely among the gracefully recurved leaves of the blue Lyme Grass. Beyond is a group of _Lilium auratum_, and in the more distant front, pale sulphur African Marigold, just now at its best.

The further end of the border that also has grey foliage is bright with pink Hydrangeas, white and pink Snapdragons, white Dahlias, purple Clematis, _Lilium auratum_ and _Aster acris_. _Yucca flaccida_ is still in beauty.

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There is another range of double border for the month of September alone. It passes down through the middle of the kitchen garden and is approached by an arch of Laburnum. It is backed on each side by a Hornbeam hedge some five and a half feet high. This border is mainly for the earlier Michaelmas Daisies; those that bloom in the first three weeks of the month. Grey foliage in plenty is to the front. Running in between the groups is _Artemisia stelleriana_, the quite hardy plant that so well imitates _Cineraria maritima_; there is also Stachys and White Pink. Further back among the flowers are drifts of the grey-blue Lyme Grass, some grey bushes of Phlomis and a silvery leaved Willow, kept to a suitable size by careful pruning.

The scheme of colouring consists of this groundwork of grey foliage, with white, lilac, purple and pale pink flowers; and, breaking into this colouring in two or three distinct places, flowers of pale yellow and yellowish white with suitable accompanying leafage. There is also, in quite another part of the garden, a later border of other Michaelmas Daisies that will follow this in time of blooming. But the September borders have a very different appearance because of their flowers of pink and yellow, colours which are absent in those of the later season.

The yellow flowers are the pale sulphur African Marigold and pale yellow and whitish yellow tall Snapdragons, with bordering masses of variegated Coltsfoot, and the Golden Feather Feverfew allowed to bloom. The pink colourings are the wide-headed _Sedum spectabile_, pink Japan Anemone and a few pale pink Gladioli. The whites are Dahlias Constance and Henry Patrick, _Pyrethrum uliginosum_, the charming perennial Aster Colerette Blanche, a taller white or yellowish white Aster with rough stems and harsh-feeling foliage that I know as _A. umbellatus_. Here also are white Japan Anemones, white Snapdragons and white China Asters of the large, long-stemmed late-blooming kind that were formerly known as Vick's, but are now called Mammoth. Among the grey bordering plants are groups of dwarf Ageratum, one of the best of the tender plants of September and quite excellent with the accompanying grey foliage. The grey bordering is not merely an edging but a general front groundwork, running here and there a yard deep into the border.

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Begonias are at their best throughout the month of September. Beds of Begonias alone never seem to me quite satisfactory. Here there is no opportunity for growing them in beds, but I have them in a bit of narrow border that is backed by shrubs, but is kept constantly enriched. A groundwork of the large-leaved form of _Megasea cordifolia_ is planted so as to surround variously sized groups of Begonias--groups of from five to nine plants. The setting of the more solid leaves gives the Begonias a better appearance and makes their bright bloom tell more vividly. They follow in this sequence of colouring: yellow, white, palest pink, full pink, rose, deep red, deep rose, salmon-rose, red-lead colour or orange-scarlet, scarlet, red-lead and orange.

It is a matter of great regret that the best kind of Dahlias for garden effect have lost favour with nurserymen, so that it is now difficult, if not impossible, to obtain from them the most desirable kinds. These are a selection of those that were first called Cactus Dahlias, much more free in form than the old show Dahlias, but with the petals not attenuated and pointed as they are in the modern Cactus kinds. The greater number of these, pretty though their individual blooms are on the show-table, are but of little use in the garden, whereas the old sorts, King of the Cactus, Cochineal, Lady Ardilaun, Fire King and Orange Fire King are among the most gorgeous of our September flowers. In the same class are: Mrs. Hawkins, palest lemon flushed with pink; William Pearse, bright yellow; Lady M. Marsham, bright copper; J. W. Standling, orange, (the two last about four feet high); and the two good whites, Constance and Henry Patrick. Of these, all in my opinion indispensable kinds, only Fire King, as far as I am aware, survives in contemporary trade lists.