There is also a short length of double border specially devoted to August, of the same character, though not so fully developed, as what will be described in a further chapter as the Grey Garden. Here, the space being small, it has been given specially to the more restricted season. The scheme of colouring has a ground of grey foliage, with flowers of pink, white and light and dark purple.
Next the path is the silvery white of Stachys, Cineraria maritima, and Artemisia stelleriana, with the grey foliage and faint purple of the second bloom of Catmint. Then bushy masses of Lavender and Gypsophila, and between them Lilium longiflorum, Godetia Double Rose, and white Snapdragons. Behind and among these are groups of the clear white Achillea, The Pearl, and the round purple heads of Globe Thistle. Here and there, pushing to the front, is a Silver Thistle (Eryngium giganteum). At the back shoot up Pink Hollyhocks, the kind being one of home growth known as Pink Beauty. The deep green of a Fig-tree that covers the upper part of the landing and outside stone steps to a loft is an excellent background to the tender greys of these August borders. Unfortunately, the main group of pink Hollyhock, that should have stood up straight and tall and shown well against the window and silvery grey weather-boarding of the loft, failed altogether last season; in fact, all the Hollyhocks were poor and stunted, so that an important part of the intended effect was lost.
Of Lavender hedges there are several, of varying ages, in different parts of the garden. Lavender for cutting should be from plants not more than four to five years old, but for pictorial effect the bushes may be much older. When they are growing old it is a good plan to plant white and purple Clematises so that they can be trained freely through and over them.
There are comparatively few shrubs that flower in autumn, so that it is quite a pleasant surprise to come upon a group of them all in bloom together. The picture shows the satisfactory effect of a group of Æsculus macrostachya and Olearia Haastii. It would have been all the better for some plants of the beautiful blue-flowered Perowskya atriplicifolia and for Caryopteris mastacanthus in front, but at the time of planting I did not think of the Caryopteris and did not know the Perowskya. (See p. 75.)
August is the month of China Asters. I find many people are shy of these capital plants, perhaps because the mixtures, such as are commonly grown, contain rather harsh and discordant colours; also perhaps because a good many of the kinds, having been purposely dwarfed in order to fit them for pot-culture and bedding, are too stiff to look pretty in general gardening. Such kinds will always have their uses, but what is wanted now in the best gardening is more freedom of habit. I have a little space that I give entirely to China Asters. I have often had the pleasure of showing it to some person who professed a dislike to them, and with great satisfaction have heard them say, with true admiration: "Oh! but I had no idea that China Asters could be so beautiful."
A LAVENDER HEDGE.
ÆSCULUS MACROSTACHYA AND OLEARIA HAASTII.