SOME OF THE EARLY ASTERS.
THE SEPTEMBER GARDEN.
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.
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.
