Of late years there have been some useful additions to this special August border, the most notable being the bushy pink flowered Lavatera Olbia, all the more valuable because there are not many flowers of pink colouring for the time of year. Another useful acquisition among the cool pinks is one of Messrs. Cheal's Star Dahlias, named Ifield Star. Towards the back, among the Echinops we also use the White Star Dahlias, taking care to plant them within hand reach, because, in common with all their kind, their bloom is so much increased and prolonged by keeping the exhausted flowers cut out. Also towards the back there are some bushes of Ceanothus Gloire de Versailles, whose grey-blue flowers are just right, and Clematis Jackmanni, which is trained into supporting clumps of the grey-leaved Sea Buckthorn. In this garden the Clematis Jackmanni is in all cases the plant in the original fine purple colouring, not the so-called improved of a deeper and more reddish tint. Here we want the clearer purple of cooler tone.
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.
