A frequent ambition of the amateur is to have an ever flowering border with the late blooming varieties covering and hiding the earlier blooming perennials so as to give the look of continuous bloom. This would be very difficult to achieve, would be wonderful if it could be achieved that goes without saying. To maintain a border such as that would take continuous and constant labor and attention. This would also depend on the varieties of plants there would be in this flower border with different growth habits as the more plants and varieties you have growing the harder it becomes to maintain.

When the amateur starts growing perennials in a flower border he just doesn't realize the problems that he will have ahead. I have seen over l00 varieties in a border about l0 feet wide and l00 feet long, now this is not wrong but one needs to allow for time for caring for this many varieties, for the beginner I would suggest planting a few varieties and learning to take care of them then advancing to more varieties and more work in caring for them.

  
I would suggest a simple way to obtain pleasing results with perennials is to arrange them in groups of two varieties that would flower at the same time, and either harmonize or contrast with each other, depending on your preference. I do like a combinates with contrasts as the dark purplish-hued Delphiniums with orange Lillies or scarlet Oriental Popppies with an early golden-Yellow Daylily. Such groups can be made large or small, and if you have rhythm in the flower border the effect will be pleasing to the eye.

To achieve the most efect I would also suggest that the individual groups not be too small, never less than three plants of a kind and five to eight are even better. Then you have a resulting constant change in the appearance of the entire border as the various groups come into full flower, while you still have a perfect balance at all times.

I would also suggest you can get striking effects with color by combining the following:

Campanula, Delphinium, Echinoips, Eryngium, Blue Iris, Veronica, Linum, Nepeta, Platycodon, Polemonium nad Tradescantia.

As a last thought I would also suggest that you judge the space for planting by the sizes the plants will become when full grown. Planting too close results in undesirable competition and prevents the closely crowded plants from developing fully. Also you don't want to leave a large space inbetween either.