Stand and deliver

STAKING is one of the most tiresome of garden chores. It does not come so hard for gardeners who specialise in tall plants such as delphiniums that invariably need supporting, but for those who grow a variety of perennials in a border it is different. Quite often the job is postponed until it is too late, either because the ground is hard or because sticks are hard to come by or simply because it is a tiresome job.

It is true that over-tall plants are often seen in too-narrow borders, or that the tall kinds used are naturally weak in growth. Some undoubtedly are, but the fact must not be overlooked that the conventional one-sided border