It is necessary also, that I shew you the seuerall materials, wherewith these knots and trayles are set forth and bordered; which are of two sorts: The one are liuing herbes, and the other are dead materials; as leade, boords, bones, tyles, &c. Of herbes, there are many sorts wherewith the knots and beds in a Garden are vsed to bee set, to shew forth the forme of them, and to preserue them the longer in their forme, as also to be as greene, and sweete herbes, while they grow, to be cut to perfume the house, keeping them in such order and proportion, as may be most conuenient for their seuerall natures, and euery mans pleasure and fancy: Of all which, I intend to giue you the knowledge here in this place; and first, to begin with that which hath beene most anciently receiued, which is Thrift. This is an euerliuing greene herbe, which many take to border their beds, and set their knots and trayles, and therein much delight, because it will grow thicke and bushie, and may be kept, being cut with a paire of Garden sheeres, in some good handsome manner and proportion for a time, and besides, in the Summer time send forth many short stalkes of pleasant flowers, to decke vp an house among other sweete herbes: Yet these inconueniences doe accompany it; it will not onely in a small time ouergrow the knot or trayle in many places, by growing so thicke and bushie, that it will put out the forme of a knot in many places: but also much thereof will dye with the frosts and snowes in Winter, and with the drought in Summer, whereby many voide places will be seene in the knot, which doth much deforme it, and must therefore bee yearely refreshed: the thicknesse also and bushing thereof doth hide and shelter snayles and other small noysome wormes so plentifully, that Gilloflowers, and other fine herbes and flowers being planted therein, are much spoyled by them, and cannot be helped without much industry, and very great and daily attendance to destroy them. Germander is another herbe, in former times also much vsed, and yet also in many places; and because it will grow thicke, and may be kept also in some forme and proportion with cutting, and that the cuttings are much vsed as a strawing herbe for houses, being pretty and sweete, is also much affected by diuers: but this also will often dye and grow out of forme, and besides that, the stalkes will grow too great, hard and stubby, the rootes doe so farre shoote vnder ground, that, vpon a little continuance thereof, will spread into many places within the knot, which if continually they be not plucked vp, they will spoile the whole knot it selfe; and therefore once in three or foure yeares at the most, it must be taken vp and new set, or else it will grow too roynish and cumbersome. Hyssope hath also been vsed to be set about a knot, and being sweete, will serue for strewings, as Germander: But this, although the rootes doe not runne or creep like it, yet the stalkes doe quickly grow great aboue ground, and dye often after the first yeares setting, whereby the grace of the knot will be much lost. Marierome, Sauorie, and Thyme, in the like manner being sweete herbes, are vsed to border vp beds and knots, and will be kept for a little while, with cutting, into some conformity; but all and euery of them serve most commonly but for one yeares vse, and will soone decay and perish: and therefore none of these, no more than any of the former, doe I commend for a good bordering herbe for this purpose. Lauander Cotton also being finely slipped and set, is of many, and those of the highest respect of late daies, accepted, both for the beauty and forme of the herbe, being of a whitish greene mealy colour, for his sent smelling somewhat strong, and being euerliuing and abiding greene all the Winter, will, by cutting, be kept in as euen proportion as any other herbe may be. This will likewise soone grow great and stubbed, notwithstanding the cutting, and besides will now and then perish in some places, especially if you doe not strike or put off the snow, before the Sunne lying vpon it dissolue it: The rarity & nouelty of this herbe, being for the most part but in the Gardens of great persons, doth cause it to be of the greater regard, it must therfore be renewed wholly euery second or third yeare at the most, because of the great growing therof. Slips of Iuniper or Yew are also receiued of some & planted, because they are alwayes green, and that the Iuniper especially hath not that ill sent that Boxe hath, which I will presently commend vnto you, yet both Iuniper and Yew will soon grow too great and stubbed, and force you to take vp your knot sooner, than if it were planted with Boxe. Which lastly, I chiefly and aboue all other herbes commend vnto you, and being a small, lowe, or dwarfe kinde, is called French or Dutch Boxe, and serueth very well to set out any knot, or border out any beds: for besides that it is euer greene, it being reasonable thicke set, will easily be cut and formed into any fashion one will, according to the nature thereof, which is to grow very slowly, and will not in a long time rise to be of any height, but shooting forth many small branches from the roote, will grow very thicke, and yet not require so great tending, nor so much perish as any of the former, and is onely receiued into the Gardens of those that are curious. This (as I before said) I commend and hold to bee the best and surest herbe to abide faire and greene in all the bitter stormes of the sharpest Winter, and all the great heates and droughts of Summer, and doth recompence the want of a good sweet sent with his fresh verdure, euen proportion, and long lasting continuance. Yet these inconueniences it hath, that besides the vnpleasing sent which many mislike, and yet is but small, the rootes of this Boxe do so much spread themselues into the ground of the knot, and doe draw from thence so much nourishment, that it robbeth all the herbes that grow neare it of their sap and substance, thereby making all the earth about it barren, or at least lesse fertile. Wherefore to shew you the remedy of this inconuenience of spreading, without either taking vp the Boxe of the border, or the herbes and flowers in the knot, is I thinke a secret knowne but vnto a few, which is this: You shall take a broad pointed Iron like vnto a Slise or Chessill, which thrust downe right into the ground a good depth all along the inside of the border of Boxe somewhat close thereunto, you may thereby cut away the spreading rootes thereof, which draw so much moisture from the other herbes on the inside, and by this meanes both preserue your herbes and flowers in the knot, and your Boxe also, for that the Boxe will be nourished sufficiently from the rest of the rootes it shooteth on all the other sides. And thus much for the liuing herbes, that serue to set or border vp any knot. Now for the dead materials, they are also, as I said before diuers: as first, Leade, which some that are curious doe border their knots withall, causing it to be cut of the breadth of foure fingers, bowing the lower edge a little outward, that it may lye vnder the vpper crust of the ground, and that it may stand the faster, and making the vpper edge either plain, or cut out like vnto the battlements of a Church: this fashion hath delighted some, who haue accounted it stately (at the least costly) and fit for their degree, and the rather, because it will be bowed and bended into any round square, angular, or other proportion as one listeth, and is not much to be misliked, in that the Leade doth not easily breake or spoile without much iniury, and keepeth vp a knot for a very long time in his due proportion: but in my opinion, the Leade is ouer-hot for Summer, and ouer-cold for Winter. Others doe take Oaken inch boords, and sawing them foure or fiue inches broad, do hold vp their knot therewith: but in that these boordes cannot bee drawne compasse into any small scantling, they must serue rather for long outright beds, or such knots as haue no rounds, halfe rounds or compassings in them. And besides, these boordes are not long lasting, because they stand continually in the weather, especially the ends where they are fastened together will soonest rot and perish, and so the whole forme will be spoyled. To preuent that fault, some others haue chosen the shanke bones of Sheep, which after they haue beene well cleansed and boyled, to take out the fat from them, are stucke into the ground the small end downewards, and the knockle head vpwards, and thus being set side to side, or end to end close together, they set out the whole knot therewith, which heads of bones although they looke not white the first yeare, yet after they haue abiden some frosts and heates will become white, and prettily grace out the ground: but this inconvenience is incident to them, that the Winter frosts will raise them out of the ground oftentimes, and if by chance the knockle head of any doe breake, or be strucke off with any ones foot, &c. going by, from your store, that lyeth by you of the same sort, set another in the place, hauing first taken away the broken peece: although these will last long in forme and order, yet because they are but bones many mislike them, and indeed I know but few that vse them. Tyles are also vsed by some, which by reason they may bee brought compasse into any fashion many are pleased with them, who doe not take the whole Tyle at length, but halfe Tyles, and other broken pieces set somewhat deepe, into the ground, that they may stand fast, and these take vp but little roome, and keepe vp the edge of the beds and knots in a pretty comely manner, but they are often out of frame, in that many of them are broken and spoiled, both with mens feete passing by, the weather and weight of the earth beating them downe and breaking them, but especially the frosts in Winter doe so cracke off their edges, both at the toppes and sides that stand close one vnto another, that they must be continually tended and repaired with fresh and sound ones put in the place of them that are broken or decayed. And lastly (for it is the latest inuention) round whitish or blewish pebble stones, of some reasonable proportion and bignesse, neither too great nor too little, haue beene vsed by some to be set, or rather in a manner but laide vpon the ground to fashion out the traile or knot, or all along by the large grauelly walke sides to set out the walke, and maketh a pretty handsome shew, and because the stones will not decay with the iniuries of any time or weather, and will be placed in their places againe, if any should be thrust out by any accident, as also that their sight is so conspicuous vpon the ground, especially if they be not hid with the store of herbes growing in the knot; is accounted both for durability, beauty of the sight, handsomnesse in the worke, and ease in the working and charge, to be of all other dead materials the chiefest. And thus, Gentlemen, I haue shewed you all the varieties that I know are vsed by any in our Countrey, that are worth the reciting (but as for the fashion of Iawe-bones, vsed by some in the Low Countries, and other places beyond the Seas, being too grosse and base, I make no mention of them) among which euery one may take what pleaseth him best, or may most fitly be had, or may best agree with the ground or knot. Moreouer, all these herbes that serue for borderings, doe serue as well to be set vpon the ground of a leuelled knot; that is, where the allies and foot-pathes are of the same leuell with the knot, as they may serue also for the raised knot, that is, where the beds of the knot are raised higher than the allies; but both Leade, Boordes, Bones, and Tyles, are only for the raised ground, be it knot or beds. The pebble stones againe are onely for the leuelled ground, because they are so shallow, that as I said before, they rather lye vpon the earth than are thrust any way into it. All this that I haue here set downe, you must vnderstand is proper for the knots alone of a Garden. But for to border the whole square or knot about, to serue as a hedge thereunto, euery one taketh what liketh him best; as either Priuet alone, or sweete Bryer, and white Thorne enterlaced together, and Roses of one, or two, or more sorts placed here and there amongst them. Some also take Lauander, Rosemary, Sage, Southernwood, Lauander Cotton, or some such other thing. Some againe plant Cornell Trees, and plash them, or keepe them lowe, to forme them into an hedge. And some againe take a lowe prickly shrubbe, that abideth alwayes greene, described in the end of this Booke, called in Latine Pyracantha, which in time will make an euer greene hedge or border, and when it beareth fruit, which are red berries like vnto Hawthorne berries, make a glorious shew among the greene leaues in the Winter time, when no other shrubbes haue fruit or leaues.