Today, I am quoting from Vita Sackville West who is discussing planting a border with flowers ranging in color from pale mauve through rich purple. She says:

"In the foreground I would sow seeds of viola and then plant the dwarf lavender ‘Hidcote’ also towards the front. Between them put dwarf white and purple tulips and a few dwarf iris. Later the meadow rue 'Thalictrum' will send up feathery spires and the hardy Salvia nemorosa ‘Virgata’ that is indestructible, will make lumps of color and Campanula ‘Glomerata’ will produce fat heads of a really deep purple.

Petunias fill up the gaps and although helpful, annuals are only temporary things that make a brief summer display, without being permanent. Thus, I have tried to introduce the deep purple clematis ‘Gypsy Queen’ into my border as well as other Jackmanii clematis hybrids. One can train these climbers over a framework of wooden slats, flattening them out, as on a table- top, if one has not got a wall to train them up, or they can be grown up a triangle of wooden stakes. I have also planted a few delphiniums at the back of my purple border. They are bright blue, but I think the blue combines well with the purple scheme and enhances the color. A painter friend of mine does not agree. She says purple and blue quarrel together and she may be right. My purple border is not yet a success, but I shall struggle on with it until I get it into something worth looking at.” (End quote.)

NOTE: Jackmanii (pronounced Jack-man-eye) is the Latin for "Of Jackman" and refers to plants originating from, and developed by, the Jackman family nursery in England. They developed many famous clematis hybrids.