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YARD AND GARDEN
A Book of Practical Information
for the Amateur Gardener
in City, Town or
Suburb
By
TARKINGTON BAKER
Illustrated with Photographs
and Diagrams
INDIANAPOLIS
THE BOBBS-MERRILL COMPANY
PUBLISHERS
CopyRricHutT 1908
THE Bospsps-MERRILL COMPANY
FEBRUARY
eset
jEIBEARY of GONGHES
Two Gcogies Receives
| MAR 21-1908
Kcr
Gopyirges cnu'y
War 2 1408
iowa he a v
| 2°cbeY Ad
PRESS OF
BRAUNWORTH & CO.
BOOKBINDERS AND PRINTERS
BROOKLYN,.N. Y.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER
I THe Yarp
II PLanniInG THE GARDEN -
{II How To Pian - 2 ,
IV Lawns . : : : :
VMONAINER: - 3 é : : :
VI AwnnvalLs : : : ‘
VII Harpy PERENNIALS
VIII Some PorunarR PERENNIALS
IX Butsous- anp TuBEROUS-ROOTED PLANTS
X Some PorutarR Harpy Buss
XI Irises anD TENDER BuLBs .
AIT SHRUES : - e °
Sib Tene. : ; . °
XIV Sor anp FERTILIZERS. .
XV_ INSECTs AND DISEASES
XVI THE INDOOR WiInTER Wtnpow GARDEN
XVII 43
Hedge of privet as a city yard boundary : : tay
Sun-dial in corner of city lawn ; ; ‘ é ah * 50
Hedge of climbing roses defining limit of lawn é hp y |
Colony of iris established in lawn . : , ; wk
Unsightly corner of yard ornamented with plants . : »
Garden seat at end of small city lawn ; é a yeas |
Wild grape from woods in city yard bth) a : Pe,
Flowers of the clematis. : : : - : Ba 3
City residence covered with woodbine .. ‘ . 99
Flowers of the fragrant honeysuckle : ‘ : . 8
Annual phlox . j : : ; : . : 2 00
Single and double zinnias : ‘ : ; : 2 502
Snapdragon ; i : : ; ; ; : »~ 305
China aster : : ‘ : : : ‘ 3 = 105
Transplanting seedlings to ‘‘thumb-pots”’ A ‘ . LOT
Stocks ; : ; ‘ ; . : ; : ae 8).
Shirley poppies . z : . ] s 210
Sweet peas : ; ; at
Petunias , , ; ; ; ae
LIST OF ILLUSTRA TIONS— Continued
PAGE
Pot marigold : ; : : : : - - «7406
Sowing seeds of annuals. ' : : - - es
Plants in porch box combined with hardy ferns to make
solid wall of foliage and flower . : : : . aa
Porch boxes filled with plants suitable for eastern
exposure : = : : : , : : - 124
Porch box newly started but with plants in bloom . a LG
Effective grouping of single plants . , , : «Ae
Porch boxes exposed to full sunlight : : : mee 8
Meadow Sweet . : : : : ; : : » les
Catchfly : : ‘ ‘ : - : : : Paes |
Achillea A - . . 2 : : ; - Ae
Columbine ‘ : ‘ x 5 5 A - 139
Globe Flower . c s c E . - « at
Swamp rose : 5 ° , ‘ . . - » 143
Oriental poppy . ; - s ° . . . - 145
Stoke’s aster : 5 ° : ° . ° : . 147
Bee Balm . Z “ ° . . . ° . . 148
Balloon Flower . ; A . . : . - . 148
Larkspur . - : - 5 . ° ° . >, 150
Golden Marguerite . 5 . : . . . . 152
Sweet William . : : : : : : ‘ . 154
False Dragon-head . : ° ° . . . . 154
Spirsea : 5 : , “ A ° ‘ « lS
Golden Glow . * “ ; 2 ° ° : . bs
Boltonia : : 5 : e - . : ‘ . 159
Monkshood : : : : . ‘ : : «dot
Foxglove. : : : ° ; . : : » S6L
Chrysanthemum, ‘‘Shasta Daisy” . . : : «163
Veronica. : : : : : . , : « G5
Plantain lily : : : a - : . : Pie! 6
Yellow Day lily . : : ; - : : ; . 166
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS— Continued
PAGE
Transplanting hardy perennials : ‘ ‘ A 3: GE
Narcissus days in a city yard garden ; : : 7 koe
May-flowering tulips on Decoration Day . ; ; . 174
Dahlia ‘ ; : : ‘ ‘ F ‘ : pe 1G
Canna ‘ : ; = : ; : ‘ ‘ 2.196
Flowers of tuberous-rooted begonia . : ; . Lis
Flower of the canna . : : : : : F 161
Torch lily . - ; ; : : : : : - 185
Canada lily : : - ; ° i . ‘ » 285
Kramer’s lily : ; : 2 5 : = : - 187
Single dahlias. : : ‘ . ° : : «_ 489
Madonna lily : : : : “ ; - : « 491
Erythronium ? : : ° - : ; : « 186
Poet’s narcissus . : ‘ ; ‘ ; = : . 196
Trumpet varieties of narcissus . x ° 2 «ago
Hyacinths . : 3 : : - : . : . 201
Parrot tulips : ; : : ° ° . ; » 203
May-flowering tulips . : . ° . : : -. 203
Gladiolus. é : elias ee a : - : - 206
Montbretia - - ° . . = ° : . 206
Tiger lily . e : ° . ° . ° : 5 ed
Thunbergian lily : - . ° 5 . 216
Japanese iris : : ° . . ° ; : ook
Spanish iris : ee , : . * : .. 225
White Siberianiris . - ° : . : : . 230
German iris : : : Z ° ° : ; . 230
Siberian iris : ; ; “ : - ; - . 234
English iris ; ; : - - ° ; : . 234
Bridal Wreath . ? : ‘ : ° : ; . 241
Hydrangea laden with flowers . - : P : . 244
Blossom of the tree peony in early spring - d . 247
Shrubbery walk in small city yard . ‘ ‘ j . 249
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS— Continued
Flowers of the Mountain Laure]
Hardy azalea in bloom
Rhododendron in bloom
Flowers of the tall-growing Bird Cherry
Planting a tree
Tree that has never been pruned
Trees ruined by ignorant pruner
Fruit trees for shade and fruit in city yard
Effective grouping of evergreen trees
Decorative value of the haw
Colony of Sedum spectabile in poor soil
Blue Day lily growing in soil which the owner considered
‘‘impossible’’
Spraying easily done in the average re ann
Typical chewing insect (Cecropia moth)
San José scale
Oyster shell scale
Fall web-worm
Scurfy scale
Work of the catalpa aes oe
Paris daisies ,
Root growth of narcissus
Azalea Indica in bloom
Ornamental-foliaged begonia
Foliage plants suitable for a window garden
Paper white narcissus
Hyacinths, cyclamen and lily, products of a sunny
window garden
Freesias in bloom f
Group of plants suitable for shaded window
Geraniums in bloom indoors in mid-winter
Tender hydrangea
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS— Continued
PAGE
Lace fern. 3 é , ; P ; : : . 304
The Maidenhair fern : ; ; ‘ ; ; . 300
Rose—General Jacqueminot. r Z . : . 3809
Border of hardy ferns as screen for foundation : - 300
Ostrich ferns in narrow border : - P : - 366
Double peony. A ; : : ‘ : ; . 309
Single peonies. ‘ : : : : ; : ee
Flowers of the tree peony . : . : j ‘ . 312
Hardy phlox : : . : : : : : » 310
Wild Sweet William . : : ° : - : «ott
YARD AND GARDEN
YARD AND GARDEN
CEAPR TE:
THE YARD
The owner of a city or town lot, of a subur-
ban home or of a country estate is usually
interested in affairs which he considers more
important, or at least more practical, than the
abstract principles of gardening, no matter in
what form they are presented or what applica-
tion is to be made of them. His immediate re-
quirement, if his attention be directed at all
toward the subject, is practice and not theory.
He wants planting and not principle; his main
desire is to employ the speediest and safest
process to make his yard, his grounds or his
estate—if we can distinguish property sizes by
these common though vague terms—as harmo-
niously and effectively beautiful as_ trees,
shrubs, plants and vines and his financial re-
sources will permit.
In a sense he is justified and, in any event,
1
2 YARD AND GARDEN
he is but responding to a common and natural
impulse, to obtain for himself that which has
pleased or interested him. He is impatient of
theory and eager for results. Disquisitions on
the fundamental laws of gardening or land-
seaping are tedious if not perplexing and, in
his judgment, of little value. His conclusion
may be hasty but to some extent it is entirely
eorrect. There are no hard and fast rules for
gardening and particularly for the art of orna-
mental gardening, whether it be conducted on
large or small scale, on a country estate or the
back-yard of a city lot.
There are some principles best remembered
but even they are not without innumerable va-
riation in application. In gardening, as in
house building, individual taste, temper and
aspirations are reflected and each garden, con-
sequently, is a law unto itself. Still, under-
neath this disclosure of the gardener’s own
nature and individuality there are broad princi-
ples, applicable to all and the foundation .of
all. They are simple, obvious and natural.
The beginner can make fair progress with noth-
ing more than an instinctive knowledge of them.
Any day in the year, in any wood or meadow,
on the banks of any stream, even by the coun-
THE YARD
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+ YARD AND GARDEN
try roadside, any place where natural cond1-
tions remain in some measure undisturbed,
every principle necessary for the most elab-
orate gardening processes is disclosed by na-
ture itself.
If the beginner will bear this in mind and at
the same time remember that there is no space
too confined for the application of nature’s prin-
ciples, he will have mastered all the fundamen-
tal law that it is necessary for him to master.
With this as a basis, he will quickly observe
that ornamental gardening, whethen it be by
the formal method, the natural method or a
combination of the two, is only a simple appli-
eation of this common law. He may himself
choose to copy the Italian garden, devise some
modification of the English wall garden, elab-
orate the miniature gardens of Japan or con-
tent himself with duplicating and exalting
nature in natural gardening, but whichever
course he elects to pursue he will find the prin-
ciples the same.
GARDENING
The owner of a home, whether it be on exten-
sive grounds or set on a narrow and shaliow
city lot, need not hesitate, therefore, to begin
THE YARD i)
gardeninge—and by gardening is meant the lay-
ing out and cultivation of gardens, whether they
be large or small, a square yard or an acre,
open or inclosed, a part of an estate or all of
it. The first important consideration to him
is the understanding of what can be done with
his own home grounds. It is important to com-
prehend the value of improving them, even
where the area is so small as to seem to pre-
elude all opportunity for such effort. Most of
us realize what paint will do for an old house,
but few of us realize what a well-kept lawn or
well-planted yard will do. Yet there are a num-
ber of examples.
There is, for instance, the case of the owner
of a city home who was anxious to dispose
of it. The house was old and not attractive |
and interested inquirers were few. The owner
painted the house but still no sale was effected.
Next, upon the suggestion of a friend who
knew the value of shrubs and vines and flow-
ers, the.yard was planted at a cost con-
siderably less than the painting had entailed;
hedges were substituted for ugly division fences
and a general transformation was effected in -
less than a season’s time. The owner then
found not only that there were a number of
6 YARD AND GARDEN
purchasers eager for the property but, more-
over, that he no longer desired to sell.
This experience is not as exceptional as it
might at first thought appear. As a matter of
fact very few persons are found nowadays who
deny that value, of the sort estimable in dollars
and cents, as well as beauty, can be added to a
home by the judicious planting of the yard.
No matter how imposing a house may be or
how perfect and harmonious the lines of its
architecture, or how well its interior may be fin-
ished and furnished, all suffer when the yard is
neglected. On the other hand, though the house
itself be old and weather-worn, it can be made to
assume an attractive appearance if it be sur-
rounded by trees, vines, shrubs and flowers,
carefully selected, wisely situated, patiently
cultivated.
These facts are no longer questioned, if, in-
deed, doubt of a serious nature was ever op-
posed to them. All of us have learned the
value of a city beautiful, and most of us admit
the value of a home beautiful. If we do not
contribute to the one or disregard the other,
it is not for lack of knowledge but rather be-
cause of indifference. But even this indiffer-
ence is gradually disappearing and to-day we
THE YARD if
have owners of houses, factories and other
buildings of a semi-public character, beautify-
ing their grounds by the liberal employment of
nature’s materials.
VALUE OF EXAMPLE
Moreover, we have examples to encourage
us; we have city parks and streets or avenues,
city yards, suburban homes and country estates
planted or landscaped. And these are not
without valuable influence, for it seldom hap-
pens that the residents of a neighborhood sur-
rounding a place, large or small, that has been
effectively planted, lag far behind the pioneer.
Before his advent, or before his operations
were begun, it might be that lawns were un-
kempt and flowers were unknown, but it does
not require more than a season or two for the
one improvement to arouse others to action and
for the movement thus started to gain in extent
until it amply justifies all the faith placed in
the power of example by such bodies as civic
improvement societies.
Planting, from whatever cause it may spring,
once begun is not quickly abandoned. Garden-
ing begets gardening—the more one plants the
more one desires to plant. But the fascination
8 YARD AND GARDEN
of the pursuit is not alone sufficient to account
for this. In addition to exercising that uni-
versally instinctive desire to raise things, to
see them grow and thrive on the care and
attention one bestows on them, no field of en-
deavor, as has already been suggested, prom-
ises a broader scope for the expression of an
individual’s taste, temper and _ aspirations.
We seek to have the houses we build express
something of our own personality, but, were we
only aware of it, the yard presents a far more
favorable field for such effort. Who can not,
for instance, judge of the intellectual and moral,
as well as of the sanitary status of a community,
of a neighborhood, or of the owner of a private
dwelling by its external conditions? |
Nothing can be more incongruous than the
littered back-yard of an imposing city resi-
dence. Within dwell persons who are fond of
comfort, if not of luxury, intelligent and edu-
eated, and it seems wholly impossible that they
would not avail themselves of the opportunity
to add so much enjoyment for themselves and
for others by improving the ground at their
disposal, instead of making it a place for the
deposit of old barrels, boxes, tin cans, and other
rubbish. The only possible argument against
THE YARD 9
rinning the Improvement of a City Back-Yard
e
The Same Yard Three Months Later
10 YARD AND GARDEN
such improvement, and, indeed, the argument
that is most frequently advanced, is the lack of
space. But it is not space that is wanting, but
—taste, temper and aspiration. Even in a
space that is not more than twenty feet square,
there is sufficient ground for an attractive gar-
den. |
How much more opportunity is there then
for that owner of a city lot of the usual size
upon which he has erected a house of the usual
dimensions? Instead of confining his efforts
to the making of a small garden he has, com-
paratively speaking, a vast domain at his dis-
posal. His lot, perhaps, is forty feet wide and
one hundred feet deep. His house at most oc-
eupies half of this; occasionally some other
building—a stable, a garage—may occupy a
few feet more, but, withal, he has remaining
six hundred, eight hundred or a_ thousand
square feet upon which to plant vines, and
shrubs, and trees, and flowers. By employing
to advantage this available space, he can con-
tribute to his own pleasure, to the pleasure of
his neighbors and of passers-by; he may set
a good example and he may materially increase
the value of his property. The latter is not
a matter of theory but a matter of fact. Nor
THE YARD bk
is the increase to property value confined to the
property improved; on the contrary all sur-
rounding .property is in a measure affected.
Unfortunately, however, we learn this too
often only through the demonstration of the
negative of it. It is quickly enough realized
when some neighborhood suffers a direct de-
preciation in property values through the care-
lessness, selfishness, ignorance or downright
stubbornness of a single property owner who
persists in maintaining an ugly, unsightly yard
which is little less than a legal nuisance and
most certainly a positive eyesore.
If all these facts were more: extensively
understood and their true worth and full sig-
nificance were better known by individuals and
communities, public health would be better con-
served, cleanliness would be insured, fewer
sanitary inspectors would be necessary and the
beauty of town or city would be materially
enhanced. The individual himself would no
longer be the possessor of a house and lot, but
he would become the owner of a home, with a
yard harmonizing with the house and affording,
in summer at least, an additional pleasant,
healthful and attractive lving-room.
CHAPTER if
PLANNING THE GARDEN
Before there were gardeners there were gar-
dens. The first gardener, no doubt, was a
fence-builder; he appropriated whatever he
found growing, that was of use or benefit, in-
closed it to exclude marauders and to protect
and safeguard it the better. Consequently in
the beginning a garden was an inclosed space.
It is easily conceivable that in this inclosed
space not all the native plants which might
prove of value to this primitive gardener were
to be found. He inclosed, doubtless, what he
could, but some were too remotely situated to
be included. It became his problem, therefore,
to introduce such of these as he desired into
his protected area and, in the subsequent op-
erations, we have the first garden planning and
the first actual gardening.
This primitive ancestor was not without
definite plan when he went beyond his crude
pale and brought into his inclosure some plant
12
PLANNING THE GARDEN 13
which he had failed to include when he laid
his barricade. And no more are we without
plan when we transplant a tree, sow seeds or
set out shrubs, vines or flowers. We put them
where we believe they will prove most effective
in attaining the end desired.
This is the beginning of planning, and, even
when it is elaborated, it is neither difficult nor
complex, though it has, unfortunately, been
made by professional gardeners to seem both.
Nor is it uninteresting. On the contrary, it
is simple and fascinating and no small part
of the delight and interest in gardening, espe-.
cially in planting to ornament a small place,
owes its origin to the operation. Moreover,
the picture thus produced is our own, not an-
other’s; it is of our conception and our mak-
ing, expressing our own ideas and our own feel-
ings as well as our individual natures. And,
being not only a simple but an absorbing pro-
~ eess, why, when so easily and cheaply engaged
in, employ another to undertake the work for
us?
PRINCIPLES INVOLVED
Let those who own ground start with the
. premise that every place can be improved.
No yard is too small and no estate too large
14 YARD AND GARDEN
to make impossible its improvement by the use
of plants of some sort, and, large or small, the
principles involved are invariably the same—
it is only the scale upon which they are applied
that differs. Often one may see plants in tubs
standing in front of store or office building,
or set about the entrances and corridors in the
busiest section of down-town districts of large
cities. Wherever these are in evidence the
passer-by does not fail to take note of them or
to observe gratefully the effect they produce.
There are also other instances where garden-
ing is practised in almost impossible places.
In some sections of some cities private resi-
dences are without front lawns of any descrip-
tion, and apparently there is no opportunity
for planting. Still these homes are not with-
out their flowers, for window boxes have been
fitted in place and in these vines and flowers
thrive and bloom. Then again—it is always a
hopeful sign—in the most densely populated
districts of the slums of our larger cities, one
may frequently observe a plant struggling for
life in some dust-streaked window of a home
where dire poverty, only too evident, would
seem to prohibit even the most feeble exhibi- -
tion of a love for something green and growing.
1d
a
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7
4
PLANNING THE
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16 YARD AND GARDEN
One may turn also to the manufacturing centers
and here he will find frequently that the prac-
tical business sense of the owner has led him
to employ vines, shrubs and flowers to make
his work-shop a healthier and more enjoyable
place for his employees.
If one will consider for a moment what the
purpose of a yard is, perhaps a sense of logic
will induce him to see clearly ‘why an effort
should be made to get as much out of it as
space and other conditions will allow. The
yard surrounding a house, whether large or
small, contributes directly and indirectly to the
health and comfort of the occupants of the
home; it insures light, air and sunshine; it af-
fords for the most of us at least a glimpse of
nature. If we should determine to embellish
this area with plants we should lose none of the
advantages it affords but, as a matter of fact,
we should add considerably to them. Individu-
ally, we should get more light and more air
and more sunshine, for gardening means out-
doors life for the man or woman who begins it
and takes an interest in it. It means ten or fif-
teen minutes a day, or more perhaps, beneath
the sky, and ten or fifteen minutes less beneath
the roof. It means healthful éxercise, a closer
Lf
PLANNING THE GARDEN
SULT YM pozuouvuig Aroprxy v
yo spuno.y
18 YARD AND GARDEN
acquaintance with nature, a broader glimpse of
nature’s methods, and a deeper appreciation of
nature’s handiwork.
_It is worth while to have a yard but it is
worth infinitely more to make use of it, and if
one will tend it with interest and some regard
for the fitness of things, surprising results can
be accomplished. And when mention is made
of the yard it must not be deduced that the spa-
cious lawns and gardens of large city or subur-
ban homes are in mind; on the contrary the
reference is rather to the little strip of ground
behind the house, and the smaller strip in front
of it which answer for breathing spaces for
most of us who dwell in cities and towns. The
eity yard, of course, 1s deplorably small, and
year by year, as population increases it seems
to become smaller. It used to be that we con-
sidered one house to a lot enough, but now the
builder, anxious to make his property pay him
goodly dividends, has developed the habit of
doubling the building without increasing the
size of the lots. It might be possible to show
even to him that there are advantages often
from an investment point of view in more
ground and less building, but, while this is at
best a difficult task—for it affects too intimately
PLANNING THE GARDEN 19
the immediate revenues—it should not be diffi-
cult to prove that provision made for planting
and the planting itself are both wise invest-
ments that will not: fail to yield substantial div-
idends.
EXAMPLES OF PLANTING
‘Let us take, as a basis to illustrate what can
be done, the sort of lot one finds oftenest in the
residence sections of cities. In one of the
larger cities of the Middle West there is a
small home on a lot forty feet wide and one
hundred and fifty feet deep. To be exact, the
house is situated twenty feet from the property
line, four feet from the north line of the lot, ten
feet from the south line and fifty feet from the
west line. Around the porch, screening the
foundations, are dwarf shrubs and ferns; along
the south line of the house, in a border two feet
wide between the walk and the house, there are
lilies of various species growing among funkias
or ‘‘plantain’’ liles—here again the brick
foundations are entirely hidden from view.
Boston ivy climbs up the pillars of the porch,
and porch boxes are filled with flowering and
foliage plants and vines. On the north side are
more ferns and a few shrubs and these in their
20 YARD AND GARDEN
turn completely hide the foundation walls. We
have, therefore, to begin with, a house that is
not ‘‘bare-footed.’’ The front yard is a lawn
with no flowers erowing upon it, but a hedge,
kept trimmed to a height of three feet, incloses
the premises. In the rear there is a central lawn
fifteen feet square; around this are grouped
Example of Planting in Limited Space
beds and borders of perennials and_ shrubs.
Amongst these, annuals are planted each sea-
son to afford additional bloom and a surer suc-
cession.
On this place, from the earliest days of spring
until the first killing frost in the fall, there is
never a time when an armful of flowers can
PLANNING THE GARDEN 21
not be gathered. The planter of this place be-
gan his work when he was in wretched health,
but through his gardening operations he recov-
ered from his illness, gained strength and vigor,
made his home more beautiful and, at the ex-
pense of a few minutes each day, and a. few
dollars, he increased the value of the property
nearly twenty per cent.
If the owner of a city lot is not impressed
by examples of this kind but still finds it diffi-
cult to rid himself of the idea that the small
space at his command means an end to all
thought of ornamental planting, let him make
a sketch of his yard on paper, drawn to seale,
and with this before him undertake an explora-
tron of the possibilities. It is not unlikely that
this method of procedure will disclose oppor-
tunities for gardening which, as a beginner, not
yet either deeply interested or enthusiastic, he
might otherwise overlook. Gradually, as these
become apparent, the fact also will develop that
it is not more impracticable to create a pleasing
picture within an area of a few Square yards
than in the space of a mansion garden. In-
deed, it may prove that limitation of space will
contribute to fine if not broad expression of the
best gardening, for it is evident that it must
22 YARD AND GARDEN
test to greater degree one’s taste and skill; in
the contracted area more selection and more re-
jection, better judgment and more care in ar-
rangement must be exercised, whereas, in a big
place, trees, shrubs and broad expanse of lawn
are frequently sufficient in themselves to create
the picture.
ELEMENTARY PLANNING
The person who has grown flowers for a year
or two is in little need of the suggestion that
even a season’s garden should be planned.
There is enough delight in the work—in the an-
ticipation to which it gives rise—to make it
reasonably certain that the garden will be
planned in some fashion before the planting
time is at hand. In fact, all of us, even the
novice, do more or less planning before we
plant. Frequently we do not recognize it and
really persuade ourselves that we plant as the
desire seizes us. But, when it is considered
that beds must be dug in the spring, it must
be apparent that, in determining where they
are to be situated, we have, in an elementary
manner at least, planned our garden.
It may seem absurd to speak of planning a
single bed. One desires to plant so many
PLANNING THE GARDEN 23
nasturtiums or, as May days come with their
assurance that frosts are over, one begins to
think of setting out geraniums. Well and
good; no plan on paper is needed. The planter
has only to determine upon the location of the
bed and the work is done. But, even in so sim-
ple a process, one has to take into considera-
tion the very same things that must be con-
sidered in planning a large garden. One must
give some attention to surrounding objects, to
the proximity, for instance, of buildings, of
trees or shrubs or fences. One must ponder
whether this color or that will war with the color
of the house, or whether tall-growing or dwarf
flowers shall be planted, or whether foliage or
blossom is the more desirable.
So, in a measure, in planning even this single
small bed, consideration is had for conditions
which must be taken into account when one is
planning on a more extensive seale. But in the
latter case, the planner has also to deal with
other details. He must learn all there is to be
learned of the situation and the conditions gov-
erning it; he must take into consideration all
surrounding objects—fences, houses, trees,
shrubs or whatever there may be of a _ per-
manent nature, for which provision must be
YARD AND GARDEN
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PLANNING THE GARDEN 25
made. He must consider what plants will
thrive best under the conditions into which he
purposes:to bring them and he must consider
what plants will harmonize in color and what
will not. He must select and reject and con-
tinue the process until he has not only a list
of plants suitable to the site but one also which
includes as many as possible of those he most
desires. It is by such means that a plan be-
comes an expression of the planter’s own indi-
viduality and the garden which is planted in
accordance with it reflects the character of its
maker.
PLANNING BEFORE BUILDING
In many instances one of the first discoveries
that will be made is that the ornamentation of
the home grounds could have been accom-
plished far more speedily, effectively and eco-
nomically if, before building, some thought had
been given to the matter and some comprehen-
sion of the real value of a yard had been
gained. In America, too often the blunder is
made of building a house on a site which pre-
sents numerous difficulties in the way of adorn-
ment when other sites more favorable might be
obtained, at no greater expense than a little
26 YARD AND GARDEN
more forethought and search. This is fre-
quently followed by another blunder which re-
sults in the location of the house on the site
in such manner that even the few possibilities
for ornamentation which might have existed at
first, are almost entirely eliminated. It is not
uncommon to observe, as an illustration, the
destruction of some splendid tree, cut down
without thought of its value, when by setting
the house a few feet 1n one direction or another,
the sacrifice could have been easily avoided and
a natural ornament requiring perhaps a half
century for its growth and development pre-
served.
In this connection it may be well to observe
that it is not always either advisable or desir-
able to set the house on a line with adjoining
structures, and certainly it is not necessary.
A neighbor may protest if you suggest pro-
jecting your house beyond his, but surely he
will offer no objection to your setting it farther
back if you wish, and often you will be the
gainer if you adopt this course. It is difficult
to account for the idea, which seems firmly fixed
in some cities and towns, calling for the usual
military-like alignment of houses. It means
frequently a waste of yard possibilities—a neg-
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PLANNING THE
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28 YARD AND GARDEN
lect of genuine natural resources—with no ap-
parent gain to overcome the loss. .
The preservation of continuity of the prop-
erty line is sometimes, of course, a necessity in
large cities, especially where land is expensive
and where every foot must be covered by build-
ing, but where lots are large, comparatively
speaking, make sure that to establish the house
on the line will contribute to the general ap-
pearance of the place as a home before the step
is taken. If it may seem that more is to be
gained. by setting it farther back from the street
than neighboring houses, do not sacrifice your
originality as an offering to conventionality,
but build your foundations accordingly, use the
rear yard as a service yard only and make the
most of the front area that as a result will be
at your disposal. Bear in mind that the house
itself will show to better advantage when it is
set, as it eventually should be, in a frame of
blooming plants, green shrubs and climbing
vines.
PROVIDING FOR WALKS
Especially give attention to the location of
walks. First consider where the street en-
trance or entrances are to be, deciding this on
PLANNING THE GARDEN 29
the basis of practical usage and convenience.
Then direct the walks by the shortest route to
their objective point. Avoid senseless curves,
especially in a small yard, and have no more
walks than are absolutely necessary, nor walks
_ that are wider than necessary. If the grounds
are large—half an acre or more in extent—then
walks serving no practical ends may be intro-
duced if desired. These may lead by devious
course to retired seats or summer-houses or
may conduct to shrubberies or to artificial gar-
den ornaments, as, for example, a sun-dial.
But if such walks are wanted, let the planter
go forth to some remote wood or old meadow
and, finding a path worn by the foot of man or
beast, study its outlines and curves. He will
not be long in observing that its irregularities
-are not without purpose—it avoids obstacles,
a tree, a shrub, a stump, a stone, a bog; it cir-
cles knolls or follows the meanderings of a
stream. But always it changes its course for
reasons that are obvious. And for such
reasons and these alone should the direction of
walks laid on residence grounds be changed.
The obstacles, of course, may be provided, but
in any event they should be present and visible.
A grouping of shrubbery, a large boulder, a
30 YARD AND GARDEN
tree or similar object, artificial as well as nat-
ural, may be employed to gain the end desired
and will not fail to prove effective as well as
logical,
Each year finds Americans giving more and
more attention to all such details. The house
no longer receives attention to the entire exclu-
sion of its surroundings; it has come to be con-
sidered a part of the home, not all of it. And
this is equally true when the house is already
erected, as it is in a majority of instances, and
we must make the most of conditions as we find
them. This, of course, is more difficult, but it
is never impossible. It means only that all the
more planning is necessary and it presents no
cause for discouragement, but, on the contrary,
an incentive to greater effort.
CELAP THR. 10
HOW TO PLAN
Though where art is concerned, rules are fre-
quently ‘‘more. honored in the breach than in
the observance,’’ still there are certain princi-
ples, all general in character, which, if followed,
will lead the beginner safely past the commoner
faults observed in yard ornamentation. These
principles are as simple and obvious in point
of reason as they are few in number and all
of them are so fundamental that no grounds,
of whatever size, can be tastefully embellished
without observing them. They might be called,
as they are here set forth, the ‘‘ten command-
ments of ornamental gardening.’’
PRINCIPLES OF ARRANGEMENT
I. Preserve unbroken stretches of lawn of as
great length as possible in one or more places,
according to the size of the lot.
II. Set the tallest-growing plants nearest the
boundaries of the yard and those of shorter
OL
a2 YARD AND GARDEN
erowth so that the range of height will be
upward and outward from the center of the
lawn.
III. Avoid planting next the street or avenue
sidewalks unless seclusion is the object. Tall-
growing trees, that head high, may be excepted,
for these, when they have attained fair height,
do not obstruct the view.
IV. Plant no tall-growing trees or shrubs so
close to the dwelling that light and air will be
excluded and avoid their use in small lots where
good lawns and flowers are desired. But if
sturdy, healthy trees are already established on
a lot upon which no building has been erected,
make every effort to save them and arrange
other plans, both of building and planting, ac-
cordingly. -
V. Avoid the formation of numerous sepa-
rate flower-beds. Avoid beds of geometric de-
signs on the lawn. Avoid seattered and gaudy -
effects and ‘‘specimen”’ planting.
VI. Plant in a manner that will insure pleas-
ing vistas from the principal windows, the en-
trances or porches of the dwelling.
VII. Keep in mind the season of bloom of
different plants desired as well as their height
at maturity and aim for a succession of flowers.
Oo
OW) PO PLAN
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Keep the color of bloom also in mind to avoid
color discords.
VIII. Avoid overplanting as well as under-
planting. Simplicity rather than ornateness
should be the aim. The smaller the area to
be planted, the smaller should be the materials
employed. Do not attempt too much; consider
the space available and do not overload it,
reckon the time that can be devoted to garden-
ing and do not overtax it.
IX. Do not establish purposeless walks on
small grounds. Curve or bend no walk without
some apparent reason, as, for instance, to avoid
an obstacle. Do not make purposeless use of
garden ornaments or structures—pergolas, ar-
bors, summer-houses, sun-dials, ete.
X. Plan before you plant, for planting with-
out a plan is as certain to beget error as build-
ing a house without the architect’s blue-print;
and plan to make a picture.
The novice may feel that, if it 1s necessary
to keep these rules in mind, planning is not
the simple matter it has been represented to
be. Still, onee he begins, he will find that it
is prosaic common sense which dictates these
principles and that, in no small measure, prac-
tical and economical considerations enter into
HOW TO PLAN 30
their conception. He will find also that he is
bound to observe most of them, consciously or
unconsciously, in planning even the smallest
yard or garden. For instance, it is hardly
necessary to caution him against setting dwarf
plants behind those of taller growth, and it
Should be similarly superfluous to advise him to
consider color, character and season of bloom.
He could not progress far with his planning be-
fore questions would arise involving all these
points and, at the same time, a majority of the
other rules of the ten recited.
PLAN ON PAPER
So far as the actual work of planning is con-
cerned, it is best begun by obtaining paper
ruled to seale or else by ruling paper to use as
a substitute. A convenient scale'is one where
the lines are’ one-eighth of an inch apart and
so ruled horizontally and vertically that one-
eighth inch squares are formed. Let each di-
vision thus obtained répresent a square foot of
the yard. If the lot is fifty feet wide, there
should be, of course, fifty lines as long in eighths
as the lot is long in feet. If, however, the lot is
small, larger divisions with the lines farther
apart may be employed, or if the grounds are
36 YARD AND GARDEN
too large to make the eighth-inch seale practical,
two or three feet instead of one may be allowed
to each division. |
Carefully indicate on the plan the location
of all objects which are to remain permanently,
allowing to each the exact amount of space it oc-
eupies. If a house is standing on the lot, or
a stable, shed or other building, show on the
plan the shape and size of each. If a tree is
among these permanent objects, indicate not
only its location, but also the area of ground
sheltered by its spread of branches. Irregu-
larities in the surface of the ground, if they
are to remain, should also be clearly outlined.
Make sure that everything designated to re-
main is necessarily permanent, and, in. this con-
nection, once more let the fact be emphasized
that in small city yards trees are not always of
first importance. It is better in many instances
to rid the ground entirely of a half-lifeless,
shapeless specimen than to arrange everything
else to fit its requirements.
When all objects and surface irregularities
of a permanent nature have been finally indi-
eated upon the diagram, the planner can turn
his attention to the making of his picture.
And let him bear in mind that it is a picture he
HOW TO PLAN ov
is making. It is to be an individual whole, an
area separate from other areas, possessing its
own character, with every part and feature con-
tributing its value to the homogeneous effect.
House and yard are to become a united whole;
ornamentation is to harmonize with architec-
ture; there is not to be a house and lot, but a
home.
HARMONY OF EFFECT
Planning with this end in view at once recalls
what has already been said of purposeless
planting. Do not imagine that it is enough to
scatter trees, shrubs and flowers promiscuously
over the place, for a yard planted in such a
fashion is without central idea and betrays a
lack of judgment, care or creative ability on the
part of the planter. Mere planting without
purpose is almost invariably without value as
ornament.
Naturally, on small lots, the residence will
be the central figure. Plan, then, to keep it so.
Make it unlikely that any one will remark any
individual feature surrounding it or even the
house itself—it is the home that is to be re-
marked. Strive to do for this house what a
camera lens does frequently for a landscape.
It reduces the importance of prominent or indi-
38 YARD AND GARDEN
vidual objects,-it will be remembered, and
brings into immediate view in the resultant pic-
ture all the details as a whole and, more than
this, shuts off extraneous and irrelevant sur-
roundings, which might serve to distract atten-
tion. One sees first on the photograph the
whole of the picture and later he sees the de-
tails.
Plan, therefore, for the whole. This nat-
urally means planning for harmonious effect
which, in time, suggests careful consideration
of the value of each plant selected in its rela-
tion to the whoije and not in the light of its own
individual value. This is the difficult point for
the beginner to master. He reads alluring de-
scriptions of various plants and, forgetting his
picture, remembers only these details; he mag-
nifies the part and detracts from the composite.
As a result we have not only the scattered
planting so often seen but that other barrier
to effective ornamentation of the home grounds,
senseless specimen-planting.
Opposed to such methods is the mass plant-
ing which alone will add character and strength
and a sense of unity to the place. Once the
value of this is grasped the beginner is not
likely to go far astray in his planning. He
made the Center
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Yard Plant
40) YARD AND GARDEN .
would, for instance, no more think of cutting a
geometric flower-bed figure in the center of his
lawn than he would think of planting a secret-
order emblem of scarlet geraniums and coleus
in the heart of a forest landscape. On the con-
trary the greensward would appeal to him as
his canvas upon which, painter-like, he is to
produce his picture. He would demand, not
isolation for his flowers, but a neighborly back-
ground, and an informal border rather than a
formal bed in which to grow them.
HEIGHT AND COLOR
Begin the plan, then, with the yard bounda-
ries. Establish here the backgrounds, and
plant from them toward the center. Should a
board fence serve as one boundary, vines may
be trained over it, converting it into as effective
a background as one. could desire. A line of
shrubs or of tall-growing perennials could serve
as another, a hedge of roses or privet as still
another, or indeed, anything of the sort that
the planner may desire.
Carefully indicate on the diagram where each
is to be planted and the space it-1s to oceupy.
Designate each mark set down by a number or
letter and, at the bottom of the plan, or on sep-
HOW TO PLAN 4]
arate paper, set down the number or letter and
after it the name of the plant it indicates. The
number required of each can be readily ascer-
tained. by allowing for necessary distance be-
tween plants on the plan itself.
The planner will not proceed far with this
process before he will find it necessary, for the
sake of harmony in height and color, to con-
sider both qualities when he selects the various
plants he may desire. He will also be obliged
to consider soil and light conditions. He might
find, for instance, that what he desires is a
hardy perennial attaining a height of twenty-
four or thirty inches, whose flower is white, and
which will thrive in a heavy soil in a situation
exposed to the full rays of the sun. If such be
his requirement, based upon the idea of the ef-
fect as a whole, would it not be manifestly
absurd for him to select a plant attaining a
height of six inches or six feet, demanding half
shade for its welfare and producing a red
flower? Yet, absurd as the idea is, this is fre-
quently done and the planter, moreover, won-
ders why he is not satisfied with the result
produced.
So the planner, in selecting his plants, must
keep in mind not only the requirements of his
42 YARD AND GARDEN
picture but he must have consideration, too, for
the requirements of the materials with which
he works. He should remember also that there
are five or six months in the year when his yard
should be like another room to his residence,
and he should strive to provide a succession of
bloom. It is inadvisable, however, to sacrifice
unity to gain this end. In other words, a suc-
cession of bloom is not as important as is the
exclusion from the plan of too many varieties
of plants.
SLOW PLANNING AND PLANTING
It is best to proceed slowly with planning and
still more slowly with planting. A yard can
not be effectively embellished in a season—the
picture can not be painted in a summer. It is
advisable to plant the boundaries first, setting
out the heavier stock, carefully cultivating it
until it is well established and comes in turn
to suggest to the gardener many opportunities
for effective planting against the background
it affords. Too often the error is made of
planting all at once only to gain as a result an
unsatisfactory effect. Rather than encounter
the discouragement that such an unfortunate
outcome may cause, and to avoid, also, useless
HOW TO PLAN 45
loss of time, money and labor, it would be far
better to postpone some of the planting until
the following season. By then a better esti-
mate will be had of the effectiveness of the
work already done and a more complete idea
may be formed of the planting still to be done.
mene ig hae
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Wall-planting — Result of Careful Planning
This suggests the advantage of the plan that
is carefully drawn and executed. It can be
added to from time to time, from season to
season, as the picture develops in the planner’s
mind, and always it will serve as a valuable
and almost indispensable key to the names of
the various plants employed.
CHAP Tin ty
LAWNS
Nothing adds more to a city home than a
fresh and velvety lawn. Nothing, however, is
more seldom seen. Still, if properly planted
and tended, good lawns are not difficult to
achieve. The chief cause of failure is in per-
mitting hasty turfing immediately upon the
completion of building operations.
PREPARATION OF THE SOIL
No proper consideration is had for soil con-
ditions. It may be that in excavating for the
cellar, sand or clay has been thrown upon the
old surface soil to a depth of a foot or more.
Mixed with this are pieces of board and brick,
chips of stone, and not infrequently concrete.
It should be apparent to any one that turf laid
on such soil as this can not succeed, yet in al-
most three-fourths of the instances where grass
‘‘refuses to grow’’ this is the immediate cause
of the trouble.
44
LAWNS pum.
To make a good lawn from turf or from seed,
the first essential is to give it a foundation of
good soil worked to a considerable depth. It
is really impossible to get soil too good for a
good lawn, and while the cultivation of this soil
to a depth of one foot is absolutely necessary,
it is far better to work it thoroughly to a depth
of two feet. If the ground about the home is
good and this good soil runs to a depth of a
foot, the first thing to do is to plow or spade
it thoroughly. But if the ground be poor the
preliminary step must be its improvement.
When it is considered that the grass of the
lawn is a permanent crop, the necessity for
thorough cultivation at the start is apparent.
Go about this by removing, as far as possible,
such soil as offers no encouragement to culti-
vation and substituting for it soil that is rich
and fertile enough to insure a thick heavy crop
of grass. The thorough working of all soil
which is to be the foundation of the lawn, means
first to rid it of foreign substances which are
detrimental to plant growth of any sort—split
and torn roots, stones, bricks and such rubbish.
Then plow or spade, going to a depth of at least
one foot, and pulverize the soil by using a
spade, hoe or harrow, adding while this last
16 YARD AND GARDEN
process is carried forward, fertilizer in the form
of manure.
FERTILIZING AND PLOWING
Well-rotted cow manure is the best fertilizer
to apply; it imparts humus as well as plant
food, and adds something to the ground upon
which the plants may feed season after season.
It is often advisable to apply also a thin dress-
ing of air-slacked lime, plowing this in or spad-
ing it in at the time the ground is first broken,
or adding it later after the fertilizer has been
thoroughly incorporated with the soil. In
getting the soil in condition for turfing or the
sowing of seeds, bear in mind always that the
lawn, if it is to be successful, must be properly
started. Flowers can be planted each season,
lifted and transplanted, shrubs can be reset and
all with comparatively little bother and little
work. But not so with the lawn. If it has to
be remade the operation means not only much
trouble and much labor but, for a considerable
period, an unsightly yard.
If the place to be planted in grass is small,
the cultivation, of course, can be more thor-
ough—it can not be too thorough in any event.
On larger areas, though, nothing suggested
LAWNS
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48 YARD AND GARDEN
should be overlooked. Plow deeply and harrow
thoroughly. If, to begin with, the land appears
to be impossible, make every effort to render
it as fit as can be while the plowing and harrow-
ing are in progress. If the soil is deficient in
humus begin the foundation of the lawn fully a
year before it is desired to seed it. Plant a
erop of cow peas and in the fall plow it under,
adding immediately a dressing of lime. In the
early spring following, apply a dressing of well-
rotted manure, and plow and harrow again.
Make the surface soil fine and level. It is al-
ways best to let the ground stand for three or
four weeks untouched, so that any weeds may
germinate and show themselves and be eradi-
eated by another harrowing.
When the area to be put to lawn is limited,
as it is in the case of small city residences, it
is necessary, first of all, to determine whether
the soil, as it lies, is suitable for a good lawn.
If it is not, waste no time with it but have it
carted away and good loam substituted. Work
this thoroughly and if it is in the fall—the
best time to begin lawn-making—top-dress it
with manure and let it remain -somewhat
roughly heaped, that is, without pulverizing or
smoothing. The winter’s frost and the alternate
LAWNS 49
freezing and thawing will do more to put the
soil in excellent condition than a month’s spad-
ing, hoeing and raking.
TURF
Once the ground is got into shape, the planter
may proceed to establish his lawn by one of
two methods; he may use turf or seed. The
former is probably most frequently employed
in cities because it gives immediate results.
It is quickly laid and quickly establishes itself,
and if properly laid, is usually satisfactory,
provided, of course, it 1s well-selected turf, free
from weeds or rank grasses that are unsightly
and difficult to manage. In laying sod be sure
that the edges of the turf are brought closely
together and later fill in the spaces that may re-
main with loose soil. The chief advantage of
turf is the fact that it can be laid at any time
when the ground ean be worked, and if estab-
lished on such a foundation of cultivated soil
as has been described as necessary for either
turf or seed, it will grow. But it must be wa-
tered persistently and thoroughly and it de-
mands, moreover, much attention during the
first year while it is establishing itself.
It is important in making the lawn from turf
50 YARD AND GARDEN
J
to select the turf carefully. T'’oo often this is
intrusted to ignorant laborers who use no
judgment but take whatever is closest at hand
and easiest to obtain, regardless of whether it
is overgrown with weeds or spotted with un-
desirable grasses. Once satisfactory turf 1s
obtained, laid evenly and closely and the unions
Sun-dial in Corner of City Lawn
are filled with loose earth, it is necessary to beat
it. This is essential in order to insure intimate
contact with the underlying soil, and if this is
not secured the planter of the turf will have
gained nothing. The roots will refuse to take
hold of the under-soil, and the grass after a few
days will die. Watering, of course, will tend
LAWNS ‘Ol
to prevent any such disaster and may be the
means of nursing the turfs to healthful and vig-
orous growth, but more frequently, if the
grasses do not die, they will struggle slowly
before they finally show signs of health and
vigor.
As a matter of fact, it is almost impossible
to obtain really good sod in any quantity.
Usually the turfs that are laid are filled with
weeds and once the sod is down and established,
it is almost impossible to exterminate them.
Then it is extremely difficult to prevent patches
from failing utterly and leaving bare spots,
where new grass is established only with the
most painstaking care and persistence. As a
general thing a turf lawn ean not be established
for two or three years and during that time it
will almost invariably appear uneven and
patchy, lacking uniformity of color and wanting
in that freshness and texture which comes from
proper seeding alone.
THE SEEDED LAWN
The seeded lawn established on a foundation.
of soil properly prepared is usually the most
satisfactory lawn in the long run. Prepare the
seed bed—after working the soil as already out-
o2 YARD AND GARDEN
lined—by finely pulverizing the surface and
making the top soil perfectly smooth. It
should, of course, be freed from all rubbish,
such as roots, stones and the like. Sow the
seed in April or May or in September. In the
South, however, seeding can be done in Febru-
ary and November. If the spring is selected
sow the seed as soon as the ground can be got
into fit condition. Broadcast the seed. Dis-
tribute it evenly over the entire surface of the
ground and at the rate of not less than four
bushels to the aere—five would be better. For
smaller areas use at least one quart of seed
to every 300 square feet. In England, noted
for its fine velvety lawns, 114 ewt. is used per
acre and one pound per square rod.
It is hardly necessary to suggest that a day
should be selected for the sowing that is quiet,
for wind will bear the fine seed away and half
of it will be wasted, while an even distribution
will be practically impossible. When sowing
keep the hand close to the ground and swing the
arm freely, taking care to scatter the seed thor-
oughly, not allowing it to bunch. Do not hesi-
tate to sow thickly. Thick sowing is an advan-
tage in more ways than one. In the first place
it prevents weeds from getting a firm foothold.
LAWNS Do
for they are crowded out by the grass seedlings,
and in the second place it insures a finer grass
leaf which in turn means a ‘‘velvety’’ lawn.
Usually it is advisable to go over the ground
twice. The first time sow from east to west
and the second time from north to south. After
the seed has been broadcasted, rake or harrow
lightly the entire area so that the seeds are cov-
ered very thinly. Follow this by rolling and
if you desire the best results never omit this
finishing process; it firms the ground and in-
sures germination of the seed, while it gives the
seedlings a firm foot-hold when they send their
roots forth in quest of food.
SEED FORMULA
Buy good seed. This is an economy and an
essential for good lawns. The well-known
Kentucky blue-grass is the best of all for the
lawn. It is not difficult to grow; indeed, where
it refuses to grow, soil conditions are such that
no permanent grass will thrive. Kentucky
blue combines more desirable qualities, prob-
ably, than any other grass, and on this account
it should be made the foundation and principal
ingredient of any mixture that is applied. The
other ingredients of the mixture are important
o4 YARD AND GARDEN
for various reasons. Chief among these is
the fact that IKentucky blue-grass does not ger-
minate quickly; if it is planted in the fall, for
instance, there will be no results until the next
spring, and if sown in the spring it will be some
time before it makes even a light covering for
the soil.
Various formule are offered by dealers in
seeds, and where the dealer is known to be re-
liable and is willing to furnish the purchaser
with an analysis of his mixture, it is safe to pur-
chase it and probably the best thing, all cireum-
stances considered, to do. But be sure in any
event that the Kentucky blue-grass which
should form the bulk of the mixture is ‘‘re-
cleaned fancy,’’ and do not accept any seed that
weighs less than twenty pounds to the bushel.
The object of the mixture is to insure im-
mediate results from the sowing while the blue-
grass is germinating, but incidentally the extra
grasses mixed with the blue-grass serve addi-
tional purposes. In the first place mixtures
result in a denser turf because grasses thrive
better when grown in variety. Then, too, the
Kentucky blue-grass has some undesirable fea-
tures and it is these that the other seeds in the
mixture will correct. The Kentucky blue, for
LAWNS 55
instance, does not carpet the ground as closely
as other varieties and when mowed shows
patches of soil and brown.
The best formula for general purposes is as
follows:.
Pg BLDC oo a a ee eo eae 10 Ibs.
OE US ELT ST RS AD plea oe Te 3 lbs.
MEARE VS eC Sg ses breed Sere Sah acne a eae re ee ce Sie 3 lbs.
wo TREC SOT a Alt Serge ere 4 lbs.
In any event this can be used as a basic mix-
ture and by substituting various grasses suited
_to various situations for a portion of the Ken-
tucky blue-grass, the mixture will be found gen-
erally effective.
Other mixtures are as follows:
FOR SHADED SPOTS
Poe pratensis: (Kentucky blue): ....... 2.6 2 oie. ca eee 40%
Poa nemoralis (wood-meadow grass)..... - ee ie ee eer 40%
Gynosurus ecristatus (crested dog’s-tail).............. 15%
Festuca heterophylla (various-leaved fescue)........... 5%
FOR SANDY SOILS
Perupratensis., (Kentucky blue)... .....-. 22.26. c ee cee oe 20%
Agrostis canina (Rhode Island bent).......... ft aats aioe
Agrostis alba, var. stolonifera (creeping bent) ......... 35%
eiica. ovina (Sheep's fesctle) ..% . 60. Fe ee ee den 10%
FOR. CLAY SOILS
Pea mraceusis, (Kentucky -bhie):... 5.02.20 2 6s cee we ss 45%
marostis alba, var. vulgaris (Redtop)................. 39%
Lolium perenne, var. tenue (fine-leaved English rye).... 20%
FOR SLOPES AND TERRACES
Poepratensis (Kentucky blue)... . 2.2.02. 62.225 dne 15%
Agrostis alba, var. stolonifera (creeping bent)......... 35%
Cynosurus cristatus (crested dog’s-tail)............... 30%
Reevecompressa (Canada blue)... .. 6.006.012 5 oc s es were 20%
D6 YARD AND GARDEN
FEEDING THE GRASS
When a lawn is properly treated in the pre-
liminary stages and manure is incorporated
with the soil as it is spaded or plowed and raked
or harrowed, little need be done in the way of
feeding the grass for six or seven years, but
where the soil is thin or the lawn has been es-
tablished for some time fertilizer of some sort
is necessary. It should be remembered that the
grass is feeding continuously and exhausting
the plant food of the soil. What it is taking
from the soil is not given back in any degree,
because the grass is mowed and the mowings
earted away. Then, too, it should be remem-
bered that grass is a permanent crop and it is
impossible, once it is established, to assist 1t by
the cultivation which it is possible to give to
other crops, whether they be flowers or vegeta-
bles.
Fertility can be added by spreading over the
surface a dressing of organic manure. Use
cow manure if it is possible to obtain it and
place it on the lawn after the ground is frozen
—this prevents the cutting of wheels of the cart
or wheelbarrow into the sod. Be sure that the
manure used is well rotted, that it is old.
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Fresh manure is not only damaging to the grass
but is almost certain to be filled with minute
seeds of various weeds. Let the manure re-
main until early spring and a double benefit
will be derived from the dressing. It will not
only impart plant food to the soil, but it will
serve as an effective mulch which will to a great
extent overcome the injury caused by the alter-
nate thawing and freezing during the winter.
When the grass shows a vigorous growth in
the spring, rake the coarser material from the
lawn and follow this by rolling.
In the spring it is best to top-dress the lawn
with an application of finely ground bone meal
mixed with hard-wood ashes. Combine the mix-
ture by using equal parts of each by weight,
and spread the fertilizer on the lawn until it
takes upon itself a grayish appearance, or to
be more exact at the rate of one ton to the acre.
It is best to select a day for applying this top
dressing that is still and promises a light rain.
Another fertilizer that has a beneficial effect on
lawns is nitrate of soda. Apply this at the
rate of one ounce to the square yard, and make
sure, if it is applied in dry form, that it is broad-
casted immediately preceding a shower. It is
perhaps best to apply this to the lawn by dis-
LAWNS 59
solving it in water, using one pint to forty gal-
lons of water. The effect of nitrate of soda
will be observed almost immediately; the grass
will take on a fresher color, a deeper, richer
green, and will make vigorous growth. Hard-
wood ashes, however, are especially valuable as
food for lawns of Kentucky blue-grass. Bone
meal is one of the most permanent fertilizers,
and is chiefly valuable, so far as grasses are
concerned, for its phosphates. Lime used on
the lawn should be air-slacked; it is best as a
winter dressing, and should be applied at the
rate of a pint cup full to the square yard.
ROLLING THE LAWN
The application of fertilizer is by no means
the only thing necessary to maintain a lawn in
good condition. The turf must be rolled and
the grass mowed and watered. Some indica-
tion of the value of rolling has already been
given in this chapter. It is important and
should never be neglected where the best re-
sults are sought. The rolling is necessary in
order to make the roots as firm as possible and
should be applied frequently. The heavier the
roller the better it is for the lawn. In the
spring as soon as the ground becomes work-
60 YARD AND GARDEN
able and the grass starts into growing, the en-
tire surface of the lawn should be rolled to
overcome the effects of the alternate freezing
and thawing during the winter months, which
has a tendency to loosen the surface soil. It
will be readily observed that the heavier the
soil and the more moist it is the more necessity
there is for rolling. In using the roller it is
best to roll in two directions at least, as was
suggested for broadcasting the seed—that 1s,
from north to south and from east to west. In
selecting the roller obtain one that will repre-
sent a weight of a thousand pounds at least.
Very frequently it will be found that old lawns
which appear to be beyond the power of cul-
tivation to bring back into condition, require
nothing more than repeated applications of the
roller, and in the case of new lawns very poor
and disappointing results will follow the fail-
ure of the planter to make use of this essential
lawn device.
MOWING
No lawn can be kept in good condition un-
less it is frequently mowed. The best method
to follow in cutting the grass is to mow it once
a week with the knives of the machine set high.
61
LAWNS
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62 YARD AND GARDEN
This is much better than mowing it at inter-
vals of two weeks with the knives set low. Still
it must not be considered that any regular in-
terval can be designated for the mowing pro-
cess; conditions must govern the cutting. If
the growth is rapid, mowing may be necessary
oftener than once a week, but where the lawn
can be gone over with the machine at least
once every six or seven days, the knives on the
mower should not be set closer than two inches
to the ground. In cases where the grass has
been allowed to get unusually long, the knives
should be set even higher for the first two or
three mowings and then brought gradually
lower until the proper distance from the —
ground is obtained.
It is often a question whether the clippings
resulting from the use of the mower should be
left on the lawn or removed. If, however, the
lawn is mowed frequently and the grass is kept
at a uniform height of about two inches the
clippings if left on the lawn will do no harm,
but, on the contrary, very often will prove a
benefit inasmuch as they will act, in some de-
gree at least, as mulch and protect the roots,
especially in the early spring, from the scorch-
ing rays of the sun. But if the grass has been
LAWNS 63
allowed to gain a considerable growth, it will
be positively detrimental to permit the clip-
pings to remain. This is especially true where
the soil is inclined to be heavy and the moisture
it contains is not quickly given off. In such
instances the cut grass hanging closely about
the roots and there rotting will be the cause
of not a little subsequent trouble. On lighter
soils there is less danger from leaving the clip-
pings on the lawn, and in some instances it is
even better to do so.
Grass that is cut on dull cloudy days will
be found to yield itself more readily to the
knives of the mower, and in addition to this
will show less disposition to resent even close
mowing than when a bright hot day is selected
- for the operation.
WATERING
It is a fallacy to proceed with the watering
of a lawn on the basis that it is not good for
the grass to wet it while the sun is shining. If
watering is done as it should be it will make
very little difference whether the day is bright -
or cloudy. Mere sprinkling is detrimental in
any event and is to be avoided, especially on
bright days. This method of ‘‘watering’’ a
64 YARD AND GARDEN
lawn is undoubtedly the cause of much of the
trouble experienced in obtaining the best re-
sults where conditions would seem to indicate
that they should be easily attained. Instead
of playing a thin mist-like spray over the lawn,
see to it that the ground is soaked; in other
words, when you do water, water well. Apply
enough so that the water will soak in the ground,
saturating it for a depth of two or three inches
at least. Remember that the roots of grasses
as well as of other plants seek moisture where
it is to be found. If you persist in hghtly
sprinkling your lawn the roots, instead of pene-
trating to the cooler depths, will persist in
remaining on the surface, where they soon
become dry and baked by the sun. If, on the
other hand, the roots find what they require at -
a depth of six or eight inches or a foot below
the surface of the soil, they will make a growth
in that direction to obtain it.
In most cities, unfortunately, there are reg-
ulations maintained by companies supplying
water making it practically impossible to water
a lawn as it should be watered. These regula-
tions prohibit the use of a hose without the
nozzle, and this in itself 1s a positive handicap
for the owner of city property who is anxious
LAWNS
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66 YARD AND GARDEN
to obtain a soft and velvety lawn. Where,
however, regulations do not interfere, it is best
to water without a nozzle, letting the water
emerge unchecked from the hose and with the :
foree of the stream so regulated that it will not
wear holes in the turf. Let the end of the hose
rest on the grass and as the ground becomes
saturated with the water move it about from
place to place until the whole area is thoroughly
wet. Watering in this manner can be carried
on at any time of the day whether the sun is
bright or clouded.
WEEDS
The weed problem is one not so easily dis-
posed of. Frequently a _ splendid lawn is
ruined in a comparatively short time by allow-
ing the weeds to gain a foothold, and permit-
ting them to spread. Guard against any such
catastrophe by keeping ahead of the pests.
Remember that where a lawn is well kept,
planted on a foundation of suitable soil, weeds
will have a difficult time to establish themselves.
Be sure each time the lawn is mowed to look
earefully for the weeds. It is best always to
dig out the dandelions and plantains before the
mower is run over them.
LAWNS 67
Occasionally an effort is made to save a lawn
that is overrun by these weeds, and the per-
plexed owner seeks for some solution which,
when applied, will kill the objectionable intrud-
ers and do no harm to the grass. Let him
understand now, once for all, that the only sure
and safe method of eradication is by removing
the weeds, root and all, by digging them out with
hand tools. No other method will relieve the.
turf of dandelions, plantain or dock. Mowing
does not kill them nor does cutting them off an
inch or two below the surface of the soil. Both
dandelions and plantains seed very rapidly
and multiply at an enormous rate. They must
not, therefore, be allowed to come to seed. Re-
move them or such of them as can be reached
by the use of some tool, and if all the root, by
this process, 1s not obtained, drop a erystal of
sulphate of iron in the hole made by the oper-
ation and this, dissolving, will kill the root re-
maining.
aw
CHAPTER’ VI
ANNUALS
It is with annual rather than with biennial
or with perennial plants that most planters of
small city gardens are familiar. The three
groups are well marked and the characteristics
of each well defined. Annuals, strictly speak-
ing, are plants which normally survive but a
single season, maturing from seed, producing
seed and completing their cycle of life. Bien-
nials live two years and the term, accurately
applied, describes an exceedingly small group
of plants which do not bear flowers or fruit
until the second season following the planting
of the seed. Of all the species of seed-bearing
plants, it has been estimated that only one or
two per cent. are true biennials. Perennials
live from year to year and include, naturally,
trees, shrubs and herbs, but, as the term is gen-
erally employed in relation to decorative gar-
dening, it is applied to those non-woody plants
more properly known as ‘‘hardy herbaceous
LOorgq 99
100 YARD AND GARDEN
perennials.’? These include such well-known
species as Peony and Phlox.
GENERAL CLASSIFICATION OF ANNUALS
Among the annuals are found some of the
showiest plants in cultivation, and, inasmuch
as they are, generally speaking, easily grown,
Annual Phlox (P. Drummondit)
additional merit on this account must be ac-
corded the group. They afford a variety of
brilliant colors and delicate fragrance, produce
quick results, bloom at various seasons and at-
tain varying heights. They are valuable in
beds by themselves, as edgings for other beds
or for walks, as trailers or vines, or in con-
ANNUALS 101
junction with borders of hardy shrubs or herba-
eeous plants. In the latter employment they
serve to replace perennials that failed to sur-
vive the winter or to cover bare spots which
frequently occur in the hardy borders.
Annuals are usually divided into three
classes:
(1) Hardy annuals, or those sown directly
in the open ground where they are to bloom.
Many of these resent transplanting and, when
the seeds have germinated, demand only thin-
ning. Hardy annuals are the earliest to be
sown outdoors.
(2) Half-hardy annuals, or those which are
usually sown indoors under glass and later
transplanted to the blooming beds. Sown out-
doors, weather conditions must be such as to
indicate that all danger of frost is past.
(5) Tender annuals, or those which require
more heat than the half-hardy varieties, and
which can not be safely transplanted outdoors
until there is an assured temperature of not
less than fifty-five or sixty degrees. These also
are started indoors.
Catalogues usually make these divisions, and
when once the meaning of the term is thor-
oughly understood there is less danger of fail-
102 YARD AND GARDEN
ure on the part of the amateur in dealing with
them.
EARLY PLANTING
To obtain early flowers from annuals, in the
North, seed must be sown in flats or pans or
boxes and set in sunny windows until the seed-
lings grow strong enough to bear transplant-
ing. Often this is begun entirely too early.
Single and Double Zinnias
Dwelling houses, as a rule, are altogether un-
suitable for raising plants successfully from
seed, and especially for ‘‘growing them on,’’
as the florists call it, until it is time to set them
out in outdoor beds. The seed, in most in-
stances, will germinate, and, given the rnght
ANNUALS 108
conditions, the seedlings will thrive, but most
beginners find it impossible to give the little
plants these ‘‘right conditions.’’ It is, there-
fore, best to give them as short a period in the
house as possible and, at the same time, effect
a gain in point of early flowering. So, instead
of attempting to gain too much time, which in
seven cases out of ten results in absolute fail-
ure, it is better to gain, say only three weeks,
and have the effort crowned with success. To
do this, sow the seeds in the house in the first
week of April. There is much expert advice,
of course, to the effect that March sowing is
none too early, but there are, so far as the ex-
periences of beginners are concerned, com-
paratively few cases where results from March
sowing in the long run equal those of April
planting.
INDOOR SOWING
The best plan to follow is to adopt the method
employed by the florist—sow the seeds in flats.
‘*Flats’’ are more convenient than mysterious;
they are easily made, cheap and admirably
adapted to the purpose. They are nothing
more than boxes, twelve or eighteen inches wide
and twice as long and three or four inches deep.
104 YARD AND GARDEN
The width.and length may vary to suit the
planter, although a box a foot and a half wide
and two and a half or three feet long is more
easily handled, but the depth must not be
greater than four inches. Three, probably, for
the average amateur is better. Empty cigar
boxes are often used, and do very well indeed.
Bore half a dozen holes in the bottom and over
these place bits of crock, concave enough in
form to permit surplus water to escape under
them easily and quickly. Next put in a layer
of coarse earth—unsifted loam—and, on top of
this, place the finer soil. This must be sifted,
made rich with old manure, with sand enough
added to render it thoroughly porous. Press
the soil down firmly, especially along the ends
and sides and in the corners, dampen slightly,
and sow the seed.
Sow very fine seed broadeast, scattering it
thinly over the surface and pressing it in the
soil with a block of wood. For larger seeds,
sprinkle a little dirt on top—barely enough to
cover them—and for seeds large enough to
handle separately supply a heavier covering of
soil. A safe rule to apply is to plant the big
seeds at a depth three times their diameter. If,
after the seed is planted, it appears that the
ANNUALS 105
soil is too dry, sprinkle hghtly with water, tak-
ing care not to wash the seed out. Then cover
the box or flat with a glass and sheet of white
paper and place it in a warm place. A shelf
above a radiator or stove is a fairly good situa-
tion, provided the heat is not too intense. Lit-
tle light is needed until the seeds germinate,
Snapdragon China Aster
when, of course, they must be moved to lighter
quarters. Watch the glass closely, for it will
act, in a sense, aS a barometer. When there is
too much moisture in the soil, drops will form
on the glass. Raise it and wipe off the surplus
moisture, and let it remain elevated so that the
dry air can strike the earth and rid it of the
106 YARD AND GARDEN
excess dampness. Careful attention to this de-
tail will prevent the ‘‘damping off’’ of the seed-
lings, which so often discourages the beginner.
If, on the other hand, the soil threatens to be-
come too dry, sprinkle lightly with water, or,
if the flat be small enough, set it in a pan of
luke-warm water and let it absorb the water
through the drainage holes in the bottom.
As the plants make growth, give more air,
removing the white paper entirely and slightly
elevating the glass. As growth continues, sup-
ply more air, and when the seedlings put out
their second leaves place the flat in a lght,
warm window, making sure to screen the boxes
from the sun. White paper is also excellent
for this. When the first true leaves appear,
dispense with the glass and gradually expose
the plants to more sun.
TRANSPLANTING SEEDLINGS
By the time conditions outdoors permit trans-
planting, the seedlings should be strong enough
and at the same time enough hardened to en-
dure the shock without any marked set-back.
But in some instances it may be necessary to
_transplant before the outside conditions will
permit a transfer immediately to the blooming
ANNUALS 107
bed. In such case transplant either to other
flats—constructed in the same way—or else to
what are called ‘‘thumb pots,’’ miniature flower
pots easily obtained of any florist at very small
cost. These, however, are not necessary, any
sort of receptacle serving very well for the
seedlings. In transplanting thus to other
Transplanting Seedlings to ‘* Thumb-Pots.”
boxes, allow the young plants all the space you
ean afford; if set too close together their roots
will intertwine and it will be difficult later on,
when you come to set them in their permanent
beds, to separate them without damaging them
severely.
In any case, it is very important that the
108 YARD AND GARDEN
seedlings do not become spindly. To prevent
this, increase the light and turn the boxes oc-
casionally, so that one side is not always next
to the window.
Select seeds for planting indoors with some
care. Earliness alone is hardly worth striving
for. The plant so treated blooms for only a
definite period, say four weeks. In such a ease,
of course, what you would gain at one end you
would lose at the other. But in many instances,
especially in the case of verbenas and petunias,
a month’s start means a clear gain, for the
plants, once they begin to bloom, will continue
to bloom until frost.
IMPORTANCE OF GOOD BEDS
It is strange, to say the least, that many
persons observe carefully all the little points
necessary to insure success with seeds planted
indoors, but prepare the outdoor beds in a man-
ner at once indifferent and careless. Three-
fourths of the failures are due to this lack of
thoroughness. In spring, the most of us,
whether flower-raising is our hobby or not.
want to plant. We rush into it, hastily and in-
completely preparing the beds, sow the seeds,
watch with increasing interest the germination,
ANNUALS 109
and then feel not only regret but wonder when
the seedlings droop, witther and die. We at-
tribute the trouble to the seeds. But the simple
truth is, the fault is our own. We deliberately
precipitate a floral tragedy; we deceive the
plants; lead them to believe that the alluring
surface conditions with which we provide them
extend to sufficient depth to accommodate their
roots, but when they reach out and down, hope-
fully and trustfully, they encounter stones and
clods and soil as hard as cement. Not even the
spade could penetrate it easily. The hot sun
bakes the surface soil, blisters the fine roots,
and, in the end, instead of bloom and frag-
rance, we have a dismal bed of dead and dying
plants. :
The careful gardener provides against any
such catastrophe with his annuals by preparing
his beds with that thoroughness which alone
insures success. He realizes that it is better
to spend time and labor in the beginning and
to begin right than.to exhaust patience later
and suffer disappointment as well. A poorly
made bed never produced a good flower, and
‘annuals, although quick in their growth, de-
mand proper rooting conditions if they are to
do their best.
110 YARD AND GARDEN
THE MOST SUITABLE SOIL
The ideal annual flower-bed is within the
reach of every person who has any flower-bed
at all. First of all, it means suitable soil, and,
in the second place, it means thorough treat-
ment of this soil. If your ground is heavyy—
clayish in quality—or light—due to too much
Stocks Shirley Poppies
sand—it is often best to get rid of it entirely.
Outline the size of the bed, making sure not to
make it too wide to permit easy access to every
part of it, and excavate the poor soil to a depth
of two feet. Cart it away. Level off the bot-
tom and place a five- or six-inch layer of drain-
ANNUALS ig
age material on it. Sand or gravel or cinders
will answer the purpose. Then on top of this
put in the new soil, which should consist of
rich, fine loam, leaf-mold and well-rotted cow
manure in approximately equal parts. In fill-
ing, bring the surface of the bed three or four
inches higher than the surface of the surround-
ing ground, to allow for settling, and do not
attempt to sow seeds or set out plants in it
until this settling has occurred.
But if the soil where the bed is to be made
is satisfactory, such trouble,. of course, is
avoided. Remember, however, that where no
bed has ever been made before, the earth must
be spaded to a depth of eighteen inches at least
—two feet is even better. All roots and stones
must be removed and the clods thoroughly pul-
verized. Begin by removing the surface soil
to a depth of six inches, casting it to one side.
Then spade the sub-soil to the required depth,
incorporating with it well-rotted manure, and,
when this is done, return the surface soil, mak-
ing it as fine as possible—so fine, indeed, that
it will readily pass through a sieve with a quar-
ter-inch mesh. The surface soil is laid aside
and finally returned to the top because it is
always rich in humus, which furnishes the most
112 YARD AND GARDEN
available food for the young plants and tender
rootlets. Nature herself, it will be observed,
never turns the soil upside down. But in spad-
ing up old beds, where it is only necessary to
break the ground and pulverize the soil, it may
seem impractical to keep the surface soil on the
Sweet Peas
surface. It is easily enough accomplished,
however, if the old bed was properly prepared
in the beginning. Simply insert the spade to
the required depth and twist it from side to
side, loosening the soil without turning it un-
der.
But no matter what particular process you
ANNUALS 113
may elect to follow in making your bed, re-
member these points:
Provide depth, and in the sub-soil incorpo-
rate manure.
Never turn the surface soil under.
Thoroughly pulverize the surface—it can not
be made too fine. 3
By following these suggestions the founda-
tion for success is laid. Enriching the sub-soil
and giving depth are essential because the two
processes combine to draw the roots of the
plants downward and away from the surface,
where the sun’s heat will bake them. Pulver-
izing the surface soil makes it possible to sow
the finest seed with satisfactory results.
THE TIME FOR PLANTING
In sowing seeds it is well to remember that
April in the North is a month of many moods.
The warmth of one day, which seems to presage
the end of spring frosts, may be nothing more
than a ‘‘weather-breeder.’’ It may end in a
cold night and a succession of cold days, when
whatever has been planted in the way of tender
annuals succumbs, and the gardener’s work has
been for nothing. Therefore, do not be im-
114 YARD AND GARDEN
patient to plant. It is better to wait until the
ground is warm and all danger of frost is past
than to be too early; give your impatience
outlet by working the soil in the beds.
But by the fifteenth of April it is ordinarily
safe to plant such of the hardier annuals as
the Cornflower, Sweet Sultan, Calendula, Calli-
Petunias
opsis, Petunia, Sunflower, Morning-glory, Sweet
Alyssum, Poppy, Candytuft, Mignonette. The
last three, it must be borne in mind, will not
bear transplanting, and must be sown where
they are to bloom.
The gardener who has a choice of location
for his beds of annuals should remember that
ANNUALS 115
most of them prefer open, sunny situations, but
some of them, such, for example, as pansies and
forget-me-nots, thrive where they get the full
sunshine for only half a day.
OUTDOORS SOWING
It is in sowing the seeds of annuals outdoors
that imexperienced amateurs make the most
blunders. After the seed beds have been pre-
pared as already directed, mark off rows on
the surface from six to twenty-four inches
apart. Be sure to make the rows straight. If,
however, the planter desires, the planting may
be done in circles, keeping the circles the same
distance apart. In every instance the space
between the rows or circles is determined by
the height or size of the plant at maturity.
Allow plenty of room for growth and do not
crowd. Sow fine seed in the rows as thinly as
possible, and, after the true leaves form, thin,
permitting such to remain as stand as far apart
in the rows as the rows themselves are far
apart. Sow heavier and larger seeds one at a
time and a little thicker than they are to stand
when they begin growth; this allows for fail-
ures. When the seed is sown, sift a light
covering of soil over the finer seeds—barely
ric YARD AND GARDEN
enough to assist in firming them in the ground,
and then, with a smooth board or block of wood,
gently pat down the surface, making the entire
bed smooth. Be sure to label the rows if dif-
ferent varieties are planted, and it is best,
usually, to mark on the labels the date of plant-
Ing.
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Pot Marigold
(Calendula officinalis)
As soon as the seedlings have made enough
growth, be on the lookout for weeds, and as fast
as they appear rid the beds of them. Weeds
quickly overcome the tender flowers, and either
kill them entirely or cause such a set-back that
the plants do not readily recover. Prepare
also to afford such support as some annuals
ANNUALS ij
may require, supplying twigs or stakes for
them to depend upon, or, in some instances,
wire netting or something similar—as in the
ease of sweet-peas—for them to climb over.
Good flowers, it must be remembered, do
not grow in neglected beds. Cultivation alone
will bring out the best that there is in plants
of any sort. And cultivation means a little
more than the daily sprinkle of water over the
beds. It means a little more than weeding.
Still the work it embraces is neither arduous
nor exhausting and, if a little be done each day,
will scarcely occupy any time at all. It is pos-
sible, for instance, to keep in perfect state of
cultivation a garden of annuals fifty feet wide
and fifty feet deep by devoting twenty minutes
a day to the work it demands.
WATERING
Many amateurs fail because, after their gar-
den is well started, they water, as the florists
say, ‘‘injudiciously.’’ It is difficult to under-
stand what is meant by the term, but not at
all difficult to interpret it by the hght of some
unfortunate experience. In the first place,
some plants demand more water than others,
and this, of course, should be taken into con-
118 YARD AND GARDEN
sideration. It should be taken into considera-
tion when the plan of the garden is being laid
out; group those flowers demanding much mois-
ture together as nearly as possible and those
demanding less moisture in groups distinct
from the others. Then apply the water accord-
ingly, abundantly or seantily as the case may
Sowing Seeds of Annuals
be, and at night. There is contrary advice, to
be sure, but if the rule of applying the water
at night is followed the flowers will all be bene-
fited, and, at least, none will be harmed. But
to water the beds in the late morning or early
afternoon is dangerous, if not altogether fatal.
Moreover, when water is applied, let the apph-
ANNUALS 119
eation be thorough. It does very little good to
sprinkle the beds with a light mist from the
hose or watering-can; this may often freshen
the foliage after a hot, burning day, but it gives
no water to the roots, where the moisture is
necessary. It is, in fact, better to water in-
frequently, provided the watering then is done
thoroughly, than to water often and _ only
lightly.
Keep the surface soil of the beds well stirred,
and do not permit a hard crust to form. The
process of weeding naturally tends to give
the soil such cultivation as it requires in this
respect, but often, when weeding is thoroughly -
done, some weeks may pass before it appears
necessary to repeat the work. It is in such in-
tervals that the surface soil hardens and be-
comes almost aS impervious to moisture as
concrete, and at the same time, is quickly heated
by the sun’s rays.
In selecting annuals for spring planting, be
wary of ‘‘novelties.’’ Obtain the standards,
which have been often tried and seldom found
wanting. Only a few of the uncommon sorts,
or those that are little known, are of value—if
they were, they would very quickly cease to be
uncommon. The old-time flowers are not easily
120 YARD AND GARDEN
displaced and the beginner will do well to rely
in the main on pot marigolds or calendulas,
clarkias, zinnias, balsams, candytufts, scabiosas,
nasturtiums, poppies, calliopsis or coreopsis,
phloxes, pinks, portulacas, China asters, stocks,
sweet alyssum, cockscombs, silenes, petunias,
sweet-peas and sunfiowers. For climbers none
is better than the morning-glory or the nastur-
tium.
PORCH AND WINDOW BOXES
In connection with the discussion of annuals,
it is fitting that there should be something said
of porch and window boxes. Often the earth
inclosed in these is the only ground some un-
fortunate city resident possesses; it must be-
come his garden and his domain and therein he
must raise the flowers with which to grace his.
residence in summer. Porch and window boxes
may be filled with foliage or flowering plants,
which, onee they are established, will add im-
measurably to the appearance of the residence
and contribute generously toward redeeming
the big city of its barren ugliness. These little
box gardens, whether they are simple or elab-
orate, are always effective, and the effective-
ness is invariably out of all proportion to the
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cost involved. There is nothing in the way of
planting, especially in large towns and cities,
that will give a surer, quicker touch of indi-
viduality and distinction to a residence at small
cost and with little trouble than porch and win-
dow boxes. |
Where there is a lawn, however small it may
be, the boxes, with their green foliage and hang-
ing vines, render less abrupt the line between
lawn and foundation wall. Even where there
is yard space enough to. permit the use of small
shrubs or flowering plants, annuals or peren-
nials, for the concealment of such walls, or the
use of climbing vines to relieve the walls of
any suggestion of obtrusiveness, the transition
between lawn and architecture is less marked
when box gardens are employed.
In recent years this fact has come to be more
generally recognized, and, as a result, profes-
sional florists each spring prepare thousands
of plants for use in this manner. Moreover,
it is possible nowadays to have them in gen-
erous quantities at comparatively small cost.
At the same time, the varieties offered for this
purpose are increasing in number, and the
range of choice now includes a score of plants
which only a few seasons ago were sold at
ANNUALS 123
prices practically prohibitive so far as the
purse of the average person is concerned.
PRACTICAL USES OF BOX GARDENS
When cost is considered, however, there
should be some thought given to the usefulness
of the boxes. In a modest way such gardens
have a practical value. Not only do they add
beauty to a house and in this respect prove
their esthetic or ornamental value, but they
frequently serve as effective screens, as when,
on a porch without a railing, the boxes are used
as a substitute. Wherever they are so em-
ployed it is seldom that the owner feels willing
to abandon them for the usual balustrade.
Again, when set before windows, they satis-
factorily obstruct the view from ‘the outside,
~ though not materially interfering with the view
from within. It might be mentioned, too, that
by their use rooms may be rendered cooler in
the hot days of summer, for the foliage of the
plants will break the direct rays of the sun,
and the evaporation of the water appiied to
the boxes will in some degree reduce the heat
of the atmosphere.
There is still another practical value which
should not be overlooked. Persons who do not
YARD AND GARDEN
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ANNUALS 125
own their homes, but, on account of prefer-
ence or for other reasons, rent them, may feel
reluctant to expend even a comparatively small
sum in the ornamentation of a place which is
not their own. While such an excuse, in view
of the small cost of the seed of quick-growing
annuals, is extremely weak, still porch and win-
dow boxes present an immediate and happy
solution. Easily moved from place to place,
even when filled, they need never be abandoned,
but can be carried away by the renter along
with his furniture, and, though they may not
appear to fit the new porch or the new windows,
in all cases some use can be made of them, and
usually they will be found to do as well in the
new home as in the old. If one has window or
porch boxes, therefore, he may move in mid-
summer if he desires, and, by carrying the box
gardens with him, he can impart to his new res-
idence an atmosphere of permanency which he
could not attain in any other way.
But if these miniature gardens possess
numerous advantages, it must be remembered
that all of them disappear immediately if the
boxes are neglected. When they are allowed
to languish for want of care and attention,
instead of adding beauty to a place, they be-
126 YARD AND GARDEN
come shabby and fade or wither, and remain a
- constant reflection on the planter, who was
either careless or indifferent enough to permit
their decline.
As in all gardening operations, the way to
prevent such unhappy results is to begin pro-
perly. Time and labor spent in the beginning
means time and labor saved in the end. Give
the flowers or plants the most congenial con-
ditions possible, and, with ordinary attention,
they will thrive and amply reward the planter
for his pains. Remember in the first place that
growing plants in boxes is vastly different from
growing them in beds in the ground. In boxes
ANNUALS eee
they are generally exposed on three or four
sides, and moisture taken up by the soil quickly
evaporates, leaving the plants dry and thirsty.
Then remember, too, that the smaller the box
the more rapid is the evaporation, the more
cramped are the roots, and the more quickly is
the plant food in the soil exhausted when over-
crowded.
THE PROPER BOX
In a word, begin properly by constructing
the proper sort of box. Do not be niggardly
with the lumber, and do not be fearful of get-
ting the box too deep or too wide. Of course,
in most instances, the planter—especially if he
be the owner of his own home—must be gov-
erned largely by conditions; he must construct
his boxes to fit these conditions. But before he
begins let him examine carefully the conditions,
with a view to making the most of them. Often
what seems to be impossible, on reflection be-
comes possible, and where it appears at first
that only a small box could be employed it be-
comes apparent that by some other arrange-
ment than the first contemplated, a larger box
ean be used.
Boxes one foot deep and one foot wide, in-
side dimensions, are not too large. As for
128 YARD AND GARDEN
length, use a number of boxes of less length
rather than one or two boxes of longer size.
This, however, is merely a matter of conven-
ience; the shorter the boxes the more easily are
they handled, and if one makes them both wide
and deep, much of the weight occasioned by
these generous dimensions is overcome by re-
ducing the length. Obtain boards fourteen
inches wide, other boards twelve inches wide,
and all of them of inch stuff. The fourteen-
inch boards are used as bottoms, and the
twelve-inch boards are used for the sides and
ends. It requires no mathematician to figure
that, by employing such lumber, the task re-
solves itself into sawing the boards to proper
lengths and nailing them together. By secur-
ing the sides and ends on top of the bottom
boards, it will readily be seen that the inside
dimensions are a foot wide and a foot deep.
In order to secure the boxes and prevent their
pulling apart—for nails soon work loose—make
liberal use of small angle-irons. These are fas-
tened on the outside, for, when round-headed
screws are used, they prove ornamental as well
as useful. Occasionally one may use thin iron
bands instead, but these, while more difficult to
adjust, seldom prove as satisfactory as the
ae.
Effective Grouping of Single Plants
130 YARD AND GARDEN
angle-irons. The boxes should never be set flat
upon the floor of the porch, but should be sup-
ported by pieces of ‘‘two-by-four.’’ Stout iron
brackets firmly secured may be used to support
the window boxes. In the bottoms of all bore
quarter-inch holes at intervals of six or eight
inches to insure drainage.
SOIL FOR BOX GARDENS
For the best results, only the best soil must
be used. Obtain good rich loam—such, for in-
stance, as is found directly under the roots of
the grass in a fertile pasture—and with this
mix well-rotted manure and sand. ‘The best
compost is one-third loam, one-third manure
and at least one-fifth sharp, clean sand. This,
however, is a general mixture; for some plants
it is not by any means the best. Ferns, be-
gonias and caladiums, for instance, demand
well-rotted leaf mold instead of the manure.
But, even though rich soil is generously pro-
vided, thrifty plants soon exhaust it, and the
successful box gardener will not overlook this
fact. During the summer, from time to time,
he will supply additional plant food in the form
of fertilizer. Liquid manure is always best and
safest; use, if it can be-obtained, dried sheep
131
ANNUALS
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132 YARD AND GARDEN
manure. Set a pound of this, held im a cloth
bag, in five gallons of water and let it remain
until the solution takes upon itself the color of
weak tea. Then apply it at the roots of the
plants once a week. Weak solutions frequently
applied are better than strong solutions applied
less often. Bone meal may be used by sprink-
ling it hghtly on the surface of the soil, but it is
never as satisfactory as the liquid fertilizer.
CULTIVATION
Window boxes, even where their proportions
are generous, require much water. As a mat-
ter of fact they should be thoroughly watered
every day if they are exposed to the sun, and
in other situations often enough to prevent
the soil from becoming dry. There is little
danger of souring the soil if drainage has been
properly provided. It is also necessary to keep
the surface soil loose; never permit it to harden
and cake. Avoid, too, the planting of flowers
that demand sun in situations where only shade
is to be had, and, on the other hand, do not
waste time and effort by setting shade-loving
plants in positions exposed to the full glare of
the sun. Neither will thrive.
Usually the most perplexing problem is to
ANNUALS 133
select plants for the north side of the poreh or
for the north windows. Trailing fuchsias, ivy
geraniums, fancy caladiums, vineas, asparagus,
Japanese morning-glories, glechoma and_be-
gonias are all suitable, to say nothing of the
numerous ferns. The common ‘‘umbrella
plant’’ also does well in such situations, but
requires more water than the others.
For boxes on the south, geraniums, antir-
rhinums (‘‘snap-dragons’’), heliotrope, mau-
randya, Phlox Drummondu, nasturtiums, ager-
atum, weeping lantana, crotons, abutilons,
eoleus, are all excellent, while on the east use
tuberous begonias, nasturtiums, thunbergias,
vineas, ivy geraniums, heliotrope, manettias,
maurandya, antirrhinums and ferns.
CHAPTER VII
HARDY PERENNIALS
No class of plants is better adapted for the
ornamentation of city yards than the hardy
herbaceous perennials. Once established, they
require comparatively little care and, provided
they are properly planted, they will thrive from
vear to year, multiply and at the end of three
or four seasons, reward the planter with dozens
if not scores of new plants with which to adorn
additional space. Unlike annuals, they survive
the winters, oftentimes with no_ protection
whatever, and may be planted either in the
spring or autumn, may be obtained as young
plants or may be raised from seed.
CLASSIFICATION OF PERENNIALS
While it is hardly possible to give a clear
definition of the herbaceous perennial and to
distinguish between this and the biennial and
annual, still it is understood that the herba-
eeous perennial is a plant provided with per-
134
HARDY PERENNIALS 135
Meadow Sweet (Ulmaria Filipendula, known to the trade as
Spirea Filipendula)
156 YARD AND GARDEN
ennial roots and a top that dies to the ground
in the fall, such, for instance, as the peony, the
columbine, the larkspur and the various forms
of hardy ferns. Nurserymen, however, include
in the list a number of closely allied species
which possess evergreen foliage, such as the
statice and the yucca and the evergreen creep-
ing phlox and a number of Alpine plants.
American nurserymen now offer nearly three
thousand species and varieties. Many of these,
of course, are hardier than others and some
require more generous treatment than others;
and all vary in height and size, color of flower
and period of bloom. It is only necessary to
bear in mind that with such a list from which
to select it is possible to have flowers in bloom
from frost to frost. Indeed, with a judicious
planting of spring-flowering bulbs and a lberal
planting of herbaceous perennials not even the
smallest city yard need be bloomless for more
than four months in the year.
The perennials may be divided into three
groups. The first will include those plants
which are to be adapted for the garden of neat
habit and form, requiring favorable conditions
which a state of cultivation provides and which, .
with only a little more than ordinary attention,
HARDY PERENNIALS 137
will attain perfection, persist from year to
year and increase in size and vigor. The
second group includes the perennial plants
which are possessed of such aggressive habits
that they are not well suited to the garden
but are adapted rather to planting in situ-
ations where they may remain undisturbed,
Catchfly (Lychnis Visearia, var. splendens)
and where their crowding and their irregu-
lar, sometimes ragged, growth will not prove
a disadvantage. The third division will in-
elude plants that are best adapted to plant-
ing in the wild garden or whieh, if established
among trees or in remote corners of the large
yard or grounds, will be in the midst of condi-
138 YARD AND GARDEN
tions that suit them best and under which they
will meet with that natural restraint necessary
to curb rampant growth and prevent encroach-
ment on grounds set aside for other purposes.
This class of hardy perennials is more fre-
quently employed by the landscape gardener
who has an area of considerable extent to plant
than by the owner of a city lot.
The latter, however, will find that in the vari-
ous species and varieties of the herbaceous per-
ennials nearly every sort of plant is to be
obtained which he may desire. The group
affords plants for almost every situation, every
soil condition, and for almost every purpose.
Varying in height from the lowly growth of a
ereeper to eight or ten and sometimes even
twelve or fourteen feet, affording foliage that
in itself is decorative, providing flowers for
every month from early spring until late
autumn, and including almost every shade in
their range of color, the perennials are by all
odds the best plants to establish in the space of
the small garden.
While they are easily raised from seed very
few of them bloom the first season when so
planted. To: obtain immediate results, there-
fore, it is best to obtain plants a year or more
HARDY PERENNIALS 139
old. This involves greater expense but it is
far more effective. Such plants set out in the
spring will bloom the following summer, or, if
set out in the autumn, will endure the winter
and, as the frost leaves the ground in the en-
suing spring, will send up their tender foliage
Achillea Columbine
(Achillea Ptarmica, (Aquilegia chrysantha)
var. “ The Pearl”)
and bloom-stalks and, long before it is season-
able for the planting of the seeds of annuals,
they will be in vigorous growth. The gardener
who has such plants to observe finds the early
spring one of the most interesting periods of
the whole year. He goes from bed to bed or
border to border removing a bit of the win-
140 YARD AND GARDEN
ter cover here and a bit there, and finds beneath
the litter the green shoots of the perennials
showing above the ground. For Imm there is
no impatient waiting until the last danger of
frost is past before gardening operations may
be begun, but, with the first pleasant days of
sunshine, life stirs in his garden. From this
time on he has only to take care that a sudden
frost does not catch him unawares and nip
the tender shoots.
WINTER PROTECTION ;
In the fail, when the frost has cut down the
foliage and withered everything in the yard and
when the trees have shed their leaves, the gar-
dener has only to place a hght cover on his
beds or borders to prepare for another season
of bloom. This winter protection is heavy or
light according to the location; in the northern
section of the country a heavier covering of
leaves or litter is required than in the southern
portion ; in many sections of the latter the hardy
perennials require no winter protection what-
ever. The protection itself should be apphed as
soon as the ground has frozen to the depth of an
inch. If it is applied earlier there is often
danger of mice nesting under the litter and, in
HARDY PERENNIALS 141
Globe Flower
(Trollius Europeus)
142 YARD AND GARDEN
the spring, nipping the shoots as they appear
above the ground, or in the winter making their
way through the soft unfrozen earth to the
roots and so damaging these that the plants
perish. It is best in applying the litter, which
should consist of leaves—preferably the leaves
of hard-wooded trees—or clean straw, to lay
on at first a light covering and to add to this
later as the season advances and the severity
of the weather may suggest.
The purpose of the covering is not so much to
keep the ground from freezing as to protect the
plants from the rending, tearing and upheav-
ing effects of the alternate freezing and thaw-
ing. It is this, rather than extreme Yor
prolonged cold, that damages hardy perennials
and the spring-flowering bulbs. The covering,
therefore, should be only heavy enough to pro-
tect the beds or borders from this danger. And
it should be of such a nature that it will not
pack or settle heavily on the surface of the soil
and smother the plants by excluding the air.
PLANTING SEASON
While the perennials may be planted in the
fall.as well as in the spring, unless the plants
ean be obtained early in the fall it is better
HARDY PERENNIALS 145
as a rule to plant in the spring. The conten-
tion that fall planting is as safe as spring plant-
ing is due largely to the desire of various nur-
serymen to relieve themselves of a portion of
the spring rush. In the spring they have thou-
sands of orders for seeds, and for summer-
blooming or bedding plants to fill, and it is to
Swamp Rose (Hibiscus Moscheutos, var. “ Crimson Eye’’)
their advantage usually to urge autumn planting
of such plants as can with any safety be set out
at that season of the year.
As a rule, however, in the fall nurserymen
will not disturb their plants until the season’s
erowth is matured—which is only proper—but
in many instances this is so late in the autumn
144 YARD AND GARDEN
that in sections of the north plants thus ob-
tained can not establish themselves before the
deep hard freezes of winter set in. The plants
are not well prepared as a result to resist the
cold, and, in the following spring, the gardener
is likely to find that many of the plants have’
perished. He rushes to the conclusion, then,
that perennials are anything but hardy and
makes up his mind that hereafter he will con-
tent himself with the usual spring planting of
annuals. But where it is possible to obtain
perennials early enough in the fall to insure
some root growth in their new quarters before
winter, the fall is quite as good a season for
planting as the spring. Many gardeners have
found that they are not able to obtain nursery-
erown plants before October. In some sections
October is early enough but in other sections it
is too late and where this is obviously the case
or, in other words, where the winter sets in
early, fall planting is not at all advisable and
the perennials should not be set out until
spring.
* PREPARATION OF BEDS
Beds or borders wherein the herbaceous per-
ennials are to be planted should be extraor-
HARDY PERENNIALS 145
Oriental Poppy
(Papaver orientale)
146 YARD AND GARDEN
dinarily well prepared for it must be borne in
mind that the plants are not annuals and_
that they are to remain undisturbed where
they are set for three or four seasons. The ~
most of them, moreover, are gross feeders and
require more plant food than the annuals. All
the beds should be worked to a depth of two
feet, though in some instances eighteen inches
is sufficient. It is safer, however, to cultivate
the soil to the greater depth—in by far the
majority of instances this is required. In a
word, every effort should be made by the gar-
dener to provide ample depth for the growth
of the roots, as it is only from vigorous root
growth that the perennials can reach a state of
perfection. The depth also is necessary to in-
sure the plant against drought.
Underground drainage should be carefully
looked to, especially in the borders where it is
not intended to give the plants much attention
until they have attained sufficient growth to
demand lifting and dividing. Also it must be
remembered that unless the drainage is good,
plants will be in danger in winter when the
frost penetrates to a sufficient depth to reach
any water which may remain about their roots.
In spading up the bed the sub-soil should be
HARDY PERENNIALS 147
mixed with a portion of the surface soil. It
is not necessary to supply the former with any
great amount of plant food, but in the spit above
it there should be plenty of fertilizer, and the
best for this purpose is well-rotted cow manure.
In the fall a late top dressing of manure will
assist in maintaining the fertility of the soil
Stoke’s Aster (Cyanea Stokesia)
and likewise afford winter protection. It is es-
sential, however, not only to see that the soil is
not impoverished but that it is not over en-
riched; a surplus of food tends to weaken the
plants and to render them lable to damage
from the frost. In this connection it is well
to emphasize once more the necessity for deep
148 YARD AND GARDEN
cultivation. Plants afforded a suitable rooting
depth are less likely to be injured by a surplus
of fertilizer than those which find it impossible
to obtain a deep root-hold.
CULTIVATION FROM SEED
The middle of July is a good time to sow
seeds of perennials. Good-sized plants may be
Bee Balm Balloon Flower
(Monarda didyma) (Platycodon grandiflorum)
obtained before cold weather sets in and these
will make blooming plants in many instances the
following summer. Prepare the seed bed care-
fully, providing a depth of a foot, and pulverize
the soil even more finely than that prepared
HARDY PERENNIALS 149
for the seeds of annuals in the spring. Sow the
perennials in shallow drills about four inches
apart, thinning the seedlings as they begin to
crowd or transplanting to other beds. It must
be remembered that July sun is a good many
degrees hotter than. the sun of early May.
Annuals planted at the latter time are not likely
to suffer greatly from scorching, but peren-
nials, submitted to mid-summer heat and
drought, have a hard struggle unless some shade
is provided. A covering of laths is good for
the purpose and these may be employed by
erecting a framework two feet above the seed
bed and upon this distributing the strips so
that intervals of two inches are left between
them. A shade will then be cast over the bed,
but enough sun also will fall upon the ground
to keep the seedlings in good health and the
soil sweet. Water carefully, using a spray,
and applying the moisture so gently that the
plantlets will not be washed from their hold on
the soil.
In the autumn, if the seedlings have attained
a fair size and are healthy and vigorous, they
may be transplanted to their permanent places
in the border. Here they will come through the
winter unscathed if the usual protection is af-
150 YARD AND GARDEN
Larkspur
(Delphinium hybridum)
HARDY PERENNIALS 151
forded them and they are transplanted early
enough to imsure their reestablishing them-
selves before winter freezing puts an end to
their efforts in this direction. Seedlings so
grown are very often healthier than those ob-
tained from nurseries. They transplant better,
too, for their roots are exposed but a compar-
atively short time and they suffer nothing
through transit.
SHORT-LIVED PERENNIALS
Many of the perennials are best when treated
as biennials. The lives of such are not long and
the yearly renewal insures sturdy, vigorous,
flowering plants. Among these short-lived per-
ennials are the chimney bellflower (Campanula
pyranudalis), Rocky Mountain columbine(Agqui-
legia cerulea), leeland poppy (Papaver nudi-
caule), ete. On the other hand, to attempt to
raise some varieties from seed is to invite fail-
ure. Some species have been greatly im-
proved and, in many such instances, propaga-
tion by means of seed is almost sure to result
in seedlings of altogether inferior description.
The better means of propagating such varieties
is by division of the roots either in early spring
or in the autumn. To this class many of the
152 YARD AND GARDEN
perennial phloxes belong and the hardy chrys-
anthemums, the Japanese iris and the peonies.
ROOT DIVISION
Propagation by root division is not difficult
to effect. Either the early spring or autumn
may be chosen for the work. The old plant
Golden Marguerite (Anthemis tinctoria)
should be carefully lifted, avoiding as much as
possible damage to the root system, and the
earth adhering to the roots should be shaken
off or washed away by immersion in water.
The root-stock and the tender rootlets leading
from it are then fully exposed and the propaga-
tor can see clearly where and how to cut. No
HARDY PERENNIALS 153
general rule for the cutting operation can be set
down—different plants require different treat-
ment. Some separate readily, the gardener
finding himself in possession of half a dozen
small plants almost as soon as the soil is cleared
away, and with comparatively little cutting;
others require the use of a knife or a similar
instrument in order to effect the division. In
the main, propagation by this method is simply
‘the separation of a large clump of roots and
crowns into smaller plants. In the ease of
plants possessing root stubs with buds or
‘feyes’’—as the peony—the division, if de-
sired, may be carried to the extreme where only
a single bud to a piece of root is retained. It
is well in all propagation by division to divide
those species in the autumn that bloom before
July and those in the spring that bloom later
in the year.
The separation of hardy perennials, how-
ever, is more often practised in small yards and
gardens to avoid over-crowding of roots and
crowns. An iris, for instance, if allowed to re-
main undisturbed in a bed or border for half
a dozen years, forms a circular mass of hard
root-stock from the center of which no leaf or
flower stalks appear. Overcrowding is the
154 YARD AND GARDEN
cause of this ‘‘rim’’ blooming and the symptom
itself should be indication enough that the time
for division is at hand. All the perennials
benefit naturally when lifted and divided; some,
indeed, actually crowd or grow themselves out
Sweet William False Dragon-Head
(Dianthus barbatus) (Physostegia Virginiana)
of existence. But it is searcely possible to es-
tablish any rule for the practice—some plants
will do best when allowed to remain four or five
years without disturbance, while others will
thrive only when divided every two seasons.
The peony is an example of the former class
and Phlox maculata of the latter.
Spirea
(Aruncus astilboides, known to the trade as Spirewa aruncus)
156 © YARD AND GARDEN
PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS
Another method of propagation is by cut-
tings, but it rarely proves successful in the
hands of the amateur. If he will provide him-
self, however, with a box of clean, sharp sand,
and is prepared to give the cuttings the at-
tention they require, failure need not by any
means be the result of his efforts in this direc-
tion. Select a short piece of a foliage stem
where the growth possesses a bud, lateral or
terminal, and, making a clean cut with a sharp
knife, insert the lower end of the cutting thus
obtained in the moist sand. It is always best
to have the lower end of the slip a node of the
stem. Remove a part of the foliage of the cut-
ting before insertion and cover the sand with
glass in order to maintain the rooting medium
at a slightly higher temperature than the or-
dinary atmosphere. Propagation by this
method has the advantage of insuring quick
results and the perpetuation of the parent va-
riety—not always certain, as already said,
when seed is the only reliance.
CHAPTER VIII
SOME OF THE POPULAR PERENNIALS
It is doubtful whether a really comprehensive
list of the most popular species of perennials
could be prepared without doing some member
of the large plant family an injustice. How-
ever, a consensus of opinion seems to indicate
that the following sorts belong in such a list:
iris, peony, larkspur, hollyhock, phlox, anem-
one, columbine, hemeroeallis, funkia, and rud-
beckia. To these also might be added bleeding
heart, lily-of-the-valley, helianthus, chrysan-
themum, coreopsis, dianthus, campanula and
poppy, and still the list would be by no means
complete. Much, of course, depends on the
tastes and desires of the individual and also
upon the purpose for which the plants are to
be employed.
This brings us once more to the fact that per-
ennials afford material for almost every re-
quirement. We have them for sunny and for
shady situations; for rich soil, clay soil and
157
158 YARD AND GARDEN
sandy soil; for quiet and for bold effect; for
purely decorative value and for cut-flower pur-
poses; for forbidding, cold and windy stretches
and for sheltered positions; for naturalizing
and for more formal planting; for bloom in
spring, in summer and in autumn, and in al-
Golden Glow (Rudbeckia laciniata)
most every variety of color and in varying
heights.
Take for example the succession of bloom
possible to be obtained by the use of herbaceous
perennials alone. The following list suggests
the possibilities but by no means exhausts the
varieties *:
* The common trade or catalogue names are used in this list.
POPULAR PERENNIALS 159
APRIL
Name Height Color
Adonis vernalis lft. Yellow
Aquilegia Canadensis Lte- 2it.. Searlet
Arabis albida 6to 8in. White
Aubrietia deltoidea 3to 8in. Dark violet
Dicentra spectabilis L640. 2itts ~ Pinks
Helleborus niger 9in. White
Helleborus orientalis, var.
atrorubens Sto 12in. Purple
Hepatica triloba Gin. Light blue
Iris verna 6in. Blue
Sanguinaria Canadensis 8in. White
Trillium erectum 12in. Brownish red
Boltonia (Boltonia asteroides)
MAY
Aquilegia, in variety 1% to2¥% ft. White to blue
Alyssum saxatile lft. Yellow
Anemone Pennsylvanica Lio « 2:it. ¢ White
Bellis perennis 6in. White and pink
Convallaria majalis 9in. White
Doronicum plantagineum,
var. excelsum lf to- ' S-tt.»,.Yellow
160
MAY — Continued
Name Height
Geum montanum 12 in.
Iberis sempervirens 8 in.
Iris Germanica, in variety 1%, to 3 ft.
Iris pumila 8 in.
Myosotis palustris, var.
semperflorens 8 in.
Peeonia officinalis and
vars. 1%to 3 ft.
Peonia tenuifolia 12to 18 in.
Phlox divaricata 10to 18in.
Phlox subulata Creeping
Polemonium ceruleum Lito wo ysaie
Primula in var. 17 10° 2d;
Trollius Europeus 114, to — 2 ff.
JUNE
Aquilegia, in variety 114 to 2% ft.
Armeria maritima 6.10: -S:m,
Astilbe Japonica lto . 3 ft.
Baptisia australis Sib:
Callirhoe involucrata
Campanula Carpatica 10 in.
Campanula persicifolia 11; to. “aan.
Chrysogonum Virginianum 10 in.
Clematis recta oto ca ik,
Coreopsis lanceolata 14/,,to “W248
Coronilla varia 117, to-. 2°ik.
Delphinium formosum 3to- 4 it.
Dianthus barbatus 1, d07 2a.
Dianthus plumarius, in va-
riety 9'to 12in.
Dicentra eximia 1G0r 7 2 ne
Dictamnus albus 2tor) otk.
Digitalis purpurea 3to 4 it.
Erigeron speciosus 1y, it
Gaillardia aristata 144° ft.
Geranium sanguineum 12 to “1S.am.
Geum coccineum 12 to. 18 im:
Helenium Hoopesii 2407 ott.
Hemerocallis Dumortierii 114to 2 ft.
9to. 124n-:
YARD AND GARDEN
Color
Yellow
White
Purple
der
Violet
and laven-
Light blue
Various
Crimson
Lilae-blue
Pink, blue,
Blue
Yellow, pink, pur-
ple
white
White to blue
Pink
White
Blue
Violet crimson
Blue and white
Violet
Yellow
White
Yellow
Bright pink
Deep blue
Mixed colors
White to pink
Rose
White
White and purple-
spotted
Lilae
Yellow and maroon
Crimson
Scarlet
Orange-yellow
Orange
POPULAR PERENNIALS 161
JUNE — Continued
Name Height Color
Iris Germanica, in var. 2 ft. Purple and laven-
der
Tris levigata 3to 3% ft. Various
Iris pallida 2to 3 ft. Indigo-blue
Iris Pseudacorus 2 ft. Yellow
Iris Sibirica 2 ft. Violet
Lychnis Coronaria ly%to 2ft. Crimson
Lychnis Haageana 12in. Red
Lychnis Viscaria, var.
splendens 18in. Blood-red
Monkshood Foxglove
(Aconitum Napellus) (Digitalis monstrosa)
Lysimachia nummulari Creeping Yellow
Lysimachia punctata lto 3 ft. Yellow
(Enothera fruticosa 1%to sft. Yellow
Papaver nudicaule 12to 15in. White, yellow and
orange
Papaver orientale 2to2Y¥% ft. Orange, scarlet
Pentstemon levigatus, var. :
Digitalis 2to 3ft. White
Pyrethrum roseum 1%to 2ft. Pink and red
Scabiosa Caucasica 15to 18in. White and blue
Spirea Aruncus 4to 5ft. White
162 YARD AND GARDEN
JUNE — Continued
Name Height Color
Spirea Filipendula 1% to 2ft. White
Spirea palmata 2to 4 ft. Crimson
Spirea palmata, var. ele-
gans 2to3¥% ft. Pink
Spirea Ulmaria 3 ft. White
Thalictrum aquilegifolium 1%,to 2ft. White
Thermopsis Caroliniana 3to 4ft. Yellow
Trollius Europeus ly%to 2ft. Yellow
Veronica rupestris Spreading Blue
JULY
Achillea Millefolium, var.
rubrum Ltolies it. Red
Achillea Ptarmica, var.
The Pearl ” 11, to 2 ft... White
Althaa rosea, in variety 4to 5ft. White to crimson
Anthemis tinctoria ly%to 2ft. Yellow
Belemeanda Chinensis 3to 4 ft. Orange, spotted red
Calimeris incisa lyto 2 ft. Lavender-blue
Campanula alliariefolia 2 it. White
Campanula glomerata, var. ;
Dahurica 1% to 2 f.. White
Campanula Trachelium 2to 3 ft. Light purple
Centaurea montana 15to-18ins Purple
Chrysanthemum maximum,
var. Triumph 1% to 2ft. White
Chrysanthemum Leucanthe-
mum hybridum ly, to> <2 ites py ire
Cimicifuga racemosa 3to 8 ft. White
Delphinium grandiflorum,
var. Chinense O09 oubt--e sb lee
Digitalis ambigua 2to » 3ft.. Yellow
Echinacea purpurea 21, to 3 it. — Purple
Eryngium amethystinum 1%, to 2 ft. Amethyst-blue
Euphorbia corollata LtO= 93 du. VN nuke
Funkia Fortunei 2 tt. Pale lilae
Funkia lancifolia 2 ft.. Pale Jdilae
Funkia ovata 2 ft. Lavender
Gypsophila paniculata 2 tO whe at. savy hibe
Heliopsis levis, var.
Pitcheriana Sto. 4 ft. Yellow
Hemerocallis, in variety 2%+to 3 ft. Yellow and orange
Heuchera sanguinea 12 to 18in. Coral-red
Inula ensifolia Sin. Yellow
POPULAR PERENNIALS
JULY — Continued
Name
Lavandula vera
Lychnis Chalcedonica
Lychnis vespertina, var.
flore-pleno
Lysimachia clethroides
Monarda didyma
Cnothera. Missouriensis
Cinothera fruticosa, var.
major
Cénothera speciosa
Pentstemon barbatus
Height
| oN fh oe
2, to 3% ft.
i 56 es 3 we
DLO. -Sotte
PAO) «sche dibs
10 in.
1S GOr, Lean.
12 to! SES aime
2toO” ott
165
Color
Lavender-blue
Searlet
White
White
Searlet
Yellow
Yellow
White
Scarlet
Chrysanthemum, “ Shasta Daisy ”
Pentstemon ovatus
Phlox paniculata, in va-
riety
Platycodon grandiflorum
Spirea lobata
Stachys Betonica
Statice Tatarica
Stokesia cyanea
Tradescantia Virginiana
Veronica longifolia, var.
rosea
Veronica Virginica
2 to
11% to
15 to
3 to
12 to
12 to
15 to
11% to
3 ft.
5 Et.
18 in.
AEG.
18 in.
15 in.
18 in.
Ps 5
Rosy purple
Various
Blue and white
Pink
Rosy pink
Red
Lavender-blue
Purple
Rose
White
164 YARD AND GARDEN
AUGUST
Name Height
Asclepias tuberosa toe Zit:
Aster Nove-Anglie, var.
roseus : BNO = a1 tts
Bocconia cordata 4to. 6 ft.
Boltonia asteroides Ato ‘64t:
Boltonia latisquama 4 ft.
Clematis Davidiana 20 ott:
Funkia subeordata, var.
grandiflora 2 it.
Helenium in var. 1, to -6 it.
Helianthus in var. Zo LONG:
Hibiscus Moscheutos, var.
Crimson Eye 4to. 5 ft.
Liatris graminifolia TEVA 50 ee
Liatris spicata 3to 4 ft.
Phlox paniculata in var. 14, to 5 ft.
Physostegia Virginiana 3to 4 ft.
Rudbeckia laciniata, var.
Golden Glow 6to 8 ft.
Rudbeckia triloba 3to 4 it.
Vernonia Arkansana 5 to » Giit.
Veronica longifolia, var.
subsessilis 1a, to . 3k.
SEPTEMBER
Aconitum Fischeri 2.60: co skts
Aster Amellus, var. ele-
gans Lae to |, 250k.
Campanula pyramidalis 240. 4-40.
Ceratostigma plumbaginoides 6 in.
Chelone Lyoni 11,40!” 2: ft
Chelone obliqua, var. alba 11%, to 2 ft.
Chrysanthemum in var. 2to. Att:
Conoclinium cclestinum Li, toc 20.
Eupatorium ageratoides oto. +, 4ane.
Helenium in var... LIGkO — Oubus
Helianthus in var. 2'to 10 £6,
Lobelia cardinalis Lite: Sur
Lobelia syphilitica io a Aas
Phlox paniculata, in va-
riety 1% to 5 ft.
Color
Orange
Bright rose
White
White
Light lilac
Lavender-blue
White
Yellow
Yellow
White, crimson cen-
ter
Rosy purple
Deep purple
Various
Deep rose
Double yellow
Yellow, black cone
Purple
Deep blue
Blue
Purple
Blue
Blue
Rose-purple
White
Various
Blue
Searlet
Yellow
Yellow
Searlet
Blue
Various
POPULAR PERENNIALS 165
Veronica
(Veronica longifolia, var. subsessilis )
166 YARD AND GARDEN
SEPTEMBER — Continued
Name Height Color
Rudbeckia in var. lto 8ft. Yellow
Sedum spectabilie I2to 15m, Rese
Senecio pulcher 1% to 3ft. Rosy purple
OCTOBER
Aconitum autumnale a to° “Git Bie
Anemone Japonica, in va-
riety 2to 3ft. White to carmine
Aster Tataricus - 4to 7 ft. Purple
Chrysanthemum in var. 2to 4ft. Various
Solidago, in variety 2to 5ft. Yellow
MES
Plantain Lily Yellow Day Lily
(Funkia subcordata var. (Hemerocallis aurantiaca,
grandiflora) . var. major)
[This list is based on an average season in
the latitude of Philadelphia; a rough and ready
ealeulation allows six days’ difference, either
earlier or later, to every degree of latitude
south or north. |
POPULAR PERENNIALS 167
CARE AND ARRANGEMENT OF PERENNIALS
While perennials, once established, demand
little attention compared to annuals, this does
not mean that they will continue healthful and
Transplanting hardy perennials
vigorous if neglected. On the contrary, they
demand care and cultivation. In addition to
the division, which must not be neglected where
the plants show plainly—as_ they will—that
they need it, weeds must be suppressed and
168 YARD AND GARDEN
the surface soil must be kept open and loose.
For this latter purpose, as well as for weeding,
no tool is better than a digging fork with prongs
three inches long and an inch apart. In pulver-
izing the surface soil with this, be careful not
to injure surface roots and avoid working the
ground when it is wet. Watering,,also, must be
looked after wherever water for such purposes
is available—few city yards are without such
‘ supply—and the moisture should be applied
liberally. Soak the ground thoroughly, not
merely sprinkling the surface and the foliage
of the plants, and make sure that the supply
reaches the roots.
It can be readily understood that no arrange-
ment of perennials in beds or borders that does
not take into consideration the heights, colors
and blooming periods of the plants can prove
satisfactory. It is necessary to know the
heights of the various species employed in
order to avoid planting the taller-growing va-
rieties in front of the dwarf sorts; it is neces-
sary to know the colors of the bloom in order
to avoid a clash of tints and shades which, if
grown in juxtaposition, would prove anything
but harmonious; and it is necessary to know
the blooming seasons of the plants in order to
POPULAR PERENNIALS 169
insure a succession of flowers. When these few
points are mastered—surely not much to know
about plants which are to be introduced in our
yards or gardens as our companions for several
years to come—effective groupings can be ar-
ranged without difficulty. For instance, where
peonies are planted, phloxes could also be
used; the bed or border then would not be bar-
ren of bloom when the peonies have departed
in early summer. As another instance, orien-
tal poppies would not be planted by themselves
if the situation selected were a conspicuous one,
for the planner and planter would know that,
by the end of June, when the poppies have
bloomed, the foliage of the plants becomes rag-
ged and, a little later, disappears entirely. 'T'o
avoid leaving a gap in the border or a barren
bed in the yard, other perennials, later in their
period of blooming, would be planted with the
poppies to follow with flower and foliage when
the latter have ceased to be decorative.
Perennials serve another exceedingly useful
purpose when planted with shrubs. When the
blossom of the latter has passed, the herbaceous
plants will throw their flower spikes to add a
touch of color here, another there, to groups
which otherwise would be without flower.
CHAPTER IX
BULBOUS- AND TUBEROUS-ROOTED PLANTS
No class of plants presents more commenda-
ble features for planting on the small city lot
than the bulbous- and tuberous-rooted section
and none will more richly reward the amateur
for the labor and time he may expend in estab-
lishing them. They are almost certain to pros-
per under his treatment, provided a few sim-
ple and easily mastered rules are followed.
Much of the spring charm of well-planted yards
ean be attributed almost exclusively to the free
use of plants of this order and so far as later
months are concerned, we have only to reflect
upon the many flowers of this character, bloom-
ing until autumn frosts cut them down, to rec-
ognize and appreciate their extraordinary
claims upon our attention.
Every year hundreds of thousands and prob-
ably millions of hyacinths, tulips, crocuses,
nareissi and other bulbs are planted and, con-
sidering the immense numbers set out, it is
170
Uspiexy prex APIO B UT Ske SnsstIeN
171
BULBS
172 YARD AND GARDEN
safe to say that no other class of plants brings
so few disappointments to the cultivator.
This is accounted for, of course, by the great
ease with which they may be brought into bloom
and by the readiness with which they seem to
be able to adapt themselves rapidly to various
conditions of soil and situation. Only occa-
sionally do they fail, but even in such instances,
provided the bulbs have been properly planted,
the fault can not always be laid at the door
of the amateur. It may be traceable to the
bulb beds of Holland where the plants were
brought forward to the flowering stage before
they were offered to purchasers.
VARIETY OF TUBEROUS PLANTS
In speaking of bulbs, botanical definitions
are not generally observed. Commercially the
term applies to a considerable class of flower-
ing and ornamental plants which, were it
strictly employed, would be excluded from the
list. Nurserymen and dealers in seeds and
bulbs, however, include in this class in addition
to true bulbs many that are known by botanists
as corms, such as the Crocus and Gladiolus ; suc-
culent tubers, as the Dahlia; fleshy, creeping
rhizomatous roots, such as are possessed by
BULBS 173
some varieties of iris; pips, such, for example,
as the flowering crowns of the lily-of-the-val-
ley and other fasciculated fleshy roots, such as
those of the ranunculus or peony.
Very few present any difficult problems so
far as cultivation is concerned and the com-
moner sorts especially are easily raised. As a
rule, all of them produce flowers of extraordi-
nary beauty which not infrequently are deli-
ciously fragrant. They comprise, moreover,
endless variety in color, form, size and habit,
and are adaptable on this account for many
purposes. An advantage, often overlooked, is
the fact that, following their season of bloom,
their foliage matures and falls and no part of
the plant shows above the ground to present an
unsightly, faded appearance. When this tran-
sition has occurred and the period of rest is en-
tered they can in most instances be lifted and
stored away for future use, and in the beds
they occupied new plants may be set to con-
tinue the succession of bloom throughout the
season.
Although this class embraces almost num-
berless varieties, nurserymen divide the group
into two divisions—hardy varieties, which
withstand freezing, and the tender varieties
YARD AND GARDEN
+
BULBS 175
which do not. The first is more popular al-
though in the latter division there are a num-
ber of plants whose beauty and ease of culture
should commend them for more liberal use.
To the first belong hyacinths, tulips, narcissi,
erocuses and similar bulbs, and to the second
belong crinums, the tuberous begonias, Coop-
erias, montbretias, callas (Richardias), tube-
roses, tigridias and other garden bulbs usually
planted in the spring.
By judicious selection of varieties from both
divisions it 1s possible to have bulbous- and tu-
berous-rooted plants in bloom from frost to
frost, and, if the city resident be the happy pos-
sessor of a small greenhouse or conservatory,
there need be no month in the year without its
wealth of bloom from this order of plants alone.
In March, in the northern states, and earlier
in the more southern portion of the country,
snowdrops, scillas, crocuses, winter aconites
and chionodoxas usher in the first days of
spring with a glory of bloom all the more beau-
tiful because of its earliness. In April come
the hyacinths, tulips, nareissi, in all their nu-
merous varieties, followed later in the month
and in May by the late tulips, the poets’ daf-
fodils, and as the season progresses, by irises,
176 YARD AND GARDEN
peonies, lilies, gladiol, montbretias, tuberoses
and other similar flowering bulbs.
It is probably with the hyacinths, tulips and
narcissi that we are most familiar. These are
used for many purposes, appear in many situa-
Dahlia Canna
tions and, wherever and whenever they are
grown, add beauty, life and color to the early
months of spring.
PREPARATION OF THE BED
In the cultivation of all varieties two things
are of commanding importance: first the prep-
aration of the ground, and second the season
of planting. So far as the first is concerned,
BULBS LG
it may be taken as a general rule that bulbs
prefer a light, well-drained, moderately rich
soil. Prepare the bed in which they are to grow
by digging it at least fourteen inches deep. If
the soil encountered -is heavy and it appears
that but little can be done with it by the addition
of materials calculated to lighten it, throw it
out and substitute good soil. In every case it
is always best, if possible, to put a layer of
small stones at the bottom for drainage. It 1s
best in the long run to prepare the bulb bed
carefully and, even where the soil is of proper
texture, for best results it would be advisable
for the cultivator to excavate it to the depth
already mentioned, place the drainage on the
bottom and upon this throw in the soil until it
reaches a level upon which it is desired to set
the bulbs. Prepare this surface, which may be
anywhere from one to eight inches below the
surrounding surface, by covering it with a thin
layer of clean, sharp, grit sand. Place the
bulbs upon this blanket and then add the re-
maining earth until the surface of the bed
stands slightly higher than the ground sur-
rounding it. This elevation allows for settling.
While this is the best and surest process for
planting the bulbs, where it is not convenient to
178 YARD AND GARDEN
follow it the beginner need not feel that fail-
ure will be the result of his efforts. On the
contrary, bulbs respond generously where even
indifferent treatment is given them. It will not
be indifferent treatment, however, to plant bulbs
in carefully spaded ground by less arduous
methods. You may, for instance, content your-
Flowers of Tuberous-Rooted Begonia
self with spading the ground to the required
depth, pulverizmg the surface soil, and then,
by means of a dibble, set out the bulbs. When
the hole is made with this instrument it should
be at a greater depth than is actually required,
to permit of the addition of enough sand to
form a cushion upon which the bulb may rest.
BULBS 179
After the bulb is inserted in the hole thus pre-
pared, complete the process by filling the. hole
with earth.
CULTIVATION
Most bulbs resent the presence of fresh ma-
nure in the soil, and, though this does not mean
that they do not require rich rooting material,
they often disappoint the planter who has too
generously applied his fertilizer. It has fre-
_ quently been said that under no circumstances
should manure be added to the soil of the bulb
bed, but this can not be accepted as a guide
without amendment. It would be better and
more to the point to say that manure is not to
be added to the soil in such manner that it will
be brought into direct contact with the bulbs.
By all means add the manure, but see to it that
it is well rotted, is below the bulbs and is thor-
oughly incorporated with the soil and that the |
bulbs themselves are well surrounded by the
cushion of sand already mentioned. In no in-
stance, however, even where the sand is most
generously employed, is it safe to plant bulbs
in beds containing fresh manure.
In the planting of bulbs, consideration must
be had for the kind of plant with which the gar- ~
180 YARD AND GARDEN
dener is dealing, for some require different soil
and different situation or exposure, from others.
The liliums, for example, would not prosper in
a situation that would be regarded as ideal for
daffodils and these, loving the sun, would find
the ideal for liliums not so much to their liking.
Then, too, where the area to be planted is small
—as it is in most city yards—some attention
should be given to the soil requirements of the
different bulbous- and tuberous-rooted plants.
If one kind demands more-food than another,
it is not difficult to satisfy its appetite, and, on
the other hand, if a bulb prefers a soil of less
food value its demand may be satisfied by sup-
plying fertilizer or manure in lighter quantities.
It is often desirable to plant the bulbs in bor-
ders instead of in beds, or between shrubs or
hardy perennials. In such situations, the only
requirement in many cases will be the prepara-
tion of the hole for the reception of the bulb
by use of the dibble and, after adding the sand,
the insertion of the bulbs. Usually the soil in
borders where shrubs or perennials thrive 1s
rich enough for bulbs but, should there be any
doubt on this point, it 1s not by any means a
matter of great difficulty to remove the top soil
for a depth of six or seven inches and to incor-
Flower of the Canra
182 . YARD AND GARDEN
porate in the soil beneath enough decomposed -
manure to insure healthy and vigorous growth.
The daffodils, of all the different kinds of
bulbs that are grown in our gardens or yards,
prefer the richest soil.
SEASON FOR PLANTING BULBS
Nowadays many nurserymen contend that
hardy bulbs may be planted as late in the fall
as the ground can be worked. Their cata-
logues, almost without exception, advise the
purchaser that good. results are to be obtained
from bulbs planted even as late as Christmas
and that they will flower as satisfactorily as
those planted earlier in the fall. This is not
only misleading, but absolutely imeorrect.
Bulbs planted late in the autumn are never as
satisfactory as those planted earlier in the
season. With daffodils, for instance, there is
an absolute loss of strength and vigor when the
planting is postponed later than October but
when, on the other hand, the planting is done at
an earlier date, even as early as the latter part
of August, there is a material gain. Still,
avoid too early planting, for cool weather is
necessary to deter top growth, which is likely to
make its appearance six weeks after the bulbs
BULBS 183
are set unless winter is near enough at hand to
put a stop to such a display of ambition. In
short, plant the bulbs seven or eight weeks be-
fore frosty nights are likely to put in their ap-
pearance.
Many planters advise setting the bulbs from
two to four times their depth beneath the sur-
face but this must never be taken as a hard and
fast rule. Lihes, for instance, require a greater
depth, and in all cases the deeper the bulbs are
set the later the flowers in the spring and, pos-
sibly, on this account the better the results.
WINTER PROTECTION OF BULBS
In the case of the spring-flowering varieties,
winter protection should be afforded as soon as
the ground freezes slightly in the autumn. Do
not cover the beds with the idea in mind of pre-
venting the light freezing, but rather with the
idea of overcoming the heaving of the soil due
to alternate freezing and thawing. Use leaves
—preferably those from hard-wooded trees,
for these mat down less than those from the
softer-wooded varieties—or straw, and apply
at least two or three inches of such litter. Hy-
acinths should be more thoroughly protected
than tulips and the latter should be provided
184 YARD AND GARDEN
with a four- or five-inch layer of leaves or litter.
One of the fine points in bulb culture is the
removal of this winter mulch early enough in
the spring to harden the young growths. If
they are allowed to come up under the covering,
penetrate through the mulch and become drawn
and yellow they are in no condition to resist a
suden freeze. It is best to remove the mulch
by degrees beginning early in March by dis-
posing of an inch of the litter and following
this by the removal of subsequent layers until,
by the time all danger of frost is past, no cover
remains on the beds. Should the beginner be-
lieve, however, that the weather justifies his
removing the litter all at once he will show his
wisdom by having it close at hand so that a
light cover may be hastily applied should the
weather suddenly threaten a damaging cold
spell.
LIFTING AND DIVIDING
It is always a question to determine how long
bulbs should be allowed to remain without lift-
ing and dividing them. This, however, is usu-
ally answered by attending circumstances. It
may be desirable in some situations to set out
bedding plants or to grow annuals or perennials
in the beds which have been left bare by the
BULBS 185
blooming and passing of the flowers and foliage
of the bulbs. In such cases allow the foliage
to remain until it turns yellow and withers—
which generally requires six weeks—and then
earefully lift the bulbs, dry them and store them
away for use the next fall. But, where the
beds are permanent, or colonies are established
Torch Lily Canada Lily
(Kniphofia aloides) (Lilium Canadense )
in herbaceous borders, the rule is to dig up
only when the flowers show deterioration. If,
after the first season or two, the blooms are
neither so healthy nor so large as they were in
the beginning, it is a fair indication that the
eultural conditions are not congenial and the
bulbs should be lifted as soon as the foliage dies
186 YARD AND GARDEN
and reset in soil better prepared and _ better
adapted for their growth. If, however, the
bulbs show no deterioration, let them remain
undisturbed until, due to the natural processes
of propagation, they become so crowded as to
show by smaller flowers that they are too thickly
set. Where the soil is not very rich, several
seasons may pass before this sign of distress
warns the gardener of the need of lifting and
replanting. Daffodils, for example, may remain
undisturbed, often for four or five years, and
the peony, representative of the most perma-
nent ‘‘bulbous’’ plant, may be allowed to re-
main undisturbed in rich soil, provided it has
room to extend its growth, for ten or twenty
years. Still, it must be remembered that, in
what is called high-grade bedding where, as a
general rule, only tulips and hyacinths and oc-
easionally daffodils are used, bulbs planted in
the fall, after blooming in the following spring,
should be dug up and planted elsewhere, usually
in the borders, and the next autumn new bulbs
should be set out.
HARDY BULBS
One of the most delightful ways of growing
bulbs is the cultivation of the hardy species in
BULBS 187
the lawn. This method of planting is espe-
clally suitable for suburban grounds where the
area is more extensive than in cities. In cities
oceasionally it is employed but seldom satis-
factorily, for the bulbs, after flowering, are not
allowed to complete their process of growth
before it is considered necessary to mow the
Kramer’s Lily
(Lilium Japonicum, var. roseum, known to the trade as
Lilium Kkrameri)
lawn. Where their leaves are thus sacrificed
the bulbs deteriorate and lose their value.
Practically all the hardy bulbs do well in the
grass if the place is properly prepared for them
by removing a portion of the turf, forking up
the earth beneath, planting them and then re-
188 YARD AND GARDEN
placing the turf. But, wherever this method
is followed, it must be borne in mind that on no
oceasion must the grass be cut until the plants
ripen their leaves. This is always shown by
the foliage turning yellow and_ withering.
Neglect of this simple point has been the cause
of disappointments in many instances where
fall-planting by this method has been pursued
on a large scale.
DECORATIVE ARRANGEMENT
When planting in the grass do not arrange
the bulbs in regular lines or designs. Avoid
the possibility of such arrangement resulting
even accidentally by standing upright with the
hands full of bulbs and allowing them to drop
where they will and planting them where they
fall. This method usually distributes the bulbs
effectively and, at the same time, gives a center
colony, or well-marked group, from which the
bulbs appear to stray in all directions. The
erocus, chionodoxas, snowdrop, Scilla amena,
and bulbocodium, winter aconite, and snow
flakes are suitable for planting in the grass.
All of these will grow, increase, bloom and
ripen the foliage before it is really necessary
to use the lawn-mower, but not before the
BULBS 189
grass, especially in cities, will require cutting,
if the appearances of the lawn are to be con-
sidered.
While many persons seem to realize that pur-
poseless planting of flowers, shrubs, vines or
trees on the lawn is in poor taste, still there are
not a few who seem to consider that an excep-
Single Dahlias
tion may be made of the bulbous plants. But
as a matter of fact, the same rule holds with
this class as with all others. The star-shaped,
square-shaped, round-shaped bed of tulips or
hyacinths set down without reason or sense in
the center of a lawn invariably discloses poor
judgment. Moreover, it is as expensive as it
190 YARD AND GARDEN
is gaudy and vulgar. And in the city another
objection to this method of planting is that the
beds, being on display, usually attract the small |
boy or other marauder who, when he has helped
himself to such bloom as he may desire, has ab-
solutely ruined the appearance of the design
and destroyed the only virtue possessed by the ~
geometric horror, its symmetry.
Bulbs should not be planted with less pur-
pose than other plants. Use them in corners,
in borders, in shrubberies and between her-
baceous plants wherever space permits. As an
example of one use to which bulbs may legiti-
mately be put in this connection, there is, along
the south side of one city house, a border be-
tween the foundation and the walk three feet
wide in which are planted plantain lilies, (Fun-
kia subcordata, var. grandiflora), which, as they
develop their foliage, conceal the foundation
wall, and the well-known poet’s narcissus (JN.
poeticus), and N. poeticus ornatus. The latter
blooms earlier than the poet’s narcissus and
is set out in front of its companions. In this
border, some forty feet long, these daffodils are
planted three or four inches apart and in four
rows. They are through blooming before the
funkia has developed its foliage, and while
Madonna Lily (Lilium candidum)
192 YARD AND GARDEN
they are in bloom they not only perfume the air,
but serve, to some extent at least, as a screen.
Another effective composition is the use of
tulips—especially the May-flowering varieties
—with dwarf deciduous and evergreen shrubs.
As the somber winter browns and the dull
greens of the deciduous and evergreen plants
give way before the magic touch of spring, they
are suddenly converted into an ideal setting for
an array of brilliantly colored flowers. Fur-
thermore, blooms cut from such plantations of
bulbs are not missed as they are when taken
from formal beds where the removal of a single
blossom mars the perfection of the whole de-
sign.
Hardy bulbous plants may be used effectively
in borders by themselves and occasionally bold
clumps of the taller plants of the sort may not
be ineffective when given a somewhat isolated
position. In almost every instance, however,
they show to best advantage when supplied
with a background of shrubbery or of taller-
growing plants.
In such situations, where the object desired
is a brilliant mass of one color, which is all the
more striking on account of the contrast with
BULBS 193
the surroundings, hemerocallis may be used or
such lies as auratum, speciosum or tigrinum.
The German and Japanese irises, tritomas,
and montbretias also appear to advantage.
CHAPTER X
SOME POPULAR HARDY BULBS
Usually the hyacinth is given the place of
first importance among hardy bulbs but this
does not indicate by any means that the hya-
cinth is deserving of an honor so great. As
a matter of fact, this sort of classification de-
pends largely upon individual taste. Tulips
are given second place and narcissi third. But
there are a number of gardeners who would re-
verse this classification and give the narcissus
the position of honor. And there is good
reason for this. In the first place the varie-
ties of this prime favorite are almost without
number, they are easily cultivated and gener-
ally certain in results. They may remain in
the ground undisturbed for a longer period
than hyacinths or tulips and under such treat-
ment will prosper. They are especially
adapted for planting in mixed borders between
shrubbery, along walks and drives and will
thrive in almost any soil or situation. They
194
POPULAR. HARDY BULBS 195
attain greater perfection, however, when the
treatment accorded them is liberal. But, given
a thoroughly drained soil of a moderately rich,
loamy character in which there is a generous
amount of sharp sand, they will succeed very
well when no further cultivation is accorded
them.
NARCISSI
Narcissi lend themselves well to naturaliz-
ing. This method of planting, however, has
little to recommend it to the owner of a small
city yard, but where it is desired to have early
flowers on the grounds of a large suburban
home or country estate, this feature of the nar-
cissi is well worth considering. Thousands of
them may be- planted along the banks of a
stream, in a bit of meadow or wood and in such
situations will form a floral picture of surpas-
sing loveliness. For this purpose the poet’s
nareissus (N. poeticus), is probably the best,
but nearly all daffodils may be naturalized to
advantage.
While the colors of the narcissi are confined
to a very narrow range of yellow and yellowish
white, some are pure white and others, recently
produced, have red trumpets. Still the coloring,
though it might be considered by some monot-
196 YARD AND GARDEN
onous, is one of the chief charms of this group
of hardy bulbs. The yellow, hke rays of sun-
shine sifted through green foliage, is especially
welcome in the early spring. For formal bed-
ding, however, tulips and hyacinths should be
relied upon and the daffodils omitted. The lat-
ter may be planted any time between August
Erythronium Poet’s Narcissus
and November and the earlier they are set the
better; they make roots earlier in the autumn
than most of the other spring-blooming bulbs
and on this account demand earlier planting.
The poeticus types especially require early
planting for they begin to throw out their new
roots almost before the old have withered.
POPULAR HARDY BULBS HOT
These thrive in almost any good garden soil
and only demand that the situation be well
drained.
It is almost impossible to say which daffodils
are the best for out of doors planting. But it
is probably safe to designate the Golden Spur
as one of the best yellow trumpets for the small
garden. Other good trumpet sorts of an all-
yellow color are the Emperor and the Glory of
Leiden. Among the bi-colors, Victoria, Em-
press and Horsefieldi are the best. In the all-
white group, the best for general use are Mrs.
Thompson, William Goldring and Madame de
Graaff. It is not likely, however, that the
Madame de Graaff will be very extensively
planted for years to come. It is expensive and,
though beautiful, for ordinary purposes, it is
hardly worth the high price which it now com-
mands when other varieties of trumpet nar-
cissi are to be had from twenty to sixty cents a
dozen.
The Horsefieldi, with large flowers of pure
white perianth and rich yellow trumpet always
strikingly beautiful, is difficult to obtain in good
condition; frequently it decays in the packages
and reliable nurserymen will import it only at
the purchaser’s risk. The Empress, which is not
198 YARD AND GARDEN
only well adapted for planting in small yards,
but is also happy when naturalized in orchards
or meadows, is really an improved Horsefieldi
and entirely free from disease; its flower pos-
sesses a pure white perianth with yellow
trumpet. The Emperor is one of the largest
daffodils in cultivation and breeds a superb
flower of a golden yellow color. These. two,
both cheap, are among the best that can be
planted. Other desirable varieties are the Bul-
bocodium, or the hoop-petticoat narcissus, with
rich golden-yellow flowers, the Maximus, Henry
Irving and Major. .
Among the incomparabilis varieties, Sir Wat-
kin, with very large petals of a rich sulphur-
yellow color and large cup tinged with orange,
is one of the best; the flowers are sometimes
five inches in diameter and appear very early
and are borne freely. Others that are good
are Stella Superba with a white perianth and
vellow cup, the Figaro with yellow cup and
perianth colored orange and the Cynosure with
large creamy-white petals and eup of the same
color stained with orange-searlet. In the Barri
eroup, Conspicuus, with large yellow flowers
and bright red-edged’ crown, 1s undoubtedly the
best and at the same time the cheapest. In the
199
POPULAR HARDY BULBS
SNSSIOIVN JO sarzol
if
vA jodunay,
260 YARD AND GARDEN
Leedsii, Mrs. Langtry, with flowers of a pale
creamy yellow borne freely and excellent for
cutting, is at the head. The two best varieties
of the fragrant poet’s narcissus are the well-
known poet’s narcissus itself, sometimes called
pheasant’s-eye, and N. poeticus ornatus which
blooms earlier. The most important of the
double daffodils are the Van Sion and Sulphur
Phoenix.
HYACINTHS
Hyacinths are not difficult to raise when good
bulbs are obtained. They should be planted at
least four inches deep and on a cushion of clean
sand. They are more susceptible to injury
from frost than other bulbs planted in the fall
and should on this account be more heavily cov-
ered during the winter. Many planters pur-
chase the bedding varieties, but if the largest
spikes of bloom and most perfect flowers are
desired it is better to obtain only ‘‘named’’ va-
rieties which, though they are more expensive,
produce a far more satisfactory display in the
spring than the cheaper varieties. The planter
must not expect from a hyacinth bulb the second
season the same fine flowers it produced the
first. The spikes are smaller and the bells are
not so numerous. On this account many grow-
POPULAR HARDY BULBS 201
ers are disappointed and, after an experience
of this sort, are inclined to consider hyacinths
as difficult to grow, but it must be remembered
that this is a peculiarity of the bulb itself and
is not due to any lack of proper culture. The
most satisfactory method of planting them
is to remove five or six inches of the top soil
Hyacinths
in which they are to be set, carefully spade
up the sub-soil to a depth of twelve inches
or more and, making the surface of this fine,
spread over it a half-inch layer of sand and
on this set the bulbs. Hyacinths when thus
planted are set at a uniform depth and con-
sequently throw their bloom spikes at practi-
e
202 YARD AND GARDEN
cally the same time in the spring. This
method of planting is also to be recommended
because it enables the planter to place the
different colors with precision—a point in
display-bedding when either hyacinths or
tulips are employed that is of considerable
importance. It is never advisable to set the
bulbs closer than six inches.
To obtain the shades of color which may
be desired in formal beds the following varie-
ties are to be recommended: Norma, pink;
Robert Steiger, deep crimson; Madame Van-
derhoop, pure white; Leonidas, lhght blue;
Baron van Thuyll, dark blue, and Ida, citron
yellow. All these are single hyacinths.. The
double varieties of hyacinths, although the
flowers last longer than the single varieties,
have a heavy appearance and lack the dis-
tinctive form of the single type.
While occasionally the practice 1s made of
setting hyacinths and tulips in. the same bed
it is seldom if ever advisable. The colors
are not likely to prove pleasing as the various
shades of the two classes usually clash
harshly. But tulips by themselves are always
effective especially when the best or named
varieties are planted. Superior results can
POPULAR HARDY BULBS 203
not be expected from inferior bulbs whether
they are of tulips, hyacinths, narcissi or any
of the other spring-blooming bulbs.
TULIPS
There is no reason why tulips should not
be even more liberally planted than they are,
for, considering the slight cost of good bulbs
{
May-flowering Tulips
oe
Parrot Tulips
and the little trouble involved in their culti-
vation, the effects produced are amazingly
striking. They should be planted preferably
the last wveek in October or the first week in
November and it is always best to have the
ground in good condition a fortnight in ad-
204 YARD AND GARDEN
vance of the planting. While it is sometimes
thought that tulips may be planted as late as
December, it is never advisable, except in the
South, to postpone to so late a date the work
of setting out the bulbs; they require time to
develop their roots before winter sets in and
puts a stop to the process. In preparing the
bed, elevate it slightly and slope it from the cen-
ter toward the edges so that good drainage
will be insured. Tulips, like hyacinths, should
be planted on a cushion of sand and should be
set about five inches apart and covered with
not less than four inches of good soil. After
the beds are made, firm the earth to prevent
its heaving by the action of the frost. When
a shght freezing has hardened the surface soil
to a depth of an inch or two, cover the beds
with leaves or litter.
When tulip bulbs are planted in the borders
—where they always appear to great ad-
vantage—they may be left in the ground un-
disturbed for several seasons, but when they
are planted in beds which, after the tulips
have bloomed, are to receive summer-flower-
ing plants, the bulbs should be removed, dried,
and stored away to be planted the following
autumn. They should not be lifted, however,
POPULAR HARDY BULBS 205
until the leaves have turned yellow and thus
indicate that the bulb has completed its sea-
son’s work in preparation for next year’s
flower. In lifting the bulbs it will be found
that sets have been formed around the base;
if it is desired, these may be planted sep-
arately in a sandy loam where, in the course
of two or three years, they will develop into
bulbs of a flowering’ size.
Tulips are usually listed by dealers under the
heads of early single tulips, early double tulips,
late double tulips, parrot tulips, late garden or
May-flowering tulips and Darwins. The best
early singles for outdoor planting are the fol-
lowing: Artus, dark searlet; Belle Alliance,
bright scarlet; Brutus, scarlet ; Rose Gris-de-lin,
the best bright pink; Chrysolora, the best early
yellow; Canary Bird, yellow; Pottebakker, pure
yellow; Pottebakker White, pure white; La
Reine, rosy white. Of the double-flowerine
tulips, none of which is equal to the single but
all of which are valued because the blooms are
more lasting, the best are, La Candeur, pure
white; Couronne d’Or, yellow; Duke of York,
carmine with white edge; Rex Rubrorun,
bright scarlet; Couronne des Roses, deep pink.
These are all early varieties of the double class;
206 YARD AND GARDEN
of the late-blooming double tulips, which usually
come into bloom in May, the best are Yellow
Rose, golden-yellow; Blue Flag, viclet-blue; -
Peony Gold, red and yellow; Marriage de ma
Fille, white, striped with carmine.
The parrot tulips form an odd and interest-
ing section, but the flowers lack the neat pre-
Gladiolus Montbretia
cision of outline which seems to be the tulip’s
chief characteristic, the petals being irregu-
larly cut and fringed with a variety of colors.
All the parrots are exceedingly effective and
always striking when planted in borders where
they thrive if left undisturbed. The best va-
rieties of these are Admiral of Constantinople,
POPULAR HARDY BULBS 207
orange-red and searlet; Cramoisie Brilliant,
scarlet; Lutea Major, golden yellow; Markgraaf
van Baden, golden yellow inside, outside
feathered scarlet, purple and green. All bloom
in’ May and prefer a light sandy soil and a
sunny location.
In the judgment of many, the best tulip for
the average city yard is the May-flowering or
cottage garden tulip. Flowers of this group
come into bloom from two to four weeks later
than the earlier varieties and usually at a time
when the flowers are more appreciated. The
blooms are superior as cut flowers and last a
week or more in water. All varieties are of
a free and graceful habit, attaining a height
of from eighteen to twenty-four inches and
bearing their exquisitely colored flowers on
long, strong stems. These tulips can be
planted to great advantage in both beds and
borders and under either method of cultiva-
tion generally produce better results than
the early type. Among the best of the section
are: Bouton d’Or, deep golden yellow;
Gesneriana spathulata, dazzling scarlet; La
Nigrette, almost black in color; Maiden Blush
or Picotee, a beautiful blush white; Bridesmaid,
cherry rose, pinkish white stripes; La Candeur,
208 © YARD AND\GARDEN
pure white; Firefly, brilliant orange, and Re-
troflexa, a bright yellow tulip with recurved
petals.
Late-flowering tulips are again divided and
flowers of the sub-group are known as Show or
Florists’ tulips. In this division are the bi-
zarres, byblamens, and roses. The bizarre has
a yellow ground with red, brown, scarlet or
crimson shades. The byblemen has a white
ground upon which markings of black, brown,
lilac, ete., show. The rose possesses a white
ground upon which bright markings of pink,
searlet and crimson show. Breeder or ‘‘moth-
er’’ tulips, or selfs, bear flowers without
markings, but with yellow bases, the upper por-
tion of the petals being self-colored white, rose,
scarlet, red, brown or purple. The Darwins
belong to the self-colored group and are im-
proved ‘‘mother’’ tulips, as a matter of fact,
surpassing in color and brillianey all other
tulips. The best of these—and no garden can
-have too many—are Ouida, carmine-red; Nau-
tica, purplish-rose; Kate Greenaway, white and
hilae-rose; Faust, purple-black, and Buffon,
rosy-lilae. These ‘‘show’’ tulips are the flowers
which years ago caused the famous tulip
‘‘mania’’ in Europe. At that time tulips sold
POPULAR HARDY BULBS 209
as high as one thousand dollars each, and entire
communities became involved in the excited
speculation—usually to financial disaster,
There are still other varieties of tulips which
the amateur will find both interesting and val-
uable. Among these may be mentioned Greig,
one of the best, orange-searlet, yellow and
black center; Carinata rubra, crimson and
green; Clusiana, white, with broad red stripe;
Sylvestris, or Florentina odorata, fragrant,
yellow; and Persica, dwarf, brown.
OTHER SPRING-FLOWERING BULBS
There are other bulbs for fall planting, some
of which have already been mentioned, that
will prove hardy all over the country. Many
of them are especially valuable because of
the early bloom they afford in the first days
of spring. In fact, there are about a dozen
that can generally be relied on for March
flowers in the north. Their delicate grace and
unconquerable hardiness are their chief charms;
Maeterlineck has said of them that they are
‘‘frail and chilly but bright as a bold idea.’’
As a rule they have sacrificed both size and
fragrance in order to press forward extraor-
dinarily early in the season. Of all of them
210 YARD AND GARDEN
snowdrops are the earliest. They appear in
Mareh and seem eminently capable of taking
good eare of themselves. They require little
or no attention at all and possess in addition
the extraordinary virtue of being able to adapt
themselves to situations where other bulbs could
not be expected to prosper. The snowdrop, for
instance, will do exceptionally well, compared,
of course, to other flowers, on the north side
of a house, or in a narrow and poorly lighted
passageway where one would expect that ferns
alone would thrive. Galanthus Elwesii is the
giant of the genus and its large size of flower
is not attained by any sacrifice of refinement.
It is not so early, however, as the little snow-
drop, following it some two weeks.
~ Oceasionally the spring snowflake (Leucozum
vernum) is mistaken for the snowdrop. It
possesses a white flower and blooms in March.
There is also an autumn snowflake, but it is
not reliably hardy; and there is a summer
flower of the same sort blooming about the
first part.of May. |
Scilla Sibirica is another excellent flower
appearing early in spring. Its blooms, while
small and borne only one to three on a stem,
are of a rich blue color especially desirable at
POPULAR HARDY BULBS
Tiger Lily (Lilium tigrinum)
Pal
212 YARD AND GARDEN
this season of the year. Other desirable bulbs
are Chionodoxa grandiflora or C. gigantea,
with single blooms an inch and a half across and
of a slaty blue color; Chionodoxa Lucilie, with
flowers somewhat smaller but of sky blue, ex-
cept the lower part of the petals which is
white, and Chionodoxa Sardensis, with flowers
still smaller but appearing six or seven on a
stalk, and of a darker blue.
The crocuses are other March bloomers and
some of them frequently will open even
earlier, according to the weather. Almost all
of the named varieties are well worth plant-
ing, and if the prices charged for these, usually
not more than seventy-five cents a hundred,
appear to be somewhat high, the crocus can
be had in separate colors—purple, yellow,
blue and striped—for prices a third cheaper.
There is no reason why everybody, even if
only a small strip of ground is available,
should not plant generously of them. Once
set out they are no further trouble and bloom
year after year.
Crocuses, as well as the other early spring
bulbs, should be set from one to two inches
below the surface of the ground. When
planted in the grass they are usually estab-
POPULAR HARDY BULBS 213
lished by lifting a portion of the sod and set-
ting the bulbs under this, then replacing the
turf. If, however, you prefer them for bed
display, provide a deep rich sandy loam. In
this they should be set three inches apart and
allowed to remain until, through natural in-
crease, they become so crowded as to show
signs of deterioration. This is not likely to
occur for four or five years. Avoid planting
crocuses too deep, two inches being the best
depth as a rule—when they are set deeper, they
often fail to bloom.
Another hardy flower of March is the winter
aconite (Hranthis hyemalis). Its flowers are
yellow and larger than the crocuses and some-
times, if the weather is extraordinarily open, it
will come into flower as early as the first of
February. The winter aconite belongs to the
buttercup family and has from five to eight
golden sepals. It grows about six inches high.
While it is a flower frequently mentioned by
writers on English gardens it is seldom seen
in America, probably because it is not as well
adapted to our climate as to that of its
Kuropean home. But where it is planted in
partial shade it stands a fair chance of suc-
ceeding.
214 YARD AND GARDEN
The following planting table will be a safe
guide for the setting of these smaller bulbs.
All of them should be planted in the fall as
soon as they can be obtained from the dealers.
Depth Distance apart
(Inches ) ( Inches )
Snowdrop (Galanthus) 2 2
Glory-of-the-Snow (Chiono-
doxa) 2, 3
Squills (Scillas) 3 4
Winter aconite (Hranthis) 1 4
Crocuses 2 5
Spring snowflake (Leuwcojum
vernum ) 2 4
LILIES
No plea should be required to induce a
liberal planting of lilies. Their beauty and
fragrance recommend them especially for use
on small city lots where special attention may
be given them, and their requirements, so far
as soil and situation are concerned, easily
satisfied. It is due, possibly, to the mistaken
idea that they are difficult to cultivate that
more of them are not planted. But as a
matter of fact, the lily really makes no ex-
traordinary demand. Of all the numerous
varieties many will be found to flower well in
ordinary garden soil and if planted in a
sheltered spot, partially shaded and at a
POPULAR HARDY BULBS 219
proper depth, they will hardly fail to prosper.
Fully four-fifths of the important species of
liies are imported from Japan or the Far
East and usually reach the United States
about the first of November. In the northern
states this is a little late for planting, for
October is unquestionably the ideal month for
setting out lles. They succeed, however,
when planted later and it is always better to
plant the bulbs in November than in the
spring, for the lily bulb is not safely stored and,
even when given the best of care, loses much
of its vitality and sometimes throws no bloom
for a season.
Among the best varieties to plant are the
longiflorum, whose funnel-shaped blooms are
the longest of any hardy lly; Japonicum, with
colors varying from a blush to a deep reddish
pink; Brownu, with blossoms that are pure
white inside but marked with a beautiful pur-
plish brown on the outer part of the petal;
Batmannie, bright orange; Henryi, dark red-
dish yellow, and auratum, the most gorgeous
of lies. The bulbs of the last, however, must
be renewed every two to three years in this
country. Its flowers are exquisitely beautiful,
bearing on white petals gold, red and yellow
216 YARD AND GARDEN
Thunbergian Lily (Lilium elegans, known to the trade as
L. umbellatum, L. Thunbergianum, etc.) 2
POPULAR HARDY BULBS AT
bands. The lily that every one knows and one
which, unlike the auratuwm, persists for gener-
ations 1s Lilium tigrinum (tiger-lily). Though
its flowers are large, the bulbs are so cheap
and so easily grown that it is not accorded the
merit it deserves. It bears red flowers with
purplish spots. The list might be extended
almost indefinitely, but the following should
certainly receive consideration: superbum,
Wallacei, candidum, croceum, wmbellatum,
speciosum, and Canadense.
An eminent authority on lilies has made the
following list of soils most suitable for their
cultivation:
First, any good garden soil of a fair depth
well dug before planting is suitable for such
kinds as Brown, candidum, Chalcedonicum,
croceum, excelsum, Hansom, Henryi, Mar-
tagon (purple), TLhunbergianum, tigrinum
and umbellatum.
Secondly, lihes that prefer a strong’ soil,
such as a good, rich, friable loam not too heavy:
auratum, Batmanme, Martagon, album, speci-
osum and Washingtonianum.
Thirdly, those that require peat and mois-
ture: Canadense, pardalinum, Philadelphicum
and superbum.
218 YARD AND GARDEN
It might be added, too, that the above list
represents those lhes which can be grown
with the least trouble. Those of the first list
will succeed in any ordinary border; those in
the second list require a certain amount of
partial shade and coolness at the root and are
best planted in shrubbery beds. And those in
the third group comprise the lilies that re-
quire a cool shady spot where they are not
exposed to the direct rays of the sun.
The general rule when planting lily bulbs is
that they should be put in the soil about three
times their depth, but this is not always a
safe guide, for some lilies possessing small
bulbs require deeper planting than this ealls
for. Furthermore, whenever bulbs are placed
among shrubs they should be planted two or
three inches deeper than they would be set in
other situations. The distance between the
bulbs should be from twelve to eighteen
inches.
CHAPTER XI
IRISES AND TENDER BULBS
The Iris has been called ‘‘the poor man’s
orchid,’’ and a fitting name it is, for in bloom,
in richness of coloring, in beauty and in deli-
cacy it is of the ‘‘blue-blooded’’ nobility of
the flower family, while, in point of culture,
in its general adaptability to various con-
ditions and various situations, it is as entirely
democratic. Cultivate it, nurse it, coddle it, and
it will respond eagerly and gladly to every ef-
fort, but neglect it, ignore it, trample on it and
despise it, and, once planted, it will remain with
you, bloom for you, and, if you have the least
respect for floral beauty, shame you with its
blossoms. It requires little and gives much,
and, asking no more than it has received, pre-
pares itself at the same time to give you more
another season.
VARIETIES OF IRIS
This, of course, refers to the common iris of
our gardens, a variety with which all planters
219
220 YARD AND GARDEN
have been familiar for years, even for gener-
ations. But there are other varieties with
which we are not so familiar, but which are
no more exacting or fastidious in their de-
mands or their tastes. Then there are still
others, veritable aristocrats in all their re-
quirements as well as in the beauty of their
bloom. These—the Onecocyclus group, with
flowers delicately veined and reticulated, gen-
erally with a darker color on a lght back-
ground, natives of Persia, Armenia and
Afghanistan—require special culture and _ at-
tention, and are as difficult to grow as the
others are easy. For the amateur they can
not be recommended, though, now and then,
one finds a gardener who is interested enough
in the irises to attempt the cultivation of this
difficult class. A representative of it is the
mourning iris, or Iris Susiana, frequently of-
fered in the American catalogues, and usually
with the misleading announcement that it is
easily grown.
It is not easily grown; indeed, the amateur
seldom succeeds with it. Yet it is the easiest
of the Oncocyeclus group to grow. It, like
other varieties of the same class, requires
hard sun-baking after its short blooming sea-
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Japanese Iris
(Iris levigata, known to the trade as J. Kempferi)
222 YARD AND GARDEN
son, and it can not be considered hardy.
However, when brought into bloom, its large
gray flowers closely veined with black, odd
as well as beautiful, amply reward the culti-
vator for his trouble. Usually it 1s best to
lift the plant in the fall and store it through
the winter, as dahlias or cannas are stored.
Still, in some few instances, it can be brought to
bloom without this annual disturbance by
plentifully covering it in winter, and in spring
removing the litter gradually as the season ad-
vances. Success with it is ample reward, and,
as it ean be had for fifteen cents, failure would
not be altogether a financial disaster.
But when the iris offers so many varieties,
all of the easiest cultivation, why regret that
the Onecoeyclus group brings confusion to our
efforts? Consider a moment the possibilities
the iris presents. Usually, when we mention
the name, we picture in our minds only the
‘‘German’’ iris; it 1s SO common in our gar-
dens, and it was so common in the gardens of
our grandfathers and of their fathers, that we
have lost sight of its value and its beauty, and,
at the same time, have come to consider it as
alone representative of the family. Nothing
could be more absurd. One might, if one
IRISES AND TENDER BULBS — 223
chose, plant a garden, large or small, with
irises and nothing else, and have for his pains
a wonderful procession of wonderful flowers
from early spring to late summer, and then,
if he cared to fill in the winter months, con-
tinue the succession indoors in window garden
or conservatory. In fact, it is possible, with
but the slightest effort and with but ordinary
conditions—such as a sunny window—to have
iris blooms every month in the year.
The Iris, or, as it is popularly known, the
fleur-de-lis or rainbow flower, has more than
one hundred and seventy species, of which as
many as one hundred have been cultivated by
American floriculturists. In England, where
the flower is more appreciated, more than one
hundred and fifty species are grown by iris
fanciers. Of the number grown in America,
seventy-five might safely be attempted by the
skilled amateur, and this number itself is but
a small fraction of the number of varieties
which have been produced by cross-fertiliza-
tion and selection to contribute generously to
garden ornamentation.
When consideration is had of the possibili-
ties these figures suggest, surely we will no
longer look upon the ‘‘German”’ varieties as the
224 YARD AND GARDEN
limit of iris’. variations: In faet,, the quec-
tion, so far as planting is concerned, becomes
one of selection—of selection for ornamental
and color effect, for best varieties and those
easiest grown, and for season of bloom, that
a succession may be maintained. In this con-
nection it is well to know that the irises which
are grown and offered for sale by nurserymen
are divided into two divisions: those of bul-
bous character and those with surface rhi-
zomes—of which the common ‘‘German”’ is a
type—and those with exceedingly narrow, in-
conspicuous, subterraneous rhizomes, with
roots more conspicuous.
In the bulbous division the irises best known
are those popularly called Spanish and Eng-
lish. The former (Iris Xiphium) and the latter
(Iris xiphioides) deserve to be more widely
planted than they are. They are of easy cul-
ture, thriving best in some sheltered corner of
the garden, and preferring a loose, friable soil.
Their flowers are excellent to cut for vase or
table decoration, and in form, size and color are
more dainty than the common variety. The
Spanish group blooms first—the latter part of
June—and its flowers are followed by those
of the English iris. For best effects the bulbs
IRISES AND TENDER BULBS )—= 229
Spanish Ivis
(Iris Xiphium)
226 YARD AND GARDEN
of both should be planted hberally. At least
twenty-five should be set in a group; more
would be better. The bulbs are inexpensive,
costing from seventy-five cents to one dollar a
hundred, the English being the more expensive
of the two, and should be planted in the au-
tumn three or four inches deep and five or six
inches apart. They are entirely hardy, but:
should be planted early in order to enable them
to make some growth in the fall before hard
frost comes; and they will be all the better for
a shght winter covering.
There are a few other species of the tall-
erowing bulbous irises—though none grows
higher than eighteen inches—which could be
planted to advantage. One, for instance, is
Tris juncea and another is the rare I. Bowssiert,
but these are seldom to be had from American
nurserymen, except on special order. Still,
even when imported, their cost 1s compara-
tively small. The first, however, is not hardy
in the north, and the other requires heavy win-
ter protection. A third variety which can be
obtained in this country is Iris reticulata; it
is a native of Palestine, and is one of the
prettiest and sweetest of spring flowers, com-
ing into bloom with the crocus. It is absolutely
IRISES AND TENDER BULBS — 227
hardy, and will thrive in almost any situation,
throwing flowers gorgeous in coloring, with
brilhant shades of purple and gold and a vio-
let fragrance. Iris Bakeriana, an Armenian
variety, 1s even earlier, but less showy. Their
cultivation is identical with that of the Span-
ish and KEnglish varieties.
Of the rhizomatous division, the most diffi-
cult to grow is the Oncocyelus class, to which
reference has already been made. But, again,
why lament the fact that these plants, even
granting that they are splendid, resist our best
efforts? Have we not the Japanese as well as
the German irises? And, have you ever seen
a hundred plants of the Japanese in bloom?
It is a sight worth traveling far to see. In
Japan they are grown by the million, and dur-
ing their season of bloom the little empire is
a paradise of color—marvelous and exquisite
color. The Japanese have been cultivating the
iris for generations, and they have brought to
bear upon its flowers all the wonderful skill for
which they are noted. Travelers have _ re-
marked the iris gardens ever since the tourists
began to journey to Japan, but, strange to say,
these irises, known as IJ. levigata, or I. Kemp-
feri, as they are called by the trade, as easily
228 YARD AND GARDEN
erown as a potato, perfectly hardy, demanding
but little attention, were until recent years
but little known in America. Yet importations
were made among the first products brought
from the land of the Mikado. We have been —
dilatory in planting them, but now, however,
they are planted by the thousand every season -
in America, and each season the demand in-
creases.
We are always advised that they are ‘‘excel-
lent for naturalizing in the water garden,’’ and
that here they thrive best and their flowers
attain greatest size. This is true, but not ex-
clusively true. We do not need a water gar-
den to have Japanese irises; we do not need
even a ‘‘swampy’’ situation. Hundreds of
them have been grown without either. Some
employ a sunken bed. To prepare this, dig a
trench two feet wide for a single row, or wider,
according to the width of the bed projected.
Remove all the dirt to a depth of two feet.
The soil in the bottom of the trench is then
loosened to a further depth of twelve inches,
well-rotted manure is liberally spaded in, and
the earth first removed from the trench, mixed
with manure, is returned until the surface of
the bed thus prepared stands some three or
IRISES AND TENDER BULBS — 229
four inches below the surrounding surface of
the garden or lawn. Usually it is best to board
in this sort of a bed, to prevent the edges from
being broken or marred. Then the plants are
set out, two feet apart, and in winter a cover-
ing of leaves, straw or other litter, to which
is added a generous amount of old manure,
is applied. In the spring this is removed,
and when the leaf growth has attained a
height of ten or twelve inches, water liberally,
letting the stream from a hose flow over the
sunken bed when possible.
This method of planting and cultivation has
never failed to give the maximum of bloom and
a bloom of maximum size. The flowers some-
times measure twelve inches in diameter. The
colors range from silvery white through pale
blue, hlac, plum and purple, and the flowers
are marked with exquisite veinings and star-
hke centers of contrasting shades, frequently
of gold. They bloom luxuriantly in late June
and early July.
But what of the ‘‘German irises’’? They are
truly the democrats of our gardens, yet, as al-
ready said, they are of the nobility of the
flower kingdom. Their flowers are not so fine,
perhaps, as those of their Japanese cousins,
*
230 YARD AND GARDEN
but they are different in form rather than dif-
ferent in value. They have shorter, broader
leaves than the Jris levigata, and flowers
whose petals do not le flat. They have three
strongly recurved and handsomely marked
petals or ‘‘falls’’ and three upright standards.
White Siberian Iris German Iris
(Iris Sibirica, var. alba) (Iris Germanica)
Their colorings include white, yellow, lilac and
purple, and some curious browns, rich maroons
and dark yellows. No plants are of easier ecul-
ture; unlike the Japanese they prefer a dry
soil, but are gross feeders, spreading rapidly,
and thriving best in a sunny situation. How-
ever, they insist upon none of these conditions,
IRISES AND TENDER BULBS © 231
and are seen growing where all are lacking.
But feed them once a year, and, just as spring-
flowering bulbs are passing with their pageant
of bloom, these German irises will reward the
planter with a lavish display of beautiful flow-
ers.
And still the list is not ended. There are
other varieties, all hardy, all easy of cultiva-
tion, making no more demands as far as treat-
ment is concerned than their accommodating
German relatives, blooming at different sea-
sons, and ranging in height from a few inches
to three feet. Indeed, this range of height of-
fered by the iris family is almost as important
to the iris fancier as the range of color and the
varying seasons of bloom, for, through the ad-
vantages this affords, effective groupings can
be arranged, the dwarf sorts in front and the
taller-growing varieties in the rear.
There are a number of the dwarf varieties
from which the amateur may select to suit
himself. These have been, for some unknown
reason, much neglected, but fortunately, in
recent years their value has been more ap-
preciated, and the great merit they possess has
brought them into prominence. There is, for
instance, the little Jris pumila, which is, per-
232 YARD AND GARDEN
haps, better known than the other species, and
which grows nine inches high and bears in
April showy flowers of deep purple. It 1s,
moreover, a profuse bloomer, and as an edging
plant possesses extraordinary value. Its green
leaves appear in March, and it is always in
trim, neat form, even throughout the hot days
of midsummer. It can be had in various
colors, ranging from pearly white through
clear blues to the deeper-colored typical tint.
Iris verna is another dwarf species, quite pro-
lific in bloom, producing its purple flowers also
in April. Another gem among dwarf irises 1s
Iris cristata. It grows only six inches high,
has foliage of a hght green color, forming a
carpet of verdure, and bears freely pale lilac
flowers beautifully blotched with golden yel-
low. Iris Cham@iris is a variety sometimes mis-
taken for J. pumila, but its yellow flowers, with
falls veined with purple, disclose its identity.
It also is of value, and of value, too, is the
dwarf form, Iris flavissima, or I. Bloudovu, as
it is sometimes catalogued, which bears showy
flowers of a pure yellow color.
Taller-growing species which are of easy cul-
ture and which are effective in the garden
wherever planted are also numerous. Promi-
TRISES AND TENDER BULBS — 233
nent among those which are to be recom-
mended for the average amateur is IJris
Florentina, the orris-root of commerce, de-
servedly popular, and for over one hundred
years a familiar flower in the old-fashioned
New England gardens. It is free-blooming,
producing flowers of pearly whiteness, deli-
ciously fragrant, delicate and effective. Jris
pallida, whose blood flows through the veins of
all the better hybrid German irises, is a plant
with broad leaves and sword-like foliage which
often attains a height of two and a half feet, the
blades measuring an inch and a half across.
It bears its flowers on long stems, raising them
high above the fohage, and the result is most
effective. Then there is Iris Pseudacorus,
Jacob’s sword, as it is sometimes called, which
possesses ample green foliage and forms quickly
a vigorous clump. It bears flowers of a rich
golden yellow color, and produces them in pro-
fusion.
_ The much-admired Siberian iris (J. Sibirica),
has a number of forms of which the most com-
mon type is a tall-growing variety, attaining a
height of two and a half or three feet, and bear-
ing many flower stems, which are topped with
blooms of a dark blue color marked with white
234 YARD AND GARDEN
pencilings. The best sorts are the pure white,
growing about two feet high, and the variety
orientalis, twenty inches high, the latter bear-
ing in profusion rich blue flowers of charming
form. It has the valuable quality of reproduc-
ing itself rapidly, and from a few plants
Siberian Iris English Iris
(Iris Sibirica) (Iris xiphioides )
enough can be obtained in two or three seasons
to plant a considerable area.
All of the irises with surface rhizomes thrive
in ordinary garden soils, requiring division
and replanting as their clumps increase in size.
This should be done as soon as the foliage
shows signs of ripening, and should be accom-
IRISES AND TENDER BULBS — 235
plished early enough in the autumn to permit
the newly planted roots to become thoroughly
established before winter sets in. The rhi-
zomes should never be planted deeper than an
inch below the surface, unless the situation is
unusually dry. As the clumps increase in S1Ze,
divide them by cutting the rhizomes sharply
with a spade or similar implement, transplant-
ing the portion detached and allowing the par-
ent plant to remain in its position undisturbed.
TENDER BULBS
There is another class of bulbous, tuberous-
rooted plants which is worth considering and
which, like those requiring planting in the fall,
are easily grown. These are the bulbs which
bloom in summer and autumn and are planted
in spring. They are known as tender bulbs
because they will not endure the winters, but,
after blooming and ripening, are dug up and
stored away to be replanted the following
spring. Among the most important species of
this class of bulbs are the agapanthus, al-
stremeria, tuberous begonia, bessera, canna,
caladium, cooperia, crinum, dahlia, gladiolus,
madeira vine, montbretia, oxalis, ealla, tigri-
dia, tuberose, and zephyranthes.
236 YARD AND GARDEN
No flower is easier of culture or less doubt-
ful so far as success is concerned than the dah-
ha. We have the single and pompon, the
show, the quilled and fancy, the decorative and
the cactus varieties. The hundreds of shades
and colors and the beautiful forms as well as
the grace of the plant and its value for cutting
give this flower an exalted position which it
well deserves. The roots should not be planted
in the northern states before the middle of
May and, when the growth appears above the
surface six inches or so, it is generally well to
pinch the tops, a process which produces a
bushy, compact, dwarf growth.
Following the dahlia in popularity and
praise are the gladioli. They may be planted
either in separate beds or among perennials
where they will add gay colors to borders
which might otherwise be bare. Gladioli
should be planted as early in the season as the
ground can be worked and every two weeks
thereafter until July first for a succession of
bloom. They prefer a sunny situation, a rich
soil and plenty of moisture and should be
planted six inches deep, seven or eight inches
apart.
The tuberous-rooted begonia is valuable be-
IRISES AND TENDER BULBS ~— 237
cause it will flower in shady situations. In a
spot where other flowers have persistently re-
fused to grow, the tuberous-rooted begonia
will frequently be found at its best. They are
best started in the house during March and
April in pots and then planted out of doors
the latter part of May. If started early enough
indoors, they will be in bloom by the middle of
June and will continue to flower until frost.
They thrive best in a rich, loose, moisture-re-
taining soil and prefer a considerable quantity
of leaf-mold to which has been added a lib-
eral amount of sharp sand. The bulbs should
be planted three inches deep and ten or twelve
inches apart.
Montbretias are desirable when planted in
groups of fifty or a hundred bulbs. The bulbs
are planted in the spring about four inches
deep and will prove hardy when afforded a
winter protection of litter four. or five inches
deep.
The summer hyacinth, (Hyacinthus can-
dicans), bears large, white, bell-shaped flowers
on stout stalks two or three feet high. For
best effects this must be planted in clumps and,
like the Montbretia, proves hardy when given |
protection during the winter. ‘T'uberoses and
238 YARD AND GARDEN
ealadiums are well-known popular bulbs which
“are extensively planted.
BULBOUS VINES
Among the summer-flowering bulbous- and
tuberous-rooted plants are several vines which
prove exceedingly valuable. Most city yards
possess some objectionable spot or object
which it is desirable to conceal from sight; this
may be accomplished by the use of annual or
perennial vines. But annuals, while they are
quick growing, are objectionable owing to the
fact that they must be replanted each year;
perennials, on the other hand, frequently re-
quire from two to three seasons to establish
themselves. Between these two come the bul-
bous vines. They are quick growing and, when
once planted, require no further attention,
thus combining the advantages of both annual
and perennial. Moreover, they are inexpen-
sive. Foremost among these is the Madeira
vine which attains a considerable height in a
very short space of time. The foliage is dense
and the flower small and white. The Cinnamon
vine, with glossy, green, heart-shaped leaves
and very fragrant racemes of white flowers,
grows to a greater height and blooms in Au-
IRISES AND TENDER BULBS — 239
gust. Another fine climbing plant is the Kudzu
vine, which possesses magnificent foliage, deep
and dense, and makes a wonderfully rapid
growth the first season. It comes from Japan
and is very extensively planted. A native vine
is Aptos tuberosa which seems to be more ap-
preciated in England than at home; its spe-
cial features are its adaptability to situations
in absolute shade and its beautiful flowers of
pleasing fragrance. It grows rapidly and
blooms in July.
CHAPTER XII
SHRUBS
In planting as it is usually done on the city
or town lot of average size, in most cases a
shrub would be preferable to the tree which is
ordinarily set out. Too often trees are crowded
into situations far too small for them, which is
neither good for the tree nor of value to the
site. Due allowance is seldom made for the
tree’s growth and spread and, planted in close
proximity to some building on one side and
subject to exposure on another, a straggling,
unbalanced specimen is produced that lacks
beauty, strength and vigor. This does not
mean, of course, that trees have no place in
the small yard; when properly selected and
properly located, they add immeasurably to the
appearance of the home. But, before a tree is
set out, careful thought should be given to its
fitness for the place where it is proposed to
establish it.
240
(2027n0H UDA DaLdY) YAOI [Vplig
241
SHRUBS
242 YARD AND GARDEN
DISADVANTAGES OF TREE-PLANTING
The tree should be considered as a mature
plant. It must not be forgotten, that, as the
years go by, the tree will continue to grow. It
will not long remain the small specimen re-
ceived from the nursery which, when first
planted, may appear to be entirely suitable for
the location selected. Each year will add to its
height and increase the spread of its branches,
so that, in ten years, perhaps, it may have at-
tained a size that unfits it for the effect de-
sired. Even then it may be only in its infancy,
requiring, for its fullest development, twenty-
five or fifty years more.
This fact suggests the permanency of the
tree and is converted at once by the incautious
planter into a recommendation which more
than offsets any objection which may be found
against its use. However, a second thought
may lead to the conclusion that this is not the
advantage it may at first sight appear to be.
If one is planting for future effect, if one is
planting the home grounds for the enjoyment
of one’s children and one’s children’s children,
well and good, the tree’s the thing. Its leafy
branches will cast grateful shade for them and
SHRUBS 243
the massive trunks will stand as monuments
to the forethought of the ancestor who felt so
tender an interest in the comfort of his de-
scendants. But if one is planting for oneself,
for to-day, for this generation, for immediate
effect, the tree is not the thing. The shrub
~must displace it.
We have come to a fuller realization of this
in the last few years than ever before. And;
as we have gained in this direction, we have
come to understand and to appreciate the value
and the uses of trees. We no longer plant
them in such proximity to our residences that
both tree and house suffer as a consequence,
and we no longer fancy that a tree is as essen-
tial to a lot as a roof to the house. Planting
experts are now practically unanimous in de-
elaring that a tree which attains average
height and spread should not be planted within
twenty feet of the house. The reason for this
dictum is not difficult to discover. Trees set
at closer distance can not attain the full de-
velopment they require as they grow older and,
so far as the residence is concerned, if planted
nearer than the twenty feet limit, too much
shade is likely to result, with dampness and ill
health as the immediate consequence.
244 YARD AND GARDEN
Moreover, where trees overspread the lawn,
grass of that ‘‘velvety’’ texture so desirable
is almost impossible. Then, too, not only is a
free circulation of air shut off from the resi-
dence and the sunlight excluded, but the
planter who has thus elected to proceed will
find that he has made flower-growing exceed-
Hydrangea Laden with Flowers
ingly difficult. In a word, the owner of the
small city lot sacrifices too much in planting
trees for what he gains. If his yard is large
enough, trees have a place in the planting
scheme. But if the yard is small, confine tree-
planting to the park bordering the street or
SHRUBS 240
highway and make use of shrubs for lawn
planting.
EFFECTIVENESS OF SHRUBS
Too often the advantages of shrubs are over-
looked or ignored. Tall-growing and dwarf,
deciduous and evergreen, there are few places
where they will not succeed and, thriving, add
materially to the beauty of the home. They have
in the first place two distinct values: they are
serviceable when employed as individual speci-
mens, planted in isolated situations for formal
effect, and valuable when grown in masses
forming what are commonly termed shrubber-
ies. Both methods of planting have their par-
ticular uses and advantages but, although the
inclination as a rule is in the direction of indi-
vidual or specimen planting rather than mass
planting, the latter and not the former is to
be recommended. The amateur, however, is
far more likely to adopt the course proscribed
than that which is advised, for it appears to
him that shrubs seattered about the lawn add
more to the yard’s general appearance than
when they are grouped. But, as a matter of
fact, mass planting and not specimen planting
246 YARD AND GARDEN
contributes more toward harmonious and sat-
isfactory effect.
Frequently a yard presents a ‘‘patchy”’ ap-
pearance for which the planter is unable to
account. In such instances, were it possible
to shift specimen shrubs temporarily from
their isolated positions to shrubbery groups
and observe the increased effectiveness result-
ing from the change, the perplexed gardener
would at once detect the cause of the trouble.
and, it is safe to conclude, would make the tem-
porary arrangement permanent. Shrubs, or
plants of any sort, for that matter, scattered
indiscriminately and without apparent purpose
over a lawn destroy all suggestion of unity and
conspire to obscure the motive of the planter ;
his cultivated area, consequently, whether it be
large or small, loses all meaning to the ob-
server and lacks at the same time that indi-
viduality which is one of the most desirable
features in a properly planned and _ planted
yard. On the other hand the mass planting of
shrubs adds harmony to a place, contributes
to its unity, assists in defining the motive and,
in most instances, supplies a touch of strength
which is as essential to a well and tastefully
beautified yard as a suggestion of delicacy.
SHRUBS
Suudg Apiey ul
AUOIT VAT, oY} JO SULOSSOT
248 YARD AND GARDEN
Some beginners probably will find it difficult
to distinguish between shrubs and small trees.
But this need not discourage them; expe-
rienced planters are similarly perplexed. What
one calls a small tree another may call a shrub,
the distinction being often difficult. Shrubs,
as a rule, have a number of stems springing
from the ground whereas a tree possesses but
a single trunk. Still this is not true in all
cases.
The wide variety in habit of growth, foliage,
fruit and flower makes the worth of shrubs.
They can be had for every situation, of vary-
ing height, and of varying seasons of bloom.
As the leaves differ, so the flowers differ, or
the berries in cases where the shrub’s chief
value is determined by its fruit rather than by
its bloom, but if in any of these respects the
variation is wide it is no wider than the varia-
tion in the uses to which shrubs may be profit-
ably put. They serve to conceal foundation.
walls; they form backgrounds for plants; they
act as harmonizing agents between lawn and
tall-growing trees; they can be used as a cov-
ering for ground which on account of its slope,
exposure or other adverse conditions will not
support grass, and they are valuable as mate-
Shrubbery Walk in Small City Yard
2950 YARD AND GARDEN
rial for breaking dead levels and hiding and
obscuring unpleasant views.
They may be used also to supply motive for
a sudden or abrupt turn or termination of a
walk. Very frequently a walk is given a slight
or even pronounced turn without apparent
cause; instead of being what it should be, the
most direct means of getting from one point
to another, the walk twists until it follows a
rambling course which is utterly purposeless
and inexcusable. But, where the turn is pro-
jected; plant a clump of shrubs and there is at
once established a sensible and logical reason
for the turn. The walk then seems to curve in
order to avoid the shrubs planted in its more
direct course.
Another considerable advantage shrubs pos-
sess 1s that, once established, they require com-
paratively little attention. This does not mean,
of course, that they should be _ heedlessly
planted or grossly neglected. Though very
frequently they will grow when conditions are
both unpleasant and unfit for them, still if the
best results are to be obtained some consid-
eration must be had for the demands of the
plants. They will reward the gardener royally
for the care he bestows on them.
SHRUBS 251
PLANTING AND ARRANGING SHRUBS
In preparing beds for shrubbery, spade the
ground to a depth of at least two feet, work
into the soil well-rotted manure, make it fine
and soft, and see to it that it will not suffer
from want of proper drainage. In planting
first examine the roots and, where these have
been broken or twisted in transit, cut off the
broken or injured portions with a sharp knife,
then, having prepared a hole amply large for
the reception of the bush, set it in at a shghtly
lower level than that at which it stood before
it was lifted. This depth can readily be ascer-
tained by observing the marks left by the soil
on the stem or stems. Allow sufficient room for
the development of the shrubs, bearing in mind
the fact that they increase their spread as they
grow older, avoid crowding, and avoid also set-
ting them too far apart. Group them by plant-
ing the taller-growing varieties in the rear and
the dwarfs in the front, but do not aim at too
uniform an effect. Occasionally it may be de-
sirable to establish a round bed, although there
ean be but little need for such an arrangement,
but if this method of planting is considered de-
sirable, place the taller-growing varieties in
202 YARD AND GARDEN
the center and group the dwarf sorts around
them. This arrangement is suggested not only
because it presents a better appearance but
because if it were not followed it is obvious
that the low-growing shrubs would be entirely
hidden by the taller varieties and at the same
time so densely shaded by the folhage that they
would soon perish.
In any event avoid monotony. Shrubs in
this respect are easily abused and often, through
lack of judgment in planting, monotony occurs
where the purpose was the contrary. But in
avoiding any suggestion of regularity the
planter must also avoid any appearance of
studied irregularity. Do not plant in straight
lines and do not plant in mechanical zigzags.
Group the shrubs.
CULTIVATION
Though hardy shrubs require little protec-
tion in winter, still it is always best to leave
on the ground the leaves they drop at the first
touch of frost and to add to these additional
small quantities as the winter advances. Very
little trimming or pruning should be practised.
Keep the dead wood well cut out but be ex-
ceedingly cautious in applying the pruning
SHRUBS 253
Shears in any other manner. Occasionally,
where a shrub assumes a tall, spindling growth,
it may be advantageous to cut it back to in-
duce a broader and more spreading growth.
Wherever this is necessary cut back boldly or
the purpose of the pruning will not be accom-
plished. But, for the most part, let the shrub
have its own way, especially when it is healthy
and vigorous, and apply the shears only when
it is absolutely necessary. Shrubs’ sheared
into unnatural forms seldom possess any value
as ornaments unless the effect aimed at is alto-
gether formal.
VARIETIES
On the smaller grounds in town or city the
greatest value of shrubs is in the grouping of
many flowering varieties in one mass so that a
succession of bloom is insured from April to
November. If only seven shrubs were planted
it would be possible to maintain such a suc-
cession, the bloom first appearing immediately
after the last frost in spring and continuing
until autumn frosts blight the bushes. This
list would include:
URTV EGS RN al ie icra aaa a a April
So tae NODE dh met cock PN eof ke & Las Faye whe May
SLI Bel SS Rese oe i Ae ea June
MDM aetet sPaae ee to ae bet. tat ease tae ea July
254 YARD AND GARDEN
Rhus (smoke buislihs co scGie eiekiy oes rans) August
El ydranged Oyo.) eee eee ees? wee September
Hamame}lis: \(wirtch-hazel): p26 wise Seas October
All these shrubs are perfectly hardy and will
respond graciously to ordinary treatment in
any good garden soil. Moreover, good plants
of large size may be obtained at small expendi-
ture, the whole collection costing from one to
two dollars, according to their age.
It would hardly be possible to prepare a list
of the essential qualities which should be de-
manded of shrubs for the home embellishment
—the preparation of such a list would require
consideration of the individual places to be
planted. Still, whether grounds are large or
small, whether many plants are required or
few, and whether shrubs are desired for bloom
or foliage value, to obtain the best effects from
their use, plant them as a general rule in
masses. Use them liberally, for they possess
more actual value than perennials in that they
are more permanent and, compared with an-
nuals, they demand but little attention. In a
word, you may plant annuals for a season, per-
ennials for a few years, trees for posterity,
but shrubs you plant for yourself for imme-
diate effect and for practically the whole of
your own lifetime.
SHRUBS 955
It must also be borne in mind that there are
evergreen as well as deciduous shrubs and
that a judicious selection of the former will
give a touch of life to the yard or grounds in
winter which could not be obtained otherwise
except through the use of evergreen trees.
As long as we have these—both trees and
Flowers of the Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia)
shrubs—there is small excuse for any place
either in the city or the country assuming a
dead and desolate appearance in winter. Any
one who has observed a group of rhododen-
drons in winter with their great glossy leaves
ean not fail to be impressed by the life they
lend to the landscape. Rhododendrons, how-
256 YARD AND GARDEN
ever, are not the only shrubs that lend them-
selves to this particular use, for here again a
variety is presented which affords the planter
a wide field from which to select. There is,
for instance, the Mountain Laurel (Kalma
latifolia), which is without doubt one of the
choicest of American broad-leaved evergreens.
The leaves are particularly conspicuous in
winter and as the Kalmia is perfectly hardy
as far north as Maine and is neither difficult to
establish nor difficult to maintain, it forms one
of the most valuable shrubs in the list. In the
spring its sheets of bright rosy-pink flowers,
delicately adorned with carmine dots, add to its
value for decorative purposes.
Then again, among the most useful of our
early spring-flowering shrubs are the hardy
azaleas, many varieties of which have persist-
ent evergreen foliage. A low-growing shrub
with evergreen foliage and of compact habit,
bearing white flowers in great abundance in
spring is the Andromeda floribunda or Pieris
floribunda. Mahonia Aquifolium, or Berberis
Aquifolium, as it is more properly known, is
another dwarf species with purplish shining
prickly leaves retained throughout the winter,
and with showy bright yellow flowers in dense
SHRUBS 207
clusters in May succeeded by bluish-black ber-
ries. Its handsome deep green glossy foliage,
which assumes a bronze or coffee hue in winter,
and its neat habit render it especially valuable
for decorative planting. Another evergreen
shrub of value is Huonymus Japonicus, or
Japanese euonymus.
SHRUBS SUITED TO THE CITY YARD
In the selection of evergreen varieties for
planting in cities, we are to some extent lim-
ited by soil conditions and by the Injury in-
flicted by the smoke-filled atmosphere. Only
such evergreens as will most sturdily withstand
these blasts of coal smoke and which, at the
same time, will not make too many demands
for special soils should be planted. In the list
of deciduous shrubs, however, we find less
delicacy displayed; they submit more happily to
adverse conditions which the evergreens could
scarcely withstand, and apparently thrive de-
spite them. While the deciduous varieties that
bloom in late summer are few, there is ap-
parently no end to the varieties that flower in
spring or early summer. In the list of these
not only is almost every color of flower to be
had and every height from one to twelve feet
958 YARD AND GARDEN
as well as numerous varieties of foliage, but
there will be found shrubs for almost every
conceivable situation and purpose. Indeed,
with so many varieties at hand the amateur
will experience no difficulty in obtaining what
he may require but, on the contrary, will doubt-
less be embarrassed by the quantities from
Hardy Azalea in Bloom
which to select. As‘he reads descriptions it will
seem to him that first this shrub and then that
is absolutely indispensable, but he will do best
if he limits the varieties he selects to those
which are most commonly employed. Hx-
perience has proved the value of these and they
are, generally speaking, quite as effective and
SHRUBS 259
quite as adaptable to his purpose as any of the
rarer shrubs which nurserymen may offer in
their catalogues.
A showy shrub is the lilac (Syringa) with
pink, white or hlace blossoms. It is best, how-
ever, not to mix the three colors but to mass
each variety separately, thereby obtaining a
stronger and at the same time a more restful
effect. In planting lilacs obtain good shrubs.
Do not plant a bush because it is to be had for
nothing; it seldom proves worth the trouble.
Avoid also the double-flowered varieties, for
their flowers are heavier and less graceful and
give no suggestion of the freedom and uncon-
ventionality of the single variety. The Mock
Orange, or syringa as it is sometimes called,
(Philadelphus), is a hardy, —free-flowering
shrub with showy flowers appearing in late
spring. If the most fragrant variety is desired,
obtain Philadelphus coronarius. The Snow
Ball (Viburnum) should not be forgotten.
Avoid the old-fashioned kind which is invaria-
bly a prey to aphids or plant-lice whose ravages
cause the leaves to curl and the flowers to lose
their beauty, and select instead Japanese Snow
Ball which, though it has smaller flowers, pos-
sesses better foliage and habit. This is known
260 YARD AND GARDEN
to nurserymen as Viburnum plicatum, although
its proper designation would be Viburnum
tomentosum, var. plicatum. It attains a height
of eight feet—some four feet less than the
common snow ball—and has especially attrac-
tive foliage while its globose flower clusters are
three to four inches across.
Rhododendron in Bloom
The Spirea forms another group of shrubs
excellent for a small city yard. The most pop-
ular. species probably are 8S. Van Houttei, S.
Thunbergu and S. prunifolia. The blossoms of
these are white and are borne in May and
June. The common Bridal Wreath is 8S. Van
Houtter. The Thunberg .Spirea (snow gar-
SHRUBS 261
land) comes into bloom earlier and of this va-
riety there is a hybrid known as Spirea arguta
which is considered by many to be the showiest
of all the earlier blooming spireas.
SEASON FOR PLANTING
In the matter of determining the season for
planting, whether it shall be spring or fall, no
fixed rule can be given. In any event plant early
enough, if the spring be selected, to insure the
plant’s establishing itself before the hot suns
of summer scorch it, and if the fall season be
chosen, set the plants early enough in autumn
to insure their becoming established before
hard freezing begins. Eivergreens should be
planted very early’ in spring or in August.
After the shrubs are once established most of
them, save for an occasional pruning, will take
care of themselves, but it 1s always well to have
on hand a little ammoniacal carbonate of cop-
per ready to be diluted and to be applied to the
shrubs in the form of a spray for all fungus
attacks, and a little hellebore and _ similar
poison to preserve them from the onslaught of
destructive insects.
Whether deciduous or evergreen shrubs are
used their value as ornaments for the small city
962 YARD AND GARDEN
yard is quickly apparent if we will only observe
our own habit of vision as we pass along the
streets. While it is seldom that our line of
vision takes in the foliage of trees, our sight
as a general rule rests upon those objects which
are on a line with our eyes. In other words,
while we infrequently turn our gaze upward
Flowers of the Tall-growing Bird Cherry
toward the tree-tops, almost constantly our vi-
sion is directed to those objects which are on
a level or below the level of our sight. We
may fail to observe the form or character of
the foliage of a tree but it is not likely that we
shall fail to observe the low-growing shrub,
especially when our gaze is attracted by the
SHRUBS
bo
63
mass of bloom put forth in spring and sum-
mer. If this fact were more frequently taken.
into consideration shrubs undoubtedly would
be more plentifully planted. Because of this
fact, they add to a city yard a means of con-
trast which on a large estate could be obtained
only by the judicious planting of tall-growing
trees. By the use of shrubs, therefore, we are
provided with the finishing touches which are
necessary to the completion of the picture we
desire to produce with nature’s materials.
The following list will assist the amateur in
selecting shrubs for various situations and pur-
poses:
THE BEST HARDY SHRUBS
FOR SHADY SITUATIONS
_ Mountain Laurel, Kalmia latifolia
Mountain Fetter Bush, Pieris (Andromeda) floribunda
Mahonia, Berberis Aquifolium
St. John’s Wort, Hypericum aureum
Barberry, in variety, Berberis
Privet in variety, Ligustrum
Dogwood in variety, Cornus
Sweet Pepper, Clethra alnifolia
Wolfberry or Snowberry in variety, Symphoricarpos
Sweet-scented shrub, Calycanthus floridus
Wild Black currant, Ribes floridum
Slender deutzia, Deutzia gracilis
Rough-Leaved deutzia, Deutzia scabra
Japanese quince, Cydonia Japonica
SHRUBS THAT BLOOM TWO MONTHS
Japanese rose, Kerria Japonica
Shrubby cinquefoil, Potentilla fruticosa
Sweet pepper, Clethra alnifolia
264 YARD AND GARDEN
St. John’s Wort, Hypericum prolificum
Red root, Ceanothus Americanus
Stagger-bush, Pieris Mariana
EVERGREEN SHRUBS
Mahonia, Berberis Aquifolium
Evergreen azalea, Azalea amoena
Mountain laurel, Kalmia latifolia
Mountain fetter-bush, Pieris (Andromeda) floribunda
Rhododendron Catawbiense and hybrids
Dwarf pine, Pinus montana, var. Mughus
SHRUBS WITH VARIEGATED FOLIAGE
Purple-leaved barberry, Berberis vulgaris, var. atropurpurea
Dogwood in variety, Cornus
Syringa, Philadelphus coronarius, var. aureus
Weigelia, Diervilla rosea, var. nana variegata
Shrubby Althea, Hibiscus Syriacus, var. fl. pl. fol. var.
Purple-leaved plum, Prunus Pissardi
Golden elder, Sambucus nigra, var. aurea
Filbert, Corylus maxima, var. purpurea
SHRUBS THAT BLOOM FROM APRIL TO JUNE
Goldenbell, Forsythia suspensa
Japanese Quince, Cydonia Japonica
Juneberry, Amelanchier
Lilac, Syringa vulgaris and varieties
Barberry, Berberis vulgaris
Azalea, in variety
Daphne
White Kerria, Rhodotypos kerrioides
Spirea in variety
Tree peonies in variety, Peonia Moutan
Bush honeysuckle, Lonicera Tatarica
Deutzia
Snowball, Viburnum
SHRUBS THAT BLOOM IN JULY, AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER
Buttonbush, Cephalanthus occidentalis
Spircea
Sweet pepper, Clethra alnifolia
St. John’s Wort, Hypericum prolificum
Deutzia
Hydrangea paniculata var. grandiflora
Shrubby Althea in variety, Hibiscus Syriacus
SHRUBS 26
OU
SHRUBS WITH ORNAMENTAL FRUIT
3arberry, Berberis, scarlet and violet in September
Red Osier, Cornus sanguinea, white berries in September
Oleaster, Hlwagnus longipes, red fruit
Strawberry bush, Euonymus, red and white fruit
Cornelian cherry, Cornus mascula, fruit red
Bush honeysuckle, Lonicera, in variety, showy red and yellow
fruit
Brambles, Rubus, in variety. red fruit
Elder, Sambucus, purple fruit, changing to black in August
and September
Snowberry, Symphoricarpos racemosus, white berries all
winter
Wayfaring tree, Viburnum Lantana, bright red, nearly
black in September
High cranberry, Viburnum Opulus, red fruit, very orna-
mental
Mahonia, Berberis Aquifolium, bluish berries in July
Buckthorn, Rhamnus, black fruit
CHAPTER XIII
TREES
If it 1s well understood—as it should be—
that the lawn surrounding the house is the
canvas upon which a picture is to be made, we
shall appreciate the fact that the extent to
which trees are planted will depend entirely
upon the size of the lawn. Naturally, where
the area is small and the plot of grass is lim-
ited, more dependence must be placed on
shrubs than on trees. In a yard of generous
dimensions, the trees have a place; and, in such
situations, they are the legitimate materials
with which the landscape gardener obtains
many of his most effective results.
PROPER SETTING FOR TREES
In the city yard of small size, trees, espe-
cially those which attain a great height, can not
be employed effectively. Here, if trees are
planted, very often the desired .picture is
marred. It is, for instance, little less than ab-
266
TREES 267
PLANTING A TREE
Dig the hole large and Set the tree straight and
deep, laying surface soil to throw surface soil around
one side. Loosen earth in the roots. Leave no air
bottom of hole. spaces; firm with the hand.
Throw in more soil, Do not firm the top layer
steadying the tree, and of soil; let it remain loose
tramp into place. Be care- and pulverized, Slightly
ful not to injure the roots. mound the soil,
268 YARD AND GARDEN
surd, as was said in the chapter on shrubs, to
set one or more. of the tall-growing varieties
in a front yard that is no more than ten or fif-
teen feet deep and forty feet wide; the space
could be employed to far greater advantage.
We want shade but not at the expense of sun-
light, fresh air, good taste and health.
Still, trees have their value and it is only
necessary to give them the proper setting in
order to make apparent immediately how great
this value is. To crowd them on a small area
where they will not thrive, or to plant them
where, owing to their size, they are entirely
purposeless, is an error. Yet it is only too fre-
quently made; indeed, it is rather the rule than
the exception. It seems to be the disposition
of most persons, as soon as they obtain a lot
whereon they expect to build sooner or later,
to begin immediately the planting of trees.
Without due consideration of the future possi-
bilities, of the health of the trees themselves
or the appearance of the place, they order them
to be set out and thereafter are reluctant to get
rid of them even though they find subsequently
that their planting was unwise. Irresponsible
agents of nurseries are to a great degree respon-
TREES 269
sible for this indiscriminate practice, for they
no sooner learn that an unimproved lot has been
purchased by a prospective home-builder than
they besiege him. In glowing terms they de-
scribe the various sorts they offer and in the
end usually triumph by closing a contract for
enough stock of the kind to plant an entire
acre.
The simple truth is that we buy trees and
plant trees without giving due thought to
either the purchase or the planting. We set
them out because they are trees and not be-
cause they will lend beauty to the yard. While
this statement is made deliberately, it is not to
be understood as decrying in any sense the
ornamental value of the tree. The intention,
on the contrary, is to impress the planter with
the idea that indiscriminate planting is to be
avoided and that if the full value of the decora-
tive quality of the tree is to be realized, it must
be given not a haphazard setting but one in
which it can show to best advantage and in
which it will harmonize most gracefully with
all its surroundings. There is ample reason
for objection to the planting of tall-growing
trees on ordinary city lots where the valuable
270 YARD AND GARDEN
space is so small as to make a tree a ridiculous
if not a pitiful sight.
Where the yard is narrow and shallow with
a front lawn not more than fifteen feet deep
and the area in the rear of the house not more
than thirty feet deep, trees are out of place.
Doubtless there are many who will take issue
with this statement, but in support of the con-
tention, it should be necessary only to point to
small yards upon which are crowded large
trees and small yards upon which shrubs,
vines and flowers appear in their stead. The
difference in appearance should prove convine-
ing.
PLACING TREES SUITABLY
To begin with, trees require many years be-
fore they reach that stage of perfection where
they cease to be mere nursery stock. Until
that stage is attained they are usually lacking
in decorative value for the reason that they
have not perfected their growth. In the sec-
ond place, when they have attained mature
height and spread of branches, if they are even
fair specimens of what they should be, in by
far the majority of instances they have out-
grown their surroundings and appear out of
place. In the third place, it is difficult to grow
TREES Zt
healthy trees under conditions presented by
the small city lot; usually there is a surplus of
_ shade in one direction or a surplus of sun in
another, protection from one side and lack of
protection from the other, and all these things
tend to make a tree more or less one-sided in
its growth—a blemish which mars the appear-
ance of the tree and discounts to a great de-
gree its value as an ornament. If there be any
doubt of the truth of this statement compare
_ the tree grown in the city with the field-grown
specimen where conditions are not unbalanced
and where the growth is unhampered and un-
impeded.
BORDERING PARKS
If provision were made on all city streets
for bordering parks wide enough to acecommo-
date trees, not only would it be unnecessary to
plant them within the limits of yards, but the
general effect obtained would be _ better.
Sometime it will be more commonly recognized
that in residence sections of our larger cities,
width of roadway may be often reduced with-
out loss to gain additional width to the street
parks. In far too many instances, we fancy
that we must have great width from curb to
272 YARD AND GARDEN
eurb and no parks, whereas, it would profit us
a great deal more, so far as appearances are
concerned, to have less width between curbs
-and more width in the border between sidewalk
and curb. If the latter policy were adopted,
by the judicious selection and planting of trees
Tree that has never been Trees ruined by ignorant
pruned pruner :
(Photos. by Benjamin W. Douglass)
on these bordering spaces, the entire street
would take upon itself an appearance imnpossi-
ble to obtain where everything is sacrificed to
roadway width.
There is no prettier or more refreshing
sight than city streets bordered on both sides
by tall-growing and wide-spreading trees in
TREES 273
healthy vigor, in mature strength, far-reaching
in spread of foliage and with leaves and limbs
free from pest and disease. Residences are
sufficiently shaded, the streets themselves be-
come leafy archways and those who live there-
on as well as those who use them as _high-
ways can not fail to mark the beautiful aspect
they present.
If, on the other hand, we thrust our side-
walks against the curb, widening the road-
way until the last available inch has been
seized upon, and abolish the bordering park,
we have converted a street into a mere thor-
oughfare for traffic and have robbed it of all
the ornamental possibilities it might otherwise
possess. Or, if we crowd the sidewalk out and
the street curbing in until we have left a bor-
der only two or three feet in width, our only
gain is something which is practically value-
less. Under such conditions it is difficult to
establish even a fair growth of grass. It
would be better to carry the crowding process
to its extreme and rid ourselves completely of
this strip of grass. But, where it is possible
to have street parks of fair width, either at the
sides or in the middle of the Street, trees should
be planted and every effort should be made to
274 YARD AND GARDEN
insure their steady growth and healthful de-
velopment.
TREES ON LARGE CITY LOTS
Of course, where a city lot measures as much
as one hundred feet in width and one hundred
and fifty feet in depth trees may be used to ad-
vantage, for some shade about the house is an
absolute necessity if the hot days of our sum-
mer months are to be spent with comfort and
if we are to be protected from the cold of our
bleak and dreary winters. But this does not
mean that they are as available as decorative
material to the planter of such a yard as they
are to the landscape gardener who is working
on the extensive area of a country estate. On
the latter, trees are used to hide unattractive
views or to form backgrounds against which ~
other ornamental materials are employed and
here also they may stand for their own indi-
vidual beauty. On such a place they have ‘‘ pur-
pose’’; there is motive for their planting. On
the small city lot there is seldom the one or the
other.
Frequently, however, city lots are purchased
whereon already a tree of large size has estab-
lished itself. Where such is the case every ef-
TREES 279
fort should be made to save the tree; it should
be protected from any possible damage at the
hands of excavators, ditchers, or carpenters,
and where one ‘obtains such a prize one should
make every effort to set the house so that the
tree need not be sacrificed. Even if it is nec-
essary to locate the dwelling three or four feet
in one direction or another from the site origi-
nally selected it will usually pay to make the
change; the builder can well afford to accomo-
date himself to the requirements of a stately
and magnificent tree specimen which, no matter
how he might plant or cultivate, could hardly
be duplicated in the course of a lifetime.
PRUNING
Very often the fact that such trees are estab-
lished on the lot purchased presents not a few
problems for solution. The tree may, for in-
Stance, interfere with the grading desired. -
This, however, is not difficult to overcome if a
little ingenuity is exercised. Sometimes the
trees will require pruning and wherever such
is the case the work should be undertaken by
a person of unquestioned knowledge and ex-
perience. Too often splendid specimens of
trees have been ruined by ‘‘butchers’’ who
210 YARD. AND GARDEN
possess no knowledge whatever of pruning re-
quirements. They have ‘‘hacked’’ the tree out
of all semblance of shape, destroyed its pro-
portion and ‘‘headed’’ it back until, if it re-
covers from the process at all, it will never
attain the perfect form it possessed before the
inexperienced laborer began his work. Severe
trimming and subsequent training in many in-
stances may be necessary, but rather than
prune too severely it would be better to err on
the safe side, obtaining the effect desired by
degrees rather than by submitting the tree to
the tender mercies of a man without know-
ledge or experience. When a tree is old, long
straggling branches are in many cases the
cause of retarded growth; they are exposed to
the heat of the sun and to the drying winds and
the sap is impeded in its flow to such an ex-
tent that very little new growth can be made.
If these branches be headed back, not too se-
verely, new growth will soon show and the
trunk and limbs will subsequently be clothed
and protected while the tree’s form will be im-
proved. But, in cutting off branches, if they
be large, the wounds left should be painted
with linseed oil paint. This prevents decay of
the wood and serves to protect the tree from
TREES
bo
V7
diseases which often follow the operation of
pruning.
If the following principles are borne in mind
pruning will cease to be a mystery to the novice
and his trees thereafter need not be left at the
merey of the ignorant:
1. Pruning the top strengthens the limbs re-
maining—the root system is not altered.
2. Pruning the roots retards top growth be-
cause it reduces the supply of food.
3. Trimming away terminal growths causes
forking which, obviously, increases or thick-
ens the branch system. It likewise encourages
fruit and flower production.
4. Winter pruning produces greater vigor
in limbs permitted to remain; summer pruning
produces more wood.
9. Light annual pruning is better than heavy
pruning done at longer intervals.
6. Dead wood should be removed at once, no
matter the season.
TRANSPLANTING LARGE TREES
Modern methods now in vogue permit the
successful transplanting of trees of extraor-
dinary height and with an extensive spread of
roots. When, therefore, a lot is obtained upon
278 YARD AND GARDEN
which there are no old trees and upon which
it is desired to have trees of large size for im-
mediate effect, these may be employed. Of
course, while the tree presents no exception to
the rule that the younger a plant is the better
it withstands transplanting, still if the opera-
tion is carefully carried forward trees will suf-
fer few ill effects from the transplanting. The
principles governing the operation are the same
whether the tree is large or small; it is only
in their execution that there is a difference.
Small trees may be transplanted by hand,
whereas various mechanical devices have been
perfected for the safe transplanting of the
larger trees. By these devices or machines
an immense ball of earth is lfted with the
roots and the roots themselves are but slightly
damaged. Where these machines are not to be
had they may be approximated by. the use of
the riggings commonly employed by , house
‘movers.
Many persons believe that the moving of
large trees, even when the operation 1s accom-
plished with apparent success and without evi-
dent damage to the root system, is invariably
an ultimate failure. They are inclined to be-
heve that smaller trees: which have not been
TREES
pivex APD UL PIMA pUB OpVYYg LOF sooty, PMA
280 YARD AND GARDEN
submitted to such violent disturbance quickly
overtake the larger trees. This idea arises, no
doubt, from the custom which still very gener-
ally prevails of moving trees with trunks six
to twelve inches in diameter, with only a small
ball of roots measuring, in some instances, only
three or four feet in diameter. This ball, as
small as it is, can not contain the larger roots
and, as from sixty to ninety per cent. of the
feeding roots are lost in the process, the tree
naturally receives a set-back from which it is
not likely to recover. It sends out its leaves,
using in this process the plant foods stored with-
in its cells but, having nothing with which to
replenish the supply, fails to support the foliage
and, in successive seasons, the leaves are less
plentiful, the branches die and the bark itself
perishes.
In the transplanting of large trees it is most
important to obtain all the roots possible. In
order to do this the digging should be begun at
a distance great enough from the trunk of the
tree to permit all the excavation that may be
necessary. As the ends of the roots are un-
covered they should be carefully lifted and tied
so as not to impede the progress of the work-
men or suffer damage at their hands. As the
TREES 281
earth is removed from beneath the tree the tree
itself should be made secure by ropes which,
by the employment of pulleys, can be so ad-
justed as to give the tree at all stages of the
operation the necessary pitch to facilitate the
excavating. Supports should be placed under
the ball of earth remaining in contact with the
roots so that the tree will not be in danger of
falling into the hole made by the diggers.
Then, with the root system uncovered and
carefully tied so that no damage will result,
by use of the ‘‘jacks’’ and other apparatus
commonly employed by house movers, the tree
may be lifted and brought to its final location.
TRANSPLANTING SMALL TREES
But, when a tree is small, we have no such
difficulties to encounter in transplanting it.
As already suggested, nursery-grown trees
which have been transplanted once or twice—
as most nursery trees are—prove the best.
They have been cultivated with a view to trans-
planting and withstand the operation much
more successfully. Such specimens, if sound,
full of life and planted in a favorable soil,
are almost sure to thrive. To make this surer,
however, it is necessary to remember a few
282 YARD AND GARDEN
fundamental principles in the treatment and
eare of the stock that is being transplanted.
As soon as the tree is received from the nur-
sery, it should be pruned. First, cut out all
the broken branches; second, cut back all the
side branches to within a few inches of the
stem, leaving at least two sound buds; third,
the leader should be cut back; and fourth, all
the broken or bruised roots should be cut away
just above the wound with a sharp knife, mak-
ing the cut in such manner that, as the tree is
set on the bottom of the hole, the cut surface
of the remaining stub will come in direct con-
tact with the soil. It is also advisable to
shorten slightly any straggling roots which
may appear. |
These rules apply particularly to fruit trees
that ‘may be set out on the home grounds, but
in the planting of shade and ornamental trees
the process is not very different. Of course,
the owner does not relish the idea of buying
a fifteen-foot Norway maple, for instance, only
to cut off its top and half of its roots before
he plants it. But it is always best to cut back
the tops of the trees to a considerable degree
when they are transplanted, for the root sys-
tem is almost invariably reduced and if the top
TREES 283
is not shortened in similar proportions the bal-
ance between roots and top, which it is always
wise to preserve, is destroyed.
METHOD OF PLANTING
Deciduous trees must be transplanted either
very early in the spring, as soon as the ground
ean be worked, or late in the fall after the leaves
have fallen. Possibly the best results follow
spring planting under ordinary conditions.
But, whichever the season selected, the hole to
receive the trees must be deeper and larger
than the root mass and in the bottom there
should be a liberal quantity of well-rotted
manure stirred in the soil. On top of this in
turn there should be a layer of three or four
inches of good earth. 7
It is always best in setting the tree to have
at hand a quantity of finely pulverized soil
which may be thrown in as soon as the tree
is placed in position. As the hole is gradually
filled make sure that the dirt is pressed down
frequently and that the roots come in close and
intimate contact with the earth so that no air
spaces are left. Also make sure that the roots
are spread in a natural position and that no
two of them touch each other. Do not hesitate
284 YARD AND GARDEN
to firm the soil thoroughly about the roots so
that the new growth will be encouraged from
the beginning. While it is possible, of course,
to apply too much pressure to the soil about
the roots, more often the trouble is due to a
lack of pressure. Before the soil is made firm,
see that there is sufficient earth underlying the
roots to prevent any damage to them owing
to the pressure from above. When the roots
have been covered with earth and this has
been ‘‘firmed,’’ water should be applied liber-
ally. After this the remaining dirt should be
thrown in loosely and not tamped at all. Ap-
plied in this manner, it serves as a mulch and
is far better than when the soil is rendered
hard and compact from the surface down.
CULTIVATION
The planting does not represent the end of
the work by any means. ‘Trees require plant
food and unless the soil.is naturally very rich
this food must be supphed from time to time.
When the tree is planted on the lawn and lib-
eral dressings of manure are suppled for the
grass in the fall or spring, this usually will suf-
fice for the trees. But trees are always grate-
ful for plant food in any form, such as ground
TREES 285
bone and potash or other good commercial fer-
tilizers or barnyard manure. Watering also
should not be neglected while the tree is re-
covering from the shock of transplanting, and
the water should be so generously supplied that
there will be no chance of the moisture fail-
ing to reach the roots. Mere dampening of
the surface is of no benefit; the water must be
given in such quantity that it will saturate the
soil and penetrate to the roots. This takes
~much more water than is commonly supposed,
for the diffusion of moisture through the soil
when supphed to the surface is so slow that
the beginner may imagine that, because a pud-
dle has been formed on top, the roots have been
plentifully supplied.
EVERGREENS :
In the transplanting of evergreens more care
is necessary than with the deciduous trees.
They should be planted a full month before the
usual summer drought sets in or before the
cold of wimter is due. This advice is made
reasonable at once when it is considered that
the roots of evergreens must supply the foliage
with moisture every day in the year. There-
fore, if established before natural conditions
286 YARD AND GARDEN
begin to tax all the energies and resources of
the trees, they are more likely to sueceed. In
winter, for instance, a few days of sunshine
will prove a severe trial for even an old-estab-
lished tree; the leaves dry faster than the
frozen roots ean replace the sap lost. A newly
planted tree, under such conditions, would suf-
fer severely, for the roots, broken and bruised,
would find the task too much for them in their
enfeebled condition. So far as transplanting
in summer is concerned, it must be remembered
that evergreens are far more sensitive than de-
ciduous trees to drying of the roots. The
presence of the resinous sap is the explanation ;
this, when slightly dried, hardens. On this ac-
count, avoid exposing the roots of evergreens
to the sun or wind; even when conveying the
trees only a short distance, puddle the roots or
wrap them in wet sackcloth. See to it also
that all ragged ends of roots are neatly
trimmed, cutting off the broken end square and
clean. But never prune the foliage. The
leader may be cut out if considered necessary,
but, further than this, no trimming should be
done. Not enough can be accomplished in the
way of restoring the balance between root and
top growth to make the pruning of value, while
TREES
Sool], UslS1oAW JO
ourdnowy
DATO HT
288 YARD AND GARDEN
even a little pruning—in addition to cutting
back the leader—will mar the symmetry and
beauty of the specimen.
SELECTING TREES
American and European nurseries offer more
than six hundred species of trees that are
hardy in the northern and middle states of
this country. Of this number nearly two hun-
dred and fifty are natives of America; the
others come from eastern, western and central
Asia and Hurope. IF'rom such a list, of course,
it is possible to make selections almost without
limit, but only such trees should be planted as
are well adapted to the conditions under which
they are to be grown. On this account native
trees are always to be preferred, for these will
be better suited to the climate and soil and ac-
cordingly will be more likely to succeed.
The selection of trees for street and avenue
planting is a matter of much importance.. No
matter how imposing may be the architecture
of a city, the foliage of trees will enhance its
value; on the other hand, no matter how un-
pretentious, even ugly, the structures may be,
the trees will lend them beauty. They provide
erateful shade in summer for overheated man
TREES 289
and beast and, from a pecuniary point of view,
they are a good investment, attracting atten-
tion and inviting home-seekers. T'ortunately
the list from which we ean select for this pur-
pose is large and varied, but the following are
undoubtedly the best, all considered: The
American elm (Ulmus Americana); the Kng-
—jish elm (Ulmus campestris); the horse chest-
nut (4sculus Hippocastanum) ; the silver ma-
ple (Acer saccharinum); the American ash
(Fraxinus Americana); the buttonwood or
sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) ; the maiden-
hair tree (Ginkgo biloba); the rock or sugar
maple (Acer saccharum); the Norway maple
(Acer platanoides); the American beech (fa-
gus ferruginea); the white poplar (Populus
alba) ; the American linden ( Tilia Americana) ;
the European linden (Tilia vulgaris) ; the tree
of Heaven (Ailanthus glandulosa); the white
willow (Salix alba); the tulip tree (Lirioden-
dron tulipifera) ; the red oak (Quercus rubra) ;
and the pin oak (Quercus palustris).
In the planting of street trees, sanitary and
hygienic conditions must be considered. The
streets should not be too shaded, nor should the
trees themselves be crowded. The minimum
distance apart for setting the trees fixed by
290 YARD AND GARDEN
experts is sixty feet, but in the case of the
large growers, like the elms and soft maples,
seventy-five feet would probably be better. It
is usually found, however, that the distance is
much less, each owner of a small lot planting
two or three trees in the immediate front of
his own home without regard to the proximity
of neighboring trees. This is very likely to
continue the case until municipal governments
realize not only the advantages but the neces-
sity of taking in hand the street planting as
they have the control, the management and the
ornamental planting of the public parks.
TREE-DESTROYERS
Trees planted in cities are established under
artificial conditions and, in the care bestowed
upon them, this fact must not be overlooked.
A specimen growing in the open field, under
“normal conditions, will in most instances take
eare of itself; it requires no pruning—it
prunes itself—and, in other respects, it thrives
best, probably, when left to its own devices.
But the same tree transplanted to a city site is
introduced to abnormal conditions; the atmos-
phere is smothery with smoke, buildings crowd
it, electric light wires burn it, leaking gas suf-
TREES 291
foeates it, and careless excavators shatter its
roots. It becomes an easy prey to insects and
an easy victim of disease. It requires atten-
tion, even some coddling, and unless attention
is given it, its health is not likely to be remark-
able. But it resents misdirected efforts in its
behalf as much as it resents the infliction of
damage due to less considerate motives. And
probably the most persistent source of disas-
ter is the ignorant laborer armed with pruning
shears and saw to whom reference has already
been made. Still he is not alone in the eate-
gory of tree-destroyers. In every tree-top we
ean read the history of some great fight with
impending disaster. Leaf, flower, fruit, twig
and branch recite the story to those who know
the language, while, underground, other dis-
closures await the intelligent investigator.
Some of the enemies are natural but many of
them can be traced to man and man’s civiliza-
tion.
_ Insects come first. After these the most de-
structive agent is fire. Winds, lightning, ice,
drought and flood all cause damage; fungi at-
tack the wood; wasteful lumbermen deplete the
forests and bacterial and constitutional dis-
eases lurk where least suspected.
292 YARD AND GARDEN
The insects may be combated with success if
the battle is begun in time. Borers, infesting
the solid wood, tunneling and cutting it into
channels; sucking insects, puncturing the skin
of leaves, fruit, twigs or roots and withdraw-
ing the juices; chewing insects, devouring the
substance of leaves and other parts of the tree
—all these can be exterminated by the use of
poisons, sprayed or fumigated, -or by the em-
ployment of mechanical means. The borers
must be dug out, but the chewing insects may
be killed by spraying poison—Paris green or
arsenic of lead, for instance—on their food.
The sucking insects are killed by spraying
with kerosene and water, made into an emul-
sion, with whale-oil soap or with a mixture of
lime and sulphur in solution. These sprays
choke or smother the insect or so injure the
body wall that the tree enemy succumbs.
CHAPTER XIV;
SOIL AND FERTILIZERS
Science, with all its discoveries, has not yet
solved the mystery of soil. It has learned
much from practical experiment and labora-
tory investigation, but it has not yet unriddled
the riddle of the soil’s support of plant life.
We are still in the dark as to the nature
of many of the substances which contribute to
the formation of soil and we know no more of
the part they play in plant nutrition. We
know, in fact, little more than that the soil, far
from being a dead, inert mass, is teeming with
living organisms that are constantly at work.
It is, as it has been described, a laboratory in
which wonderful chemical actions are taking
place whereby food for vegetable life is sup-
_ plied and means provided for its assimilation
by plant roots.
But with the theory of all this, the gardener
has little to do. Like the electrician who
harnesses a power whose very nature is a mys-
293
294 YARD. AND GARDEN
Decorative Value of the Haw
SOIL AND FERTILIZERS 995
tery, the cultivator may proceed to turn to
practical use what Nature has provided even
though he has no intimate knowledge of the
purposes or the processes involved. Iix-
perience must be his teacher and, in this in-
stance, at least, it is a good instructor.
COMPOSITION OF SOIL
Plants, we know, must feed and breathe if
they are to live. We know further that some
soils provide the plants with the necessities of
life in plentiful quantity, others half starve
them and still others feed them not at all. It
is obvious that the gardener, if he is to have
healthful, fully developed plants, must obtain,
at first hand or by cultivation, soil conditions
that will provide his plants with all they de-
mand.
Soil, in a physical sense, is a substance com-
posed chiefly of minute fragments of mineral
-matter with which is mixed decayed vegetable
and animal matter. According to its compo-
sition it is one of three types — sand, clay or
humus. Sandy soil contains 80 to 100 per cent.
of sand, and, owing to the absence of vegetable
or animal matter in any appreciable propor-
tions, supplies but little nutriment to growing
296 YARD AND GARDEN
plants. It is valuable, however, as a medium
in which to root cuttings, for fungus diseases
seldom develop in such a soil, and, as the
plantlets, until their roots have sprouted, re-
quire little nourishment, outside of what is ob-
tained through the water applied, no soil is
better adapted to the purpose than that which
is sandy.
Clay soils contain only a small proportion of
sand—from 0 to 20 per cent.—and, unless in
some manner more sand is added, it is of little
value for plant raising. It contains an abun-
dance of plant food, but, owing to the fact that
the food is unavailable, plant life can not
thrive in such a rooting medium. The small
particles of soil are tightly compressed in clay
and, though these absorb moisture, they give
it off reluctantly. Roots suffer not only on
this account but also through their inability to
penetrate into the compact mass.
Humius is decayed vegetable matter and may, .
in turn, be divided into two classes. The first
is composed of vegetable matter which has
come to decay in dry earth and is known as
leaf-mold. The second is composed of vegeta-
ble matter which has decayed under the water
of bogs or Swamps and is known as peat. Both
SOIL AND FERTILIZERS 291
are important constituents of good garden
soil, but neither is supplied with all the nutri-
tive substances demanded by plants for their
development. Both are light and porous and
are used to mix with stiffer soils to impart to
the latter the two qualities for which they are
most noteworthy. :
Soils, as they are found in yards, gardens
and fields, are mixtures. They partake of the
character of one or another of the types ac-
cording to which contributes most to the com-
position. A sandy soil, for instance, is that
in which sand predominates, while a stiff,
heavy soil, or clay soil, contains a greater
quantity of clay than a well-proportioned soil
should contain. These mixtures have in their
turn been named. First, there is loam, a soil
in which there is from 40 to 60 per cent. of
sand and the rest clay. This is the basis. If
a loam contains more sand—from 60 to 80
per cent.—it is known as a ‘‘sandy loam’’; if
it contains less— 20 to 40 per cent.— it is
known as a ‘‘ clay loam.’’ In most instances,
some of the sand and clay is replaced by humus
and, if the quantity be large, the soil is desig-
nated as ‘‘ black loam.”’
Plant food is of three kinds—water, chem-
298 YARD AND GARDEN
ical substances and gases. The first is essen-
tial not only as a source of food but as a food
solvent and a distributing agency of many es-
sential inorganic substances which plant life.
requires. The principal chemical substances
demanded by plants are potash, phosphorus
and lime; and the gases are nitrogen, oxygen,
earbon dioxide and hydrogen. Most of these
are present in the average soils of meadows,
but if the soil lacks them, they must be sup-
plied in greater or less quantities and in avail-
able form before sturdy plants of any sort can
be raised. This we do by applying fertilizers.
GOOD GARDEN SOIL
Fertilizers, however, will not put poor soil
into good mechanical condition. We might apply
hundreds of pounds of any or all of these ferti-
lizers to clay and still the plants supported by
the soil would not prosper. This would be due
to the fact that the food so supplied is not avail-
able. The mechanical condition of the soil
would prevent the proper assimilation of the
food and the plants would perish. To get soil,
therefore, into the best condition, we must first
of all cultivate it, work it and see to it that,
from the mechanical viewpoint, it does not pos-
SOIL AND FERTILIZERS — 299
sess an injurious surplus of sand or clay or
humus. If the soil of our yards is too heavy,
sand must be added; if too light, we must sup-
ply clay and humus.
The matter is simple, and the amateur must
not permit himself to become confused by tech-
nical terms or to believe that the soil in his
Colony of Sedum spectabile in Poor Soil
yard is “‘impossible.’? Soil can usually be put
into very good condition by no other process
than thorough cultivation. It is not wise, there-
fore, to be too hasty in deciding that the soil
at your disposal is not good soil. In not a
few instances, the amateur, bent upon supply-
ing all the best conditions for plant growth,
300 YARD AND GARDEN
fancies that new soil is necessary. The old
soil 1s removed and, in its place, new earth
is deposited. The expense is great, but the
real extravagance is only evident when it is
learned subsequently that the work was alto-
gether unnecessary. The author recalls one
instance in which he was informed by an en-
thusiastic beginner that the soil in the yard
where the latter expected to establish his gar-
den was worthless.
tas]
bs)
an
Is
Color Cultural
Popular Name _ LJBotanical Name
Suggestions
Height
(inches)
Anemone blanda 6 Blue
Windflower Anemone Apen- 7 Blue Rich soil and sun
nina
Trumpet nar- Narcissus White-
cissus Pseudo-Narcis- 15 Yellow
sus k :
Rich, deep soil —
Cup narcissus Narcissus incom- 15 W hite- sun or half-shade
parabilis yellow
Jonquil Narcissus 12 Yellow
- Jonquilla a
Spring snowflake Leucojum i White Light soil, rich, and
vernum sun
SS
Crown imperial Fritillaria im- Yellow- ) Moist situation, ;
perialis 4 = “red some shade, rich
soil
LS pce a —————————————————————
Grape hyacinth Muscari 6 Purple- Sunny situation,
botryoides _ blue fair soil
rd OE EE ——————E—
Tulip Tulip suaveolens 12 Various Sunny situation,
light, fair soil
sa etn we
Hyacinth Hyacinthus 12 Fairly rich soil,
orientalis sun
MAY
Poet’s narcissus Narcissus poet- 16 White eo or shade, rich
icus _ deep: sol ae soil
10 Blue, Half Fialf. shade eae fair
Bluebell Scilla festalis white, soil
‘* pink
See a
Garden anemone Anemone hor- 10 Purple, ) Some shade, light,
tensis white, rich soil
red.
Poppy anemone Anemone coro- 10 ee t Some shade, light,
a rich soil
Hine
Wake Robin Trillium grandi- 12 White pee sun, damp,
florum rich soil
May-flowering Tulipa Gesneriana 24 Various Sun, rich, light soil
tulip
Ns i EE ——————e———
Star-of-Bethlehem Ornithogalum 9 White Sun or shade, fair
umbellatum soil
APPENDIX 381
JUNE
=
¥en
0 : :
> 7 : t ODS Cultural
Popular Name _ Botanical Name aa Color Gueestaits
as
Spanish iris Iris Xiphium 20 White, Light, rich soil and
blue, sun
yellow
English iris Iris xiphioides 24 Purple- Light, rich soil and
white sun
SOR TT. ; ;
Madonna lily Lilium candidum 30 White Light, well drained
soil, little shade
= ; ; 5
Hanson’s lily Lilium Hansoni 30 Orange Light, well drained
soil, little shade
JULY
Erect lily Lilium elegans 18 Orange- Light, rich, well-
' red drained soil, sun
ee ee a DE
Canada lily Lilium Canadense36 Yellow- Moist, leaf mould,
red partial shade
ee
Purple trumpet Lilium Brownii 36 Purple- Light soil, sheltered
lily white sunny situation
White trumpet Lilium longi- 26 White Light soil, sun
lily florum
AUGUST
oe ee er eee ee eee
Summer hyacinth Galtonia candi- 30 White Light but deep soil
cans rich; sun
Turk’s Lily Lilium superbum 50 Red Deep soil, light but
2 orange rich; sun
Speciosum lily Lilium speciosum 36 White, Deep soil, light but
pink. rich; partial
shade
Henry’s lily Lilium Henryi 48 Red, Deep soil, light but
yellow rich; sun
Golden-banded Pb 40 White Deep soil, light but
lily Lilium auratum and gold rich; sun
SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER
Autumn crocus Colchicum 5 White, Light rich loam,
autumnale pink, sun
purple.
Checkered crocus Colchicum 5 Purple Light, rich loam,
‘Parkinson1 sun
Yellow starflower Sternbergia lutea 5 Yellow Rich, heavy soil,
sun
382 YARD AND GARDEN
PLANTING TABLE OF THE BEST AND EASIEST GROWN
Height
Popular Name Botanical Name Color (inches)
Chionodoxa Luciliz Sky blue 8
Glory-of-the-snow
Chionodoxa Sardensis Deep blue 8
Autumn crocus Colchicum autumnale White, pink
purple
Checkered crocus Colchicum Parkinsoni Purple 5
Crocus biflorus Light lilac 5
Crocus Imperati Lilac 5
Crocus Crocus Meesiacus Yellow 5
Crocus Susianus Golden 5
Crocus vernus White, purple, 5
lilac
Winter aconite Eranthis hyemalis Yellow 6
Crown imperial Fritillaria Imperialis Red, yellow 24
Guinea-hen-flower Fritillaria Meleagris Purple, green 18
Scarlet fritillary Fritillaria recurva Scariet 18
Giant snowdrop Galanthus Elwesii White 8
Snowdrop Galanthus nivalis White ee
Christmas rose Helleborus niger White 6
Hyacinth Hyacinthus orientalis Various 12
Spanish iris Iris Xiphium White, blue 20
yellow
English iris Iris xiphioides Purple-white 14
Golden-banded Lilium auratum White and gold 40
lily
Purple trumpet Lilium Brownii Purple-white 36
lily
APPENDIX 38
CO
HARDY BULBOUS PLANTS FOR AUTUMN PLANTING
Blooming How deep to How far
season Plant apart Notes and Cultural Suggestions
(inches) (inches)
March 3 3 Plant in well drained soil — replant
woe 3 3 every three or four years
September 3 6 Plant in masses.
September ~ 3 6 Prefers light, rich soil
March 3 3 There is a white and very early va-
riety
March 3 3 Flowers with snowdrops
March 3 3 Good for naturalizing in grass
March 3 3 Very early species, excellent form
March 3 3 Common crocus — showy and _per-
manent
March 1 4 Does best in partial shade
April 5 8 Set bulb on side
April 3 5 Several distinct forms are to be had
May 3 6 Distinct from other fritillaries
ey 2 3 Later in period of bloom than com-
March mon variety
February 2 3 Earliest spring flowers
SS
ag 4 12 Impatient of disturbance when es-
January tablished
April 5 8 Named varieties are best
June 4 4 Mulch the bed in winter
June 4 4 Same treatment as Spanish
August 8 18 Extremely showy but short-lived.
July 8 18 Excellent in border,
354 YARD AND GARDEN
PLANTING TABLE OF THE BEST AND EASIEST GROWN
Popular Name Botanical Name Color Gace
Madonna lily Lilium candidum White 30
Canada lily Lilium Canadense Golden red 36
Orange lily Lilium croceum Orange red 36
Erect lily Lilium elegans Orange red 18
Hanson’s lily Lilium Hansoni Orange 30
Henry’s lily Lilium Henryi Red, yellow 48
White trumpet lily Lilium longiflorum White 26
Speciosum lily Lilium speciosum White, pink 36
Turk’s cap lily Lilium superbum Red, orange 50
Tiger lily Lilium tigrinum Red, purple 48
spots
Star flower Milla (Triteleia) uniflora Blue 8
Grape hyacinth Muscari botryoides White, blue 6
Hoop-petticoat Narcissus Bulbocodium Light yellow ae
narcissus
Cup narcissus Narcissus ‘incomparabilis White, yellow 15
Jonquil Narcissus Jonquilla Yellow 12
Poet’s narcissus Narcissus poeticus White, crim- 14 5
son eye
Trumpet narcissus Pseudo-Narcissus White-yellow 15
Star-of-Bethlehem Ornithogalum umbellatum White 9
Two-leaved scilla Scilla bifolia White, purple 6
Beliowered scilla -Sdilla-Hispanica’ «Bluey “paeple saan
Siberian scilla Scilla Sibirica a White, blue 6
Wake Robin. .-. wEriliitmograndiforum . White. [ol
et
APPENDIX 085
HARDY BULBOUS PLANTS FOR AUTUMN PLANTING
Blooming How deep to How far
season Plant apart Notes and Cultural Suggestions
(inches) (inches)
June 8 12 Plant by September 15
July 6 12 Effective when massed
July 8 18 Easily grown
‘July 8 12 Among the best for garden culti-
vation
June 6 15 Most effective in clumps
August 8 18 Splendid, unconventional variety
July 6 ilies Pretty in border
August 8 18 Two varieties — rubrum, pink; album,
white
August 6 18 Useful in mixed border
August 8 18 Does well in borders
April-May 3 3 Plant in sheltered situations y
April 3 4 Splendid when naturalized
April-May 4 6 Good when massed
April-May 5 6 Increases rapidly
April 4 6 Fragrant
April-May 5 6 Excellent for naturalizing — fra-
grant
eee ek 5 May fons Gre esowei.
May 4 6 Excellent for early summer bloom
March-April 3 4 Very hardy and early
Merten eh eG Seeccal. varieties all gosd.
Meret Gee. 4 Ratter when Glishdy protected >
Later to bloom than S. bifolia
May 4 6 One of the best wild flowers
April-May 5 6 May-flowering are best for plant-
ing except in formal beds
386 YARD AND GARDEN
PLANTING LIST OF THE BEST
Popular Name. Botanical Name Color Height
(inches)
Ageratum Ageratum conyzoides Blue white 4 to 10
Alyssum, sweet. Alyssum maritimum White 6
Aster, China Callistephus Chinensis Various 18
Baby’s breath, Gypsophila muralis White 24
annual
Balloon vine Cardiospermum Halica- White 1LOCEt.
cabum
Balsam Impatiens Balsamina White, pink red, 18
yellow
Bartonia Mentzelia Lindleyi Yellow 12 tod
Candytuft Iberis amara Red, white — 6
Castor bean Ricinus communis ——— 5 to 8 ft.
Catchfly Silene Armeria, S. pen- Red, white 12 to 18
dula 1
Chrysanthemum, Chrysanthemum corona- White, yellow 12 to 24
annual rium
Clarkia Clarkia elegans ite rose, pur- 18
ple
Cup and saucer Cobcea scandens Purplish white beh
vine
Cockscomb Celosia Red, white, yellow 6 to 12
purple
wth Rn ie i ee UN a OS i
Coreopsis Coreopsis tinctoria Yellow, brown 12
STROSS a eee a Sr
_Cornflower Centaurea Cyanus White, blue, rose 12
ne Sie oy ae Oe a ee eee
Cosmos Cosmos bipinnatus White, pink, red 2% to 6 ft.
a a Ee eee
Cypress vine Tpomcea Quamoclit Scarlet a pahte
EE Ee ee eee
Daisy, Swan Brachycome iberidifolia White, blue 12 to 14
River
Everlasting Xeranthemum annuum Purple
APPENDIX 387
ANNUALS FOR ALL PURPOSES
Distance
Depth apart when
Season of Bloom When to Sow to Sow. transplanted
Early Late Indoors Outdoors (Inches) or thinned
(inches)
June July to Oct. March May i 5
July Aug. to Sept. March April yy 8
July Sept. March May yy 18
June July to Oct. March May Xy 12
Aug. ——— May %4 18
June July to Sept. April May y 18
June July to Sept. March May A 12
June to Sept. — ; April yy 8
July
Grown for ornamental April May 2 36
foliage
eee ae 2 ee ee ee
June July and Aug, April May ._% 8
ne SS ee oe es ts
July Aug. to Oct. April May a 18
Sree Ee a ee eS ee ee
June July to Oct. April ; May yy 8
June
ee ee Se a ee
July Aug. to Oct. March May y 18
ce a ae i ie Oe va we ee ey ee
June July to Oct. April May yy 8
ee ee =e ee ee ee ee ee ee
June Aug. to Nov. March May 4 12
Seen ne
—— June a April ly 8
coer a a ee a ee
August September April May 4 30
Se ee
June July April May lg 10
June July to Oct. March May y, 15
Aug. and Sept. May yy 15
388 YARD AND GARDEN
PLANTING LIST OF THE Siler
Popular Name - Botanical Name Color Height
, (inches)
Globe amaranth Gomphrena globosa Red 12 to 18
Godetia (Enothera amecena, Red, white 12 to 18
dE. Whitneyi
Gourd Cucurbita Fruit 1S Ets
Hop, Japanese Humulus Japonicus Foliage plant 10 to 20 ft.
Hyacinth bean Dolichos Lablab White, purple 10 to 20 ft.
Ice plant Mesembryanthemum White trailing vine
crystallinum
Immortelles Helichrysum bracteatum Yellow, orange 12 to 24
Larkspur, annual Delphinium Ajacis Red, white, blue 15 to 24
Love-lies-bleeding Amarantus caudatus Red 30
Momeerd Tagetes patula, T. erecta Orange, yellow 12 to 24
Mignonette Reseda odorata Greenish white 12
Moon-flower Ipomcea Bona-nox White 15 to SOvEt:
Morning-glory Ipomcea purpurea Various ATO 2 barbs
(climbing) and T.
minus (dwarf)
i ee ee ee nee ae
Nemophila Nemophila insignis and Blue, white 12 to 30
N. Menziesii
Palafoxia Polypteris Hookeriana Red 12 to 36
ee ee eee
Pansy Viola tricolor Various 6 to 12
Le etree) Ge a ee ee
Petunia Petunia hybrida White, magenta 12 to 24
wie eo ee ee ed
Phlox, annual Phlox Drummondii Various 6 to 12
Pink, Chinese Dianthus Chinensis White and various 12
APPENDIX 389
ANNUALS FOR ALL PURPOSES
Distance
; Depth apart when
Season of Bloom When to Sow to Sow transplanted
Early Late Indoors Outdoors (Inches) or thinned
(inches)
a Aug. and Sept. ——— May ly 15
a aaa eee
June July to Oct. March May \% 18
April
a eS Mag 1 24
erties ee April May yy 30
ey
— July to Oct. a May 2 18
hhh. O00 0O08006cCc.0
July Aug. and Sept. April — May % 12
August —— May yy 12
we a a Ss eee eee
June July to Sept. April May WA 10
June July April May A 18
June July to Oct. February April 7
March May \Yy 12
May and June July to Oct. March April % 10
May
July Aug. and Sept. March May yy 24
Sa a
June July to Oct. Marchand May yy 18
April :
a ee
June July and Aug. April May y% 6
June July to Oct. Marchand May 1 10
April
June July to Oct. March Apriland % 6
May
ee a ee
— —— July to Oct. — May yy 18
May and June Sept. to Oct. Jan. and June to 1% 6
Feb. August
a ee ee a ee ee re ee ea a
May July to Oct. April May Sow on 12
Surface
June July to Oct. Feb. Apriland 4% ae Sale
May
May July to Sept. Feb. and April and ds 6
March May
390 YARD AND GARDEN
PLANTING LIST OF THE BEST
Popular Name Botanical Name Color Height
ip (inches)
Poppy Papaver Various 6 to 30
Portulaca Portulaca grandiflora White, red 6 to 12
Pot Marigold Calendula officinalis Orange, yellow 12 to 24
Rhodanthe Helipterum Maneglesii Purple 18 to 24
Rose moss Lu Portulaca
Salpiglossis Salpiglossis sinuata White, yellow, 20
red
Stock, ten-weeks Matthiola incana, var. Various 18
annua.
Sweet pea Lathyrus odoratus Various 4 to 8 ft.
Sweet Sultan Centaurea moschata White, yellow, 24
purple
Tarweed Madia elegans Yellow 12 to 24
Wish-bone flower Torenia Fournieri Yellow 12 to 20
Zinnia Zinnia elegans Various 12 to 36
APPENDIX O91
ANNUALS FOR ALL EURPOSES
Distance
Depth apart when
to Sow transplanted
Season of Bloom When to Sow
Early Late Indoors Outdoors (inches) or thinned
(Inches)
June to Aug. —-—— March, Ve 12
April
and May
June July to Oct. Marchand May Sow on 8
April Surface
June July to Oct. Marchand May 3 12
April
ee Aug. and Sept. ———— May ly 18
June July to Oct. April May i 6
June July and Aug. March May A 12
July to Oct. —_— March to 3 to 4 4
June
June July and Aug. Marchand May WA 12
April
July to Oct. May 4 12
es July to Oct. March and ———-— Y% 12
April
—_———— June to Oct. aa May Al 12
392 YARD AND GARDEN
[The designs presented here are intended to assist the beginner.
While their real value lies in their suggestions, all are practical and,
if conditions admit of their use, can be followed in planting city
yards of similar shape and size. Only those plants that are haidiest
and easiest raised are advised.]
DIAGRAM ILLUSTRATING BORDER-PLANTING
Mixed Border of Shrubs and Hardy Herbaceous Plants, Arranged
According to Height, Color of Bloom and Season of
Flowering: —
No. on Quantity Name
diagram required
a 18 Aster alpinus
2 20 Campanula Carpatica
3 20 Alyssum saxatile, var. compactum
4 10 Achillea Ptarmica, var. “‘ The Pearl”
5 10 Campanula latifolia, var. macrantha
6 6 Spirea Van Houtter
7 4 Forsythia suspensa, var. Fortunei
8 6 Hydrangea paniculata, var. grandiflora
9 2 Syringa vulgaris (lilac)
10 5 Diervilla hybrida, var. Eva Rathke
iil 4 Yucca filamentosa
12 10 Iris levigata (Kempfert)
13 10 Iris Germanica
14 15 Hypericum Moserianum
15 20 Statice latifolia
16 12 Pe@onies
17 20 Phlox paniculata
18 12 Erigeron speciosus
19 24 Platycodon grandifiorum
20 12 Aruncus (Spirea) astiboides
2 12 Spirea Aruncus (Aruncus sylvester)
= 10 Althea rosea
ge 18 Boltonia latisquama
a4 5 Bocconia cordata
25 6 Delphinium hybridum
oot
Straight Border of
YARD AND GARDEN
BORDER OF PERENNIALS
the Best and MHardiest Herbaceous
Perennials,
Arranged to Insure Succession of Bloom:—
Name
No. on Season
diagram of bloom
a May, June, July
2 May, June
3 June, July
4 July, Aug., Sept.,
Oct.
5 Aug., Sept.
6 July, Aug.
if sept. Oct.
Soe. une dials:
9 July Auge Septe,
Oct.
10 June, July
afi Aug., Sept.
il June, July
13 June, July
14 July, Aug.
15 June, July
16 June, July
Aug., Sept.
Wy April, May
18 May, June
19 July, Aug., Sept.
20 May, June, July
Dil July, Aug., Sept.
22 July, Aug., Sept.
23 May, June
24 June, July
25 May, June, July
26 May, June, July,
Aug.
Pa June, July
28 June, July, Aug.
29 uly, Aug.
30 June, July
ol April, May
32 July, Aug., Sept.
SF June, July
34 June, July, Aug.,
ept., GE
35 May, June, July,
ug.
36 May, June
37 July, Aug., Sept.
Iris cristata
Troliius Europeus
Iris plicata
Boltonia latisquama
Boltonia asteroides
Helianthus mollis
Aster Tataricus
Penstemon levigatus,
Phlox paniculata
var.
Digitalis
Ulmaria (Spirea) Filipendula
Helianthus rigidus,
Campanula latifolia,
var.
var.
Campanula persicifolia
Bocconia cordata
Yucca filamentosa
Centaurea macrocephala
Phlox subulata
Armeria maritima
Miss Mellish
macrantha
Centaurea montana, var. alba
Iris Germanica
Silphium laciniatum
Rudbeckia laciniata
Baptisia australis
Iris levigata (Kempferi)
Aquilegia cerulea
Dianthus plumarius
Scabiosa Caucasica
Campanula Carpatica
Gypsophila paniculata
Delphinium
Trollius Asiaticus
Statice latifolia
hybridum
Campanula glomerata
Achillea Ptarmica,
Aquilegia chrysanth
Peonia
Aconitum Napellus
var.
a
“The Pearl
®
5396
No. on
diagram
STROM MORON WWE
YARD AND GARDEN
DESIGN FOR CITY YARD FRONTING EAST
Quantity
required
1
(J)
SBmOWeHHWwWOmnwwswwr.
Name
Picea pungens, var. glauca
Clematis Jackmani
Kalmia latifolia
Funka subcordata, var. grandiflora
Lonicera Halliana
Wistaria Chinensis
Alyssum saxatile, var. compactum
Paonia
Spirea Van Houttei
Syringa vulgaris (lilac)
Spirea Bumalda, var. Anthony Waterer
Berberis (Mahonia)
Hydrangea paniculata, var. grandifiora
Abies concolor
Ligustrum ovalifolium, or var. Regelianum
Myosotis palustris
Phlox subulata
Phlox paniculata
Iris pumila
Dianthus barbatus
Iris Germanica
Hardy ferns
Dianthus plumarius
Lychnis Viscaria, var. splendens
Thalictrum aquilegifolium
Delphinium formosum
Iris levigata (Kempferi)
Gypsophila paniculata
Armeria maritima
Physostegia Virginiana
Platycodon grandiflorum
Stokesia cyanea
Centaurea montana
Hardy ferns
Aquilegia cerulea
Campanula Carpatica
Campanula persicifolia
Hardy ferns
597
XxX
APPENDI
398 YARD AND GARDEN
DESIGN FOR CITY CORNER YARD
No. on Number
diagram required
1 75
2 1
3 2
4 4
5 50
6 2
a 12
8 24
9 12
10 18
11 14
12 20
13 12
14 12
15 12
16 12
aly, 12
18 24
19 15
20 6
21 100
22 9
23 att
24 2
25 3
26 1
27 =
Name
Coreopsis lanceolata
Wistaria Chinensis
Lonicera Halliana
Rose, Crimson Rambler
Hemerocallis fulva -
Picea pungens, var. glauca
Phlox paniculata
Aconitum autumnale
Iris levigata (Kempferi)
Delphinium hybridum
German iris
Althea rosea, single
Peonia
Bocconia cordata
Trollius Europeus
Boltonia asteroides
Campanula latifolia, var. macrantha
Rudbeckia, Golden Glow
Statice latifolia
Yucca filamentosa
Berberis Thunbergii
Maples
(Thin when crowding begins)
Syringa vulgaris (lilac)
Spirea Van Houttei
Hydrangea paniculata, var. grandiflora
Forsythia suspensa, var. Fortunei
Hardy ferns
(Space is left at the point A to allow entrance to the lawn.)
APPENDIX
400
No. on
diagram
YARD AND GARDEN
DESIGN FOR CITY YARD FRONTING WEST
Quantity
required
Name of plant
Picea pungens, var. glauca
Pseudotsuga Douglasii
Spirea Van Houtter
Kalmia_ latifolia
Berberis (Mahonia) Aquifolium
Hydrangea paniculata, var. grandiflora
Iris Germanica
Clematis paniculata
Lonicera Halliana
Hardy ferns
Armeria maritima
Ulmaria (Spirea) Filipendula
Alyssum saxatile
Sedum spectabile
Thalictrum aquilegifolium
Dianthus barbatus
Funkia subcordata, var. grandiflora
Helenium autumnale, var. superbum
Statice latifolia
Achillea Ptarmica, var. ‘‘ The Pearl”
Althea rosea
Bocconia cordata
Delphinium formosum
Iris levigata (Kempferi)
Physostegia Virginiana
Peonia
Phlox paniculata
Hibiscus Moscheutos, var. Crimson Eve
Campanula persicifolia
Veronica longifolia, var. subsessilis
Berberis Thunbergti
Azalea amena
Funkia cerulea
Iris. pumila
Hardy ferns
APPENDIX
See
402 YARD AND GARDEN
DESIGN COMBINING ORNAMENT AND UTILITY
No. on Quantity Name
diagram required
i 200 Ligustrum ovalifolium
3 Pe@onia
30 Phlox paniculata
3 4 Rose; Dorothy Perkins
4 6 Clematis paniculata
5 1 Lenicera, var. Halliana
6 3 Grape
if Se Currants, blackberries or raspberries
8 =f Bed of annuals
9 2 Dwarf fruit trees
403
APPENDIX
ye ol
PES ped he
INDEX
INDEX
Abutilon, 133, 351
Acer platanoides, 289
saccharinum, 289
saccharum, 289
Achillea, illus. 139
Ptarmica, var. “ The
Pearl,” 162
Aconitum autumnale,
Fischeri, 164
Napellus, illus. 161
Actinidia arguta, 95
Adiantum cuneatum, 356
Adonis vernalis, 159
Aisculus Hippocastanum, 289
Agapanthus, 235
Ailanthus glandulosa, 289
Akebia quinata, 95
Alstroemeria, 235
Althea rosea, 162
Althea, shrubby, 264
Alyssum saxatile, 159
(see Sweet alyssum)
Amelanchier, 264
Ampelopsis, illus. 89
quinquefolia, 87
Veitch, 94
Andromeda _ floribunda,
263
Anemone Japonica, 166
Pennsylwanica, 169
Annuals, 99
Beds for, 108
Cultivation indoors, 105
General classification of,
100
Half-hardy, 101
Hardy, 101, 114
166
256,
Location of beds for, 114
Planting indoors, 102
Planting outdoors, 113, 115
Selection of varieties of,
119
Soil for, 110
Sowing in flats, 103
Support for, 116
Tender, 101
Transplanting,
Watering, 117
Weeding, 116
Anthemis tinctoria, illus. 152,
162
Antirrhinum, illus.
Apios tuberosa, 239
Aquilegia, illus. 139, 159, 160
cerulea, 151
Canadensis, 159
Arabis albida, 159
Ardisia, 351
Aristolochia macrophylla, 88
Armeria maritima, 160
Aruncus astilboides, illus. 155
Asclepias tuberosa, 164
Ash, 289
Ashes, wood, 58
Asparagus, 133, 351
Asplenium, 356
Aster Amellus, 164
China, illus. 105, 120
Nove-Anglie, 164
Stoke’s, illus. 147
(see Stokesia)
Tataricus, 166
Astilbe Japonica, 160
Aubrietia deltoidea, 159
105
105, 133
407
408
Aucuba, 351
Auraearia, 351
Azalea, illus. 258; 266, 264,
350
Indica, illus. 333
Balloon flower, illus. 148
(see Platycodon)
Balsam, 120
Baptisia australis, 160
Barberry (see Berberis)
Bee Balm, 148
Beech, 289
Begonia, 133, 351, 352
Rex, illus. 336
Tuberous, illus.
235, 236
Belemcanda Chinensis, 162
Bellflower, 151
Bellis perennis, 159
Berberis, 263, 265
Aquifolium, 256, 263
vulgaris, 264
Bermuda grass, 69
Bessera, 235
Biennials, 99
Bitter sweet, False, 95
Blue-grass, Kentucky, 53-55
Bocconia cordata, 164
Boltonia asteroides,
159, 164
latisquama, 164
Bone meal, 58
Boston ivy, 194
Bouvardia, 351
Boxes, porch, 120
window, 120
Bridal wreath, illus. 241
Browallia, 351
Buckthorn, 265
Bulboecodium, 188
Bulbous plants, 170
(see Bulbs)
Bulbs, 170
Arrangement of, 188, 190
Classification of, 171
178; 133,
illus.
INDEX
Cultivation of, 179
Depth to plant, 214
Dividing, 184
Hardy, 173, 186, 194
In beds, 189
In borders, 180
Indoors, 339, 346
In lawn, 187
Lifting, 184
Planting, 178, 182, 190
Preparation of beds
176
Spring flowering, 209
Succession of bloom of, 175 |
Tender, 175, 235
Value of, 173
Winter protection of, 183
Buttonbush, 264
Buttonwood, 289
for,
Caladium, 133, 235
Calendula, 114, 120
officinalis, illus. 116
Calimeris incisa, 160, 162
Calopsis, 114, 120
Calla, 235
Callirhoe involucrata, 160
Calycanthus floridus, 263
Camelia, 351
Campanula alliariaefolia, 162
Carpatica, 160
glomerata, 162
persicifolia, 160
pyramidalis, 151, 164
Trachelium, 162
Canada lily, illus. 185
Candytuft, 120
Canna, illus.
235
(see Richardia)
Carnation, 351
Catchfly, illus. 137
Ceanothus Americanus, 264
Celastrus scandens, 95
Cephalanthus occidentalis, 264
176 and 181;
INDEX
Ceratostigma plumbaginoides,
164
Chelone Lyoni, 164
obliqua, 164
Chestnut, horse, 289
China aster, illus. 105; 120
Chinese sacred lily, 348
Chionodoxa, 188
Depth to plant, 214
gigantea, 212
grandiflora, 212
Sardensis, 212
Chrysanthemum, 164, 166, 350
frutescens, illus. 330
Leucanthemum, 162
maximum, 162
Chrysogonum
160
Cimicifuga racemosa, 162
Cineraria, 351
Cinnamon vine, 95, 238
Cinquefoil, 263
Clarkia, 120
Clay (see Soil)
Clematis, 91
Davidiana, 164
Diseases of, 92
Flammula, 92
Henryi, 94
Jackmani, illus. 84; 92
paniculata, 92
recta, 160
Soil for, 91
Clethra alnifolia, 263, 264
Climbers (see Vines)
For indoor gardens,
351
Climbing fern, 350, 367
Climbing roses, 90
(see Roses)
Cobea scandens, 351
Cockseomb, 120
Coleus, 133
Color of flowers, 40
Columbine, illus. 139; 151
(see Aquilegia)
Virginianum,
300,
409
Conoclinium coclestinum, 164 -
Convallaria majalis, 159
Cooperia, 235
Coreopsis, 120
lanceolata, 160
Corm (see Bulbs)
Cornelian cherry, 265
Cornflower, 1]4
Cornus, 263, 264
Coronilla varia, 160
Corylus, 264
Crab-grass, 68
Crimson Rambler, 90
Crocus, 188, 212
Depth to plant, 214
Croton, 133
Crytonium, 356
Cupheas, 351
Currant, wild, 263
Cyanea Stokesia, illus. 147
Cycas revoluta, 351
Cyclamen, 351
Cydonia Japonica, 263, 264
Daffodil (see Narcissus )
Dahlia. alhuss bre- 235;
Single, illus. 189
Dandelions in lawn, 66
Daphne, 264
Day lily, illus. 166
(see Hemerocallis )
Delphinium formosum, 160
grandiflorum, 162
hybridum, illus.
Deutzia, 253, 264
gracilis, 263
seabra, 263
Dianthus barbatus, illus. 154;
160
plumarius, 160
Dicentra eximia, 160
spectabile, 159
Dictmanus albus,
Diervilla, 264
Digitalis ambigua, 162
monstrosa, illus. 161
236
150
160
410
purpurea, 160
Dioscorea divaricata, 95
Diseases, 309, 323
Catalogue of, 324
Remedies for, 324, 327
Dogwood, 263
Doronicum plantigineum, 159
Dracena, 351
Dragon-head, False, illus. 154
Drainage, 303
Dutchman’s pipe, 88
Easter lily, 346
Echinacea purpurea, 162
Eleagnus longipes, 265
Elder, 264
Elm, 289
English ivy, 350
Eranthis hyemalis, 213
Depth to plant, 214
Erigeron speciosus, 160
Eryngium amethystinum, 162
Erythronium, illus. 196
Euonymus, 265, 351
Japonicus, 257
radicans, 95
Eupatorium ageratoides, 164
Euphorbia corolotta, 162
Factory grounds planted, 18
Fagus ferruginea, 289
False bitter sweet, 95
False dragon-head, illus. 154
Farfugium, 351
Ferns, 364
Best varieties, 367
Boston, 356
Christmas, 367
Cinnamon, 367
Clayton’s, 367
Climbing, 350, 367
Culture of, 356
Ebony, 356, 367
Evergreen, 367
For indoor garden, 351, 356
For porch boxes, 133
Goldie’s, 367
INDEX
Gossamer, 367
Hardy, 364
Holly, 356
Kidney, 356
Lace, illus. 354; 367
Lady, 367
Maidenhair, illus. 355; 356,
367
New York, 367
Ostrich, illus. 366; 367
Pests of, 356
Pierson, 356
Royal, 367
Seott, 356
Sensitive, 367
Shield, 367
Situation for, 364
Soil for, 366
Sword, 356
Walking, 367
Fertilizers, 293
Animal manures, 303
Bone meal, 58, 307
For lawns, 46, 56
For porch boxes, 131
For potted plants, 337
For vines, 84
Lime, 59
Liquid, 132, 305, 307
Muriate of potash, 307
Nitrate of soda, 58, 307
Soot, 305
Wood ashes, 58, 307
Festuca glauca, 351
Ficus elastica, 351
Filbert, 264
Flats, 103
Fleur-de-lis (see [ris)
Formal city garden, illus. 3
Forsythia, 253
suspensa, 264
Foxglove, illus. 161
(see Digitalis)
Fraxinus Americana, 289
Freesia, illus. 347
In pots, 347
INDEX
Fuchsia, 133, 351
Fungicides, 327
Fungus (see Diseases )
Funkia, illus. 166
Fortunei, iilus. 306, 162
lancifolia, 162
ovata, 162
subcordata, 164
Gaillardia aristata, 160, 164
Galanthus, 210
Depth to plant, 214
Gardening, 4
Geranium, illus. 350; 133, 351
Geranium sanguineum, 160
German iris, 160, 161
Geum coccineum, 160
montanum, 160
Ginkgo biloba, 289
Gladiolus, illus. 206; 235, 236
Glechoma, 133
Globe-flower, illus. 141
(see Trollius)
Glory-of-the-snow (see Chion-
odoxa)
Goldenbell, 264
Golden glow, 158
(see Rudbeckia)
Grass (see Lawns)
For elay soil, 55
For lawns, 55
For sandy soil, 55
For shaded spots, 55
For terraces, 55
Greviliea robusta, 351
Gypsophila paniculata, 162
Hamamelis, 254
Height of plants, 40
Helenium, 164
Hoopesii, 160
Helianthus, 164
Heliopsis levis, 162
Heliotrope, 133, 351
Helloborus niger, 159
orientalis, 159
411
* Hemerocallis, illus. 166, 162
Dumortierti, 160
Hepatica triloba, 159
Heuchera sanguinea, 162
Hibiscus, 351
Moscheutus, illus. 143, 164
Syriacus, 264
Honeysuckle, illus. 93
(see Lonicera)
Bush, 264
Humus (see Soil)
Hyacinth, illus. 201; 194
Best varieties of, 202
For pots, 343
In water, 344
Named varieties of, 200
Planting of, 200
Preparation of beds for, 201
Roman, 344
Winter protection of, 200
Hyacinthus candicans, 237
Hydrangea, illus. 244; 254
hortensis, illus. 353
paniculata, 264
Hypericum aureum, 263
prolificum, 264
Iberis sempervirens, 160
Indoor gardens
(see Window gardens)
Insecticides, 313, 321
Insects, 309
Chewing, 310
Destruction of, 310
Lists of, 313
Sucking, 310
Inula ensifolia, 162
Iris, 219
Bulbous, 224
cristata, 232
Division of, 234
Dwarf varieties of, 231
English (see J. xiphioides)
Florentina, 233
Germanica, illus, 230; 160,
161, 230
412
Japanese (see J. levigata)
Kempferi (see 1. levigata)
levigaia, illus. 221; 161,
227
Oncocyclus, 220
pallida, 233
Planting, 234
Pseudacorus, 161, 233
pumila, 231
reticuiata, 226
Rhizomatous, 227
Sibirica, illus. 230 and 234;
161, 233
Spanish (see J. Xiphium)
Susiana, 220
Varieties of, 219, 223
verna, 159, 232
aciphioides, illus. 234; 2
Xiphium, illus. 225; 22
Ivy, Boston, 94
English, 350
Kenilworth, 351
Parlor, 350
Japanese Iris (see I. levi-
gata)
Japanese quince, 263, 264
Japanese rose, 263
Juneberry, 264
Kalmia latifolia, illus. 255;
256, 263, 264.
Kenilworth ivy, 351
Kentucky blue-grass, 53
Kerria Japonica, 263
Kerria, white, 264
Kniphofia aloides, illus. 185
Kudzu vine, 239
Lantana, weeping, 133
Larkspur, illus. 150
(see Delphinium)
Lavendula vera, 168
Lawns, 44
Autumn spading, 48
Bone meal for, 58
INDEX
Fertilizing, 45, 48, 56
Insects attacking, 71
Lime for, 59
Moles in, 71
Mowing, 60
Nitrate of soda for, 58
Preparation of soil for, 44-
48
Renovating old, 73
Rolling, 59
Seed for, 52-55
Sowing of, 52
Top-dressing of, 58
Turf for, 49
Watering, 63 ‘
Weeds in, 66
Wood ashes on, 58
Leaf mold (see Soil)
Leucojum vernum, 210
Depth to plant, 214
liatris graminifolia, 164
spicata, 164
Ligustrum, 263
Lilae (see Syringa)
Inlium, 214
auratum, 215, 217
Batemannie, 215, 21
Best varieties of, 21
Brown, 215, 217
Canadense, illus. 185; 217
candidum, illus. 191; 217
Chalcedonicum, 217
croceum, 217
Depth to plant, 218
Elegans, illus. 216
excelsum, 217
Hansoni, 217
Harristi, 346
Henryi, 215, 217
Japonicum, illus. 187, 215
Krameri, illus. 187
longiflorum, 215
Martagon, 217
Pardalinum, 217
Philadelphicum, 217
Season for planting, 215
INDEX 413
Soil for, 214, 217
speciosum, 217
superbum, 217
Thunbergianum, illus. 216;
217
Tigrinum, illus. 211, 217
umbellatum, 217
Value of, 214
Wallacei, 217
Washingtonianum, 217
Lily (see Lilium)
Lime, 59
Linden, 289
Liriodendron tulipifera, 289
Lobelia cardinalis, 164
syphilitica, 164
Location of house, 26
Lonicera, 94, 265
Halliana, illus. 93; 94
Japonica, 94
sempervirens, 94
Tatarica, 264
Lychnis Chacedonica, 163
Coronaria, 161
Vespertina, 163
Viscaria, var. splendens,
Hlyse 13is 16%
Lygodium, 350, 356
Lysimachia clethroides, 163
nummularia, 161
punctata, 161
Madeira vine, 235, 238, 351
Madonna lily, illus. 191
(see Lilium)
Mahernia odorata, 351
Mahonia (see Berberis Aqut-
folium )
Maidenhair fern (see fern)
tree, 289
Manettia, 133
Manure (see fertilizer)
Maple, 289
Marguerite, illus. 152; 351
Mass planting, 38
Maurandya, 133, 350
Mesembryanthemum, 351
Mignonette, 114
Mock orange (see Philadel-
phus )
Monarda didyma, illus. 148
Monkshood, illus. i61 (see
Aconitum
Montbretia, illus. 206; 235,
237
Morning glory, 96, 114
Japanese, 133
Mountain fetter bush, 264
Mountain laurel (see Aal-
mia )
Nasturtium, 96, 120, 133
Narcissus, illus. 170 and 199;
194, 340
Barrii, 198
Best varieties of, 197
Colors of, 195
Double, 200
For outdoor planting, 197
incomparabilis, 198
In pots, 340
Leedsii, 200
Naturalizing, 195
Paper white, illus. 341; 342
poeticus, illus. 196; 195,
200
Season for planting, 196
Trumpet, 197
Value of, 194
Nephrolepis, 356
Nitrate of soda (see Fertili-
ZeYs
Oak, 289
@nothera fruticosa, 161, 163
Missouriensis, 163
speciosa, 163
Oleaster, 265
Orchard grass, 69
Oriental poppy, illus. 145
(see Papaver)
Osier, red, 265
414
Oxalis, 235
Peonia, illus. 369; 367
Best varieties of, 373
Colors of, 36%
For cut flowers, 374
List of, 373
Moutan, illus. 372;
Mulch for, 368
officinalis, 160
Sensitive varieties of, 371
Single, illus. 371
Soil for, 368
tenuifolia, 160
Tree (see P. Moutan)
Value of, 367
Palms, 351, 352
Pandanus, 351, 354
Papaver nudicaule, illus. 145;
161
orientale, illus. 145; 161
Paris daisy, illus. 330; 351
Parlor ivy, 350
Peat (see Soil)
Pentstemon barbatus, 163
laevigatus, 161
ovatus, 163
Peony (see Pawonia)
Perennials, hardy herbaceous,
99, 134
Arrangement of, 167
Best varieties of, 157
Classification of, 134
Cultivation of, 167
Division of, 151, 152
Number of varieties, 136
Planting, 142
Preparation of beds for, 144
Propagation by cuttings,
156
Raising from seed, 148
Short-lived, 151
Succession of bloom of, 158
Watering of, 168
Winter protection of, 140
With shrubs, 169
264
INDEX
Petunia, illus. 114; 114, 120,
351
Philadelphus, 259, 264
Phlox, 374
Annual, illus. 100; 120
Best varieties of, 377
Cultivation of, 376
decussata, 376
divaricata, illus. 377; 160
Drummondiu, illus. 100;
133
Dwarf varieties of, 378
Lists o£; 377
Mulch for, 376
paniculata, illus. 375; 163,
164, 376, 378
Planting, 376
subulata, 160
suffruticosa, 376, 377
Physostegia Virginiana, illus.
154; 164
Pieris floribunda,
264
Mariana, 264
Pilea arborea, 351
Pink (see Dianthus)
Annual, 120
Pinus Mughus, 264
Planning, 12
Before building, 25
Conditions governing, 24
Drawing to scale, 21
Elementary, 22
For harmonious effect, 37
On paper before planting,
35
Principles of, 13
Plans (see planning)
How to draw, 35
What to include in, 36
Plantain in lawns, 66
Plantain lily, illus. 166
(see Funkia)
Plantanus accidentalis, 289
Planting, examples of, 19
256, 263,
INDEX
Platycodon grandiflorum,
illus. 148; 163
Plum, 264
Polemonium ceruleum, 160
Poplar, 289
Poppy, 114, 120
(see Papaver )
Ieeland, 151
Oriental, illus. 145
Shirley, illus. 110
Populus alba, 289
Porch boxes, 120
Construction of, 128
Dimensions of, 127
Fertilizer for, 131
Plants for, 132
Soil for, 130
Uses of, 123
Value of, 121
Watering, 132
Portulaca, 120
Potentilla fruticosa, 263
Pot marigold, illus. 116; 120
Potting, 235
Primrose, 351
Primula, 160, 352
Principles of planning, 31
Privet, 263
Prunus, 264
Purpose of a yard, 16
Pyrethrum roseum, 161
Quercus palustris, 289
rubra, 289
Rambler, Crimson, 90
Ramblers (see vines)
Red root, 264
Repotting, 235
Rhamnus, 265
Rhododendron,
255, 264
Catawbiense, 264
Ritodotypos, 264
Rhus, 254
Ribes floridum, 263
illus. . 260;
Richardia, 235, 351
Roman hyacinths
(see Hyacinth )
Roses, 357
Bourbon, 363
Climbing, 90, 364
Crimson Rambler, 90
Dorothy Perkins, 90
Fertilizer for, 361
For shrubberies, 364
Gen. Jacqueminot,
359; 362, 363
Grafted, 358
Hardy perpetual, 362
Hybrid perpetual, 363
Hybrid tea, 363
Japanese, 263
Noisette, 364
On own roots, 358
Planting of, 357
Pruning of, 361
Tea, 364
Trellis, 363
Wichuraiana, 90
Winter protection of, 360
Rubus, 265
Rudbeckia, 166
laciniata (golden
illus.. 158; 164
triloba, 164
Rules for planting, 31
illus.
glow)
St. John’s Wort, 263, 264
Salix alba, 289
Sambucus, 264, 265
Sanguinaria Canadensis, 159
Scabiosa, annual, 120
Caucasica, 161
Scilla, 210
Ameena, 188
Depth to plant, 214
Sibirica, 210
Screw pine, 354
Sedum. spectabile, 166
Selaginella denticulata, 351
Senecio, 350
416
mikanioides, 351
pulcher, 166
Shasta daisy, illus. 163
(see Chrysanthemum )
Shirley’ poppy, illus. 163
(see Papaver )
Shrubs, 240
Blooming in spring, 264
Blooming two months, 263
Compared to trees, 243
Cultivation of, 252
Effectiveness of, 245
Evergreen, 255, 264
For city yard, 257
For shaded situations, 263
Grouping of, 246, 252
List of best hardy, 263
Planting of, 251
Pruning of, 252
Spraying, 261
Uses of, 248
Value of, 248, 254
Varieties of, 253
When to plant, 261
Winter protection of, 252
With ornamental fruit, 265
With variegated foliage,
264
Silene, 120
Smilax, 351
Smoke bush, (see Rhus)
Snapdragon, illus. 105; 133
(see Antirrhinum )
Snowball, 264 (see
num )
Snowberry, 263, 265
Snowdrop, 188
(see Galanthus)
Snowflake, 188
(see Lewcojum)
Sod for lawns, 50
(see Lawns)
Soil, 293
Clay, 296
Composition of, 295
Cultivation of, 301
Virbur-
INDEX
Fertilizing of, 303
Good garden, 298
Humus, 296
Leaf mold, 296
Mixtures of, 297
Peat, 296
Trenching of, 302
Solidago, 166
Soot (see Fertilizers )
Specimen planting, 32
Npirea, 253, 260, 264
Aruncus, illus. 155; 161]
Filipendula, illus. 135; 162
lobata, 163
palmata, 162
prunifolia, 260
Thunbergii, 260
Van Houttei,
260
Squill (see Scilla)
Stachys Betonica, 163
Stagger-bush, 264
Statice Tatarica, 163
Stocks, illus. 110; 120
Stoke’s aster, illus. 147; 163
Stokesia cyanea, illus. 147;
163
Strawberry bush, 265
Summer hyacinth, 237
Sunflower, 114, 120
Swainsonia, 351
Swamp Rose, illus. 143
Sweet alyssum, 114, 120, 351
Sweet-peas, illus. 112; 120
Sweet pepper, 263, 264
Sweet-scented shrub, 263
Sweet sultan, 114
Sweet William, illus. 143
Sycamore, 289
Symphoricarpos, 263
racemosus, 265
Syringa (see Philadelphus)
Syringa, 253, 259
vulgaris, 264
illas.=< 2a;
Tecoma radicans, 96
INDEX
Thalictrum
162
Thermopsis Carotiniana, 162
Thunbergia, 133
Thunbergian lily, illus. 216
Tiger lily, illus. 211
Tigridia, 235
Tilia Americana, 289
vulgaris, 289
Torch lily, illus. 185
T'radescantia, 351
Virginiana, 163
Trees, 266
Bordering parks, 271
Bordering streets, 272
Cultivation of, 284
Enemies of, 290
Evergreen, 285
How to plant, illus. 267
In city yards, 266, 274
Insect pests of, 291
Objection to, 240
Of Heaven, 289
Planting. 283
Pranme, 275; 277
Transplanting of, 277, 281
Varieties of, 288
Watering, 285
Wrong use of, 268
Trellises, 97
Trenching, 302
Trillium erectum, 159
Trollius Europeus, illus. 141;
160, 162
Trumpet creeper, 95
Tuberose, 235
Tuberous-rooted plants, 170
(see Bulbs)
Tulip, 194, 203
Bizarre, 208
Breeder, 208
Byblemen, 208
Classification of, 205
Darwin, 208
Double, 205, 206
Early single, 205
aquilegifolium,
417
Florist, 208
For pots, 346
In borders, 204
Lifting, 204
May-flowering, illus. 4174
and 203; 207
Mother, 208
Parrot, illus. 203; 206
Preparation of beds
204
Rose, 208
Season for planting, 203
Self, 208
Show, 208
Winter protection of, 204
Tulip tree, 289
Turf for lawns, 49
Laying of, 50
Watering, 50
for,
Ulmaria illus.
135
(see Spirea Filipendula)
Ulmus Americana, 289
campestris, 289
Umbrella plant, 133
Filipendula,
Vernonia Arkansana, 164
Veronica, illus, 165
longifolia, 163, 164
rupestris, 162
Virginica, 163
Viburnum, 259, 264
lantana, 265
opulus, 265
plicatum, 260
Vinca, 133, 351
Vines, 75
Annual, 80, 96
Bulbous, 238
Classification of, 77
Cultivation of, 82
Fertilizers for, 84
For indoor gardens,
301
Perennial, 80, 87
390,
418
Pruning of, 85
Soil for, 81
Supports for, 97
Uses of, 76
Value of, 75
Varieties of, 87-98
Violet, 351
Virginia creeper, 87
Walks, 28
Course of, 29
Planning of, 34
Wayfaring tree, 265
Weeds, in lawns, 66
Weigelia, 264
Wichuraiana rose, 90
Willow, 289
Window boxes, 120
Window garden, 329
Bulbs for, 339, 346
Ferns for, 356
Fertilizer for, 337
Flowers for, 348, 350, 351
Foliage plants for, 348, 351
Hyacinths for, 343
INDEX
Location of, 332
Narcissi for, 340
Plants for, 339
Potting, 335
Repotting, 335
Soil for, 332
Sunless, 351
Temperature of, 348
Tulips for, 346
Watering, 336
Vines for, 350, 351
Winter aconite, 188
(see Hranthis)
Wistaria Chinensis, 95
multijuga, 9d
speciosa, 95
Witch-hazel (see hamamelis)
Wolfberry, 263
Wood ashes, 58
(see Fertilizer)
Woodbine, illus. 89; 88
Zephyranthes, 235
Zinnia, illus, 102; 120
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