Garden flowers

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AZALEA izalea calendulacea

BEGONIA — Begonia hybrid a

DoUBLEDAY & COMPANY, INC.

Garden City, New York \(<S^T^

COPYRIGHT, MCMXVII, MCMXXVI, BY DOUBLEDAY

": COMPANY, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PRINTK»

IN THE UNITED STATES AT THE COUNTRY LIFE

PRESS, GARDEN CITY, N. Y.

PUBLISHERS' NOTE

Any classification of flowers into seasonal subdivisions
such as flowers of spring, of summer, of autumn, and of
winter must necessarily be a purely arbitrary classification.
A plant that blooms in April in one section of the country
may bloom in June in another, or in July in another.
Broadly speaking, however, the seasonal classification
followed in this volume will, for the greater number of its
readers, be fairly accurate. Also, the expression, "flowers
of winter," is necessarily a misnomer, for the reason that in
most sections of the United States in winter no garden
flowers bloom, while in other sections there is no winter!
The question naturally arises why a section of such a book
as this should be devoted to "flowers of winter." The
answer of course is that these plants may be grown indoors.

Again, the publishers believe that no reader will quibble
on the ground of scientific accuracy because in this book on
"Garden Flowers Worth Knowing" are included some
trees and shrubs that do not flower, as well as some plants
that, in the United States, are not, strictly speaking, garden
plants. A picture is hardly complete without its frame;
nor is a flower garden complete without its background of
trees and shrubs. And if the growing of certain flowers
and plants during the winter months bring to January
something of the joy of June, we think this fact warrants
the inclusion of "flowers of winter," even though one's
"garden" is a greenhouse or a solarium.

CONTENTS

PAQ1

Spring 1

Summer 81

Autumn 161

Winter 231

Color Key . . " 297

Jndrx 301

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Azalea (Azalea calendulacea) \ -p ,

Begonia (Begonia hybrida) j

Ln.v OF THE \ a i .1.1 i

(ConvaUaria majalis) .

Crocus (Crocus $ativus) .
Gentian (Gentiana crinita) .
Hyacinth (Hyacinthui orient alis)
Iris (Iris germanica, var.) .

J asm ink (J as mi ii mn nudifiorum)
Nasturtium (Tropaeolum via jus)
Pansy (Viola tricolor)
Hollyhock (Alth-ea rosea)
Aster (CaUistephus hortensis)
Tulip (Tidipa)

Verbena (Verbena hybrida) (
Snowball (Virburnum opulus) I
Wisteria (Wisteria floribunda) J
Bachelor's Button (Corn Flower)

(Centaurea cyan us)
Delphinium (Delphinium formosum)
Carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus)
Fuchsia {Fuchsia speciosa)

IS

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Following

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Following Page 88

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152

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Gladiolus (Gladiolus hybridus)
Heliotrope

(Heliotropium peruvianum)
Hydrangea (Hydrangea panicidata)
Sweet Peas (Lathy rus odoratus)
Smilax (Asparagus medeoloides) \ v U

Camellia (Camellia japonica) > p

Cineraria (Cineraria hybrida)
Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima)
Freesia (Freesia refract a)
Easter Lily (Lilium longiflorum)
Night-Blooming Cereus (Hylocereus)
Calla Lily (Richardia aethiopica)
Daffodil (Narcissus pseudo-narcissus)
Narcissus (Narcissus poeticus)
Peony (Paeonia albiflora)
Lilac (Syringa vulgaris)
Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum)
Dahlia (Dahlia variabilis)
Zinnia (Zinnia elegans)

Amaryllis (Amaryllis aulica) V Following

Tiger Lily (Lilium tigrinum) / Page £48

Poppy (Papaver)

Geranium (Pelargonium hortorum)
Petunia (Petunia hybrida)
Phlox (Phlox paniculata)
Mignonette (Reseda odor at a)
Rose (Rosa odorata hybrida)
Marigold (Tagetes erecta)

GARDEN FLOWERS

GARDEN FLOWERS

SPRING

The Pearl

Achillea Ptarmica

Achillea is better known under the name of White Tansy.
White Tansy is a cousin of the weed Yarrow. The^e is an
old superstition that if one sleeps on Midsummer Night's
Eve upon a bunch of Yarrow, he or she will dream of a
future wife or husband, as it may be. The Pearl is a small
perennial esteemed for its profuse bloom. Double Sneeze-
wort, Goose Tongue, Fair Maids of France, Seven Years'
Love, are also designations of this much-named flower.
In the single variety the disk flowers are yellow, the ray
flowers white. In the Pearl — the double variety recom-
mended for gardens — the disk flowers have disappeared;
the flower is all a fluffy rosette of white. These rosettes
have been greatly esteemed for cutting and for formal
bouquets. In the garden Achillea should be kept well
picked, as after the first bloom the plants turn brown and
present an unsightly, rusty appearance. The Pearl grows
successfully in practically all sorts of soils and spreads
rapidly. In planting allow ten to twelve inches of space.
The best method of propagation is to divide old plants in
spring.

1

2 GARDEN FLOWERS

Adonis

Adonis verncdis

If you want something in early spring to give color to
spots that later will be covered by growing shrubbery, get
Adonis. Vernal Pheasant 's-eye, Ox-eye, Bird's-eye, False
Hellebore, are other names for this little bright yellow
perennial. The dainty foliage forms dense tufts that die
to the ground after the blooming season. The large yellow
flower somewhat resembles a Buttercup. Plants range
irom eight inches to a foot high and may be planted in sun
or half shade. A light moist or sandy soil is preferable.
Adonis may be raised by seed sown in the autumn, but you
must exercise patience a? the seed germinates but slowly.

Mountain Lady's Mantle

Alcliemilla alpina

Mountain Lady's Mantle is an inconspicuous plant of
European origin often utilized in corners of rock gardens
and perennial borders. The "Lady" for whom the plant
was named must have been a dwarf, for her "mantle"
grows no more than six inches in height. The digitate
leaves have a silky and hairy under surface; the modest,
quite drooping flowers should appear in late April and
May. You may start this little plant from seed in either
sun or shade, and it can easily be increased by division.

Gold Tuft

Alyssum saxatile

Gold Tuft or Gold Dust is the most prolific small yellow
flower of spring. This old favorite forms a neat carpet of

SPRING 3

small, fragrant, golden-yellow flowers in loose panicles no
more than a foot high. The leaves are small and rather
slender, silvery and persistent. If the flower stems are cut
back after blooming, a second crop of blossoms may be
anticipated later in the fall or even after early frost. The
plants thrive in the sun and in a sandy soil. Avoid heavy
clay. Gold Tuft is commonly used for edging borders or
as a cover in the rockery. It is best started indoors early
in February and transplanted into the open in May. The
variety compactum, growing six inches high, is an excellent
plant for edging.

Love-Lies-Bleeding
Amaranthus caudatus

Love-Lies-Bleeding is a pleasant old-fashioned plant
seldom seen nowadays and perhaps considered too gaudy
for dainty gardens. Amaranthus, as it gets its growth
(three to five feet), is inclined to become tall and straggly.
The flowers are long, showy drooping panicles. The
terminal spike in each cluster is longer than the others and
whiplike. Red-flowered clusters are more common, but
there are also yellow and white varieties. This is an
annual and may be sown right out in the garden bed. If
the soil be too rich, the plants are liable to rank growth
and lose their bright coloring.

Shadbush

Amelanchier canadensis

The Shadbush is the most effective white-flowered tree
along woodland borders before the Dogwood. All coun-

4 GARDEN FLOWERS

try children know the Shadbush, only quite possibly they
call it Service Berry or June Berry. The shrub at blossom-
ing time becomes a mass of small white, very attractive,
plum-like flowers. The red berries, quickly disposed of by
nesting birds, come later. If you wish particularly to at-
tract birds to your garden, you need only plant a Shadbush
or a Mulberry. Shadbush grows to the height of twenty
feet in the North and frequently as high as sixty in the
Southland. The blossoms are at their height just about
the time the shad run up the rivers to spawn, and the origin
of the name is easily traced to the fishing habits of the early
American colonists. As they whipped the streams for
shad they doubtless saw a charming and to them unknown
little tree lighting up the river banks with early color.

Poppy Anemone

Anemone coronaria

Most people never think of the Anemone except as a
wild flower, but it may be adapted as a garden plant of
beauty and value. There are many species, some of
larger growth, of flowers of greater size, of colors more
rich and varied than those of their wild sisters. The
Anemone has the double interest of garden beauty and
legendary association. The litterateur remembers that
the Anemone is the flower referred to by Shakespeare is
"Venus and Adonis."

And in his blood that on the ground lay spill'd,
A purple flower sprung up, chequer'd with white.

An antiquarian remembers that the word comes from tne
Greek amnios (wind) and that Pliny says the plane was

SPRING 5

so named because "This flower hath the propertie to open
but when the wind doth blow." But Pliny must have
had some other plant in mind or have been incorrect in his
statement, which is not at all characteristic of our common
Anemone.

There are many species and varieties. A. Coronaria
(Poppy) and A. horiensis (Star) represent two great sec-
tions of early bloomers. A. nemorosa, white tinged with
purple. A. sylvestris is cream white, tinged with pink
flowers in summer. The Japanese Anemone blooms in
late summer.

The Poppy Anemone grows about a foot high and thrives
in most kinds of soil. Plant in autumn for spring bloom,
and in spring for summer flowering. Set the tubers two
inches deep and six inches apart. Look over the tubers,
pick out the incipient buds, and plant these pointing up
ward. Cover the bed in winter. The first flowers should
appear in March and bloom should continue through April
and May. After bloom is over, the tubers may be dried
and stored away ; or they may be cut to the ground and left
as you would Tulips or Hyacinths.1

Rocky Mountain Columbine

Aquilegia caerulea

A. caerulea is a native Columbine growing wild from
Montana to New Mexico. This spring visitor will prove
itself worthy of space in the rock garden. The stem rises
from one to one and a half feet high. The flowers which
bloom from April to July are whitish tinged with blue and
yellow, and about two inches across. The sepals fre-

Anemone sylvestris and the Japanese Anemone are in the summer section.

6 GARDEN FLOWERS

quently are bhie. The spurs are long with knobs at thi
ends. For culture a light, moist, sandy soil is required*
Theoretically a hardy perennial, A, caerulea rarely blooms
more than two or three seasons and had best be treated as
a biennial.

Wild Columbine

Aquilegia canadensis

There are many glimpses of the Columbine in early
English literature and in particular the many references by
Shakespeare to the flower may be taken as a measure of its
popularity. History narrates that our common American
Columbine, known to all New England children as the
Honeysuckle, was sent as a gift from the Virginia colony to
Tradescant, botanist to King Charles I, and by him in-
troduced to Hampton Court gardens. The Columbine
has frequently been suggested by enthusiastic admirers for
our national American flower.

Certainly there is no lovelier wild flower to grace a home
garden. Columbines dance on airy stems along the rocky
ledges with cheerful nods and bows or at times dignified
curtseys. One garden writer remarks playfully that the
early wild flowers seemed to have stationed the Columbine
as a reception committee along the leafy balconies of wood-
land ridges to extend a hearty welcome to all strangers who
chance to come within nodding distance of their abode.
In fact, in many sections of the country the Columbine,
gathered in armfuls by the thoughtless, has been forced to
pay the penalty of its popularity and become difficult to
obtain.

Remember its habitat, and in domestic culture tuck
away in pockets of soil in the rockery. Columbine grows

SPRING 7

from two to four feet high and blooms from May to
July.

Golden Spurred Columbine

Aquilegia chrysantha

Golden Spurred Columbine will be an attractive addition
for the corner of your garden. This is almost a perfect
flower in outline, as the spurs are extra long and golden.
The foliage is dark and handsome and the flowers are
numerous, slightly fragrant, and clear yellow, carried on
graceful, branching stems three or four feet high. The
Golden Spurred is considered the most hardy of the Colum-
bines. You will have good results in any loose, well-
drained soil with plenty of sun. Start from seed indoors in
March and set out in April. More often you will get no
bloom the first season.

Rock Cress

Arabis albida

Rock Cress is one of the easiest growing and showiest
spring-blooming, white-flowered plants for carpeting the
ground. Rock Cress is a hardy, courageous, low-growing
perennial (six to eight inches high) which it is wise to re-
member when you are looking about for border plants or
for some flower to cover a steep bank. The bloom begins
in April and will last on through June. The flowers are
pretty and somewhat fragrant. Rock Cress spreads
quickly to cover considerable space and it is customary to
buy a few plants and let them increase. They could be
raised from seed if desired. There is also another species,

8 GARDEN FLOWERS

A. alpina, with smaller flowers, considered inferior by
most garden writers.

Sea Thrift

Armeria maritima

Sea Thrift, or Sea Pink, flowers in dense heads above
tufts of evergreen foliage. This pretty little perennial is
found growing along the seacoast in England and on the
continent of Europe but may easily be domesticated for
our American home gardens. Start seeds indoors in
February and transplant into the open in May. You
had best utilize Sea Thrift as a low-growing, trim bordei
plant to edge walks and fill out corners in the rock garden.
Well-drained sandy loam is ideal. Sea Thrift will even
stand a considerable amount of drought. Old plants
divide easily. There are for choice white and rose-red
varieties.

Chokeberry

Aronia ^nigra

The Black Chokeberry and its companion, A. arbutifolia,
the Red Chokeberry, are both perfectly hardy and among
the most beautiful fruiting small shrubs. Red Chokeberry
grows from six to twelve feet high and the Black not gen-
erally quite so tall. The flowers are white or tinged red, in
corymbs, and come from April to June. The two species
look well planted together and are desirable for border
planting. Chokeberry prefers moist soil but will grow also
in deep rocky spots. The foliage turns a pretty red in the
fall and the fruit remains all winter. You may propagate

LILY OF THE VALLEY Convallaria majalis

(ROC US Crocus sativus

SPRING 9

from greenwood cuttings or get young shrubs from dealers
in the late summer or early spring.

Alpine Aster

Aster alpinus

The Alpine Aster is a dwarf member of a very large
family. This baby Aster grows from three to ten inches
in height, with large, solitary, star-shaped, bluish-purple
flowers with yellow centers. The plant blooms from early
May to mid-June. Effective in the border, in sun, or part
shade; but should be protected from the very hot rays of
midsummer. You may start this Aster from seed, but it
is more customarily propagated by division of the clumps.
There is a fine white-flowered variety, alba; and a variety
speciosus, growing taller and stronger than type with
large, rich, purple flowers.

Azalea

Azalea calendulacea, Rhododendron calendulaceum

No wonder this plant has received the popular name of
Flame Azalea, for that is exactly what its flowers in varying
shades of orange-red and flame-red suggest as they are
seen in the undergrowth of open woodlands, fairly il-
luminating the May landscape. Though it is native to
eastern North America, it is one of the truly popular
plants of the hardy shrubbery. It has a number of al-
most equally showy relatives which are likely to be found
in our gardens, Japanese and Chinese cousins.

The Flame Azalea grows from four to ten feet high, but
the maximum is not often attained except in peculiarly
favorable conditions. In common with the other mem-.

10 GARDEN FLOWERS

bers of the family to which it belongs — the Heath family —
the Azaleas demand an acid soil and will not tolerate any
suggestion of lime. Consequently they are not often
found in healthy conditions when planted near the foun-
dation of houses where the soil is usually lime impregnated.

False Indigo

Baptisia australis

%r With good habits and showy, well-colored flowers, the
Baptisia is one of the best plants for garden cultivation.
Blue Rattle-Bush and Blue Wild Indigo are other common
names. In early growth the plants may be mistaken for
Lupines. They grow bushy and about four feet in height;
the leaflets are sea-green in groups of three; the blossoms,
blue, in long, loose racemes. Baptisia thrives in any soil,
likes sunshine, blooms well; but as the foliage blackens
after August, it is not well to give the plant the prominent
position to which on flower merit the False Indigo would be
entitled.

B. leucantha is a native perennial with small white
blossoms found from Ontario to Texas. Grows from two
to four feet in height in any ordinary garden soil. The
seeds, started indoors, produce plants of a size to trans-
plant to the open in May. Set them in the border a foot
apart. In choosing where they are to go, do not forget
that they are likely to turn black in the late season and
oresent an unsatisfactory appearance.

Begonia

Begonia hybrida

The Tuberous Begonia, as we grow it in our gardens to-
day, is an entirely modern production. _ There is little in-

spring n

terot oi folklore or literary association in the Begonia, and
it w;i> but little esteemed until recently. In the seventies
and eighties certain nurserymen in England began to be-
come famous as growers of Begonias and now we have a
magnificent array of varieties including many shapes and
colors.

Begonias may be used as bedding plants in the outdoor
garden if you select a shady spot. Dig your bed deep and
work in plenty of manure. The tubers are roundish, bulb-
like affairs with a depressed side in winch a growing tip
may be discovered. Plant the tubers, pointed end up, in-
doors about the end of April. In late May or early June
put the plants into the outdoor bed about a foot apart.
The leaves are large, green above, and red below the sur-
face. The flowers are large, waxy, and handsome. Bulb-
lets appear in the axils of the leaves of some kinds after
blooming is over. Begonia is an enormous family and only
one, B. Evansiana, is hardy, living over winter outdoors
successfully.

Daisy, English

Bellis perennis

This is the English Daisy the praise of which runs
through many familiar lines of the great English poets.
Our common American Daisy of the college "daisy chain"
and the childish " he loves me, he loves me not" is another
flower, botanically, weighed down with the formidable
name of Chrysanthemum leucanthemum. The English
Daisy is a cheerful little plant for edgings and for window
boxes. You had best plan to remove the English Daisy
after blooming, as it is apt to present rather an unsightly
appearance. Th^ flower stalks rise stiff and soldierly; the

12 GARDEN FLOWERS

flowers, generally double varieties with no yellow center
in our gardens, are an inch or more across with white
rays tipped with red or pink or wholly red. The English
Daisy is not of difficult culture; it thrives best in cool, rich,
moist soil with some sun. It is advisable to protect the
plants with a light mulch over winter. Plant indoors early
in boxes. The plants should go in the ground about six
inches apart. Before the summer is over they will send
out new offsets which should be divided in the fall, forming
additional plants.

Spice Bush

Benzoin odoriferum

The Spice Bush known also as Benzoin Bush and Wild
Allspice is one of the earliest flowering shrubs, with aro-
matic bark. This very desirable garden shrub grows from
six to fifteen feet high with bright green oblong leaves that
turn a. pretty yellow in the fall. The small yellow flowers
appear in the spring in clusters before the leaves open out.
The fruit is a crimson berry, quite spicy and much relished
by the birds. The Benzoin of druggists is derived from a
member of this plant group. The Benzoins are quite
hardy, preferring sandy, peaty soils. Propagate by green
wood cuttings under glass, taking plenty of cuttings, as a
large percentage are likely not to root. Propagation by
planting the seeds is also possible but a very slow process.

Ashberry

Berberis aquifolium or Mahonia aquifolium

The glossy-leaved, blue-berried Mahonia is a fine, low-
growing, ornamental evergreen shrub. The height at

SPRING 13

maturity will be no more than three feet. The compound
leaves are a fine lustrous green. There are tassels of
golden yellow flowers in May, and the berries come in late
summer. Choose a sheltered spot with a fair amount of
sun and not too moist a soil for the Ashberry, which is most
often planted with other shrubs. Foliage sometimes burns
in winter. A closely allied species is M. japonica, with
broader leaflets and taller growth — a fine shrub and worthy
of more extensive planting in favored places.

Japanese Barberry

Berberis Thunbergi

This shrub is a quick grower and one of the best, low,
ornamental, defensive hedge plants. The branches are
sufficiently spiny so they are not disturbed by animals or
small boys. The foliage is dense and arching, more so
than that of the common Barberry. Japanese Barberry
grows from two to five feet high; there are pale yellow
flowers in April and May, followed by brilliant red foliage
in fall and red berries that often persist through winter.
This species of Barberry is used as a border for walks and
drives and, clipped close, as a dividing hedge in lawns and
gardens. While the old-fashioned Common Barberry is a
host to the wheat rust, and therefore should not be planted
generally, the Japanese Barberry is quite free from the
fungus that causes the disease.

Spring Meadow Saffron

Bulbocodium vernum

The rosy purple flowers of the spring Meadow Saffron
come early on the spring scene with the Crocus, which they

14 GARDEN FLOWERS

somewhat resemble. The flowers, three or four to each
bulb, precede the leaves, which are broad and rather strap-
shaped. This Saffron is a prime favorite as a house bulb.
Pot in September or October, placing several bulbs in a
pot (allow an inch between bulbs) and cover with a half
inch of soil. The pots are then plunged in ashes till Decem-
ber or January. If they are to be planted outdoors, select
a warm, sheltered position in light, sandy soil. The bulbs
increase rapidly, and it is necessary to take them up and
separate the offsets every two or three years in July or
August. The Saffrons are natives of the mountains of
Europe and Russian Asia.

Japanese Quince

Ccenomales lagenaria

If you are going to have any shrubs at all, you must have
a touch of low-growing, fiery red, Japan Quince or Fire-
bush to set off your darker evergreens. This is the earliest
bright scarlet-flowered shrub that appears in our gardens.
It should not be planted near decorative fruit trees un-
less systematically sprayed, as it is subject to the San
Jose scale. April and May are flowering time and the
flowers lie open in clusters, two to six in a cluster. The
fruit which comes later is globular and yellowish. This
Cydonia will bloom most freely in a sunny spot but will
mature in shade as well. There are also white and pink
varieties, but the red is the one most commonly seen.
Until recently this was generally known as Cydonia
japonica, but Cydonia is now exclusively used for the fruit-
ing Quince.

SPRING 15

Pot Marigold

Calendula officinalis

This is the old-fashioned herb whose dried flowers were
used by our grandmothers to flavor soups. Calendula
grows about a foot high and is quite hardy. The plants
will bloom from spring till fall if the flowers be kept well
picked and the season be not too dry. The leaves form a
rosette near the ground from which the flower stalks
emerge. The flowers are orange, yellow, occasionally
white, Aster-like in form. The seed may be planted out-
doors. Calendula grows anywhere but delights especially
in warm, rich soil. There are plenty of varieties to choose
from. Sulphurea has light yellow flowers; Nankeen, yellow;
Meteor, orange; Prince of Orange is a very effective orange
^nd yellow.

Strawberry Shrub

Calycanthus Jloridus

The group of Calycanths consists of a number of sweet*
deciduous shrubs which includes several old-time garden
favorites. Strawberry Shrub or Sweet Shrub grows from
six to ten feet high with rather coarse leaves and deep red-
brown flowers of pungent, spicy odor. In colonial days
the little blossoms were often tied into the corners of hand-
kerchiefs, but such simple tastes could not long survive the
possibilities of buying perfumery in bottles. Carolina All-
spice belongs also to this group. The Calycanths are all
desirable because of their sweet-scented flowers. The con-
spicuous part of the flower is the calyx. There are no dis-
tinct petals. Plant in any good garden soil in early spring.

16 GARDEN FLOWERS

The Calycanths, except the California species, occidentalism
are quite hardy in the North.

Great Bellflower
Campanula latifolia

The Great Bellflower is a striking representative of a
big family containing more than three hundred species,
annual, biennial, and some perennial, The flowers grow
six to fifteen in number, borne on stems three or four feet
tall. The leaves are large, hairy, and heart-shaped, some-
times six inches long at the bottom and more pointed
higher up. Because of its height, it is best set toward the
back of the border. C. latifolia grows wild in England and
is not difficult of culture here. Sow early in the spring
indoors, plant outside in late May, spacing eight inches to
a foot apart. Bellflowers grow in any well-drained soil
in sun or shade. As the plants grow they may be divided
for new plants. The blossom-time is May and June and
the blossoms are commonly purple or dark blue. There
is also a white-flowered variety.

Pea-tree

Caragana arborescens

The Pea-trees are ornamental shrubs grown for their
profuse yellow, pea-shaped flowers appearing in April and
May and are quite effective. The Pea-tree has the repu-
tation of being the best yellow-flowered shrub of its season.
You had best buy a young plant, as growing from seed will
be a very slow process. Plant wherever needed, but a
sandy soil is best and a sunny position desirable. C.
frutex is about half as high and even more graceful than.

SPRING 17

C. arbor escens, which in fact is the only one of the Pea-
trees that really grows high enough to be called a tree.

Judas Tree

Cercis canadensis

As with the Magnolia and Shadbush the flowers of the
Judas Tree, or Red Bud, come before the leaves appear.
The peculiar small pea-like purplish pink blossoms borne
along the bare wood are rather startling. Plants of this
kind had best be planted in front of evergreens or against
water, or wherever the effect of distance may be gained.
The fruit of Cercis is a thin pod. The tree grows best in
rich, moist soil and is quoted in garden manuals as reaching
a height of thirty feet, though rarely seen so tall. Plants
begin blossoming at four years of age. A larger-flowering
species and better colored is C. chinensis. It seems too bad
that this pretty shrub bears the somewhat heavy burden
of tradition of having been the tree on which Judas Iscariot
went forth and hanged himself.

White Fringe

Chionanthus virginica

The glory of this tree or shrub lies in the big, showy,
drooping clusters of white flowers that appear in May and
June. Sometimes staminate and sometimes pistillate
flowers are to be found. Staminate flowers are handsomer
but lack the beautiful dark blue pendulous fruit the pistil-
late bear in the autumn. This American plant with its
attractive flowers makes a much-envied lawn shrub when
in full bloom. The White Fringe is hardy, preferring
aunny places, rather moist peaty soil, and if possible not

18 GARDEN FLOWERS

too exposed a position. Plants may be started from cut-
tings. In Europe White Fringe is planted as a beautiful
exotic from America, but here because it grows wild we
have been slow to introduce the tree to cultivation

Glory-of-the-Snow

Chionodoxa Luciliae

"After the Snowdrop comes the reign of blue and purple
. . . Glory-of-the-Snow makes spots of beauty on the
earth where snowdrifts lately lay, when the first bluebird
shows a glint of the heavenly color, too, as he flies about
the orchard looking for a nesting hole." (Blanchan.)

Plant these little bulbs in the fall about three inches deep
and an inch apart. They do not need any winter cover.
Leaves and flowers are thrown out together, in February,
March, or April, according to exposure and depth of plant-
ing. The flowers vary in color, blue or white. No special
care is needed in preparing the soil and the bulbs may be
left without disturbance for several years. Eventually
they should be taken up and separated as the bulbs in-
crease by offsets. C. grandiflora is a cherished variety of
this with large violet flowers paling to white in the throat.

Clarkia

Clarkia elegans

Clarkia, named for the explorer of the Rockies, is a
garden annual of the easiest culture and one of our com-
monest plants. The colors run from rose through white to
purple, blooming from June till after frost if you make late
sowings. Adaptable to all soils and may be planted in
early spring outdoors in the sun. Sow in rows and thin out,

SPRING 19

to ten inches apart. C. elegans has been known to reach a
height of four feet, but the usual growth is no more than
two feet. If you wish late bloom, keep the flowers well
picked so that seed does not form.

Lily-of-the- Valley

Convallaria majalis

Is there any one who does not know the Lily-of-the-
Valley ? Is there any one who does not instantly recognize
the white, globular, bell-like, and very fragrant flowers
hanging daintily from long, graceful flower stalks? It is of
the easiest culture, and is one of the most satisfactory
spring flowers. Commonly a dweller in shady spots there
is no reason why the C. majalis will not thrive in full sun
if the ground be properly enriched. Very characteristic
is its habit of spreading through the grass and groping its
way along the edge of shrubbery,. The smooth, broad
leaves grow up from the base of the stalk and preserve their
fresh, clean character all summer. Old beds run out and
will not bloom profusely; with a dressing of manure each
fall, there should be satisfactory bloom four or five years.
This Lily has a horizontal root stalk from which is produced
an upright, bud-like part called a pip. These pips may
be put into cold storage and later used for indoor forcing.
In the garden the pips lie dormant till spring, when they
open, sending up leaves and flower stalks.

Hawthorn or May

Crataegus Oxyacantha

This is the English Hawthorn, beloved of the poets,
famous as a hedge plant, and among the loveliest of flower-

20 GARDEN FLOWERS

ing trees. Burns sings of the Hawthorn, "wi' its lock o'
siller grey," and Shelley of the "moonlight coloured May.,f
The Hawthorn is a low-growing tree, quite hardy, thrives
on dry soil, stands severe pruning. In cultivated varieties
flowers may be had in various pinks and reds, single or
double, but the original single white is perhaps the most
characteristic and beautiful. The effect of the tree in
flower is not pure white but almost silvery. The air in
blossom time is filled with rare perfume. The light scarlet
fruit is much relished by the birds. The Hawthorns are
protected by sharp thorns and become very slow-growing
after reaching ten feet in height. Hawthorns are clipped
as desired to form hedges. This plant is often confusingly
referred to another species C. monogyna. Some desirable
red-flowering varieties are submollis, coccinoides, punicea.
and the popular Paul's Scarlet (double).

Crocus

Crocus susianus, sativus,
and C. aureus

After the Snowdrop the Crocus ! " Bulbs have a mission
in life," says Wilhelm Miller. "They seem to have been
divinely appointed to entertain us from the moment when
winter becomes too tedious for words until the trees leaf
out and spring strikes high C." If you have any spring
flowers at all you must have purple, lavender, white, and
yellow Crocuses.

Crocuses need to be planted two inches deep and from
four to six inches apart. When planting in the grass, take
a handful of bulbs, or rather corms,and toss them carelessly
on the lawn, and where they drop, plant them. Some gar-

SPRING 21

deners turn back a bit of sod on the corner of their spade,
drop the bulb in the opening, and replace the sod, leaving
no trace of their operations behind them until the flowers
push their way through in spring.

Blue, white, and yellow predominate in the Crocuses
commonly purchased. Named varieties are usually more
expensive than those purchased according to colour.

Excellent varieties are: Mont Blanc, white; Albion,
purple and white; David Rizzio, purple; King of the Blues
and Non Plus Ultra, blue edged with white.

Garland Flower

Daphne Cneorum

The Garland Flower, a prime favorite and most charm-
ing as a border plant, is a low trailing evergreen shrub with
glossy dark green leaves and small pink, fragrant flowers.
The flowers appear in April and May and quite frequently
a second time in August. Thrives best in light, well^
drained soil enriched with well-rotted manure but will suc-
ceed in half shade or even in dry spots if once well
established.

The Daphne is best propagated by layering: that is,
removing the earth round an old plant in spring and peg-
ging down the branches, filling with fine compost almost to
the tops. In another year, on removing the compost, a
number of little buds supplied with roots will be foun^
among the branches. These may be taken off and planted
in pans or boxes. Daphne may also be raised from cut-
tings taken in the fall and kept in a cool greenhouse over
winter.

£3 GARDEN FLOWERS

Mezereon

Daphne Mezereum

Often in late February before a leaf is to be seen this
little shrub has wrapped its stiff, thin branches in a frag-
rant purple scarf. The Mezereon offers the best lavender
and the nearest approach to blue among the shrubs flower-
ing before the leaves. This dwarf shrub succeeds best in a
light, well-drained soil made rich with old cow manure.
Garland Flower is also a popular name applied to D.
Mezereum and D. Cneorum. The leaves are attractive,
oblong, and gray underneath. The berry is bright scarlet-
The variety grandiflora blooms early and sometimes later in
the fall. You may propagate by seeds which germinate
but slowly or by layers in the spring. Unfortunately the
shrub is not hardy very far North.

Larkspur

Delphinium grandiflorum, etc.

No hardy plant gives us the splendid range of blues that
we get in the Perennial Larkspur — blues as dense as Gen-
tians, as brilliant as Sweet Peas, as clear of eye as Forget-
me-nots. In the garden the Hybrid Larkspurs play a part
that few other plants are fitted to fill. They make noble
pictures with their tall spikes and vigorous growth.
Gardeners who consider that the most striking form of
flower gardening is to make a few bold groups of selected
plants, seize on the Larkspur as peculiarly a plant for their
purpose.

The flowers are curiously shaped, single, semi-double, or

SPRING 23

double, from one to two inches across, borne on stately,
graceful spikes, on erect branching stems, from four to
eight feet high. They had best be planted against a back-
ground as they show poorly against a blue sky. Larkspur
has an unfortunate habit of looking straggly and shabby
in midsummer. The seeds germinate slowly and may be
sown in the fall or started indoors in February. D.Ajacis,
an annual species, blooms from July to August from spring
sowing, but from May to June if sown in the fall.

Deutzia

Deutzia scabra, D. gracilis, etc.

Not the least of our numerous garden obligations to
Japan is the ornamental shrub Deutzia. With arching
branches, bright green foliage, and pure white blossoms in
large corymbs, Deutzia will always be noticed even in the
lush days of June. D. gracilis, a low spreader, with single
white May flowers is particularly to be recommended. D.
scabra candissima is a double-flowered Deutzia, called in
the extravagant words of a dealer's catalogue, "The most
desirable flowering shrub in cultivation." The flower
colors of Deutzias in our gardens vary from white to white
tinged with rose or purplish and straight pink. D.
Lemoinei, a new hybrid, is considered one of the hardiest.
There are many beautiful modern hybrids.

Plant this Japanese shrub in any good soil if it is well
drained and a little sheltered. Give slight cover over win-
ter. Make cuttings four to six inches in length, preferably
after the leaves have fallen, and place them in little bundles
of six or eight tied together in moss in a coldframe. in
the spring plant the cuttings in a mixture of sand and soil

24 GARDEN FLOWERS

indoors, transplanting to the outside only when well
rooted. By fall cuttings should be fair-sized plants.

Bleeding Heart

Dicentra spectabilis

Bleeding Heart suggests the old-fashioned garden.
Deep rosy-red and pink candy "hearts" on tall, graceful,
wand-like stems; foliage; early bloom; all these help to
account for the popularity of this excellent flower. The
old-time garden never was, and the modern garden never
ought to be, without at least a few roots. It is important
to remember that Bleeding Heart dies to the ground after
the flowering period. Rich, moist earth is to be preferred,
but the plant is not fussy and will do well in any fair soil.
Bleeding Heart is usually planted in the open but is also a
favorite for forcing. Remember that it belongs to the
small group of plants that like to be left alone year after
year without division. There is a white-flowered variety,
if you prefer, quite pretty, but of weak and sickly habit.

Foxglove

Digitalis purpurea

Foxglove, a flower of much history and many popular
names, vies with the Larkspur and the Hollyhock in its
habit of blooming in spire-like stalks. The Foxglove is a
fine plant in bloom, particularly effective in masses against
shrubbery, but rather unkempt in appearance at seeding
time. Colors are multi-varied — black, purple, rose, white.
The flowers are large and tubular, two inches long, droop-
ing in long, pointed terminal spikes. The Foxglove is a

GEN T I A X dentin »a crinita

HYACINTH — Hyacinthus orierttalis

SPRING 25

perennial but is more usually treated as a biennial. The
first year the plant sends out firm, big leaves; the second,
the flower stalk shoots up. If you have a choice of soil
select one that is light, rather moist, in sun or partial
shade. If you intend to let the seed ripen to self -sow,
arrange that your Foxgloves be concealed in midsummer
by other tall-growing perennials.

Shooting Star

Dodecantheon Meadea

The pert, nodding blossoms of this native flower (also
known as American Cowslip and Pride of Ohio) are found
along moist cliii's in open woodlands in April and May from
Pennsylvania to Georgia and west to Manitoba. The
flowering stalk rises one or two feet high, and the showy
flowers, rose to purple and white, are gathered loosely in
clusters or tall stalks. The stamens are yellow capped and
coming to a point appear to be shooting ahead with the
petals streaming behind. Shooting Star may be domes-
ticated in any well-drained garden soil, but remember its
wild habitat and do not allow too much sun. The root-
stock is stout and fibrous. Plants may be divided or
started from seeds but this last is a slow process.

Leopard's Bane

Doronicum excelsum

Yellow daisy-like flowers are very rare before the end
of May. Leopard's Bane with its mid-April bloom is a
flower to be remembered. It is quite hardy, grows a foot
or two in height, in any good soil and in partial shade;

26 GARDEN FLOWERS

the best results are said to be obtained from rich loam in
mil exposure to the sun. The flowers are about two inches
in spread, one on a stem, carried well above the foliage,
which is mostly in a crown at the base of the plant.
Doronicum may be raised from seed or by division.
There are about twenty species of this attractive flower.

Goumi

Eleagnus longipes

Goumi is not a very conspicuous shrub and is planted
mostly, perhaps, for its showy scarlet fruit, appearing
late in the year. The flowers which appear earlier are
small and yellowish white. Goumi grows to be about
ten feet high. The leaves are silvery on the under side,
the branches red-brown. The Eleagnus family will do
well in any well-drained soil and may be propagated by
seeds or cuttings. E. argentea, blooming in July and
August, is an American form called Silver-leaved Oleaster.
E. angustifolia, the Russian Olive Oleaster, grows to the
height of twenty feet with handsome foliage, silvery on the
underside.

Barrenwort

Epimedium macranthum

If you wish to experiment with oddities, try Great-
leaved Barrenwort, an importation from Japan. For
their nine inches in height these little plants make a
very brave showing. The flowers appear in May and
June, rather orchid-like. The eight sepals are in two sets,
the outer often bright red, the inner violet. The spur-like
petals are white. The bright red of the outer sepals often

SPRING 27

persists after the other parts of the flower have fallen.
Barrenwort will thrive in any soil, and if you select a
well-sheltered position, the foliage is likely to remain all
winter. The variety violaceum has violet-colored spurs.

Winter Aconite

Eranthis hyemalis

Eranthis, coming in March, is the earliest bright yellow
flower of the spring. The flowers are out before the leaves,
one to a stem, and the little plant, six or eight inches
high, stands as stiff as a soldier. The flower has five to
eight sepals and the petals are smaller. The foliage die.*
down in summer. Winter Aconite is propagated by di
vision of its tuberous rootstock. Plant in the autumn
in part shade, along the border with shrubs. Winter
Aconite is a European and Asiatic plant. There is a
dwarf species, E. sibirica, which grows only four inches
high.

Heath

Erica carnea

This bright little member of the very numerous family
of Heaths is an early bloomer and an old-time popular
favorite. The colors vary from pale to a light rosy red.
The plants grow no higher than six inches and bloom from
late March through May. The Heaths are most success-
fully grown in peaty soil with full exposure to the sun.
A delightful summer-blooming variety is E. vagans.
Other commonly grown species are E. melanthera with
black anthers and E. fragrans with flowers always in
pairs.

28 GARDEN FLOWERS

Perennial Wallflower

Erysimum asperum

The genus Erysimum contains a number of yellow
blooming annuals and biennials, some of which make
excellent border plants. E. asperum is a perennial with
pretty, effective yellow blossoms growing in elongated
terminal racemes. You should have no garden troubles
with this Wallflower. Divided plants are more frequently
obtained than seeds which have been seldom kept in stock
by our American dealers. If you raise from seed, plant
in February, transplant to the outdoors in May, spacing
about eight inches apart.

The yellow Wallflower E. ochroleucum or E. helveticum,
grown mostly as an annual, is not difficult to raise and al-
most equals the yellow forms of English Wallflowers.

Dog's-Tooth Violet

Erythronium dens-canis

Everybody loves the Dog's-Tooth Violet, and every-
body knows it by this misleading name. It is not a
Violet at all. It is a Lily. Maybe the name originated
from the shape of the flower parts, which have something
of the outline of the long pointed teeth of a dog. The
type flowers are rosy purple or lilac, the stems four to six
inches in length. The mottled leaves are characteristic.
Dog's-Tooth Violet is a spring flower which likes partial
shade and a light soil. The club-shaped pistil of the
rather large perfect flower has its tips or stigmas united.
The flowers close at night. They always face toward
the sun and the outer divisions recurve to their fullest ex-

SPRING 29

tent on brightest and warmest days. The bulb is edible
and when roasted used to be relished as a tidbit by the
Indians. The bulb and leaves are also used as a medicine
for producing nausea.

California Poppy

Eschscholtzia californica

Those who think of the California Poppy only as a
yellow flower will be surprised to learn that there are now
rose, scarlet, carmine, orange, and white varieties of the
same original. The flower scarcely needs description.
Prettiest and gayest of annuals, the California Poppies
adore the sun, scorn drought, have no bad tricks of any
sort. This hardy plant is quite roving in habit, makes
itself comfortable in the chinks of walls and steps and all
sorts of seemingly unlikely places. Poppies like the sun.
Sow scatteringly and thin out to stand four inches apart.
The plants will self -sow, and if the bed be covered over in
the fall, the plants will come up next year. They bloom
from June till frost and it is best to keep them well picked.

Pearl Bush

Exochorda grandiflora

The Pearl Bush somewhat resembles a giant-flowered
Spiraea but blooms a little later. It is very much a
"mass" shrub, neither flowers nor foliage boasting great
individual charm; but the dazzling white blossoms, more
than an inch across with large green disk, become quite radi-
antly effective when artfully massed with other shrubbery.
This shrub grows in any soil and may be easily propagated
in the usual ways. Exochorda gets into poor general con-

30 GARDEN FLOWERS

dition unless kept pruned. Only old plants produce fruits.
The Pearl Bush seems not to be planted as much as
formerly, which is a pity.

Golden Bell

Forsythia suspensa, etc.

Long, gracefully drooping branches of yellow bell-like
flowers brusting into bloom before the leaves give the
Golden Bell its name and make it the most showy of the
early flowering shrubs of its color. The leaves remain
unchanged all the summer, often lingering on the branches
till late fall or early winter and then assuming a chocolate
purple tone. There are several commonly grown species
looking much alike. F. viridissima has more flowers
but rather greenish in color, and smaller, with erect
branches, and holds its foliage very late in the fall. F. inter-
media is a hybrid of the other two and is intermediate
in habit. Forsythia is commonly planted against dark
backgrounds. At times F. suspensa has been very effec-
tively trained to droop over arbors. All the Forsythias
are hardy, presenting no especial soil problems, but the
buds sometimes get injured in winter in the North.

Guinea-Hen Flower

Fritillaria meleagris

One wonders sometimes where some of the flowers get
their names, but one never wonders regarding this purple
mottled Fritillary. Some will know the flower better as
Snake's Head and Checker Lily. Fritillarias are mostly
low growing and early blooming. The nodding flowers

SPRING 31

are tetadlated greeD and purple, an inch across, borne
singly in six-inch stems. The flower is tulip-shaped but
the drooping head givea it the appearance of a Lily. This
bull), of British origin, should be planted early in the fall
in a rather sheltered spot. Sandy soil is preferable. The
bulbs should be laid down three or four inches deep and a
little less apart The California F. recurva is brilliant red
in color. The Fritillary bed should be renewed every
three years. The Cuinea-Hen Flower lends itself freely
to naturalistic treatment in meadows and half-wild places.

Snowdrop

Galanthus nivalis

The little white Snowdrop nodding from its slender
stem is dear to those watching for the first sign of spring.
This is the earliest cultivated flower of the season, being
contemporary with the wild Hepatica. There is also a
Giant Snowdrop which blooms a little later, with the
Crocus, but can never be so beloved as "the little sister
of the snows."

Snowdrops have been known to appear in January and a
common name for this flower in England is "The Fair
Maid of February."

Plant these small bulbs in the fall two inches deep and
about the same distance apart, choosing sheltered, shady,
moist garden spots. The leaves are bright green, flat,
and from six to nine inches long. There are two or three
leaves from a bulb. The solitary flower escapes from a
spathe and hangs nodding from its stem. The three
concave petals are white, and a greenish tube of green
stamen filaments occupies the center.

32 GARDEN FLOWERS

Fringed Gentian

Gentiana crinita

Gentians are notoriously fractious in the garden and
the most attractive ones really belong to the rockery or
Alpine garden. Everybody would love to have a Fringed
Gentian — one of the most lovely and mysterious plants of
our countryside — which, however, is quite capable of being
handled in the garden. The thing to remember about it is
that it is a biennial and the first year from seed makes a
tiny rosette that is hardly perceptible. The second year,
when conditions are to its liking, it holds forth in all its
vigorous glory and rewards the gardener with its many
flowering branches of fringed blue cups.

Gentians like full sunlight and they also like plenty of
water — but it must not be stagnate. The drainage must
be perfect. Neither do they like too much heat, although
they like all the light and sun you can give.

Wild Geranium

Geranium maculatum

Crane's Bill is a popular name. There is no reason
why the large showy rose-purple flowers of the Wild
Geranium should not be more frequently domesticated in
our gardens. The Wild Geranium is a perfectly hardy
perennial of easy culture, preferring a moist spot but
thriving almost anywhere in the rock garden or herbaceous
border. The height is about one and one half feet.
The leaves, divided into five or seven wedge-shaped parts,
are of somewhat thinner, finer texture than the ordinary
Geranium. The flowers are mostly for color effect, as

SPRING 33

they fade very quickly when picked. Blossoming time
is May, June, and July. Wild Geranium may be trans-
planted from the woods or may be grown from seed. In
planting allow ten inches space between plants. Herb
Robert or G. Robertianum is a very handsome species from
Europe that loves rocky places and full sunshine.

Snowdrop Tree

Halesia tetraptera, or Carolina

Of habit twiggy and pendulous, the Snowdrop or
Silver Bell Tree offers a bewildering cloud of white flowers
that appear before the leaves in May. There are three
species in the genus, which is exclusively North American.
They may be transplanted easily from the woods or the
banks of streams, preferably in the fall. Choose a straight
tree not over four feet in height and select a rich soil in
a not too exposed position. They are a success with
other shrubbery or by themselves. The Snowdrop Tree
is hardy in the New England states, but growing wild, it
is scarcely to be found north of West Virginia and Illinois.
The tendency is to grow with a rounded top and a bit
drooping. If you desire to keep the blossoms down for
close observation, prune to shrub size.

Japanese Witch Hazel

Hamamelis japonica

The Japanese Witch Hazel, unlike our well-known Amer-
ican Witch Hazel, which comes in late autumn, blooms
early enough to be listed among the spring blossoms. The
curiously shaped yellow flowers burst into life in Febru-
ary, lasting till April. There is glorious autumn foliage,

34 GARDEN FLOWERS

bright yellow, orange, or sometimes purple. H. japonica,
faithful to the country of its origin, prefers plenty of sun
and less moisture than our American variety. H. arbor ea
is a somewhat similar shrub but with larger leaves and
petals more golden yellow. Plants may be started from
seeds — a slow process, as the seeds do not germinate till
the second year.

Sneezewort

Helenium Hoopesii

Perhaps the most valuable species of Helenium for
general planting. Sneezeworts resemble Sunflower plants
and grow from one to three feet in height, blooming in May
and June. The leaves are small, narrow, and toothed;
the flowers large, daisy-like, wTith drooping orange rays
and yellow center, on stout, leafy stems, one to three feet
high, branching at the top.

Heleniums like rich moist soil and sun. Planted in the
open from seed, they will not bloom the first year. The
roots are occasionally attacked by a white aphis, in
which case they must be washed with an insecticide and
reset in a new place. There are about twenty -five species
of Helenium.

Hellebore or Lenten Lily

Helleborus orientalis

All the Hellebores are hardy perennials with attractive
foliage. H. orientalis has the leaves divided like a hand,
with seven to nine lobes to each leaf. The stalk grows a
foot high and bears two to six flowers. The sepals are
distinctive, being roundish, white above and purple be-
neath. Some of the best varieties by color are: purple-

SPRING 35

flowered, atroruberis and rubro-purpureus; white-flowered,
oh/mpicus and antiquorum; green-flowered, caucasicus.

They may be planted in any ordinary garden soil which
has some richness and good drainage. They prefer the shade
and arc favorites for less exposed portions of garden borders.
Old plants had best be divided in late summer or fall, not in
the spring. The Hellebores may be started from seed, but
it is a slow process.

Hepatica

Anemone Hepatica or Hepatica triloba

The lovely Hepatica, known to all children as the earliest
of the wild flowers of the wood, is less frequently seen in
gardens. It is commonly found by searchers along, half-
shaded patches of open woodland on rocky hillsides just
as spring opens. With low, dense growth, early period of
blooming and abundance of bright flowers, they would be
valuable garden plants except that they cannot stand heat.
They must have cool moist soil and a shady place. Hepa-
ticas have fibrous roots and grow about six inches high.
The old leaves stay on through the winter, screening the
buds. After flowering, new leaves are sent up. The
flowers are blue, lilac, white, or red, with lilac perhaps the
most common. The blossom has no petals. Solitary
flowers less than an inch broad are borne on slender, hairy
stems. They exhale a delicate fragrance, although the
odor is not constant. They close at night.

Hyacinth

Hyacinthus orientalis

Coming with the Crocuses before the snow is off th<,
ground the Hyacinth is almost indispensable in any gardes

36 GARDEN FLOWERS

worthy the name. The early date at which they bloom
makes them especially welcome, and once planted and left
undisturbed, the bulbs increase rapidly without injury
from overcrowding. Firm solid bulbs are to be selected
rather than merely large ones. Flowers are single and
double. In planting a formal Hyacinth bed one should
take care to have colors that go well together.

Single flowers: Baron Van Thuyll, blue; Alba Maxima,
white; Florence Nightingale, red; King of the Yellows,
yellow. Double flowers: Charles Dickens, blue; Prince of
Waterloo, white; Bouquet Tendre, red; Bouquet d' Orange,
yellow. The following color combinations are suggested:
red, white, and blue; light blue and yellow; light blue
and rose; pink, blue, and yellow; mauve, red, and white.

Hyacinths are great lovers of water and do best in a
heavy but friable soil. Some sand may be put about the
bulbs when they are planted in the autumn. If the soil
is light, poor, and dry, it ought to be worked deeply and
given a dressing of well-rotted manure.

Evergreen Candytuft

Iberis sempervirens

By all means have in your home garden a bit of Ever-
green Candytuft whose white snowy blossoms are never
melted by sunshine. Candytuft planted with Moss Pink
(Phlox subulata) form a delightful color combination for
the early garden. I. sempervirens is hardy and of easy
culture, succeeding in any soil, even in dry ground, in sun,
or in partial shade. Grows from six to twelve inches
high and blooms in April or May. The flowers are pure
glistening white in big clusters, the outer flowers being

SPRING 37

larger and more showy than the inner. The leaves are
dark green and evergreen. To start from seed, start in-
doors in early spring or in the fall and bed over. Candy-
tuft is such a vigorous spreader that it sometimes becomes
troublesome along borders.

Man-of-the-Earth

Ipomoea pandurata

Man-of-the-Earth, also called Wild Potato and Moon
Flower, is a very hardy tuberous vine with flowers like a
Morning Glory. The weight of the root (ten to fifteen
pounds) gives the plant strength to live under adverse
conditions. In fact, at times in the South and Middle
West this vine has been more commonly regarded as a
weed and a nuisance. Man-of-the-Earth is one of our
best plants for covering tree stumps and old fences, and
there is no reason why growth should not be kept within
reasonable bounds with proper attention. The flowers are
white with deep purple throat and the bloom should be
steady and profuse from May to September. Man-of-
the-Earth is a country flower, hardly suited to small city
gardens.

Iris

Iris germanica

"The fleur-de-lys, which is the flower of chivalry," says
Ruskin, "has a sword for its leaf and a lily for its heart."
When that young and pious Crusader, Louis VII, adopted
it for the emblem of his house, spelling was scarcely an
exact science, and the fleur-de-Louis soon became cor-
rupted into its present form. Doubtless the royal flower

38 GARDEN FLOWERS

was the white Iris, and as li is the Celtic for white, there
is room for another theory as to the origin of the name. It
is our far more regal-looking but truly democratic blossom,
jostling its fellows in the marshes, that is indeed "born in
the purple." (Blanchan.)

The plants roughly classed as German Iris are almost
all hybrids of various species and very numerous. The
Iris, flowering late in May and early in June, supplies
many of the most colorful and effective garden borders.
The colors range from pure white to mauve and dark
purple. Erect branched stems carry large showy, bearded
flowers a foot or more above the clump of long, narrow
sword-like leaves. Remarkably decorative, Irises may be
counted on to make a fine showing banked en masse, or
singly against shrubbery, or in the herbaceous border.
After bloom the foliage presents a withered appearance
which is difficult to conceal. Irises require plenty of
room and will not stand crowding. They like best a
sunny exposed situation in well-drained, rich but not
freshly manured soil.

In the Japanese Iris (7. laevigata) the stems are more
slender than in the "German" or Tall Bearded type, the
flowers more delicate and wider spreading. The range of
colors is fully as great but the varieties are variations of
one species, not hybrids.

Sweet Jasmine

Jasminum nudiflorum

Sweet Jasmine, a native of China, is well to remember
as the earliest flowering slender shrub. More frequently
a greenhouse plant in the North, this Jasmine, with

SPRING 3&

winter protection, is reported to be hardy as far north as
the Hudson Valley. This is an erect, vigorous little
bloomer with large fragrant yellow flowers which come
out eagerly before the leaves. The branchlets are green
and four-angled . The flowers are solitary, with calyx lobes
leafy and spreading and a corolla tube that gives a graceful
wavy effect. The foliage drops off quickly in autumn.

The Yellow Jasmine of our Southern states is a Gel-
semium, not a Jasminum.

Mountain Laurel

Kalmia latifolia

Hardier than the Rhododendrons, smaller in blossoms
and in foliage, the Laurel is in many points superior in
beauty. Ordinary growth is around eight feet in height,
but Kalmia has been known to reach forty feet and to
form thickets that defy passage. This broad-leaved ever-
green with rose-colored flowers scarcely needs botanical
description. Mountain Laurel likes a well-drained situa-
tion but will be a success in any soil except a heavy clay,
provided it is not alkaline. Transplant from the wild in
fall or late spring, and be sure to give ground protection
the first winter.

Honey made from Laurel blossoms has been found to be
poisonous and the Government has classed the Kalmia-
among our principal poisonous plants. The foliage con-
tains a dangerous substance which if eaten is more deadly
than strychnine. The Indians were said to have been
familiar with the poisonous nature of the Kalmia and
to have compounded therefrom a death-dealing drink.
Children have be^n overcome by the intoxicating effects of

40 GARDEN FLOWERS

eating the young shoots which they have mistaken for
Wintergreen.

Japanese Rose

Kerria japonica

Yellow flowers in May like single Roses, bright persis-
tent yellowish leaves in autumn, slender, pendulous light
green branches for the winter make up the unusual com-
bination of attractions of the much-praised Kerria.
Japanese Rose will do well in any garden soil, but the best
color effects are commonly thought to be only obtained in
half shade. There are double flowered and variegated
leaved forms also. Young shrubs may be set out in early
spring or propagation may be done by cuttings and root
division. In a severe cold season the tips of the branches
are sometimes winter killed.

The White Kerria (Rhodotypos kerrioides) is less pro-
fuse in bloom but very handsome and decorative and has
black berries all winter. In the country of its origin the
shrub grows fifteen feet in height, but in America you will
scarcely see a White Kerria or Jet Bead over six feet.

Use stock about two feet high planted in the fall and
you need not worry regarding soil or drainage.

Golden Chain

Laburnum vulgare

This small tree is familiar to most garden-bred folk.
Bean Tree is a more common name in many sections of
the country. Laburnum stands erect with gracefully
drooping branches from which in May hang chains of
yellow, pea-shaped blossoms sometimes nearly two feet

IRIS Iris germanica, var.

JASMIN E Jasminum n udiflorum

SPRING 41

in length. The tree is raised from seed without difficulty,
grows quickly, finally reaching a customary height of
twenty feet. Good results are to be obtained in sun or
part shade, but farther north than southern New England
the Laburnum is not reliably hardy save in sheltered
places, and it requires a certain degree of moisture in soil
and air. Golden Chain is considered poisonous in all
parts, especially the beans that follow the flowers.

Dead Nettle

Lamium maculatum

Dead Nettle is an adaptable low carpeting plant with
pretty ornamental foliage, green blotched with white
along the midrib, that makes it very valuable when a
filler is needed. Dead Nettle grows six to eight inches
high, blooming from May to July. The flowers, purplish
in color, stand up in clusters, each flower an inch long.
This is the Dead Nettle of the Old World, with several
varieties varying in color. The plant propagates itself
by division and no especial attention is needed in cultiva-
tion. L. album, the White Dead Nettle, is similar, but
has all-green foliage. In some sections Dead Nettle will
be found running wild.

Snowflake

Leucojum vernum, L. aestivum

The Spring Snowflake has the appearance of a large
Snowdrop, though on the whole not so graceful a flower.
The spring species (vernum) blooms in March; the so-
called Summer Snowflakes {aestivum) in April and May,
and has more flowers to a stack. You should have no

42 GARDEN FLOWERS

trouble with these little bulbs, which may be planted
from August to October in lawns or along borders.
Plant the bulbs quite close together but not touching,
The spring species often has a delicate odor like a violet t
The flower is six-parted and the petals are tipped with a
spot of green or, less frequently, yellow or red. Summer
Snowflake is a member of the Amaryllis family and a na-
tive of the Mediterranean region.

Perennial Flax

Linum perenne

Blue-flowered plants are never too many, and the Flax
is also interesting as the source of the linen of commerce.
The plant grows a foot or two in height, with graceful little
blue flowers lasting only a short time but blooming rapidly
in succession. Flax occupies little space, gains a quick
foothold in the chinks of walls, along the edges of paths,
and anywhere in borders. It will generally flower the
first year from seeds in the open, but if you wish to make
sure of your blossoms, start indoors. Full sun in an open
spot is not too strong for this little plant. The var. album
is an excellent white-flowered perennial. The Narbon Flax
(L. harbonense) has perhaps even a more sky-like blue than
the more common L. perenne. L. grandiflorum, about
two feet in height, has flowers in varying shades of red.
The effect when planted with Delphiniums is very fine.

Bush Honeysuckle

Lonicera fragrantissima, etc.

There are many species of Bush Honeysuckle, both
early and late flowering, that are to be met with in well-

SPRING 43

ordered gardens. L. fragrantissima is an early comer that
floods the cool spring garden with fragrance as well as
cheers it with creamy white blossoms. This species is
erect-growing; the leaves do not appear till after the
flowers have decorated the brown branches.

The Tartarian Honeysuckle (L. tatarica) averages from
eight to ten feet in height and is very handsome when in full
bloom. The flowers come in clusters in May and June,
pink, red, and occasionally white. The fruit is an excel-
lent decorative red and a prime favorite with the birds.
This shrub is thought to be specially fragrant at dusk.
L. tatarica and L. grandiflora with large white flowers
make an excellent combination. Honeysuckles may best
be propagated by seeds sown in the fall.

Hall's Honeysuckle (L. japonica) is a vine and attains
a height of fifteen feet. The bloom is from June to
August, delicate, short-stemmed, two-lipped white and
yellow flowers with characteristic Honeysuckle fragrance.
L. Morrcruri, also of Japanese origin, is of low growth
(six feet) and runs to yellowish white flowers with red
tips. The fruit is bright red or in one variety yellow,
held on the branches till late in the season.

Honesty

Lunaria annua

Honesty, or Moneywort, of which you ought to have
a sprig or two for the sake of the name at least, is a plant
of many names, and is hung about with a tradition of
magic.

Enchanting Lunarie here lies in sorceries excelling.

44 GARDEN FLOWERS

Honesty is a pretty little plant with large, dusty-looking
\eaves and flowers of shining white or various shades of
purple. You may have this famous flower as an annual
or as a biennial, according to conditions. L. rediviva i&
a perennial with lighter colored and smaller blossoms.
Honesty grows to a foot and a half or two feet in height
and becomes bushy as it grows taller. The numerous,
fragrant, pink-purple flowers come in late spring and early
summer. From a curious persistent inner membrane,
the pods are known as "Pope's money." These pods
were at one time dried and used in winter bouquets for
decorative effect.

•

Lupine

Lupinus polyphyllus

Lupinus is derived from lupus, wolf, and was applied
to the plant because the deeply buried roots were thought
to rapidly exhaust the fertility of the soil. The fact is
that Lupines are not afraid of poor soil conditions and
grow well there. L. polyphyllus, perennial, is the best
garden species, growing to be four or five feet tall. The
annuals are very fast maturing, requiring but six weeks to
bloom after planting.

The flowers are pea-shaped, typically deep blue, thickly
borne in stately spikes rising high above the foliage.
The leaves are divided like a palm, dark green and
satiny, forming a very handsome persistent clump of
foliage. In selecting a location for Lupines remember
that after they are once well established, they will not
stand transplanting. Sow where they are to remain,
allow six inches of space for each plant unless you wish

SPRING 45

to leave on all side shoots, then leave twelve inches for
spread.

Evening Campion

Lychnis alba

Evening Campion is most frequently found about old
gardens, whence it has a trick of escaping and running wild.
The flowers are in loose elongated clusters, white and quite
fragrant, opening at evening. This Lychnis may be
biennial or perennial and will grow about two feet tall,
blooming in May and June. Like its near relative the
Catchfly, the Evening Campion is coarse and hairy with
a sticky fluid along the stem. The plant will be a success
in any good light garden soil and is a good drought re-
sister. Also will revel in full sunshine. Very similar is
the Morning Campion, L. dioica, having pink-centered
flowers.

Rose Campion

Lychnis Coronaria

Rose Campion or Mullein Pink is one of the best known
of the Lychnis family. The flowering season is July and
August, and the glowing rose-crimson flowers, some-
times two inches across, are borne singly on the ends of
the branches. The foliage is whitish and wooly and
the flowers show up finely by contrast. L. Coronaria
grows two and one half feet high and requires but little
attention. The flower structure is interesting; the five
petals have two small appendages at the base of each;
the seed vessel is a pod. Rose Campion is a native of
Europe and Asia that adapts itself easily to conditions
here.

46 GARDEN FLOWERS

German Catchfly
Lychnis Viscaria

This Catchfly is a fine old garden plant esteemed for its
quantity of flower and its bright color. The name comes
from the sticky patches below the flower clusters which
often catch ants and crawling insects.

L. Viscaria grows from six to twenty inches high, likes
the sun, and may be planted in almost any soil. The
flowers, small, but of a brilliant scarlet, are in terminal
clusters appearing in June. Some varieties have rose-
colored blossoms, others are white, and one variety, Ele-
ganSy is striped red and white. Fine for a border, but
should be placed where the foliage of other flowers will
conceal the barrenness of its stems. Ragged Robin,
Maltese Cross, and Mullein Pink, all old-time favorites,
are also species of Lychnis.

Magnolias

Magnolia stellata, M. Soulangeana, etc.

Magnolias are of peculiar interest because they have the
largest flowers of any tree in our gardens. The lustrous
evergreen leaves, the big deliciously fragrant white
blossoms, the cone-like fruits that flush from pale green
to rose, all have helped to give the Magnolias a preeminent
place in every country where ornamental planting is done.
They are most commonly planted by themselves on lawns
for scenic effect. Magnolias are reasonably hardy, and
in sheltered positions may be planted as far north as
Massachusetts. They prefer a rich moist soil. Trans-
planting is a difficult operation and is best done when new

SPRING 47

growth starts. The flowers show up best against a dark
background of evergreens.

We can indicate only briefly here a few of the best
known kinds. M. conspicua is the largest-blossomed
white-flowered tree that is hardy farther north than Long
Island. M. Fraseri is noted for its cream- white flowers
and a peculiarly curved leaf. M. glauca prefers swamps.
M. macrophylla is the largest-leaved of the Magnolias, with
flowers ten to twelve inches across, white with purple
center. M. Soulangeana is one of the most popular of the
hybrids, growing to a height of thirty feet with white
and pink blossoms appearing in May. Hall's Magnolia,
M. stellata, is the showiest of the early-blooming species.
This Magnolia differs from others in having star-like
instead of cup-shaped flowers. The blossoms appear be-
fore the leaves and are white, sweet scented, with narrow
petals. Several of the most beautiful Magnolias are
Japanese, and Hall's Magnolia was so named for the Dr.
Hall who brought the shrub from the East to Rhode
Island many years ago.

Virginia Bluebell

Mertensia virginica

Hang-head Blue-bell,

Full of a secret that thou darsn't tell!

The Virginia Bluebell or Virginia Cowslip is one of the
most familiar of early spring flowers of the Middle West.
The drooping flowers are bell-shaped in loose, handsome
terminal clusters, twenty or more in a cluster. Pinkish in
bud, they become purplish in full bloom and finally bluish

48 GARDEN FLOWERS

as they fade. The plants grow in clusters and should be
massed in planting; remember also that the leaves die to
the ground after the flowering season. Mertensia must
have a sheltered position, but full sun and rich loam. A
fair amount of moisture is essential. Seed should be
planted very early in a place where you wish your Mer-
tensias to stay permanently. They are among the plants
which resent disturbance of the roots.

Grape Hyacinth

Muscari botryoides

This little bulb is most effective if planted in clusters.
The variety known as "Heavenly Blue" has the purest
color and makes patches of charming color on a shady
bank near a stream. The flowers are normally blue and
there is a white-flowered form. Blooms hang in little
grape-like clusters on the flower stem and have the odor of
musk. The bulbs will grow in any soil except one that is
damp and should be placed two inches deep and only
an inch or so apart. Grape Hyacinths are customarily
grown in the grass, though their low height makes them
an ideal border for many beds. It is well to remove the
offsets of the bulbs about every three years.

Forget-me-not

Myosotis palustris

The true native Forget-me-not, "the blue and bright-
eyed floweret of the brook," has blue flowers with a yellow
eye. The cultivated Forget-me-nots are essentially flow-
ers of spring. Having no liking for hot weather they get

SPRING 49

their blooming done by May; but they do not scramble
through blooming time: growth is deliberate, and if the
soil be fertile and moist they may even last through June.
There are few plants more charming for the side of shady
banks and dells in cool places.

Shade is required, but an extremely moist place is not
necessary. Seeds sown in May will produce sturdy plants
by October. When sowing dig deeply and make the sur-
face soil very fine; sow no more than half-an-inch deep.
Forget-me-nots are propagated so easily that one need
never worry about them. Old plants may be separated
or cuttings taken in the fall.

A charming Swiss species, M. dissitiflora, was brought
into commerce in 1868. The name means scattered-
flowered, the flowers being disposed more loosely on the
stems than those of the older species. This fine Forget
me-not grows neatly, compactly, and is covered with
dense bloom. Varieties of this are grandiflora and splen-
dens, both blue, larger than the type; alba, white; elegan-
tissima, the leaves of which are edged with white. There
is one species, M. alpestris, which will grow in dry soil
and may be used in the rock garden.

Daffodils

Narcissus pseudo-narcissus

Sung by the poets Spenser, Shakespeare, Keats, Tenny-
son, Wordsworth, whose affection for the Daffodil is par-
ticularly well known, and by a host of modern, minor
poetasters, the awakening of the Daffodils announces the
advent of mild and genuine spring. The Narcissus and
Daffodil have long been among the most popular of all

50 GARDEN FLOWERS

spring-flowering bulbous plants. Narcissus is the botani-
cal title of the whole family, but in popular use the large
showy forms have so dominated that the name of Daffodil
has come to signify all the members of the family included
in the large and the medium crown sections, embracing
also the intermediate hybrid groups. The literature of the
Narcissus is voluminous and the number of varieties is suf-
ficient to stagger the amateur. In Europe and England
at times the interest in Daffodils has assumed the pro-
portions of a craze. Scores of rival enthusiasts grow and
cross Daffodils, and extravagant prices ($500 to $2,000)
are reported to have been paid for no more than five or
six bulbs. In America we have never taken these flowers
so seriously.

Daffodils are perfectly satisfactory for outdoor planting
Excellent large trumpet varieties are: Emperor, Trumpet
maximus, Van Sion, Empress, and Princeps. For me-
dium-sized trumpets try Gloria Mundi, Sir Watkin, and
Barri Conspicuus.

Plant your Daffodils in early fall about four inches deep.
No fresh manure should be used in or over the beds. As-
suming that you have a selection of different varieties,
you had best arrange them in clumps. Six bulbs make
a very nice clump. Set the bulbs about six inches apart
and leave a space of at least nine inches between the dif-
ferent clumps. The bed might be finished off with a ring
of Crocuses.

Jonquil

Narcissus Jonquilla

The Daffodil is a long, trumpet-like flower on a single
stalk and with broad flat leaves. The Jonquil, with

SPRING 5\

which the Daffodil is often confused, has small flowers in
clusters, bright yellow and very sweetly fragrant- and rush-
like leaves. The single Jonquil is well known and highly
prized, particularly for growing in pots. There is also
a double variety. The flowers run from two to six in a
cluster. This little flower has been so much over-shadowed
by its big brother that few realize how attractive it is.
The Jonquil is generally a success outdoors if planted id
a sunny, protected spot in rich soil; scatter generously.
However many you plant you are quite likely to wish next
spring that you had planted more!

Poet's Narcissus

Narcissus poeticus

That was a fair boy certaine, but a fooie

to love himself; were there not maids enough?

The poet's Narcissus or Saucer Daffodil is with the
Polyanthus the leading representative of one of the three
main groups into which the Narcissus family technically
speaking is divided, the other two being the Large Trum-
pet and the Cup, commonly grouped together under the
name of Daffodils. The Jonquil differs again from the
recognized Daffodil in having cluster flowers like the
Polyanthus Narcissus, and from the Polyanthus Narcissus
itself in having rush-like leaves instead of flat.

N. poeticus should be planted about four inches deep and
three apart and prefers a heavy, rich soil. They are the
last of the Daffodils to bloom (late May) and are particu-
larly to be recommended for naturalizing in groups in
srass. For description we can do no better than to quote

52 GARDEN FLOWERS

Forbes Watson: "In its general expression the Poet's Nar«
cissus seems a type of maiden purity and beauty, yel
warmed by a love-breathing fragrance; and yet what in-
nocence in the large soft eye, which few can rival in the
whole tribe of flowers. The narrow yet vivid fringe of red,
so clearly seen amidst the whiteness, suggests again the
idea of purity, gushing passion — purity with a heart which
can kindle into fire."

Evening Primrose

Oenothera biennis

This is the best yellow-flowered biennial for bold ef-
fects and is easily naturalized in almost any soil. The
stem is strong, rising to a height of from four to five feet.
The flowers four to five inches across open suddenly at
nightfall ; during the day they remain crumpled up — in the
words of one garden commentator, "like a faded ballroom
beauty by daylight." Plant in any soil except where sun-
shine will strike the plant. Unfortunately, the Evening
Primrose grows weedy and shabby-looking after blooming
season. Place the plants about a foot apart. A form
known as grandiflora is better for garden use than the type
species biennis. The Sundrops are allied species of Oeno-
thera sometimes separated as Kneiffia, however. They
have a spreading, shrub-like habit.

Pot Marjoram

Origanum vulgare

By all means set apart a corner of your garden for old-
time herbs. Pot Marjoram is a sturdy perennial growing

SPRING 53

about two feet high. Sow the seeds in any good garden
soil in a warm spot, as the plants have a tendency to winter
kill. The herb is branching, so space must be allowed
for it to spread. Individual plants should stand ten
inches apart in rows about a foot apart. The tender
aromatic leaves should be picked just before blossoming.
They are the parts used for pot herbs. The blossoms
which appear in June are purplish pink in short terminal
spikes or clusters. There is a pretty little dwarf Marjoram
with a white blossom often used as a border plant.

Star-of-Bethlehem

Ornithogalum umbellatum

Another of the small early bulbs too inconspicuous and
ineffective to be planted singly or even by dozens, but
happily inexpensive enough to be used by the hundreds or,
on large estates, even thousands. The lovely little Star-of-
Bethlehem perhaps never looks so well as when naturalized
in grass. It spreads prodigiously. A gently sloping, half-
shaded bank covered with the thick mat of its white-ribbed
leaves and myriads of green-ribbed stars is one of the
pleasantest sights imaginable.

Star-of-Bethlehem escaped from cultivation now grows
wild in swamps and meadows from New England to Vir-
ginia. The bulbs may be planted in garden borders or
scattered carelessly in shaded spots. Plant in the autumn
three or four inches deep and two to three inches apart.
They multiply so rapidly as to become at times a nuisance,
crowding out other bulbous plants.

The stalk branches at the top and bears from twelve to
twenty separate flowers. The flowers are white striped

54 GARDEN FLOWERS

with green outside, composed of six spreading parts
Leaves are green striped with white, carrying out the coloi
scheme.

Chinese Peony

Paeonia albiflora

The culture of the Peony has advanced in recent years
by leaps and bounds. Visitors to the great flower shows
gaze in wonder at Peonies as large, as brilliantly col-
ored, as show Chrysanthemums. The modern Peony
comes from two species, the white albiflora and the red
officinalis. Botanists tell us that both were introduced
into England in 1548. The Tree or Moutan Peony,
a shrubby species, cultivated in China and Japan from
time immemorial, was not brought to England before
1789.

The Peony has to recommend it healthy hardy nature,
vigorous growth, handsome spring tints, beautiful flowers,
fragrance. Plant preferably in late summer in carefully
prepared soil, as they are heavy feeders. Dig down two
feet and work in quantities of manure, mixing thoroughly
Jvdth the soil. When Peonies are once established they
will flower for years without need of change. The colors
run from white through rose and magenta to crimson, and
the immense flowers are like glorified Roses, single or double
with handsome foliage.

There is yet another species (tenuifolia) , known as the
FenneJ or Fern-leaved Peony, with leaves finely cut and
feathery, dying down after the blooming season, which is
very early in spring. The flowers are single or double and
of a wonderful deep, glowing crimson.

SPRING 55

Tree Peony

Paeonia montan

This Peony comes from the Far East where it was culti-
vated for centuries before chance brought our largest-
flowered early shrub to Western gardens. Moutan is the
oriental name of the flower. Dealers offer a bewildering
choice of varieties with rose, magenta, pink, and white
colorings. The stems grow to be from three to six feet
high and the individual flowers twelve inches across and of
satiny texture. The wild species has a dark, dull bloom.
The improved sorts are grafted on wild roots which usu-
ally sucker and kill out the desired variety. The roots do
not need winter protection; but the flower buds that can-
not well be covered are sometimes nipped by late frosts.
The Tree Peony will be an agreeable surprise to those
familiar only with the usual herbaceous Peony.

Beard Tongue

Pentstemon barbaius

Light pink to carmine Beard Tongue is very effective in
mass effect but quite a trivial little plant otherwise. The
flowers, generally an inch long, are borne in a loose, slender,
foxglove-like inflorescence. Too intense sun is apt to kili
the plants but otherwise they have no marked peculiarities
and will grow in almost all soils. The individual flower
is tubular in shape, two-lipped, with the lower lip bearded.
Sow indoors in February for outdoor transplanting in May.
Plants should stand about fifteen inches apart. Some
Pentstemons are natives; one species is Asiatic and another
Mexican.

56 GARDEN FLOWERS

Good natives are : P. laevigatas, white tinged with purple,
and its variety digitalis, purer in color, both blooming in
June and July; P. grandiflorus, pale blue, blooming in June
and July; P. ovatus, purplish, blooming in May and June;
and P. pubescens, rosy purple, blooming in May and June,
one and a half feet high.

Flowering Peach

Persica vulgaris

No more beautiful sight ever greets the casual garden
visitor in May than a group of Double-flowered Peach
trees in full bloom. This small tree will grow as high as
thirty feet, but is most commonly to be met with in much
smaller specimens. There is a choice of double and single
flowered varieties in reds, pinks, and whites. The flower
ing Peach will bloom most luxuriantly in a rich soil and
should be kept carefully pruned. Of named varieties
Camilliaeflora will give complete satisfaction; Folius
purpureis is noted for fine foliage and quick growth.
Rosea plena has double rose -like flowers.

Persica vulgaris belongs to the group Prunus in which
are to be found Almonds, Peaches, Plums, Cherries, and
Apricots.

Mock Orange

Philadelphus coronarius

Mock Orange, like the Lilac, is most frequently grown
near the house for its fragrance, sometimes thought too
heavy and sickish. This is the most fragrant of summer-
flowering white shrubs but somewhat stiff in habit and
not so showy as quite a few others. The shrub grows from
ten to fifteen feet in height if not kept down by pruning.

SPRING 57

Mock Oranges are usually planted individually on lawns
though they look well with other shrubs in groups. There
are also lower-growing kinds to be tucked away in corners
where small shrubs are needed. Plant anywhere where
drainage is good. Plants may be started from cuttings,
suckers, layers, and seed. There is a golden-leaved variety
keeping its color the whole year through, which is very
popular.

Ground Pink or Moss Pink

Phlox subulata

With its prostrate stems and dense mass of flowers, this
dwarf Phlox makes a dandy little carpet for the rock gar-
den or for sloping banks where grass will not stay. The
early spring bloom is quite profuse, covering the ground
with moss-like evergreen foliage. There are many charm-
ing varieties, giving much choice of color from white to rose
and lilac, and all will mature in any light but not too moist
soil. The flowers are flat, nearly an inch across, typically
magenta, borne profusely in small clusters on leafy stems
two to six inches high. Excellent varieties are : alba, white;
atropurpurea, purple; and lilacina, light lilac; a garden fora^
Vivid, is pure pink.

Fetter Bush

Pieris floribunda

If an evergreen shrub which is hardy and early-flowering
is desired, plant Fetter Bush. It grows from two to six
feet in height and can always be distinguished by the brown
hairs which cover the branches and petioles. The flowers
are in dense upright clusters, but the individual flower is
drooping. The bloom is white in April and May and tb*

58 GARDEN FLOWERS

conspicuous flower buds make this plant all winter long
particularly decorative for bordering drives, etc. A moist
but not a clayey or alkaline soil is best. Fetter Bush may
be propagated by cuttings of the ripe wood taken in
August. Or better yet, buy young shrubs about two feet
high and set out in the early spring.

Stagger Bush

Pieris Mariana

Stagger Bush will fill the demand for a pale pink or
white flowered shrub blooming in April. The shrub runs
from two to four feet high and the flowers are in nodding
clusters, appearing on the leafless branches of last year's
wood. They are most successful in moderately moist, well
drained, porous soil in partial shade. Plant with Rhodo-
dendrons. Unfortunately some Pieris winterkill easily.
It is said that sheep and calves, after feasting on the fresh
glossy leaves, stagger about, overcome by their poisonous
effect, as they do after partaking of the leaves of the shrub's
near relative, the Lambkill.

Jacob's Ladder

Polemonium caeruleum

Jacob's Ladder is one of the old-fashioned flowers which
the poet Maeterlinck spoke of "as having lived wiui us for
hundreds of years and which form part of ourselves, since
they reflect something of their grace and their joy of life in
the soul of our ancestors." This delightful Polemonium
with its spikes of light blue-lavender, grows sometimes
three feet high, sometimes less. The flowers are in panicles.
Tjuite fragrant, bell-shape, five-lobed. Jacob's Ladder

SPRING 59

docs its best in deep, rich soil in partial shade. Start out-
doors in the fall or indoors in the early spring. If you are
arranging plants in a garden bed or border, keep them
twelve inches apart. Jacob's Ladder came to us from
England, where it is a common cottage garden plant.

P. Richardsoni is a low-growing Alpine plant with flowers
sky-blue. P. confertum is considered by many the best spe-
cies for gardens. P. himalaicum, with fern-like foliage,
blooms in May and June.

Greek Valerian

Polemonium reptans

The Polemonium commonly planted in gardens is
P. caeruleum (Jacob's Ladder) . Greek Valerian is said to be
more often found in gardens in the West than in the East.
The blossoms appear in May and June and are in clusters,
a delicate pale blue. The leaves are compound, consisting
of many small pointed leaflets regularly arranged along the
stem, largest and most abundant at the base of the plant;
very pretty and persistent . This plant grows about a foot
high and is customarily seen m borders where it has best
success on rich soil and partial shade. Polemoniums all
find plenty of moisture essential for growth. They are
commonly propagated from seeds planted in the fall.

Primrose

Primula vulgaris

In the wood where you and I

Upon faint Primrose beds were wont to lie.

The Primrose, a prime favorite of Shakespeare and Mil-
ton, is equally interesting as a wild or garden flower.

60 GARDEN FLOWERS

Auricula, Cowslip, Oxlip, Polyanthus, Primrose are all
members of the family of Primulas. The Primulas are
generally very hardy, withstanding cold as cheerfully as
an Oak, and play a sort of cat-and-mouse game with Mr.
Jack Frost, darting into growth if he relaxes his grip for a
few days and then discreetly retiring when he renews his
pressure, but they dislike hot dry soils.

The Polyanthus is the best kind for our American gar-
dens. This is a low growing perennial that makes our
gardens look gay in early May. It likes moisture and
cannot stand well the full glare of the sun. The leaves,
rather tough in texture and wrinkled in appearance, grow
much larger after the flowering season. The flowers are
red or yellow or white. Polyanthus should be protected
by a light covering of leaves in winter and divided every
three years. The plants separate easily; just cut the roots
apart and replant. This is done after the blooming period.

Double Flowering Almond

Prunus japonica

The Almonds are fairly hardy, early flowering, and pres-
ent no especial problems of soil or culture. Only the
double form is generally in cultivation. The flowers are
rose-colored and appear in May and June.

P. triloba is a low-growing, bushy shrub with pink or
rose double flowers, mostly solitary and mostly coming out
in advance of the leaves. The name triloba comes from
the slightly three-lobed leaf about two inches long at
maturity. The double flower is a dense rosette of small
petals borne on stems so short that the flowers have the
appearance of sitting down closelv on the branch.

SPRING 61

There is also P. glandulosa, the White Flowering Al-
mond, usually with double flowers, also known in double
pink low bushes.

Japanese Crab Apple

Pyrus (Malus) Halliana

Any Japanese Crab Apple is a spectacular flowering
tree as a specimen on a lawn, and the fruit will remain on
the branches through autumn, often into winter indeed.
These small, pretty, but unpalatable yellow or red apples
in miniature are produced lavishly in clusters up and down
the branches. In spring the profuse blossoms of pink or
white literally smother the tree. M. Halliana is colored
deep pink and var. Parkmanni has double flowers.

P. floribunda is a small tree with a profusion of pink and
white flowers. The May-day glory of the delicately
tinted, rose-colored blossoms of this flowering Crab are to
be seen and not described. The only garden trouble with
it is that it will require fully as much spraying as a fruit
tree. The leaf-stalks are reddish and rather thick. The
small red fruits drop off before winter.

BechtePs Crab, also called Iowa Crab (P. ioensis), is a
double-flowered, ornamental American wild apple growing
to the height of thirty feet.

Fair Maids of France

Ranunculus aconitifolius

Fair Maids of France or White Bachelors' Button be-
longs to the Buttercup or Crowfoot family. It is the
double form of the plant that is thus known.

62 GARDEN FLOWERS

Fair Maids of France grows from six inches to three feet
in height, blossoming the last of May and the first of June.
One variety, luteus plenus, has double flowers of yellow
gold. The plants like plenty of moisture and not too ex-
posed a position. Ranunculus produces tubers much like
those of the Dahlia, only smaller. Frost is fatal to them
so they must be dug up after flowering and be replanted
in the early spring. Plant two inches deep and six
inches apart.

Rhododendron

Rhododendron maximum; and hybrids

It is the glory of the massed flowers against the dark
evergreen leaves that has caused the Rhododendron to be
generally esteemed the handsomest and most beautiful of
our native flowering shrubs. The Rhododendron has been
adopted as the state flower of Washington and of West
Virginia. The Heath family, of which Rhododendrons are
conspicuous members, delights in cool, moisty, peaty soil.
Dig down about two feet and work the soil, mulching
heavily. Leave twelve inches space between the roots.
If the weather be dry, plenty of water is essential. In the
fall mulch with their own leaves or forest leaves. The
leaves are thick and leathery; the flowers, white or pink
in clusters, are two inches broad, bell-shaped, five-parted,
appearing in late May, June, and July. The Hybrids are
much more beautiful but less hardy, especially the red-
flowered ones.

Recommended varieties: Album elegans, light blush
changing to white; Prometheus, deep scarlet; purpureum
crispum, purple; roseum luteum, pink with yellow spots:
and album grandiflorum, delicate pink, but there are so

SPRING 63

many that there is much room for individual fancy in
selecting the flowers. All are showy, however.

Rosemary

Rosmarinus officinalis

There's Rosemary for remembrance
and there's Pansies, that's for thoughts.

Those who know the quotation perhaps better than they
do the plant may be surprised to learn that Rosemary is a
scrubby little bush growing no more than four feet high.
By all means have a bit of Rosemary in your garden, if
only for the sake of the pleasant name. Start the seeds in
very fine soil in early May and do not anticipate too many
plants. Rosemary is delicate. The leaves are linear,
gray-green in color. Their sweet fragrance has often been
noted. The flowers are small, blue, two-lipped, and in
racemes. Be sure to cover over the little plants in winter.

Silver Sage

Salvia argentea

Salvias fall into two classes, hardy and tender. Hardy
kinds, like argentea, are used most frequently in the
garden border. The tender class includes the annuals
commonly used for bedding plants, especially the Scarlet
Sage S. fulgens. As a border plant S. argentea is selected
for its neat, white, woolly foliage and its height of from two
to four feet. The flowers are white, touched with purple,
in long branched panicles. Start seeds indoors early,
plant outside in May, arranging plants ten to twelve inches
apart. If the soil is rich in nitrogen the plants leaf splen-
didlv but do not flower as well. Salvias do their best in

64 GARDEN FLOWERS

warm weather. S. farinacea has pale blue flowers, as has
S. azurea, but is useful for light flower arrangements.

Elder

Sambucus nigra, S. canadensis

The European Elder, S. nigra, a large shrub growing
twelve to twenty-five feet in height, is useful for mass
effects in pond borders and wild gardening. May and
Tune see the Elder covered with cream-white, feathery
blossoms. The leaves are graceful, the fruit black. There
are cultivated varieties having fine-cut leaves, and others
golden, or variegated.

The Golden Elder is often used by landscape artists h
lighten the effect of dense masses of green shrubbery.

The Common Elder, our native shrub, will be found

particularly successful in wet soils. It does not grow as

tall as the other. The flowers are in broad, flat clusters in

June and July, and it is the handsomer of the two, both

having blackberries in their season. An Elder having

attractive dark red berries that mature from August is S.

racemosa.

Early Saxifrage

Saxifraga virginiensis

The number of beautiful species, the charm of foliage and
flowers, the great diversity in structure and habit, cer-
tainly entitle the Saxifrages to the first place among the
rock plants. This native early-flowering species is to be
found growing from a few inches to a foot high on moist
hill slopes and in rocky crevices. When domesticated, it
will do well in any good loose soil but not in strong sunlight.
You had best imitate nature by covering the little plants

SPRING 65

lightly with leaves for the winter. The flowers are small,
white, pretty clusters on the tops of six-inch-long stems.

The thick-leaved Saxifrage (S. crassifolia) , from Siberia,
is an early bloomer with massive coarse evergreen foliage
and rose-colored flowers in dense branching heads.

S. Huetiana has yellow flowers and makes an attractive
low border plant. There are excellent later-flowering
Saxifrages which will be found in the summer section.

Common English Bluebell

Scilla festalis

Another of Spring's early arrivals along with the Snow-
drops, Crocuses, and Grape Hyacinths is the Bluebell.
The lily-like leaves grow to be about eighteen inches high.
The stalk bears from six to fifteen blue, purple, pink, or
white hyacinth-like flowers.

These bulbs like a cool, moist spot. Plant in the fall
two inches deep and three inches apart. Top dressing on
the Scilla bed will keep it in good shape, and the bulbs may
stay undisturbed for years.

Dark Green Stonecrop

Sedum sexangulare

This early Sedum, also known as Love-Entangle, is a
little inconspicuous yellow flower that clings to shallow
ledges and flourishes in its small way on almost no soil at
all. The rosettes of thick fleshy foliage cause the plant
to be preferred for carpeting purposes. The bloom comes
in late June or July, and the plant revels in sunlight. The
Sedums are a very big family; it seems incredible, but

66 GARDEN FLOWERS

there are over a hundred species catalogued by botanists.
S. Aizoon, with yellow flowers, is remarkable for a Sedum
growing eighteen inches high. S. acre has been called the
"Poor Man's Plant" as it is often seen in corners of city
back yards. It grows about three inches high and its
little inconspicuous yellow flowers are to be seen in May,
June, and July. The leaves are small and crowded on the
erect stem. S. Sieboldi is a bold member of the family with
large heads of pink flowers in late summer.

Wild Pink

Silene pennsylvanica

Considering its meager possibilities, ranging no more
than four to ten inches in height, the Wild Pink opens up
a bit of lively color in the rock crevices where it flourishes
The beautiful pink flowers are an inch broad and severa.
are gathered in a flat-topped terminal cluster forming s
bright glowing mass which can be seen from a considerable
distance. The calyx tube is long and five-toothed, the
petals five. The Wild Pink resembles its cousin the Catch-
flv.

There is no reason why this charming Silene should not
be domesticated in all our gardens. It will flourish in a
poor soil or in the rock garden in a half -shaded spot. Al\
Silenes are easy of culture from seeds in autumn, or the
plant may be divided when old.

False Solomon's Seal

Smilacina racemosa

The False and True Solomon's Seal often grow suflS
ciently near each other in the wild to make comparison

SPRING 6?

possible. The False has a feathery plume of blossoms
crowning a zigzaggy stem, while the True has nodding,
bell-shaped flowers usually in pairs along the stem. Both
are well known and beloved wild flowers which will many
times repay the effort and care of establishment in do-
mestic surroundings, selecting a moist, half-shaded spot
in the garden. The thick root stock may be divided for
new plants.

The False Solomon's Seal flowers from May to July; the
flowers are white, or greenish white, with some fragrance
Later come clusters of speckled purplish berries.

The True Solomon's Seal (Polygonatum biflorum) has
white flowers in arching sprays coming with the leaves.
There is also a smooth Solomon's Seal, a very capricious
plant, growing sometimes only a foot high and then again
many times higher.

Bridal Wreath

Spiraea Thunbergi, S. prunifolia

Before Spring has gone very far along her flowery path,
the members of the great Spiraea family begin to deck them-
selves in festal array. First comes Thunbergi, the baby of
the family, and then quickly arguta, prunifolia and others.
These are among the hardiest early-flowering shrubs and
some of the most commonly planted because they will even
endure some shade. Any good garden soil is satisfactory,
and the usual method of propagation is by cuttings.

Bridal Wreath with its pure white flowers in branched
umbels was a prime favorite in the quiet tangle of grand-
mother's garden. S. Thunbergi is the first of the Spiraeas
to bloom in April. The leaves are small and bright green;
when they turn scarlet ir the fall the effect is very striking.

68 GARDEN FLOWERS

Though quite hardy, occasionally, in a very cold winter,
the extreme tips will become killed. When in full bloom
the branches of swaying white look like flowered wreaths.

Van Houtte's Spiraea (S. Van Houttei) is the showiest ot
all the shrubby Spiraeas and should be planted in a con-
spicuous place with ample room. The growth is about six
feet and the flowers are in white umbels two inches across.
The foliage is handsome all summer. Plant in early fall or
spring, digging deep and working a little well-rotted man-
ure into the soil.

S. prunifolia is early May blooming. The double form
is the variety most commonly grown. The shrub grows
about six feet high and the flowers are pure white in umbels
close to the branches. S. Reevesiana blooms in May and
has flat clusters of flowers. The leaves remain green till
winter time. Most Spiraeas love moisture and well-
drained soils.

Bladder Nut

Staphylea trifolia

This is an attractive, straight-growing shrub with stout
branches, quite pretty with its three-foliate leaves and
greenish white flowers in nodding panicles. Our American
Bladder Nut grows from six to fifteen feet high and the
bloom is in May and June. This shrub is not difficult of
culture but will produce most vigorous growth in a moist
soil and a half -shaded position. Unfortunately, Bladder
Nut is not a good specimen plant and the base had best
be concealed amidst other shrubbery. There is another
species, S. colchica, taller growing; leaves five to seven
foliate, pale yellow-green; flowers white, greenish at the
base.

SPRING 69

Lilacs

Spring a vulgaris

It seems impossible that any bush can be more beautiful
than the old-fashioned, fleecy-plumed, white Lilac. Lilacs
are known wherever flowers are. Whether right or wrong,
the story goes that the first Lilacs seen in New England
were imported by a gay young scapegrace, Sir Harry
Frankland, for Agnes Surriage's garden. The modern
varieties, however, date from the time of the Franco-
Prussian War and offer a choice in flowers of lilac, blue,
purple, and white, with sweet, heavy odor.

Lilacs grow to the height of twenty feet and should
be pruned for form only. The shrub will grow anywhere,
but best results are generally obtained in a rich, slightly
moist soil. Although there are many modern named varie-
ties, the old S. vulgaris is recommended because of its early
bloom and ease of culture. The leaves are a bright green,
two to four inches long. Transplanting is generally done
in autumn. The easiest means of propagation is by divi-
sion.

Feathered Meadow-Rue

Thalictrum aguilegifolium

More of the Meadow-rues ought to be domesticated in
our gardens. The Feathered Columbine, as this is also
sometimes called, grows from one to three feet high with
leaves decompounded, somewhat resembling the Maiden-
hair Fern. The flowers are in white panicles. Meadow-
rue is often naturalized in front of shrubbery. Any good
soil will suit. They grow vigorously in strong loam and

70 GARDEN FLOWERS

clay, but will make surprisingly good growth and flower
profusely in comparatively poor soil overlying limestone.
Plants may be started from seeds, but later division of old
plants is the easier way. The flowers are excellent for
cutting to lighten up a bunch of hardy flowers. Another
fine addition to the garden is T. dipterocarpum, growing
sometimes five feet high with rose-like flowers.

Common Spiderwort

Tradescantia virginiana

The three-cornered blossoms of the Spiderwort grew
alongside Honesty and Jacob's Ladder in more than one
old-fashioned garden. A perennial, averaging about two
feet in height, this Iris-like little flowered plant is esteemed
greatly as a carpeting plant. The rich green foliage does
not fade till late, and the Spiderwort makes no protest over
poor, wet soils or over shady slopes. The flowers are blue
or purple and appear in May. There is also a white-
flowered variety, alba. The Spiderwort will form large
clumps after a few years. Propagation is by division of
the clumps.

Mountain Globe Flower

Trollius europaeus

The Globe Flower looks like a big, half -open Buttercup.
Large, globular, lemon-yellow flowers, one or two inches
across, borne singly or in twos, bring a dash of unusual
color to the garden in May and June. Trollius likes moist,
heavy loam and a half shady position. Fine foliage,
beautiful form and color gain for this flower a prominent
place in the garden border. Trollius frequently surprises

SPRING 71

the visitor with a second crop of blossoms in the fall.
Plants started from seed bloom the second season. Seed-
lings should stand six inches apart. T. asiaticus has a
deep orange blossom.

Cottage and Parrot Tulips

Tulipa Gesneriana, and others

The Tulip comes from the Near East. "The rich and
glowing colors [of the Tulip], the large size and massive
substance of the great floral urns, the dusky sheen of some
varieties, the metallic sparkle of others, have a truly Orien-
tal magnificence.' ' (Wright). Tulips were grown in Hol-
land as early as 1590, and the period of the Great Mania,
amusingly satirized by Alexandre Dumas in "La Tulipe
Noire," was roughly 1634 to 1637. The exact origin of the
popular varieties is quite unknown.

The Tulip is so well known as to make detailed descrip-
tion needless. Any one who possesses only a few feet of
exposed ground should have a bed of Tulips. Require-
ments of soil are very simple, and none need hesitate on the
ground of expense. Tulips are prim formal flowers and
best adapted to rigid beds. Care should be taken to keep
/arly-flowering kinds together and late-flowering kinds to-
gether. Among true Tulip lovers the double forms labori-
ously obtained by the hybridizer obtain little favor. Only
single Tulips can ever be fittingly naturalized — Tulips
whose clear color, painted petals, and dark spot at their
base indicate nearness to the beautiful wild type. Un-
fortunately, one sees more frequently, especially in public
parks, amazing Tulip beds of sharply contrasted colors
laid out in patterns as decorative as patches of oil cloth-

72 GARDEN FLOWERS

Tulips may be divided into two groups : those that flower
in April, and those that flower in May and June. In pur-
chasing, one may select by colors or by named varieties,
the latter way is generally more satisfactory. The Due
van Thol kinds are dwarf and early-flowering varieties of
T. suaveolens, and the different colors come to bloom simul-
taneously. The May-flowering Tulips are the gesneriana
type. There are both single and double forms. If you
like freaks and novelties try Parrot Tulips.

Tulips may be dug up as soon as the leaves turn yellow
and the bulbs dried and stored away for next year's plant-
ing, but you must buy new bulbs annually to obtain the
largest flowers.

Darwin Tulips

Darwin Tulips are a tall, aristocratic race of late "Breed-
er" Tulips, mostly self-colored, with no trace of yellow, and
are great favorites both in this country and in England.
They are all May-flowering varieties. Plant five inches
deep and the same distance apart. Prepare the bulb bed
as for other Tulips, place a little sand at the base of each
bulb for drainage, and at frost time cover the bed. After
a few years, they should be taken up, separated, and re-
newed. The many varieties cover a good range of self- or
solid-colored, daintily formed flowers in the following
shades: slate, heliotrope, mahogany, claret, cherry.

Verbena

Verbena hybrida

Sweet-scented Verbenas are old-fashioned stand-bys
long in disfavor, but now slowly coming back to deserved

NASTURTIUM Tropaeolvm mnjus

PANSY— Viola tricolor

HOLLYHOCK Althea rosea

*r<

f

ASTER Callistephus horiensis

SPRING 73

popularity. They are exclusive plants, producing fine bold
effects when planted in masses but not appearing at their
best when closely associated with other flowers. In full
bloom the gay-colored heads remind one a little of Phlox.
The plant is quite low-growing (six inches), and the bloom
is from May on through midsummer. Seeds may be
planted in the open in a sunny spot; or, better, may be
started indoors in March and thinned out. The best
method of propagation is to cut back a few of the finest
plants in September. These will quickly throw off young
growth from which cuttings may be made.

Cornel and Snowball

Species of Viburnum

The Viburnums are among our best ornamental shrubs
for garden planting. They are mostly medium sized,
growing about fifteen feet high; they like sun and moisture
and are not fussy about soil. There are about one hundred
species in America, Europe, and Asia.

V. dentatum is commonly known as Arrow- wood and can
be used as a hedge plant. The leaves are heart-shaped,
opposite, and dentated, turning a rich purple in the autumn.
The flowers are in great cymes, greenish white, and the
berries blue-black.

Dockmackie or Maple-leaved Viburnum (V. acerifolium)
grows only about five feet high with slender, straight
branches. The flowers are yellow-white in big, flat clus-
ters, and in the autumn the fruit is an almost black, round
berry. This Viburnum will thrive in dryish soil under
trees.

V '. Carlesi belongs to the family of Japanese Snowballs,

74 GARDEN FLOWERS

with pure white flowers possessing a fragrance like a
Gardenia. They should be used with other shrubbery as
a foreground or else massed or planted as a specimen shrub.

The Sheepberry or the Nannyberry (V. lentago) is the
tallest of the Viburnums, growing nearly thirty feet high.
The fragrant yellowish white flowers light up the tree from
May to June, and the bluish black berries are loved by the
birds.

The Cranberry Bush (V. opulus) is a fine native species
with smooth, light gray bark. The light scarlet fruit
which appears in July will remain all winter untouched
oy the birds. The sterile variety is the Snowball, a
familiar feature of most old-fashioned gardens.

Periwinkle

Vinca major, V. minor

Any garden troubles you have with the little common
Periwinkle, Blue Myrtle, or Flower of Mystery will be all
at the start. This little visitor creeps cheerfully along,
throwing off glossy leaves, rooting here and there in the
thinnest of soils. Once firmly established the common
Periwinkle (Vinca minor) is almost unconquerable, will
catch a sure foothold in the shadiest spots and spread in
astonishing fashion. The May and June flowers are deep
blue, pink, white. The leaves are oval, an inch long and
a deep lustrous green. Periwinkle will hold steep terraces
and is often found running wild along the edges of gardens
in old settlements.

The Larger Periwinkle — larger in leaf and bloom — is not
so vigorous and persistent a flower. This (V. major) grows
about a foot high and offers continuous bloom throughout

SPRING 75

the summer. Start in heat in February, preferably in a
slightly sandy soil. They had best be thinned and trans-
planted several times before reaching outdoors in May.
Remember that the plants need a plentiful supply of water.
The Larger Periwinkle is a great favorite for window boxes
and hanging baskets. Cuttings taken in the fall will be
fair-sized plants by springtime. It is not hardy.

Violets

Viola odorata, cornuta, etc.

They are as gentle
As zephyrs blowing below the Violet,
Not wagging his sweet head.

— Cymbeline.

If music be the food of love, play on;
Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting,
The appetite may sicken, and so die.
That strain again! it had a dying fall:
O ! it came o'er my ear like the sweet sound
That breathes upon a bank of Violets,
Stealing and giving odour.

—Twelfth Night.

In the Sonnets, in "Venus and Adonis," and many times
through comedy and tragedy, Shakespeare sings the
praises of his favorite posy. No flower figures more prom-
inently in European literature. General description is
unnecessary. Everybody knows the Violet.

V. odorata, the Russian or Sweet Violet, a native of
Europe and Asia, is the parent of our florist's Violet of to-
day. V. cornuta, one of the best known species, flowers
like a small Pansy and blooms from April till frost. V.

76 GARDEN FLOWERS

cucullata has perhaps the largest flowers, violet blue of
purple in shade.

If you wish to be sure of success with Violets in your
home garden, select shady spots enriched with rich woodsy
leaf mold, imitating wild conditions. The Violet deter-
mines for you the method of propagation. Some send out
runners which you must peg to the ground with a bit of
soil about them. Others with thick rootstocks are to be
subdivided. It is possible to raise from seed but this is
infrequently done. Certainly no spring garden, however
small, can call itself complete without a few Violets.

Wisteria

Wisteria chinensis and W. floribunda

More commonly trained round piazza pillars, arches,
fences, and walls, this brightest, healthiest of the many
floral treasures brought to America from the Far East
seems to be as well content merely to trail at will among
trees wherever planted. "To complete a picture of mel-
low age there is nothing comparable to a fine old vine."
(Blanchan.) The best results are obtained when the vine
is left severely alone, but if pruning be done at all, prune
for Spurs just as in an Apple tree.

The Chinese Wisteria is one of our best early-flowering,
permanent vines. The unscented flowers are pea-like, in
foot-long racemes of blue- violet. The foliage is smooth at
maturity, graceful, and not too dense, the branches gro-
tesque and in old trees many times twisted. A sight of
sights is the Wisteria in full bloom.

The Japanese Wisteria, W. floribunda, is the one more
commonly seen and is scented. The flowers come earlier,

SPRING 77

too, and the leaves fall sooner, the blossoms hanging in
wonderful festoons. The white variety is called multijuga.
Rich soil and plenty of sun are considered to produce the
best results. Wisteria is a heavy feeder. It is thought
a good plan to provide a full three feet of good garden soil
mixed with well-rotted manure beneath the roots.

Yucca

Yucca filamentosa, and others

In the Southland the children play mimic warfare with
the spears of the Yucca. Adam's Needle, Spanish Bayo-
net, Bear Grass, Silk Grass, and Threading Yucca are all
picturesque names for this ornamental plant of the desert.
In June the stiff, erect stems bear cream-white, bell-like
flowers on long loose spikes towering above the rosette of
leaves. Being a desert plant the Yucca is not afraid of
barren places, and indeed prefers a sandy soil. Yucca is a
member of the Lily family, grows wild in the South, and
can easily be propagated by offsets.

SUMMER

SUMMER

Millfoil

Achillea Millefolium

This Yarrow is a favorite for open meadows and all
sunny places. The white summer blossoms have a very
pungent odor. They appear in flat heads of very small,
composite flowers on erect stalks rising from a tuft of very
finely cut, feathery leaves. This makes a very showy
plant for wide open spaces. Millfoil will grow practically
anywhere in sunshine. There are pink-flowered and red-
flowered varieties also cultivated, and a dwarf species with
gray foliage (A. tomentosa), a fine carpet plant. Propagated
without difficulty in the spring by division of the creeping
rootstock. A few sprigs of this plant sometimes seen as a
roadside weed come as rather a pleasant surprise if chanced
upon in the home garden.

Aconite

Aconitum Napellus

True Monkshood, or Aconite, is a fine, tall plant with
clean blue-and-white flowers, an ancient plant on which
old-time gardeners exhausted their vocabulary of praise,
always ending up with the injunction that the root must
on no account be eaten. Monkshood is dangerous in all

81

82 GARDEN FLOWERS

its parts for children and pets and on this account is less
seen in gardens than formerly. The flower is hood or
helmet shaped (hence the name), and the bloom runs
through midsummer.

All the Aconites are impatient of a dry soil, so their
corner of the garden had best be rich and retentive of
moisture. Planted in full sunlight, they will thrive better
than in part shade but the blossoms will not last as long.
Their maximum of six feet in height makes them good
plants for the back of a border. Monkshood is sometimes
rather slow in becoming established, but when it once gets
a footing will flourish for years. Old plants had best
be divided. In northern latitudes the plant grows taller
than in the South.

Alleghany Vine

Adlumia fungosa

The Alleghany Vine, or Climbing Fumitory, or Moun-
tain Fringe, has finely divided flowers and finely cut foliage.
Flowers, delicately pink; foliage, as finely cut as Maiden-
hair Fern. For the shady side of a house this vine is "the
one choice." The Alleghany Vine is a native and is to be
searched for in moist woods, where it will be found climb-
ing over brush and bushes. The vine does not flower the
first season and remains low and bushy; it then climbs
vigorously to a height of ten or fifteen feet, advancing by
the young leaf stalks. Seeds should be sown in the spring
in a damp, cool place. Plenty of moisture is very desir-
able. This, the daintiest of our vines, is not so commonly
planted, perhaps, because it does not make as dense a
covering as others. Often listed as A. cirrhosa.

SUMMER 83

Agapanthus

Agapanthus umbellatus

The African Lily, or the Lily of the Nile, has characteris-
tically Lily-like flowers of a fine, very rare deep blue in
umbels on a long stalk. Agapanthus is best as a tub plant,
and in old-fashioned gardens used often to be seen in green
tubs on lawns or by piazzas In the early autumn it should
be taken into the cellar, where it will remain semi-dormant
all winter. Roots may be divided in early spring and new
plants started in pots or small tubs. Make divisions with
a sharp knife, and if the roots are mature, they had best be
oaked in water before dividing. The young plants grow
vigorously and are apt to break pots. This bulb has no
special soil requirements but must have plenty of water
while in bloom. The foliage is evergreen.

Ageratum

Ageratum conyzoides

Ageratum is one of "the annuals that everybody cap
grow" and is very satisfactory for edges and borders.
The dwarf varieties grow no more than six or eight inches
high and the taller varieties, used largely for cutting,
around two feet. The Ageratum commonly seen is blue,
but there are also white and rose-colored variations. The
blue is purplish or lavender and the general effect is of a
fuzz over the flower head. It will be necessary to plant
the seeds indoors in February unless you are content to
put up with only very late bloom. Ageratum does well in
full sunlight in almost any garden soil. Set out the plants
ten or twelve inches apart, using the dwarf varieties for

84 GARDEN FLOWERS

edgings and the tall varieties in a clump for cutting. Little

Blue Star, the smallest of the Group, grows only four inches

high, and tall Lavender Blue, at the other extreme, about

two feet.

Sweet Alyssum

Alyssum maritimum

Sweet Alyssum is the easiest white flower to grow for
edges and borders and a great favorite with amateur gar-
deners. A. maritimum will grow in all sorts of soils, even
in cold regions and in heavy clay. You may have these
pretty little white blossoms from July till frost by cutting
back or by successive sowings. This quick-growing an
nual is often in bloom six weeks after planting. The
flowers are small, fragrant, white, in solid clusters pro-
fusely borne on low spreading stems less than a foot
high. The leaves are small, silvery green, forming a com-
pact spreading mat. Sweet Alyssum is often potted for
winter bloom. Cut the plants back to no more than three
inches and presently you will have another fine head of
bloom. There is a variety with lavender flowers, and a
little dwarf, Carpet of Snow, only four inches high.

Bastard Indigo

Amorpha fruticosa

The purple June flowers on finger-like spikes are quite
effective, and altogether Bastard Indigo is a happy selec-
tion for a small shrubbery. This native shrub with fine
feathery foliage and spreading habit has been known to
reach a height of twenty feet but grows commonly no more
than half that. The fruit is a pod, one- or two-seeded.
Bastard Indigo is one of the none too extensive number ot

SUMMER 8$

flowers that do well in dry sunny spots. Hardwood cut-
rings are the most usual method of propagation, though it
is sometimes started from seed. A. canescens, the Lead
Plant, excellent for the rockery, grows from one to three
feet high and bears panicles of blue flowers in June.

Virginia Creeper

Ampelopsis quinquefolia

Virginia Creeper is a graceful, headlong vine draping
loosely and hanging in great festoons, always impatient of
restraint. It is not a self -climber. Of lighter, more grace-
ful habit than the Boston or Japanese Ivy, the Virginia
Creeper delights to scramble over rocks, banks, bushes,
and up trees living or dead. The leaves are large, five-
partite, the flowers greenish and inconspicuous. The vine
is perfectly hardy, thriving in any soil. The smallish dark
blue fruit comes in clusters. The autumn colorings of the
leaves, scarlets and deep crimsons, are marvelous.

This Ampelopsis may best be established from young
plants a year or two old, which should be carefully pro-
tected over winter till the vine attains fair growth. A.
Engelmanni clings better, having suckers and has even
more vivid autumnal color; but is otherwise very much like
the Virginia Creeper.

Golden Marguerite

Anthemis tinctoria

These large daisy-like flowers are fine for cutting and if
planted in sufficiently large masses will make an attractive
showing in a border. The thin stems and delicate leaves
are apt to appear straggly if not framed by plants of more

S6 GARDEN FLOWERS

vigorous foliage. Golden Marguerite grows two feet tall
and starts blooming in May and June, continuing till
October. Ray and disk flowers are both yellow. This
Marguerite is a hardy perennial of easy culture, not fussy
as to soil, but doing best in full exposure to the sun. The
rarer A. Kelwayi has finer cut foliage and flowers of a
deeper yellow. There is also A. montana, with white
flowers, from June to October, which can be depended
upon for good behavior and almost constant bloom.

Snapdragon

Antirrhinum majus

The Snapdragon is an invaluable annual (in mild cli-
mates and often in sheltered spots and joints of walls a
perennial), particularly attractive for its wide range oi
color. Besides the clear whites and yellows there are
flame color, apricot, chamois-rose, coral pink and a host
of delicate shades to tempt the purchaser. The flowers
are an inch long, borne on spikes blooming from the bot-
tom over a period of several weeks. There are tall and
dwarf strains offered, the range of height being one to three
feet. Sow outdoors in May or, for early bloom, in frames
in February. In northern latitudes the plants had best be
covered over winter. When cut back after blooming a sec-
ond crop of flowers develops, but the first crop of bloom is
always the best. Soil should be well cultivated and kept

well watered.

Prickly Poppy

Argemone grandiflora

This Mexican Poppy has striking white crepe flowers
with conspicuous golden stamens. The general effect of

SUMMER 87

the plant is coarse, but it could well be more frequently
employed where masses of color or bold and striking effects
are desired. It ranges from eighteen inches to three feet
in height and is curiously destitute of the prickles of other
species. This Poppy is too free a seeder to be admitted to
choice situations, but is splendid for waste places where it
may be allowed to perpetuate itself freely. Soil should be
light and exposure sunny. When the flowers fully open
they show a yellow center.

Dutchman's Pipe

Aristolochia macrophylla

Dutchman's Pipe is an unusually large-leaved vine and
a fine climber, best selected for spots where dense shade is
desired, such as screens and arbors. The almost round
leaves measure ten or twelve inches across and often over-
lap. The Pipe Vine is rather slow in getting well rooted
but after that one is not likely to complain that it is not a
sufficiently vigorous climber and spreader. The May and
June flowers are rather surprising, goose-neck-shaped,
yellowish-purple, not very conspicuous. The large Aristo-
lochia family of which the Pipe Vine is a member is mostly
tropical and has generally an unenvied reputation ioi
flowers of evil odor.

Giant Reed

Arundo donax

The Giant Reed and its variations are the tallest and
most stately of the ornamental Grasses. Arundo has been
known to grow as high as twenty feet, but will hardly

88 GARDEN FLOWERS

average over fifteen. The leaves are broad and light green,
the general effect something like a cornstalk. The long
plumes are reddish and lasting. Practically all this Grass
requires in the way of culture is sunlight. Several forms
are grown : variegata is a dwarf growing rarely over seven
feet high; macrophylla has very effective bluish foliage,
but is none too hardy. The Giant Reed may be propa-
gated by ripe canes laid on wet moss in winter. If you
wish a semi-tropical corner in your garden, try a clump of
Giant Reed.

Astilbe

Astilbe Davidi, A. japonica

Both species are more or less frequently confused with
the Spiraeas. The Chinese Astible, A, Davidi or
False Goat's Beard, is a hardy perennial with small, rosy-
violet blossoms in long, showy, feathery clusters, borne on
branching leafy stems four to seven feet high. The general
effect at the back of a border is of great white pointed
plumes. Plant the roots in any good garden soil. A new
type, A. Arendsi, with flower heads of many colors but
mostly in shades of pinks, is a hybrid group.

The Japanese Astilbe grows two feet high and the mid-
summer flowers are pure white and feathery. This Astilbe
is often used for indoor forcing for Easter but neither in
growth nor in expanse of bloom outdoors ever seems to
measure up to the corresponding outdoor varieties. For
indoor forcing pot so that a little of the root protrudes
above the soil. Leave in a cool light place till growth
starts, then expose to heat and light. The plants need
plenty of water at all times.

MY** v5MrBm^*v

TIT LIP — Tutipa

VERBENA — Verbena hybrida

SNOWBALL Virburnum opi

.. _ '. .. . ; .,-..,.-, . -. .{ .«.^S.

WISTERIA — Wisteria ftortbunda

SUMMER 89

Plume Poppy

Bocconia cordata

The Plume Poppy or Tree Celandine, will make a rich
subtropical effect along the edge of a border or of shrub-
bery, and generally is best planted where height and size
rather than close inspection are desired. The plant grows
so rapidly and gives off suckers so fast that it is likely to be-
come embarrassing for the small garden. This Poppy
ally seems strangely named, for it does not look like a
Poppy at all, grows five to eight feet tall and has small
pinkish-white flowers borne in plumy, terminal masses
high above the foliage. The leaves are large, dull green
with white reverse, heart shaped. The plumes of the seeds
which follow the flowers are feathery and decorative. Boc-
conia is a gross feeder and spreads so fast in a rich moist
soil as sometimes to become a weed. Suckers, of which
there are always a plentiful supply, may be detached and
will make a vigorous young plant in a single season.

Swan River Daisy

Brachycome iberidifolia

The Swan River Daisy from Australia is a free-flowering,
refined little plant that will make a very pretty edging for
a summer border. The flowers are clear lavender or blue
with black and white central disk. The leaves are small
and divided. This Daisy grows six inches or a foot high
and is in appearance something like an Aster, but flowers
earlier. Sow in May in any good garden soil in a sunny ex-
posure for August bloom, or start in heat if you wish for
bloom earlier. In either case they should remain in flower

90 GARDEN FLOWERS

till frost. Allow twelve inches space between plants. The
Swan River Daisy, praised by all who have tried it, is being
each year planted more and more in our American gardens.

Amethyst

Browallia demissa

Browallia, of South American origin and named by
Linnaeus for a friend with whom he later quarreled, is a
low-growing, half-hardy annual with clustered blue, violet,
and white flowers. The leaves are single and alternate.
The flower flourishes in poorer soil than most others of a
tender nature and had best be planted outdoors by the
middle of May from seed started indoors and should bloom
till frost. If the plants are potted in the fall, they are
likely to surprise you with bloom all winter. Browallia*
still somewhat of a novelty, is to be seen chiefly in borders
or as a bedding plant.

Summer Lilac

Buddleia Davidi

The newcomer, also called Butterfly-bush, grows to be
a fair-sized bush with wand-like, drooping branches bear-
ing flowers not unlike the Lilac in form and of a charming
rosy-lilac color, but of various shades. The bush grows
from three to eight feet tall with large, coarsely notched
leaves, whitish beneath and almost without stems. Pro-
vide light, well-drained soil and a position in the sun. This
Buddleia is not quite hardy in the North but will flower on
new growth from the root. Propagate by greenwood cut-
tings in spring or hardwood cuttings in the autumn, kept
away from frost. It also self sows in favorable locations?

SUMMER 91

There are several varieties listed in catalogues such as
Wilsoni, variabilis, etc., which differ in coloring only.

Carpathian Bellflower

Campanula carpatica

Most of the Bellflowers are blue and if it is true that blue
is Nature's most difficult color, the Bellflowers must have
appeared late in floral history. Carpathian is the easiest
to grow and the most permanent low-growing member of
the large family. This one blooms in June and July and
scatteringly later on. The flowers are large, erect, purple-
blue, or white cup-shaped, on delicate stems six to twelve
inches high. The leaves make very neat, dainty clumps
of foliage four to six inches high and show up well along a
border. Bellflowers are hardy perennials or biennials,
and should flourish in any rich, well-drained, sunny, garden
soil. They are most commonly grown from seed started
indoors in March. Transplant to the open about May
15th, allowing nine inches of space between plants.

The oft planted dwarf variety turbinata is more com-
pact than type, has larger leaves and less erect habit.
The white variety is also much admired.

The Peach-leaved Bellflower (C. persicifolia) with blue
or white blossoms is one of the most beautiful of these old-
time perennials and next to the biennial Canterbury Bells
in size of flower.

Canterbury Bell

Campanula Medium

"Canterbury Bell" has an old English sound and it is
not surprising to hear that the "Canterburie bels" was

92 GARDEN FLOWERS

included in the garden of the Maison Rustique, published
by Stevens and Loebault in 1600. The Canterbury Bells
are tubular, bell-shaped flowers, blue, purple, pink, or
white, in a loose-spreading spike blooming from early
June to mid-July. They belong to the much planted
Bellflower family and are commonly hardy biennials
flowering the second year from seed sown in the open; or
the plant may be treated as a tender annual, with seed
sown indoors and young plants set out early in May. As an
annual, flowers may be obtained the first season, but they
are larger and finer the second year. Campanulas are all
early growers, and splendid results should be obtained on
any good well-drained loam soil. They like the sun and
make a fine showing at the back of a garden border.
There is a very attractive double form, calycanthema,
popularly called Cup and Saucer, or Hose-in-hose, in
which the sepals have grown together, forming a saucer
similar in color and texture to the corolla.

Creeping Bellflower

Campanula rapunculoides

The Creeping Bellflower has become so much at home
in parts of the East that it may often be found in riotous
control of roadsides and tumbledown fences, particularly
about old abandoned farmhouses. Yet it is a typical Bell-
flower with the drooping, bell-shaped blossoms. This
Campanula is a sturdy, reliable midsummer bloomer, but
had best be restrained a little in its spreading habit. The
flowers are a fine violet-blue and bloom from July to
September. The plant grows from two to four feet high
and will give a nice background effect where a blue is

SUMMER 93

wanted. Transplant indoor seedlings outdoors in May
and be careful to allow plenty of space — as much as a foot
and a half is recommended — between plants.

Hemp

Cannabis sativa

Hemp is a rough-looking plant with greenish flowers and
is occasionally used as a screen or where bold foliage effects
are desired. The height will be a good ten feet, high
enough for screening purposes, and the bloom is in August.
This is an Asiatic plant and of the several varieties gigantea
is the most satisfactory for garden use. It is best to sow
Hemp where wanted, but it might be started in heat and
transplanted if desired. A rich, moderately moist soil is
best. The common Hemp is a coarser-growing plant that
one would not ordinarily care to cultivate in gardens. An
odd corner might be filled in very nicely with garden Hemp,
but one is hardly likely to overplant it.

Wild Senna

<J<

Cassia marylandica

Wild Senna is a perennial native herb with a pretty little
midsummer yellow flower that is very attractive in clumps
in its preferred habitat, moist open situations and swamps.
The flowers are bright yellow, with chocolate-colored
anthers in clusters near the top of a handsome shrub-like
plant three to five feet high. Foliage is light green, com-
pound and finely cut, and dies away after blooming season.
Wild Senna loves the sun and looks handsome amongst
shrubbery, or may be naturalized in waste spots. It
propagates easily from seed; eventually allow eighteen

94 GARDEN FLOWERS

inches of space between plants. This Wild Senna will do
well in all soils but should be planted where other plants
or shrubbery will hide its bareness after the flowering
season.

Basket Flower

Centaurea americana

The Basket Flower is a charming little annual that
ought to be seen in our gardens more frequently than it is.
The Centaurea family presents no difficult problems of
culture, preferring sun and good soil but doing at times
astonishingly well on thin, meager sustenance and in half
shade. This species grows from two to five feet high with
tall stems, single or only slightly branched. The flowers
have purple or rose-colored heads; disk flowers are one to
three inches long and ray flowers no more than an inch.
Seeds for the Basket Flower need be placed no more than
half an inch deep in the garden in early May. Thin the
little plants to stand twelve inches apart.

Cornflower

Centaurea Cyanus

The Cornflower is a friendly little plant that once suit-
ably installed in your garden will self -sow and appear year
after year to greet you with fresh blossoms. The lovely
blues are the best : the pinks and whites seem always a little
faded. Bachelor's Button (applied to many other flowers
as well), Bluet, Blue Bottle, Ragged Sailor, are all popular
names for this Centaurea. The flowers are singularly
fringed trumpets borne in thistle-like heads. Planted out-
doors in April, the Cornflower should be blooming in July;

SUMMER 95

when the plants begin to look straggly cut them back for
fresh later bloom.

Centaurea is a very large family, some five hundred
species in all. The Mountain Cornflower (C montana)
has large, flat, blue flowers which turn purple as they grow
old. This is a compact dwarf often planted either in the
type flower or in the excellent white, rosy, and citron vari-
ations. C. macrocephala with unusually large, globular,
bright yellow flowers, is especially recommended for cut-
ting, the flowers preserving their freshness longer than

other varieties.

Sweet Sultan

Centaurea imperialis

The long-stemmed, musk-scented mauve, purple, or
white Sweet Sultan is the most charming of annuals and a
prime favorite for cutting. It grows about two feet tall
with large heads like giant Cornflowers. It likes a sunny
situation which you must select with care, for the Sweet
Sultan is one of the plants that do not like to be moved
here and there about the garden. The flowers are in
clumps and bloom from July till time of frost. Plant out-
doors in May, in drills a half inch in depth, and thin to
stand a foot apart. C. Margaritae, a pure white and a
famous modern strain, and C. moschata, not so beautiful,
but hardier, are considered to be the progenitors of the

Sweet Sultan.

Wallflower

Cheiranthus Cheiri

Wallflowers, popular favorites in England, but not so
much planted here because of the hotter, drier climate,
have to recommend them: evergreen foliage, plenteous

96 GARDEN FLOWERS

bloom, mild pervasive fragrance. This perennial grows
twelve to eighteen inches high, but as it runs out after two
or three seasons, the Wallflower cannot in common use
be called a perennial. It is best treated as a biennial.
The colors are very fine, red-browns to deep yellows and
purplish browns. The Wallflower is easily grown in cool
rich soil in partial shade, but is not quite hardy in the North
and will need winter protection. Some early-blooming
forms are customarily grown as annuals. Sow indoors in
March, or better in August for wintering in frames. If
sown in August there will be bloom the second year. At-
tractive as it is, gardeners in this country have never had
the success with the Wallflower that it seems as if they
ought to have.

Turtle Head

Chelone Lyonii

Turtle Head, so named, as you might suspect, from the
form of flower, rejoices also in the curious names of Cod
Head, Fish Mouth, and Snake Head. This flower grows
wild from Newfoundland to Florida and has many good
points for domestic use. The flowers are rosy purple in
dense, showy terminal spikes, and the leaves handsome,
deep green, heart-shaped. Turtle Head is a plant partic-
ularly desiring rich ground and moisture, and given these
conditions will bloom profusely. The roots lie near the sur-
face and in a garden border during the growing season must
be covered with a heavy mulch four or five inches thick of
well-rotted manure both as nourishment and as a preven-
tive against drought. Turtle Head may be propagated in
all the usual ways. If you can provide the necessary con-
ditions of soil, by all means try this lover of damp spots.

SUMMER 97

Annual Chrysanthemum

Chrysanthemum coronarium and C. carinatum

The Annual Chrysanthemum is thought to be the
variety listed in a Boston seed Catalogue of the date of
1760 as "Chrysanthemums." Growing from one to three
feet high, it provides the garden with yellow button-like
blossoms, half an inch across from July to frost. Of the
two species C. coronarium has the ray flo vers !>iight or pale
yellow, often nearly white, and the disP flower* yellow: C.
carinatum has white ray flowers with a yellow ring at the
base and disk flowers of purple. It seldom reaches a height
of over two feet and is called by comparison the dwarf an-
nual. These Chrysanthemums, valuable for cutting and for
pot culture as well as garden use, flourish best in a rather
heavy soil in a half -shady spot. Sow quite near the surface
and presently thin so that the little plants stand a foot to fif-
teen inches apart.

Moonpenny Daisy

Chrysanthemum Leucanthemum

The Daisy of the fields, meadows, and roadsides may be
thought too common for garden use. The cultivated form
of the wild Daisy will be found valuable for cut flowers
and in a rich garden soil often attains a luxuriance of
growth impossible in loose, thin ground. The Daisy, re-
puted to have been introduced to Massachusetts and the
New World by the Colonial Governor, Endicott, is scat-
tered profusely over our Northern regions, though it is not
so common in the South and West. The beautiful, wheel-
like gold and white flowers that in June carpet many of our
fields — too many in the farmer's opinion — with their starry

98 GARDEN FLOWERS

blossoms scarcely need description which perhaps belongs
preferably to the volume on "Wild Flowers" in this same
series.

Shasta Daisy

Chrysanthemum maximum

The Shasta Daisy, named by Burbank for his favorite
snow-capped peak of the Sierras, is the offspring of this
wild American Daisy. The large, four-inch, white flowers
with yellow centei * are carried from one to two feet high
on the ends of upright stems, leafless for three or four
inches below the flower. Seeds may be started indoors
and seedlings transplanted to the open after danger of
frost is past. There should be fine bloom all summer long.
By cutting off the flowering stalks up to August, the plants
may be kept in bloom till frost. There are two other
closely related Daisies: C. uliginosum, the Giant Daisy,
growing four to five feet high; and a charming C. lacustre
with larger leaves and always one-headed flower stalks.

Feverfew

Chrysanthemum Parthenium

It seems hardly credible that the little low-growing car-
peting plant known as Golden Feather is a close relative of
the giant Japanese Chrysanthemum! Feverfew, an old
favorite for edging, has little white buttons three quarters
of an inch across, and yellow foliage which has a character-
istic strong bitter odor. Feverfew grows in tufts becom*
ing bushlike, occasionally attaining a spread of as much
as three feet. The single-flowered form was the "Feverfew'5
cultivated in old physic gardens. The modern forms

SUMMER 99

largely used for cutting are double-flowered. Feverfew
is quite accommodating, will grow in any soil, and give
generous bloom all summer. Golden Feather is a yellow-
leaved variety of this plant.

Coleus

Coleus hybrida

Coleus with its bright-colored leaves — red-browns to
yellows — is a popular foliage plant for bedding and for
greenhouses. The flowers are quite negligible and to im-
prove the foliage are best snipped off before they come to
maturity. Coleus came originally from Java the early
true species have been lost in the brilliancy of the products
of hybridization. Take four-inch cuttings in the autumn
and put them into a moist bed of sand. When they are
well rooted transfer to small pots in a mixture of half sand
and half garden soil. Any soil condition that will suit
the Canna or other ornamental foliage plant will do for the
Coleus. Light sandy loam enriched with manure is as
good as anything. Leaf mold answers admirably. Plant
in full sunlight, allowing about ten inches of space for a
plant. Coleus had best be dug out of the garden in the fall;
the leaves wither with the first frost.

Elephant's Ear

Colocasia antiquorum esculenta

The Elephant's Ear, most often seen with Cannas in the
much-abused circular beds on lawns, has the distinction of
being the most massive, subtropical foliage plant for sum-
mer bedding. The leaves grow from two and a half to
three feet in length and sometimes twenty inches across.

100 GARDEN FLOWERS

The plant itself grows about four feet tall and is not hardy,
though it will winter indoors if kept dry. Make the soil
rather fine, mixing in plenty of bone meal. Plant the
tuber with the end just emerging, in a half -shaded position.
These plants are somewhat of a problem in arrangement,
as their semi-tropical appearance is hard to reconcile with
most of the vegetation of Northern gardens. It is often
listed in catalogues as "Caladium esculentum."

Bladder Senna

Colutea arborescens

Among garden shrubs the Bladder Senna is distinguished
for rapid, compact growth and for free flowering. Its pale
greenish foliage is valuable as a foil against the much more
frequent darker greens. The flowers, pea-shaped and
yellowish or yellowish-red, appear in June and July and are
followed by reddish ornamental pods. The shrub grows
frequently fifteen feet high and in general appearance re-
minds one of the Locust. The Bladder Senna, unfortu-
nately, is not quite hardy in the North. A fairly dry and
sunny soil seems to be what is desired. The young shrub,
preferably one about two feet high, should be set out in
September and must be kept well watered during the au-
tumn. The Colutea family, natives of the Mediterranean
region, have seven or eight species, among which arbores*
cens is the best for garden use.

Hardy Delphinium

Delphinium formosum

The Perennial Larkspur, pride of the late June garden,
has perhaps in recent years been somewhat overdone by

SUMMER 101

zealous hybridists. D. formosum has curiously shaped
flowers of brilliant deep blue with white centers and long
violet spurs in loose spikes about twelve inches long. The
foliage is rich dark green, finely divided and handsome.
This is thought to be the best of all tall-growing blue
perennials. Start indoors in February and transplant
into good soil and full sunshine. Copious watering in
June will ensure better spikes and longer bloom. After the
first blossoms, cut down the stalk and you will get a second
flowering season in September. Delphiniums shifted
every two or three years will do better than those that re-
main steadily in one spot. Delphiniums against a trellis
of climbing Roses make a wonderful picture.

Sweet William

Dianihus barbatus

Sweet William is an old-time favorite popular at the
present day fully as much for historical association as on
real garden merit. Many years ago florists divided the
fragrant Bearded Pinks, calling the narrow-leaved varieties
Sweet Johns and the broad-leaved varieties Sweet
Williams. The name Sweet John has disappeared. Sweet
Williams are still with us and show no signs of extinction.

Sweet William, or Bunch Pink, bears flowers in dense
rounded terminal heads of twenty to thirty flowers each.
The general appearance is stiff and somewhat gaudy.
The plain whites, true pinks and dark crimsons make pretty
dashes of color, but many of the parti-colored varieties are
quite ugly and undesirable. Foliage is simple and, while
the plant is young, clean looking. Sweet William grows
from twelve to eighteen inches high and the bloom is

102 GARDEN FLOWERS

generally in mid-May through June. The flower seeds it-
self, but does not always "come true," and increases from
old stock. Seeds must be started very early in the green-
house to get bloom the first season. If the seeds are sown
outdoors in early spring, thin by autumn to stand six
inches apart. The following spring they should bloom.

Carnations

Dianthus Caryophyllus, etc.

"Pinks belong to June and are, of all her belongings
the sweetest." (Wilder.) Pinks are plants for sunny
nooks, "of a most fragrant scent comforting the spirits*
and senses afar off." (Parkinson.)

The Clove Pink (D. Caryophyllus) is the ancestor of our
florist's Carnation of today. The spicy odor of the Pink
is so well known that most people are disappointed not to
find it in other members of the Dianthus family. The
modern Carnation, almost entirely a florist's flower, is
generally cultivated under glass, though plants of course
may be transplanted to the open for the warm weather.
Clove Pink is a native of the Mediterranean regions and
Was originally pale lilac in color.

China Pink (D. chinensis) is a much more satisfactory
Pink for gardens. The flowers are jewel-like in brilliance
with the charm common to all Pinks but are not fragrant.
They are easy of culture in any good garden soils. The
flowers will be reds, pinks, lilacs, solitary or clustered,
about ten to sixteen inches high. They are cheerful,
persistent, with blossoms from August till frost.

Garden Pink (D. plumarius), another flower of many
tames, including Garden Pink, Scotch Pinkr Pheasant's

SUMMER 103

Eye Pink, has in its favor fragrance and early May bloom.
This is a low-growing (twelve inches) perennial, with pink-
and-white flowers and neat, persistent foliage. Propaga-
tion is by seed or by division. There are many excellent
recommended varieties.

Gas Plant

Dictamnus albus

Burning Bush, Dittany, and Fraxinella are other names
for this hardy perennial. Fraxinella in old New England
gardens has outlived great-grandmother, grandmother,
mother, and daughter. The Gas Plant has rich, dark
leathery green foliage and fragrant white flowers in June
and July. The plant grows about two feet high and in still
hot weather gives off a volatile, lemon-scented oil which,
if a match be held near, will ignite in a puff of flame.
Fraxinella, as it is also called, prefers a strong, rather
heavy, rich soil and once settled in its new home had best
remain undisturbed for years. Sow outdoors in the early
autumn an inch deep; they will germinate in the spring.

A variety with rose-pink flowers is also quite commonly
grown, and is often thought to be its type plant.

Weigela

Diervilla florida

After Lilac time in June the Weigela shrub takes up the
story. Weigela flowers are trumpet-like, pink, white, red,
claret-crimson to magenta. Weigelas are among the
showiest shrubs of midsummer, and the best flowering
shrub to plaoe under big trees. The bloom is profuse and

104 GARDEN FLOWERS

continues well through the hot season. Weigelas are a
good combination shrub and are more often seen in groups
with others than as specimen shrubs on laws. Little prun-
ing is required except to keep the sturdy bushes free from
old and useless wood. If possible, buy a young shrub two
or three feet in height and set out in autumn or spring.
There are many named varieties in catalogues: Eva
Rathke, deep crimson red, is a very fine variety. Conquete,
deep rose; Perle, creamy white with pink-bordered petals;
and Saturne, carmine red.

African Daisy

Dimorphotheca aurantiaca

Plants from all over the world come to our gardens now-
adays, and the African Daisy, a newcomer recently in-
troduced, is certain to become very popular. This is a
neat small perennial, usually treated as an annual (twelve
to fifteen inches high), with foliage nestling quite close to
the ground and gay, Daisy-like flowers that offer long,
sustained summer bloom. The flowers are orange and
yellow. The petals curve upward. The flowers close at
evening. Sow outdoors as early as weather permits in
bright sunshine, thinning to stand ten inches apart.
There is also a white-flowered species (D. annua). African
Daisy will introduce a bit of novelty amid the familiar
picture of the small garden.

Oleaster

Elaeagnus angustifolia

Oleaster, or Russian Olive, is a handsome shrub reach-
ing a height of twenty feet, with foliage grayish green

SUMMER 105

above, silvery white below. The yellow June flowers are
fragrant but rather inconspicuous. After the flowers
appear small yellow berries. Oleaster is a fine seashore
shrub and will do well in any well-drained soil including
limestone. Propagated by seeds, cuttings and layers, but
it is much easier to buy a small shrub and set out in autumn
or early spring. Allied species are : E. argentea with silvery
foliage; E. umbellata ripening its fruit late and holding it till
midwinter; E. multiflora also known as E. longipes, having
dense clusters of bright red acid fruits late in the season.

Crown Imperial

Fritillaria imperialis

Quaint old Gerarde praised the "stately beautifulness
of the Crown Imperial and in every old-fashioned garden
could be seen the familiar tall stem bearing near the top a
graceful umbel of red, yellow, or orange bell-shaped flowers
with a tuft of foliage above them. Modern gardeners,
more sensitive than the old, find the flower has too rank and
heavy an odor for modern taste. Crown Imperial grows
about three feet high and the flowering time is May. The
impressive flowers with their pearly drops of nectar that
seem never to drop off have everything to recommend
them except fragrance. Certainly we should have a re-
vival of the Crown Imperial. The bulb should be planted
six inches deep in rich soil with manure below: set them
a foot apart in a spot where they will not receive the
heavy noonday sunshine. Too much strong sunlight
seems to hurt the growth and make the blossoms shorter-
lived.

?>

106 GARDEN FLOWERS

Day Lily

Hosta plantaginea

The names Day Lily, Plantain Lily, and Funkia are
rather loosely used for the familiar clumps of large-leaved
Lilies, a common sight in most old gardens and less fre-
quently in new ones. The Lilies themselves, late summer
flowers, are large, white, waxy, and very fragrant, four to
six inches long, borne above clumps of large heart-shaped,
shiny, light green leaves. The combination is very at-
tractive either as solid mass or as so often in olden style
along the edges of walks.

Day Lilies are easy to cultivate and when once well
established had best be left severely alone. Half shade
is the preference and the leaves are likely to burn at the
ends in midsummer unless the roots be kept well watered*
Give deep rich soil and propagate by setting out young
plants in the spring.

H. lancifolia has lilac-blue flowers growing about ten
inches in height and often used in borders.

Fuchsia

Fuchsia speciosa

This South American plant, now as well known as a
native, is accommodating, easily cultivated, and unrivalled
for decorative purposes. The flower is funnel shaped and
drooping, red-pink, purple, white, in combinations of
<zolor. The plant itself, a foot and a half high with op-
posite shiny leaves, has rather a formal appearance.
Fuchsia is a popular favorite in window boxes and pots.

SUMMER 107

Cuttings are customarily made about three inches in
length. If started in the autumn, these little plants
should be ten inches high when it comes time to put
them outdoors in the spring garden. They may be ar-
ranged outdoors for the summer season in any good garden
soil in sun or part shade. There are seventy different
species of Fuchsia, most of which are natives of tropical
America. Some are merely shrubby plants like our best-
known variety ; there are others that are climbers and some
even small trees.

Giant Summer Hyacinth

Galtonia candicans

The Giant Summer or Cape Hyacinth has large, ex-
panded, fragrant white August flowers on long arching
stems. Except that it is much larger, the foliage is
hyacinth-like, clean, and strong. The bulb is considered
hardy in the northern United States but had best be pro-
tected by a heavy mulch in winter. It is better to do this
leaving the bulbs undisturbed than to take them up during
the cold season. Plant in the fall about five inches deep.
They grow well in front of shubbery if the soil be rich, and
may be counted on to produce striking effects toward
the back of a mixed border.

Long Plumed Avens

Geum triflorum

The common Avens, growing about eighteen inches high
and preferring moist, shady places, grows wild on a wide
:ange of country from Canada south to Missouri and Geor-

108 GARDEN FLOWERS

gia. The long-plumed Avens, growing two and a half feet
high, is really handsomer in fruit than in flower. The
fruit is in feathery clusters with long silver hairs. G.
chiloense is the best known species in gardens, and has
wide-open, five-petaled flowers of a brilliant red-orange
with bright yellow stamens and leaves mostly close to the
ground and somewhat the shape of Dandelion leaves. The
bloom is in late May through June. Geum may be raised
from seed or the plants bought and spaced about ten
inches apart. The Geums might profitably be used more
frequently than they are in rock gardens and borders.

Sword Flower

Gladiolus hybridus

The Gladiolus, native of South Africa, improved in
France and Holland and now domesticated in America, can
well lay claim to be a world flower. The long bright spikes
— hence the name Sword Flower — rush successfully to the
aid of the late midsummer garden that often needs a bit of
freshening before the anticipated burst of autumn splen-
dor. Fine as are many of the current offerings, the hybrid-
izers keep producing larger and larger strains, newer and
newer shades of color, so that the amateur is likely to be-
come bewildered with the variety of choice offered in
seedsmen's catalogues.

Grace of form and beauty of blossom distinguish the
Gladiolus. For cutting the flower is unique. If the bud-
ded spike is cut and taken indoors to adorn a tall vase, it
will for the next three or four weeks unfold a succession of
beautiful flowers.

The bulbs should be planted in May after the ground is

SUMMER 109

warm and at regular intervals for five or six weeks to pro-
vide a succession of bloom. Bulbs should be lifted after
frost and stored dry till spring. A fairly light, loose, well-
drained soil is considered best and the Sword Flower should
be planted about four inches deep. "America," the pink
Gladiolus of the florists' shops, is a fine, vigorous, large-
sized flower.

Everlasting

Gnaphalium Leontopodium

This little plant with a very long name sends out runners
and creeps along after the fashion of Edelweiss. The
leaves are white, hairy on the under surface; the flowers are
from seven to nine in a cluster, from four to twelve inches
high; the flower remains almost undimmed if gathered just
before fully expanded and hung head downward in a dry
cool place. A well-drained, medium-light soil in full sun is
considered best, and this Everlasting is often selected for
high, exposed spots in rockeries. Set out the plants early
in May from seed planted indoors in February. If the
winter be severe, the plants had best have light protection.

Baby's Breath

Gypsophila paniculata

This perennial forms an exquisite accompaniment to
many others and for that reason is often used by florists in
making up bouquets. Baby's Breath grows from one to
three feet high with continually dividing branches. The
leaves are smooth, sharp-pointed, light green. The white
flowers are numerous and minute, borne on a gracefully
branched feathery stalk. Some gardeners are fond of using

110 GARDEN FLOWERS

this plant for mist-like effects on borders, but mostly it is
grown for cutting. The Annual Baby's Breath (G. elegans)
blooms within six weeks of sowing: and it is well to
arrange for several sowings as the blossoms run out in
a few weeks, carrying out its appointed plan of existence
oblivious to scorching sun or prolonged drought. Baby's
Breath with Heliotrope or Poppies make a charming
combination.

G. repens is another misty -flowered perennial Gypsophila
useful in combinations. The linear leaves are sharp-
pointed, the white to rose flowers larger than one would
expect. Useful in rockeries.

Globe Amaranth

Gomphrena globosa

The Globe Amaranth, a round, bright flower, also called
Bachelor's Button, blooms all summer and is quite cheerful
company. The blossoms are purplish, pinkish, white, or
golden, borne well above the bush. Historical students
will be interested to learn that this Bachelor's Button (the
name is confusingly given to many flowers) is a native of
India introduced to England as early as 1714. The leaves
are downy and the colored bracts persist, hiding the true
flowers. If the flower heads are picked and dried, they
become everlasting. Globe Amaranth may be sown out-
doors in May in almost any soil, preferably in full
sunlight. Thin the young plants to stand eight inches
apart. There is also a dwarf (six inches) for pot culture
and border planting, with a choice of two shades, white or
red-purple.

SUMMER 111

False Sunflower

Heliopsis helianthoides Pitcheriana

The False Sunflower is a vigorous, wild-blooming com-
posite that would be planted more frequently were its
merits better known. The flowers are slightly cup-
shaped, thick, and daisy-like sometimes two inches across
with bright orange rays and deeper orange centers pro-
fusely borne on much-branching bushy plants, two to four
feet high. The leaves are smooth, thin, pointed, and saw-
edged. The False Sunflower is handy for the garden as it
has no objection to dry soil and thrives well in full sun-
light. The flower is also good to bear in mind for bou-
quets. Sow outdoors about a half -inch deep and allow a
space of two feet between plants.

Heliotrope

Heliotropium peruvianum

Heliotrope is chiefly used as a bedding and window
plant. The growth will be about two feet and the flowers
purple and deliciously fragrant. A very desirable feature
of this old-time favorite is the fact that the more persis-
tently it is cut back, the better will be the bloom. In the
garden Heliotropes must have plenty of sun but are not so
particular regarding soil. If set out in May, the plants
should be in bloom in July. Heliotropes are best as a
combination flower. Candytuft or Sweet Alyssum goes
well with them or they may be used to replace the Pansies
after the day of the Pansies is past. There are white-
flowered Heliotropes not so commonly seen.

112 GARDEN FLOWERS

Lemon Lily

Hemerocallis flava

The Lemon Lily, or Yellow Day Lily, is an old favorite-,
and no garden can be considered complete without its cor-
ner of lemon-yellow, lily-like flowers borne loosely along
upright stems and well above the foliage. The leaves are a
foot and a half to two feet long, narrow and grasslike, the
individual flowers short-lived but borne in good succession.
The roots are bundles of fleshy tubers easily divided, which
is the best method of propagation. The Lemon Lily is a
lover of half shade and moist spots along the edges of
ponds, but will do well in practically all sorts of soils.
There is also an orange species (£T. aurantiaca), with flowers
in July and August, that is quite hardy, and a coppery red,
H . fulva. The generic name Hemerocallis refers to the
closing of the flowers at night. The blue and white Day
Lilies or Funkias belong to another family, Hosta.

Sweet Rocket

Hesperus matronalis

Long spikes of small, four-petaled flowers, most fragrant
at evening, are the attractions of the Sweet Rocket, the
Dame's Rocket, or the Damask Violet. The colors are
magenta, mauve, and white, and the time of bloom from
June to August. Sweet Rocket is a hardy perennial that
will grow three feet high or more in a rich soil. The double
varieties are better for garden use. Plant indoors rather
early and transfer outside as soon as weather permits.
The Rocket will grow easily in all soils and will form large

SUMMER 113

and striking clumps, or may be used effectively along a
border. A good plan is to select a plant with desirable
lavender color and propagate from seed.

Coral Bells

Heuchera sanguinea

If you are casting about for a small red flower for a
border, you will be glad to be reminded of Coral Bells.
The long Lily-of-the-valley-like spikes of dainty coral-red
appear in July and intermittently all the rest of the season.
The plant grows a foot and a foot and a half high and the
foliage, rich green with scalloped edges, is quite decorative.
Coral Bells are also known as Crimson Bells and Alum
Root. If the plant has any preference, it is for sandy,
well-drained but not necessarily dry soil. Propagation is
by seed or by dividing roots after flowering season. There
are a number of hybrids in various shades of red and pink,
the darker colors being usually thought the most successful.

Rose of Sharon

Hibiscus syriacus

The Rose of Sharon, or Shrubby Althea, one of the
commonest of garden shrubs, has some of the loveliest
and some of the harshest-hued blossoms of any well-known
shrub. This Hibiscus grows to a height of twelve feet,
blooming in late summer which makes it valuable as a
screen. The leaves seem small for the size of the shrub
and the flowers resemble those of the Hollyhock. There
are many varieties with single and double flowers ranging
from white through pink to magenta and purple. The

114 GARDEN FLOWERS

single whites and pure pinks are very lovely, but some of
the darker shades are quite coarse and ugly. Prune in
winter for profusion of flowers. It is advisable not to per-
mit the plants to run up leaving the base bare. Rose of
Sharon will do well in any average garden soil. Propagate
by seeds or cuttings. Plant in spring, allowing plenty of
space for the roots to develop.

Japanese Hop

Humulus japonicus

The Japanese Hop is a rapid-climbing vine and its large,
handsome leaves splashed with white are more decorative
than many flowers commonly planted for decorative pur-
poses. The leaf is deeply lobed, the flowers are in cat-
kins. It has everything to recommend it except the charm
of the hanging Hops which it does not bear at all. The
vine may be raised from seed planted outdoors in May and
will grow twenty feet during the summer. Any soil, but
preferably plenty of sunshine will do, as you can train the
vines without difficulty where you wish them to grow.

H. lupulus is the common Hop with heavy hanging
flowers quite ornamental enough to be planted for their
own sakes. Hops grow rapidly in almost any soil and
like the sunlight. The Wild Hop grows in thickets and
along the riverside.

Hydrangea

Hydrangea paniculata grandifiora

In August and September when it has the shrubbery
stage almost to itself, the large white-flowered Hydrangea

SUMMER 115

bursts into life with great drooping heads of snowy bloom.
The only trouble with this shrub is that it has been so
much overplanted. One well-known garden writer com-
plains that "everyone who owns a twenty-foot lot" plants
a Hydrangea. " Certainly the way not to plant it, or any
other startling bush, is to dot it around a lawn — the usual
practice. ... A purple, golden or variegated shrub,
if isolated on a fair green lawn, detached from all con-
nection with the composition line of planting, is all the
more a distracting sight because so common. Such special
purpose shrubs fulfill a distinct destiny in enlivening masses
of shrubbery which, without them, might easily be mono-
tonous." (Blanchan.)

The Hydrangea grows in practically any soil, even one
bare and thin. It is important to remember that the
harder the pruning, the fewer will be the flower heads;
but they will be larger and more vigorous. The shrub
may be pruned in the spring because the flowers are pro-
duced on the new wood.

Garden Balsam

Impatiens Balsamina

The double camellia-flowered sorts in clear colors,
salmon-rose, scarlet, and pure white are nowadays more
often to be seen than the single varieties that were the
favorites of earlier days. The flowers are borne in the
axils of the leaves all along the stalk from July to Octo-
ber. Garden Balsam was brought from India to England
in 1596 and is called Impatiens because the seed part
irritably bursts open when touched. The individual
flowers are often overshadowed by the leaves so that they

116 GARDEN FLOWERS

become unduly inconspicuous. This Balsam dotes on
rich, sandy loam in full sun and abundant moisture. Sow
outdoors in May or indoors earlier. Little self-sown
seedlings should be snuffed out as they almost invariably
revert to the unattractive magenta type.

Morning Glory

Ipomoea purpurea

Morning Glory is another popular favorite a little com-
mon in the eyes of the fastidious expert but possessing
a simple beauty that his expensive varieties seldom equal.
As with most of the "very popular" flowers, culture takes
care of itself. Indeed, Morning Glory resows, and years
after a first planting each spring will see here and there
fresh new shoots.

This rapid-growing vine simply must twine about
something! If strings or wire be provided, well and good.
If not, Morning Glory twines on whatever is nearest, re-
gardless of what it is. Plant outdoors in May, after the
ground is warm, half an inch deep and not necessarily
more than eight inches apart. The plant climbs, but it
does not spread. Morning Glory is a great success in a
window box. With light support they should reach the
ceiling by midsummer, blooming every foot of the way.
There is a Japanese variety with large leaves and huge
blossoms.

The Ivy -leaved Morning Glory is often mistaken for the
Moon Flower vine. Careful inspection should show small-
er leaves, smaller flowers, and a stem covered with sharp
points. Propagation is the same as for the Moon Flower.
Start indoors in fine soil in February: set outdoors not be-

SUMMER 117

fore the middle of May. This Morning Glory is com*
monly seen covering trellises and arbors.

Perennial Pea

Lathyrus latifolius

The perennial Pea is a sprawling, rampant vine that
thrives on any deep fairly good soil. The blossoms are
large, generally white, Sweet-pea-like except that they
have no fragrance, borne in dense clusters on sturdy climb-
ing stems four to eight feet long. The size of the large,
fleshy roots makes it desirable to leave this Lathyrus un-
disturbed for a number of years. The perennial Pea is
most commonly seen running riot on banks and on trel-
lises, even among bushes and stones. Start from seeds.
White, dark purple, and striped varieties are offered.
L. grandiflorus, another species, has even larger flowers,
two together but less vigorous in growth.

Sweet Peas

Lathyrus odoratus

If you see a half-dozen sorts of flowers blooming before
a low cottage door in midsummer, one of the half-dozen
will certainly be a Sweet Pea. Vigorous habit, delicately
tinted blossoms, exquisite fragrance have combined to
make the Sweet Pea among the best known of summer
flowers. Gardeners have been steadily improving the
types and the Spencer, often spoken of as the Orchid, Sweet
Pea is the best of all, having big wide flowers. Culture is
quite simple. If you prepare the bed in the autumn, you
will have the best of results. Spade the dirt eighteen

118 GARDEN FLOWERS

inches deep, and below this, place light manure, which will
draw the roots downward. You may plant early, as
slight frost will do no harm, and often sowing in the fall is
very successful for early bloom. Make three sowings for
succession, the last between the other two for shade. It
is not advisable to grow Sweet Peas on the same soil for
successive years.

Lavender

Lavandula vera

"Lavender walks" are a famous feature of English gar-
dens and Sweet Lavender is sold everywhere on London
streets. In America Lavender is not hardy very far north
and such "Lavender walks" as we have are generally
merely summer borders. Lavender is a perennial shrub
from the Mediterranean region with blue flowers in long
spikes that have in quite marked fashion the sweet scent
known as lavender. In its native habit this blue flower
grows on dry, hilly, open wastes. Care should be taken
to plant in similar conditions in domestic gardens as far as
possible; particularly should excessive moisture be avoided,
but it likes a soil with lime in it. The young plants may
be raised without difficulty from cuttings. It is necessary
to protect Lavender over winter.

Blazing Star

Liatris pyenostachya

Blazing Star, a favorite for the wild garden, blooms in
early July through August. Gay Feather, Kansas Gay
Feather, and Button Snakeroot are also popular designa-
tions, the second of which indicates that the flower has its

SUMMER 119

habitat along the central plains. Blazing Star blooms in
small purple heads in showy, dense spikes five to eighteen
inches long, which begin to flower at the top. The leaves
are slender and grass-like, thickly clothing the stem. It
grows in all soils and looks best in masses. Crowd the
plants, allowing no more than eight or ten inches per
plant. If to be grown from seed, start in late August and
September and cover carefully in winter. There is also
another species L. scariosa, growing to a height of from
two to four feet with bluish purple flowers in August and
September.

Gold-banded Lily

Lilium auratum

Even in a garden made of Lilies alone the superb Gold-
banded Lily of Japan would certainly be king. The flower
is large, showy, fragrant, borne in heads of two to five on
leafy stems two to four feet high. The blossoms are the
largest of all Lilies, sometimes measuring a foot across ; the
color is creamy white, with a golden band down the center
of each petal and thickly mottled with purple. This most
gorgeous of Lilies, while theoretically hardy, seldom lasts
more than two or three years. Well-drained soil is es-
sential and manure should never be allowed to come in
direct contact with the bulb. The preference seems to be
for moist loam with a mixture of sand and leaf mold, but
sometimes even under the most approved conditions the
Gold-banded Lily will unaccountably quite fail to come up
to anticipations. Lily bulbs should be deeply planted,
with the top of the bulb never less than six inches below
the ground. These Lilies are propagated by means of
offsets or small bulbs and scales which, planted in spring

120 GARDEN FLOWERS

and kept moist and warm, produce bulblets before fall
Raising by seed will be too slow a process for most people.

Lilies
Lilium tigrinum, L. speciosum, etc.

The old standard Tiger Lily is less capricious than
many others and will seldom disappoint the grower. The
Tiger has perhaps a somewhat stiff and coarse look, at
least for a Lily. The pale, whitish stems grow to a height
of five feet or so with scattered rich green leaves becoming
shorter toward the top of the stem. The flowers are bright
to orange red, thickly spotted with purple in nodding clus-
ters of three to ten or more. The Tiger Lily will thrive in
sun or half shade, but does best if the ground be kept cool
and moist either by shade or by a top dressing of peat and
leaf mold.

The L. lancifolium or speciosum is a fine Lily for general
cultivation especially along borders, and a favorite with
florists for cutting. It is white and rose, in various shad-
ings. The American Turk's Cap Lily (L. superbum), with
orange turban-like flowers, is a gross feeder and must be
provided with heavy moist soil. The Siberian Coral Lily
(Zr. tenuifolium) is very showy with rich scarlet flowers
with darker shadings and recurving petals. L. Henry i has
dark salmon-orange flowers sparingly spotted with red-
brown and will make a superb showing in clumps or massed
against shrubbery. The well-known Madonna Lily (£.
candidum) has very fragrant, pure white, trumpet-shaped
flowers. The Regal Lily (L. regale) is like the popular
Easter Lily but having a clear yellow throat. It is quite
hardy „

SUMMER 121

Cardinal 4 Flower

Lobelia cardinalis

"Another special purpose plant is the Cardinal Flower,
now tamed by the commercial dealer who sells its easily
grown seed. Pitifully out of place among the host of gar-
den flowers, its vivid beauty is best displayed in nature's
garden where it rises beside a stream that reflects it like a
mirror." (Blanchan.)

Brilliant carmine, the brightest flower of its kind, the
Cardinal Flower flashes like a beacon along the banks of
shady streams. The flowers are about an inch long, borne
in spikes on erect unbranching leafy stems, two to four
feet tall. The leaves are narrow and inconspicuous, dying
down after blooming season. In the home garden the
Cardinal Flower quickly adapts itself to a moist soil and a
half -shaded situation. Start indoors in March and trans-
plant to the open in May. Each plant needs about a foot
of space.

Lobelia

Lobelia Erinus

Lobelia vies with Sweet Alyssum and Candytuft as a
popular edging plant. Blue is the most frequent color,
but there are rose varieties and an occasional white.
Lobelia is a prolific bloomer from July forward. The little
plant ranges from six to twelve inches high and is chiefly
utilized for borders and edges, presenting no especial prob-
lems of culture. Sow outdoors no more than a quarter of
an inch deep and thin to about six inches apart. There are
some half trailing sorts that look very well in window boxes.

1%% GARDEN FLOWERS

Crystal Palace, growing six inches high, with dark blue
flowers is one of the best-known varieties in our gardens.

Maltese Cross

Lychnis chalcedonica

Maltese Cross, Scarlet Lightning, Jerusalem Cross —
these names suggest an Old- World plant, which indeed the
Maltese Cross is and a great favorite. The four petals
of the vivid scarlet flower have squared ends like a Maltese
Cross. The leaves are small, pointed, hairy, and not orna-
mental. The stems grow rather bare, which requires that
this Lychnis, if used in the border, be placed amid flowers
with more spreading foliage. Maltese Cross grows about
three feet high with June to mid-July bloom. The plants
require no special care and may be propagated by seed or
division. Plant in a sunny spot, the sunnier the better,
and thin to stand a foot apart. There are also a white
variety and one double-flowered, as good as the type.

Loosestrife

Lyihrum Salicaria

Spiked or Purple Loosestrife, a beautiful and little-used
^lant for late July, has large rose-colored flowers in a tall
spike borne on a graceful leafy stem two to five feet high.
This Loosestrife is well known in Old-World gardens with
many picturesque names, and is one of the best bright-
colored, late summer flowers for swamps and moist mead-
ows. The height range is from three to five feet and the
flcwers bloom from June to August. They may be started
best outdoors in late August to be covered over for the
following spring. There are many named varieties such

SUMMER 123

as L. roseum, with beautiful cherry-colored blossoms from
July to September, and Perry's Variety, with cherry-red
flowers.

Peppermint

Menta piperita

The Mint Family, distributed over almost all parts of
the world, is characterized by creeping rootstocks, square
stems bearing opposite, pleasant-smelling leaves and spikes
of small two-lipped blossoms. If you want a sample of
the Mints in your garden, set out a few plants of Pepper-
mint. Peppermint grows from one to three feet high.
The leaves are two or three inches long, crimpy, and cov-
ered with oil glands. If these leaves are crushed in one's
hand, the familiar Peppermint odor is unmistakable. The
flowers are small, purple or white, not very conspicuous.
Peppermint grows along the sides of the streams or in moist
places and is propagated by runners or by its persistent
rootstocks.

Sensitive Plant

Mimosa pudica

The little Sensitive Plant, half-hardy and growing twelve
or eighteen inches high, is often planted as a curiosity.
The peculiarity of the plant, the exact nature of the
mechanism of which is not thoroughly understood, is that
when touched ever so lightly, the leaflets close up and the
petiole falls down to reopen slowly a few minutes later.
The younger the plant the more sensitive seems to be the
foliage and the quicker the movements. The compound
leaves are a tender green, the flowers a small ball of pink
filaments. The Sensitive Plant is easily grown from seed

124 GARDEN FLOWERS

sown outdoors in May; the seed need be planted only a
quarter of an inch deep in fine, loose soil in a sunny spot.
Children should be interested to raise Sensitive Plant in
window boxes. It is not hardy, but runs wild in the Gulf
states.

Monkey Flower

Mimulus luteus

This somewhat grotesquely named flower — the name
comes from the gaping appearance of the corolla — is a
perennial, mostly treated as an annual, as it is not hardy
very far north. Except that the throat is open, the Mon-
key Flower is in appearance somewhat like the Snapdragon.
Mimulus grows three to four feet tall and should bloom
gayly all summer. The plants need plenty of water but
appear to have no other soil requirement. They will
self -sow. M. luteus is yellow flowered. M. cardinalis,
an allied species, has red-and-yellow flowers and is hardy
in Massachusetts with slight protection in moist soil and
shady places. The old-fashioned musk is M. moschatus,
but the fragrant form of this is almost lost to cultivation
nowadays.

Four oXlock

Mirabilis Jalapa

Four o'Clock, also Marvel-of-Peru, earned its name
from the curious fact that the flowers bloom only from
about four o'clock in the afternoon until the next morning.
This is a tuberous, tender perennial, more often grown as
an annual, although the old roots may be taken indoors and
kept from frost for the winter if dried off. Four o'Clock
grows two and one-half feet high and becomes quite bush-

SUMMER 125

like. The flowers are Morning Gloryish in shape but very
much smaller, in bright shades of red, yellow, striped, and
white. Start indoors in March for early bloom. Out-
doors they should stand about a foot apart for spread.
They make desirable bedding plants and are often seen in
old-fashioned gardens. If you are making a selection of
the old-time garden flowers, you will appreciate Four
o'Clock, especially as it is not so fastidious as to soil.

Eulalia

Miscanthus sinensis

Plume Grass, or Eulalia, is our prettiest specimen Grass
for lawns, growing under favorable circumstances as high
as nine feet, with long narrow leaves that droop very grace-
fully. When old and well-established a clump may spread
to be five or six feet through. Buy started plants, and set
them out in the spring where they are to remain. Arrange
for bold effect in an ornamental bed or amongst shrubbery.
The effect along the edge of a small pond is very fine. Ze-
bra Grass, a popular variety has striking, banded yellow
leaves but is not quite hardy. The Japanese Rush (var.
gracillimus) is very effective in small gardens. The light
green foliage is as narrow as half an inch and the Rush will
grow four feet high. All these Grasses require only to be
planted to become permanent additions to the home gar-
den.

Bee Balm

Monarda didyma

Only the Cardinal Flower surpasses the Bee Balm in
brilliant color. Oswego Tea, Horse Mint, Rose Balm,

126 GARDEN FLOWERS

Fragrant Balm are a few of the numerous names of this
very charming native wild flower. Monarda is too coarse
to be an attractive plant in detail, but seen in masses a
little distance away is very effective. The flowers are
wide-mouthed, brilliant scarlet and very fragrant, borne
in large heads on stalks two to four feet high. Monarda
increases so rapidly as to become troublesome in a border
and, as the name Bee Balm implies, is one of the numerous
joys of bees and humming-birds. Along streams and
moist spots generally is its habitat but it does better in
ordinary dryish garden soil than do most of the flowers of
its type. Blooming period is during the summer months,
and Monarda should be planted preferably against a dark
background to bring out the full color effect. Variations
from type are well worth trying. There are a white and 6
rose color: also the variety fistulosa, growing three feet high
with striking purple effects.

Flowering Tobacco

Nicotiana alata grandiflora

The white Flowering Tobacco, which was formerly
known as N. affinis, is a fine plant for dry spots and striking
enough to fill in well at the back of a border. The tubular
blossoms open toward night and continue open till sunrise:
by moonlight they take on a fine shimmering quality and
their perfume is delightful. The plants begin to bloom in
early midsummer and continue blooming till hard frost,
Flowering Tobacco grows quickly in full sunlight in most
sorts of soils. N. Sanderae having pink or rose flowers,
very effective against dark backgrounds, is a hybrid from
this and the common tobacco of commerce (N. tabacum) — ■

SUMMER 127

a plant from three to five feet, occasionally used where a
large-leaved tall-growing plant is desired— but its flowers
are not so good. If the blossoms of the Flowering To-
bacco are picked and the stalks placed in water, the buds
will open and remain open if kept away from direct sun-
light.

Love-in-a-Mist

Nigella damascena

This prettily named flower has tiny blossoms an inch
across nestling in finely cut, fennel-like foliage. Love-in-
a-mist grows a foot or two high and should provide con-
tinuous bloom all summer. The flowers are blue or white.
The petals and sepals are like colored, a distinguishing
trait of the Crowfoot family to which Love-in-a-mist be-
longs. The fruit is a long capsule. The seed may be
planted outdoors about May in any available garden soil.
Sow in succession for continuous bloom and in the autumn
for spring flowers. Love-in-a-mist seems not to transplant
well. The flowers are favorites for cutting and are often
to be found tucked away in odd corners of borders and rock
gardens.

Basil

Ocimum basilicum, 0. minimum

The herb gardens of our grandmothers and great-
grandmothers no longer exist, and with them have gone
out of favor many of the herbs for which they were famous.
The brothers Basil, "Sweet" and "Bush," once much
esteemed for flavoring, are now very seldom grown. The
Bush Basil is a very "bushy" little shrub, and both might
be planted for the sake of their long and honorable as-

128 GARDEN FLOWERS

sociations. Sweet Basil grows a foot or two in height and
the white or bluish flowers are borne in long racemes in
whorls about the stem. Seed may be planted outdoors in
the early spring and the plants will do better if thinned to
stand no more than ten inches apart.

Farewell to Spring

Godetia

The showy red-and-white blossoms of the flower known
as Farewell to Spring fit in well where a large-flowered
annual is wanted for a sunny or half -shady spot. These
are cheerful stand-bys, prettiest in rather large groups of
one kind. The bloom is from July to October and the
blossoms an inch to an inch and a half across and of
peculiar satiny luster. This annual grows ten feet high at
times and is native on the Pacific Coast. Farewell to
Spring should to started indoors early if you want June
flowers, otherwise outdoors in Ma v. Whether soil be
thin or rich seems immaterial. The plants should finally
stand twelve inches apart.

Prickly Pear

Opuntia vulgaris

Prickly Pear is a small Cactus and the only one of that
large family suited to the border. This Cactus grows
about a foot high with curiously jointed, flat, leaf -like
stems covered with spines in groups. Flowers are pale
yellow, appearing at intervals during the season. Prickly
Pear, sometimes also called Barberry Fig, is hardy as far
north as Massachusetts. The plants are ideal for shallow

SUMMER 129

soils, cool and under drained. They may be put outdoors
in the spring and arranged as house plants in winter, but
because of their spines and bristles they are rather a
nuisance indoors. In some parts of the world other species
of Opuntia are raised for their edible fruits. They have
also served as hedge plants.

Iceland Poppy

Papaver nudicaule

The Iceland Poppy is a pretty, low-growing perennial
with the characteristic crinkled petals of the Poppy. The
delicate crepey blossoms about two and a half inches
across, ranging from white through greenish yellow to
orange and orange-red, are borne singly on hairy, leafless
stems, delicately curving at the top. The grayish-green
leaves in a clump at the base of the plant are quite decora-
tive. Technically a perennial, the Iceland variety lasts
more than two years except in the North. Plant seeds in
late summer and the plants should bloom, if not allowed to
seed, continuously from May to frost. Select warm,
rather rich soil in bright sunlight.

Oriental Poppy

Palaver orientate

"Gorgeous" is the adjective most frequently used in
garden manuals to describe the brilliant red of the Oriental
Poppy. Certainly the garden in May and June could
never be as gay without them!

Oriental Poppies grow three or four feet high with hand-
some, lobed leaves. The type flower is brilliant orange-

130 GARDEN FLOWERS

scarlet, with a black spot in the centre, but there are
numerous variations, even to white. The leaves are large,
rough, grayish-green, irregularly and deeply notched, ex-
tremely decorative but dying to the ground after blooming
season, but growing again in the fall. These Poppies had
best be planted where other plants will conceal their foliage
after bloom. They should not be crowded as considerable
green growth is made in the fall. Sow outdoors in the
spring as early as possible in rich loam, in sunshine. Thin
to stand a foot apart as they are hard to transplant. Pop-
pies have long, tapering roots and are difficult to transplant
except in the autumn when partially dormant. If trans-
planted in the spring they will not bloom the same season.
There are many shades of color and named varieties, but
the type flower can hardly be improved upon.

Corn Poppy

Papaver Rhoeas

This little field Poppy, scarlet with black spot, glorifies
the grainfields of northern Europe and is the stock from
which our modern varieties of "Shirley Poppies" have been
developed. The Shirley Poppies are always single with a
white base, yellow or white stamens and no trace of the
black spot. The bloom comes in summer and when self-
sown will be earlier than the planted groups. As the
plants do not bear transplanting well they must be put in
the ground quite small where intended to flower, but it is
best to sow where wanted and thin. Make the soil fine
and scatter the seeds, which need only very light covering.
Allow about eight inches of space per plant and do not let \
the flowers run to seed if continued bloom is wanted.

SUMMER 131

The Opium Poppy (P. somniferum) is a gorgeous annual,
three feet high, with bold glaucous foliage and large single
or double flowers in a great variety of colors.

Geranium

Pelargonium hortorum, P. domesticum

Geraniums are easily raised; it is necessary only to slip
them into the ground and await results. They do not
object to poor soil and will grow better than almost any
plant of standing in a dry place. They never stop flower-
ing till frost comes, throwing out new blossoms well above
the leaves in truly decorative fashion. No wonder ex-
perts chide the amateur for his passion for the Geranium!

Garden Geraniums are cultivated forms from species
imported originally from South Africa. Rose, Ivy -leaved,
Fish, and the old-fashioned Show or Lady Washington,
represent different distinct species. Geraniums are very
easily grown from cuttings. In culling out it is well to
remember that stocky, many-branched plants will produce
the best flowers. Discard the tall and spindly. Plant
in full sunlight, keep the soil loose, and see that there is
plenty of water in blossoming time.

The old-fashioned Lady Washington Geranium (P.
domesticum) has a short blooming season and cannot
stand the heat of midsummer. In September the plants
should be pruned, repotted in light compost, and kept in
a frame till cold weather. The flowers, not so many in a
truss, are larger and more striking than in other varieties.
They usually appear on a white ground, marked or
blotched with red or purple.

The common or Zonal Geranium (P. hortorum) is a

132 GARDEN FLOWERS

mixed hybrid of indefinite origin. Very variable in
flower, etc.

Petunia

Petunia hybrida

The gaudy colors of this soft, frilled flower have perhaps
advertised it so much that the Petunia has fallen a little
into disrepute; if only the pure purple and white varieties
were seen in gardens, the flower would have quite a differ-
ent reputation. The Petunia is a most profuse, sweet-
scented bloomer, growing from one to two feet in height
with flowers from July to September; resists drought well
but is inclined to be of weedy habit. Sow indoors in
April, transplant in May, selecting a warm sunny spot, or
sow outdoors for later bloom. Petunias make a hand-
some display in window boxes and rock gardens. The
finest varieties are grown from cuttings, as plants propa-
gated from seed generally show a variation from the parent
stock. Cuttings should be made of soft, young growth
potted quite firmly and kept shaded a few days.

Scarlet Runner Bean

Phaseolus multiflorus

The Scarlet Runner Bean, grown as a vegetable in
economical Europe, is cultivated with us more for the
bright, cheerful scarlet flowers that appear in June and
July. Normally a perennial, though in actual practice
usually an annual, the Scarlet Runner grows about ten
feet long, twining and twisting about whatever is near by.
This Bean can be used successfully about old tree stumps
or wherever vines of its length are desired. The leaves

SUMMER 133

are compound, the leaflets thin, acute. Plant where you
wish the Bean to grow, sowing not until the ground gets
warm. Place the seeds eye down, about an inch deep
and about a foot apart. They grow anywhere and repay
small effort both in beauty and in food value.

The Butterfly Runner Bean (P. multiflorus papilio) is a
variety having pretty rose-and- white flowers.

Wild Sweet William

Phlox divaricata

The pretty little bluish gray blossoms of the Wild Sweet
William are to be seen along the edges of moist woods and
beside the banks of shady streams. The flowers are flat,
somewhat fragrant, profusely borne in small loose clusters
at the end of slender leafy stems sometimes eighteen
inches high. The Wild Phlox is spring blooming, very
adaptable, seemingly accepting with gladness whatever
choice of soil is offered. This Phlox looks well in masses.
The country cousin is perhaps best suited to rock gardens
and to carpet dampish spots by the waterside. P.
Laphami is an improved form with bluer, larger flowers,
raised in Europe.

Perennial and Annual Phlox

Phlox paniculata; P. Drummondi

The Perennial or Hardy Phlox is a native plant that has
forged its way from obscurity into considerable promin-
ence in the floral scheme. Coming nowadays, in all
shades of pink, scarlet, cerise, lavender, purple, white with
or without a pink eye, the Phlox is easy to manage, solid

134 GARDEN FLOWERS

and orderly in habit, quickly increased, fragrant, beautiful.
The bloom runs from late June through September, and
the flat flowers one inch or so across are profusely borne in
close elongated heads on erect, leafy stems from two to
four feet high. The modern hybrids must have good rich
food, and plenty of water in dry weather. All varieties
will thrive without any attention for many years, but bet-
ter results will be obtained if the clumps are divided every
three or four years in late autumn; otherwise the plants
6how a tendency to become rootbound and by the growth
of surrounding seedlings seem to revert to type color. If
late and early blooming varieties are planted together, one
should obtain bloom from July to November, but bloom
may be delayed by pinching back the tips of the shoots.
There are two strains, viz.: paniculata, the taller and
with colors usually in the reds; suffruticosa, any early
flowering hardy Phlox with white, flesh-pink, or purple
blossoms.

Annual Phlox (P. Drummondi) may be planted in the
open or preferably started indoors earlier. It is a low-
growing plant with flat round flowers and comes in a great
range of colors, and there are strains of star-like blooms
The parent of the annuals was introduced into Englanc
from Texas in 1835 and was immediately seized upon by
English gardeners as a subject of experimentation. It is
one of the most popular garden annuals now.

Cape Fuchsia

Phygelius capensis

Cape Fuchsia is an attractive native of South Africa,
rather partial to warmer climates than ours. With us,

SUMMER 135

except in California, the Cape Fuchsia has been seen more
as a curiosity in greenhouses than outdoors in beds. Yet
the plant lives under the same conditions as do Geraniums
except that it is more susceptible to early frosts. The Cape
Fuchsia grows from two to three feet high; the flowers are
about two inches long, tubular and drooping, borne in
groups of one to four on long pedicles straight out from the
stalk. It can be raised from seeds and cuttings and will
make an excellent novelty for the home garden or window
box. Seeds should be started in midsummer and the
plants transplanted in May. They are not at all hardy
and must be moved back indoors in good season, but
south of Philadelphia will live outdoors with protection in
winter.

False Dragon Head

Physostegia virginiana

False Dragon Head, also known as Obedient Plant and
Lion's Heart, is a good reliable perennial of easy culture in
a strong, rather moist and rich soil. The flowers are small
and curiously shaped, often a half -inch long, ranging in col-
or from purplish red through rosy pink and lilac to flesh-
pink, closely borne in graceful terminal spikes on erect
stems. The foliage is fine, persistent — an excellent foil
» gainst plants of coarser texture. The period of bloom is
July and August, but if the flowers are kept from going to
seed, the bloom will be prolonged well into autumn. To
keep the plant at its best old clumps should be divided and
replanted frequently. Set out about two feet apart in
good moist soil. There is an excellent white variety and
an allied species, P. denticulata, smaller and more delicate
with very neat pinkish flowers.

136 GARDEN FLOWERS

Chinese Bellflower

Platycodon grandiflorum

The Chinese Bellflower, or the Balloon Flower, with
blossoms three inches across, is the largest Bellflower that
can be easily grown. The blossoms are large, wide-open,
purplish blue, with curiously inflated buds, borne very
freely at the tips of leafy stems which sprawl if not sup-
ported. They must be tied to light supports as soon as
they are a foot high; if once allowed to flop over to the
ground, they will not straighten up without breaking.
A fine specimen may have ten or twelve spikes of flowers
during July and August. The name Balloon Flower comes
from the inflation of the bud just before it opens. Good
drainage is essential and a sandy soil preferable. To se-
cure bloom well into autumn make sure that seeds do not
form. In the autumn the dying stems should be left to
protect the crown. Divide early in spring when the growth
starts, or grow by seed. The method by seed is rather
uncertain as the seedling frequently does not come true to
parent either in form or color. The lovely white variety
album is faintly tinged with blue, reminding one garden
commentator of the fresh blue-and-white aprons of little
girls.

Tuberose

Polianthes tuberosa

The Tuberose, once quite fashionable, is now rather in-
frequently planted, probably owing to its heavy, almost
sickening odor. Also it is very stiff-growing and does not
seem to form happy combinations with other plants.

SUMMER 137

Tuberose is of the Amaryllis family and is not related to
the Rose, the name being merely a corruption of the ad-
jective tuberosa. The flowers are white on a foot-long spike
carried on the end of an erect three-foot stalk, and the
time of bloom is August and September. The foliage is
grass-like and arching. If bulbs are planted outdoors
about the first of June there will be late summer and early
autumn blossoms. The soil should be fine and light. The
" bulb " need be covered with no more than an inch of earth.
Allow about eight inches between bulbs. Before the time
of frost the bulbs (in reality they are tubers) should be
taken out and kept dry for next season's use. In the
spring examine stock with care. If bulbs are green at the
top, they are sound and may be replanted.

Portulaca

Portulaca grandifiora

Portulaca, most gaudy of coverings for very dry spots
and first cousin to the weed "Pusley" of unenviable repu-
tation, will grow in hot, dry, shallow soil where no other
flower will; for seaside gardens it is indispensable. Portu-
laca, or Rose Moss, grows six or eight inches high, but ow-
ing to its trailing habit seldom appears to attain even its
own meager real height. The blossoms are red, magenta,
orange, and white, appearing from July to October. The
leaves are succulent, well-rounded. Culture is simple:
the seeds need merely be scattered over the surface of
raked ground when the weather is warm. Plants may be
thinned to stand three inches apart. Portulaca often self-
sows and persists for years.

138 GARDEN FLOWERS

Shrubby Cinquefoil

Potentilla fruticosa

Cinquefoil has bright yellow flowers like small single

Roses that bloom all summer. Though the plant maj)

grow four feet high, it is generally met with much smaller.

The bark is shreddy, the leaves compound with three to

seven leaflets. The Shrubby Cinquefoil is favored for the

garden on account of its long season of bloom. On a rich

and moist soil it is inclined to grow rank and weedy. On

drier soil the vigorous little plant will keep itself in better

shape. Potentilla is quickly propagated by division of

rootstock in the spring or they seed quite freely. The

plant often shows up very effectively along a border or in

a rock garden.

Mignonette

Reseda odorata

Sweet Mignonette is undoubtedly the most popular
flower cultivated solely for fragrance. The little plant
grows from ten to eighteen inches high, with red, white,
and yellow finely cut flowers borne in a dense spike but
not at all conspicuous. Shorn of fragrance the Mignon-
ette would indeed be a very minor plant. Sow outdoors in
the sun rather early, for the bloom is late. You had best
thin the plants to stand ten to twelve inches apart.
Mignonette is a favorite for bouquets and in the garden
is often put to use to break up undesirable color combina-
tions. By a second sowing one may have bloom and fra-
grance till November. There is a fine dwarf form, var.
suffruticosa, which is also inclined to be somewhat woody*.
Florists own a number of named strains.

SUMMER 139

Flowering Raspberry

Rubus odoratus

The Flowering Raspberry, often miscalled the Mulberry,
will make a pretty semi-wild effect in a domestic garden.
This sub-shrub is vigorous, three to five feet high, with
shreddy bark and leaves somewhat like a Maple. The
flowers are in clusters, rosy purple, fragrant like single
Roses; the fruit edible but not desirable. It had best be
isolated on a lawn both because of its color and because
it seems to sap the strength of plants growing near it,
and is useful for planting in waste places. This Rasp-
berry grows rapidly from the root in rich soil, as its natural
habitat is along rich woods and shady banks. Buy small
plants and set out in the early spring.

Roses

General Introduction

No flower name brings to mind more beautiful or mora
varied pictures — pictures of the wild flower of the roadside
as well as of its more delicately reared cousins, the Rose of
the garden and the greenhouse ! The Rose has played its
part in history in the famous English Wars of the Roses.
In literature the references from Chaucer and Shakespeare
down the long line of poets are constant. The books on
Rose culture are legion, the possibilities of selection be-
wildering, the pitfalls all too many.

Yet any one with a little space, a little attention, and a
little patience may have Roses as beautiful as any planted
by high-priced landscape artists for indifferent million-

140 GARDEN FLOWERS

aires. If one wishes to start at first with only a small Rose
garden, where shall it be made? How tended? What
standard varieties had best be tried?

In selecting space for a Rose garden, find if possible a
site protected from cold winds and open to the sunlight
several hours a day. Deep, rich loam is wanted for all ex-
cept the Hybrid Teas, which can be grown in sandy,
gravelly soil. All Roses require good drainage. Arti-
ficial drainage can often be arranged with small stones or
gravel placed well under the top soil to carry off the excess
water. Mix the soil to the depth of a couple of feet a few
weeks before planting, using about one third well-rotted
manure. The general rule is to plant in the spring, though
some Roses may be planted safely in autumn. When
Rose stems are received from the greenhouse, see that the
roots are protected with burlap from the drying action of
the wind. Holes should be dug deep enough to permit
the roots to point downward and to slant outward. For
watering and weeding, beds should not be over five feet
wide and plants eighteen inches to two feet apart, accord-
ing to their spreading habit. A point in successful Rose
culture is to remember that the surface soil should be kept
raked loose during the growing season. When buying
Roses it is economy in the end to get only the best quality
of stock from thoroughly reliable dealers. A light mulch
had best be left on the raked surface of the Rose bed all
summer and in the winter a heavy three-inch covering of
rough manure. Keep the covering undisturbed as long as
possible, but avoid waiting until the sap is running freely.

The matter of pruning is quite important. All pruning
is best postponed until after February. The Hardy Roses,
both climbing and non-climbing, should be pruned first

SUMMER 141

and Tea varieties a little later. In pruning, first cut out all
dead wood and weak shoots ; then you must decide whether
you prefer a few Roses of superlative size or if you prefer
a greater quantity of smaller blossoms. Drastic pruning
will produce the former, and more lenient wielding of the
shears the latter.

Unfortunately, of all the ornamental garden plants the
Rose suffers most from insect pests, bane of the Rosarian,
important among which are the rose beetle and the rose
slug, the aphis, or green fly, the leaf hopper, and many
others. Rose manuals devote pages to the enumeration of
insecticides and fungicides, but the timid amateur may be
cheered with the thought that all these diseases seldom
come to any one garden and that many well-tended
vigorous Rose bushes run along for years with very few
"bug troubles."

Hybrid Perpetual Rose

Rosa gallica, etc.

The large group of Hybrid Perpetuals includes the old-
fashioned, large-flowered varieties that have made June
the Rose month of the year. They are all fairly hardy,
though they appreciate winter protection; but very few
are "perpetual" bloomers in America. Mostly, though
there are notable exceptions, they flower with us only in the
early summer. Hybrid Perpetuals generally have dull
green, wrinkled but not shiny foliage, and prickles gener-
ally strong and fairly abundant. These Roses had best
have good garden soil, rich and deep inclined to heavy, and
plenty of sunshine. To get larger and of course fewer
flowers prune down heavily after flowering season.

142 GARDEN FLOWERS

Frau Karl Druschki is snow-white of remarkable
vigor, attaining a height of over five feet the first year.
Louis Van Houtte, rather capricious but if once well
established a fine deep velvety red and very fragrant.
Paul Neyron is strong growing, almost equaling a Peony
in size and color. Very effective in masses, and profits
by hard pruning. Ulrich Brunner is cherry-red, Victor
Hugo a brilliant crimson.

The York and Lancaster Rose, petals striped red and
white, is a variety of the gallica Rose.

Tea Rose

Rosa odorata

Tea Roses, unsurpassed for delicate colorings, are the
tenderest of the Rose family. Pink, yellow, coppery
bronze are the most frequent colors; there are really no
dark reds; all are delicately tea scented. Foliage is
smooth and shiny. Prickles are moderately abundant, in
some varieties almost absent. Tea Roses require a very
rich soil thoroughly drained and winter protection except
in California and the Far South. Though somewhat
capricious growers, their almost continuous bloom makes
them well worth the time and pains taken in cultivation.
If heavily mulched they can be grown in the latitude of
New York.

Madame Jean Dupuy is a very fine reddish-yellow, an
abundant autumn bloomer. The buds are long and car-
ried on single stems. Maman Cochet is a pink Tea Rose,
full flowering and very desirable for cutting. This is con-
sidered perhaps the hardiest of all Teas. The bloom is
profuse, the growth spreading and rather low.

SUMMER 143

Hybrid Tea Rose

Rosa odorata hybrida

The Hybrid Tea, mainstay and joy of amateur Rosarians,
combines the merits of the Hybrid Perpetuals and the
true Teas, the brilliant colors and hardy character of the
one and the more delicate colors and continuous bloom of
the other. Foliage is slightly roughter than in the Teas and
wrinkled; prickles are generally large and strong, though
aot very abundant. Flowers are well formed with a large
number of petals and an elongated bud. They bloom con-
stantly. As a class they require less protection than the
Teas. New varieties are constantly being pushed into
notice but can hardly supersede the best known favorites.

Etoile de France is velvety crimson, continuous and free-
flowering, the brightest colored of all the very dark Roses.
The famous Killarney is pure pink with a white counter-
part in every way the same except the color. La France
is silvery pink with a tendency toward a bluish tinge and
very fragrant. Madame Ravary is deep apricot-yellow,
a decorative Rose of great merit. Prince de Bulgarie is
rosy flesh, shaded salmon, and orange.

Crimson Rambler Rose

Rosa multiflora

The Crimson Rambler, introduced into this country as
late as 1893, leaped immediately into popular favor, and
it is safe to say that more Ramblers have been sold for
outdoor cultivation than any other variety of Rose.
Crimson Ramblers are most commonly trained as climber*

144 GARDEN FLOWERS

for porches, trellises, archways, or over rustic posts. The
profuse trusses of bright crimson flowers make a brilliant
June picture and this Rose seems reasonably free from the
attack of insects except red spider. They grow with great
vigor in any well-manured soils. After flowering the old
canes should be cut out and the plant fed freely to encour-
age the young shoots which will produce next year's flowers.
The foliage should be frequently sprayed to avoid mildew.
From the Crimson Rambler as a parent there are contin-
ually being produced new varieties, often of the highest
merit.

Ramanas Rose

Rosa rugosa

Shrubby Roses have always been favorites for massing
and for landscape effects in mixed borders and shrubbery,
and in the less-cared-for parts of the garden. For this pur-
pose foliage is fully as important as bloom. R. rugosa
makes a bush five or six feet high, a favorite for orna-
mental hedges and for seaside planting. The thick, dark
green leaves are very attractive and the large, conspicuous
fruits, like small apples, are held well into winter. The
flower is purplish rose, or you may have, if you prefer, the
white variety, alba. This Rose makes a brave showing
on very light, very poor soil, Many charming hybrids of
this Rose will be found listed in catalogues.

Harison's Yellow Brier, a fine golden yellow, and W. C.
Egan, a R. Wichuraiana hybrid, light pink and nearly al-
ways in bloom, are often used as shrubbery Roses.
R. lucida, the native New England dwarf wild Rose, is
largely planted in Boston parks, making very attractive
displays both in the white and in the pink varieties.

SUMMER 145

Prairie Rose

Rosa setigera

The original Prairie Rose, of which there are several
improved garden varieties, grows wild in the Middle
Western States where it is often known as the Illinois
Rose. Of the hybrids, the Baltimore Belle, a fine double
Rose with light green foliage and creamy white blossoms,
is perhaps the best known. The Prairie Roses thrive over
a greater extent of territory than any other group. They
are rapid growing, flowering but once late in the season.
The foliage is five to seven leaflets, dark green, rough, and
large. The prickles are stout and generally numerous.
It is pleasant to be able to write that Prairie Roses are
absolutely hardy and not particular as to soil. Plant in
spring or autumn.

Memorial Rose

Rosa Wichuraiana

The Wichura Rose, also introduced in 1893, the same
year as the Crimson Rambler, hardy with pure white
single flowers and resplendent green foliage, is the type
Rose from which many charming hybrid Ramblers have
been, and are still being, produced. All the Wichuraiana
daughters may be quickly recognized by the glossy charac-
ter of the foliage. Dorothy Perkins, best known of pink
climbers, may be likened to a pink Crimson Rambler, but
is more elegant, with glossy foliage. All these trailing
Roses answer the requirements of the average American
garden better than many of the other types, and though

146 GARDEN FLOWERS

they will not be grown as flowers for cutting like older
varieties, they are already — both literally and figura-
tively— filling a large place in our gardens. It is not too
much to say that two Roses — the Crimson Rambler and
the Wichuraiana — have taught millions to learn that a
Rose garden is a possibility wherever there are a foot or
two of soil and a few rays of sunshine.

Salpiglossis

Salpiglossis sinuata

Salpiglossis is a rather unusual little annual on the order
of the Petunia, with most delicate aesthetic color schemes,
smoked pearl, amaranth, rose, burnished purple, delicate
buff among others, all with pencilings and flashes of deepew
color. The flowers are funnel-shaped with very open-
spreading throat. Tender annuals such as this had best
be started indoors early and transplanted outdoors in late
May. The plants are customarily placed no more than
six inches apart as the lower part of the stems has a bare
look. Salpiglossis will grow in any usual garden soil and
will bloom constantly from July on, unless the season be
too dry. This annual, though quite old, will still be a
novelty to many amateur gardeners and is well worth
trying.

Saxifrage

Saxifraga ligulata, etc.

The Saxifrages, some early but more midsummer bloom-
ing, are a large family of small, hardy, modest plants that
have their habitat in stony ground, clefts in rocks, or any*
whe?^ in thin soil; found mostly in the cold and temperate

SUMMER 147

regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The stalks rise
usually no more than two feet high. The foliage varies,
sometimes mossy, sometimes leathery-leaved, sometimes
silvery. The blossoms are all colors and the many tiny
seeds are usually enclosed in capsules. The leaves of some
of the European species are eaten as salad and the root is
used in medicine.

S. ligulata, a sturdy rock-garden plant not hardy as far
north as Boston, is commonly catalogued as Megasea
ligulata. Mother-of-Thousands, or Strawberry Geranium
(S. sarmentosa), is a great favorite as a window-box and pot
plant. The flowers are small, whitish pink, on a long
stalk. The Pyramidal Saxifrage (S. Cotyledon), the larg-
est and showiest of the family, grows to the height of
twenty inches with leaves in silvery rosettes and pyramidal
inflorescence of small white flowers.

London Pride

Saxifraga umbrosa

London Pride, Nancy Pretty, None-so-pretty, St.
Patrick's Cabbage — all these names sound at least like a
flower with a history. This Saxifrage is a little evergreen
edging plant, four inches high, with small summer white
flowers often dotted red, borne loosely on foot-long stalks.
London Pride thrives, even increases itself, in the cold
shade next to walls where few other plants will live. This
modest little Saxifrage has always been a prime favorite in
English cottage gardens, but has never been used in
America to any great extent. Try a few plants, if you
have a rock garden, selecting preferably a spot with half-
shade and well-drained soil. Set out young shoots allowing

148 GARDEN FLOWERS

between a space of ten inches. When the growth gets too
mat-like, they may be taken up and divided without harm.

Butterfly Flower

Schizanthus pinnatus

The Butterfly Flower, a native of Chile, seems to have
the fate of being grown mostly in pots indoors whereas it
is quite hardy for outdoor planting and one of the most
charming of variegated flowers. Colors range from white
through violet, lilac, and yellow, frequently with markings
which immediately suggest butterfly wings. Schizanthus
grows about two feet high and the general effect is one of
daintiness. Poor Man's Orchid is another name but not
so appropriate as the Butterfly Flower. A further reason
why this plant should be tried outdoors is that it will re-
quire no special care or richness of soil. Plant seed out-
doors in May and thin to stand six inches apart.

Steeplebush

Spiraea tomentosa

Steeplebush, or Hardhack, is a late-blooming Spiraea
with flowering season from July to September. The pretty
little rosy-pink flowers are densely arranged in rather stiff
terminal spikes. They blossom from the apex downward
and before the lower blossoms begin to open the upper
have already faded to a light brown. The plant reaches
four feet in height with upright brown branches and leaves
woolly on the under surface. This late bloomer should be
planted in low moist ground and looks best in fair-sized
groups and masses. Unlike most of the members of the

SUMMER 149

family it does not sucker. Steeplebush is somewhat simi-
lar to Meadow Sweet and is often found growing near it in
low moist ground and along the sides of hillside pastures.
If you have a wild tangle in one corner of your garden,
there will be the place for this Spiraea. May be propa-
gated by seeds or cuttings but much more easily by a small
shrub from a nurseryman.

Great Sea Lavender

Statice latifolia

The Great Sea Lavender grows about two feet high,
sending up flower spikes from a tuft of rather coarse leaves.
The large heads of mauve-colored, mist-like bloom form a
fine combination with August-flowering Phloxes. The
bloom is in June and July and the dried flowers may be
kept indefinitely. Statice likes a deep, loose, sandy soil
in full sun and is one of those plants that do best if not dis-
turbed. The effect of the mist-like flower clusters may be
brought out in fine shape in a rockery. The plant is not
so frequently used in borders. Start indoors in February
and transplant outside in May, allowing at least a foot be-
tween plants.

Marigold

Tagetes erecta, T. patula

The old-fashioned yellow African Marigold brings the
glitter of sunshine into the garden and into the house, too,
where few flowers are its equal in lighting up dull rooms.
The colors range from rich orange to pale lemon and the
pungent bloom from August till frost. The flowers are
compact solid masses of bloom up to two and a half inchca

150 GARDEN FLOWERS

in diameter, on a freely branching shrub-like bush two feet
high. The old-fashioned T. erecta never was difficult to
raise and produces the best blossoms with plenty of sun
and good rich soil. Sow about four inches apart and thin
to twelve or eighteen inches, as they need space.

The French dwarf Marigold T. patula, growing round
twelve inches in height, makes an excellent border plant
and a very fine combination with Sweet Alyssum. In
color yellowish to red brown, this dwarf has darker foliage
and a velvety look uncommon in a Marigold. The seed
may be planted outdoors in May or started in pots indoors
to induce earlier bloom. T. signata is still another good
dwarf form, but has single yellow flowers.

Trumpet Vine

Tecoma radicans

The Trumpet Creeper is a great boisterous vine best
planted where bold striking effects are desired. It climbs
by aerial rootlets and will cling to wood and stone. The
Trumpet Vine is generally considered the best orange-red-
flowered vine for arbors and rough places. This vine
flowers only in spots turned toward the sun. The blos-
soms are trumpet-shaped, four to six inches long, in loose
clusters, lasting usually from June till September. As
might be anticipated, it may be planted in all sorts of soils
and will triumph over all sorts of conditions.

Wishbone Flower

Torenia Fournieri

The Wishbone Flower is an annual edging plant with
yellow, blue, and purple flowers on the order of the Pansy.

SUMMER 151

The foliage is dark green, becoming bushy and compact.
The plant grows ten to twelve inches high, and the flowers
are funnel-shaped and two-lipped in terminal racemes.
They have nearly all the Pansy shades and bloom from
July to October. The plants had best be started indoors
in March with a covering of very light soil. Transplant
to the open as soon as the ground is warm, spacing to
stand a couple of inches apart. Torenia has no special
soil requirements to worry over and will grow in sun or
shade. There is a fine, large-flowered, free-blooming
variety, grandifiora.

White Clover

Trifolium repens

The ubiquitous White or Dutch Clover of the roadsides
is often brought into the garden where with a little at-
tention the plant will grow so large and luxurious as to
astonish the casual visitor "who is not in on the secret."
Clover is also valuable for enriching poor pieces of soil for
future use. The stems, it hardly seems necessary to say,
are creeping and the leaves three-parted. The Red Clover
makes a good combination with the White. The Crimson
Clover (T. incarnatum) is very handsome, the stem rising
one to three feet high and the flowers varying from crimson
to scarlet.

Blazing Star

Tritonia crocosmaeflora

Blazing Star, also known as Montbretia, has gay color
and decorative habit, qualities much sought for in the late
summer garden. The flowers are orange-scarlet and star-

152 GARDEN FLOWERS

like on long graceful spikes from slender, much-branching
stems three to four feet high. The leaves are tall, narrow,
and stiff, springing from the ground. The bulb is half-
hardy south of New York and will survive the winter even
in the North with a proper amount of protection. But
it is best in the North to winter indoors in dampish
earth and replant in the spring. Plant outdoors fairly
early in rich, well-drained soil in full sunlight. There are
a number of modern named varieties offering a charming
selection of color.

Tall Nasturtium

Tropaeolum majus

The Nasturtium is another cottage flower considered too
commonplace for city parks and great gentlemen's estates,
but affectionately abbreviated to "sturshun" by many
generations of small garden lovers. T. majus is a trailing
species, reaching a length under favorable circumstances
of twenty feet or more. Plant outdoors in April an inch
deep and six inches apart; bloom should be forthcoming
in June. Keep the flowers well picked and give plenty of
climbing support. It will not endure frost.

The possibilities of the Nasturtium as a cover for stone
walls or corners of a backyard should not be overlooked.
Indoors, arranged just as they are with stems, disk-like
glaucous leaves and seed vessels attached, they are won-
derful brighteners of dark houses and dull north rooms.

The Dwarf Nasturtium (T. minus) with familiar scarlet,
yellow, maroon blossoms, making dense masses of leaf and
bloom, hardly needs mention.

These plants are popularly called Nasturtium because of

BACHELOR'S BUTTON 'CORN FLOWKRj Centaurea cyanus

DELPH INI UM — Delphinium formosum

VI*rJ •

CARNATION Dianthus caryophyllu.i

F U C H S I A — Fuchsia speciosa

GLAD I GUIS- Gladiolus hybrid us

.vX ^

W

H ELIOTROPE Heliotr opium peruvianum

HYDRANGEA— Hydrangea paniculata

SWEET PEAS - Lathy ru s odoratu

SM I LAX — Asparagus mcdeoloides

CAMELLIA — Camellia japonica

■ ■ " ■ ■'

1

CINERARIA Cineraria hybrid a

POINSETT 1 \ Euphorbia pukherrima

FREESIA -Freeaia refracta

EASTER LILY — Lilium longiflorum

NIGHT-BLOOMING CEREUS Hylocerevs

( ALL A LILY Richurdiu aethiopirn

SUMMER 153

the peppery flavor of the leaf. The Watercress is the true
Nasturtium.

Canary Bird Flower

Tropaeolum peregrinum

The Canary Bird Flower is a vine that loves to ramble,
peering here and there over a rustic fence, climbing a
trellis, or creeping up an old tree stump. The vine may
be drooped over window boxes, but it never seems as
vigorous as when given opportunity to climb. This is re-
puted our best yellow-flowered annual of its sort, attaining
twenty feet in a hot sunny location on dry ground and
often in bloom from July until frost. The leaves are five-
lobed and the odd-shaped flowers canary-yellow. This is
not a showy vine but very advantageous for spots where
quick growth is desired. Sow indoors in February and
transplant after danger of frost is over.

Tunica

Tunica Saxifraga

T. Saxifraga is the only one of the Tunicas grown in
this country. The flowers are small, pink or purplish
pink, not striking but very dainty. When in bloom Tunica
presents something of the appearance of the Gypsophila.
The leaves are also small, dark green, and persistent,
forming a tufted, spreading mat. Tunica grows six to
ten inches high, blossoming from late June through
August, and is customarily used for edging and in rock
gardens. Propagate by seed or by division indoors or
outdoors. Growth will be excellent in all soils except per-

154 GARDEN FLOWERS

haps one that is poorly drained. There are a half-dozen
Tunicas native of Europe.

Valerian

Valeriana officinalis

Common Valerian, or Garden Heliotrope, has minute,
pinkish-gray clusters of flowers with a spicy odor that
will scent the whole garden in June. The stems are two
to five feet high, downy and branching; the leaves com-
pound, showy, fragrant, and persistent. Valerian spreads
rapidly, tending to form large clumps, and looks well natur-
alized along the edge of shrubbery. This is not a capri-
cious plant and will obtain satisfactory growth in most sorts
of poor, unimproved soils. Plenty of sunlight is advisable.
Plant outdoors in May, allowing generous space between
plants. Large old clumps may be divided without injury

in the early spring.

Speedwell

Veronica longifolia, etc.

The Speedwells are a family, small in size though not in
numbers, widely distributed over the temperate zones.
V. longifolia, one of the most charming of border plants,
has small, intense lavender-blue flowers in numerous,
showy, slender spikes rising above vigorous, leafy stems.
The leaves are saw-edged, narrow-pointed, green, persist-
ent. This Speedwell does best in deep, rich loam. Start
indoors in February and set out young plants in May, at
least a foot apart. Summer blooming.

V. incana, or Hoary Speedwell, another striking though
smallish flower, has rich blue blossoms in many graceful,
slender spikes three to six inches long, borne on branching

SUMMER 155

leafy stems often eighteen inches high. The leaves, two or
three inches in length, are rather narrow and pointed,
downy, grayish green. This species has a fresh, trim ap-
pearance both in and out of bloom. Likes a sandy soil
and plenty of sun. Summer blooming.

V, repens, sl little creeper, develops a dense mass of
shining green, moss-like foliage. It will grow where grass
will not, and in May is covered with tiny blue flowers.

V. rupestris, the Rock Speedwell, also spring blooming,
is very well liked for edging on account of its dense foliage
habits and profusion of bloom, growing only four inches
high.

There is also a variety of V. longifolia known as subses-
silis which produces fine, high sapphire spikes of flowers
from August to October. So with one variety or another
the Speedwells manage to spread over most of the outdoor
season.

Wayfaring Tree

Viburnum Lantana

The frequently seen Wayfaring Tree has white blossoms
in dense cymes with showy white rays along the margin.
This Viburnum blooms in May and June, often growing
twenty feet high and more. The fruit is a striking red
berry that slowly fades to black, remaining on the tree till
well into winter. The Wayfaring Tree is a favorite for
dry and limestone soils and is no exception to the general
statement that all the Viburnums are hardy, satisfactory
growers. This species may be started from seed sown in
the autumn, a process hardly to be recommended on ac-
count of its slowness, or from greenwood cuttings, but it
is best to buy plants from a nursery.

156 GARDEN FLOWERS

Japanese Snowball

Viburnum tomentosum 'plenum

The Japanese Snowball blooms later and is more effec-
tive generally for specimen purposes than the old-fashioned
common Snowball. The flower heads are rounder and
cleaner, the leaves crinkled and a deeper green. Alto-
gether, the Japanese Snowball may well be esteemed the
best white, large-flowered summer shrub. This Snowball
grows from eight to ten feet high under favorable circum-
stances and may be trained quite effectively over walls.
Cuttings may be taken and the young shrubs set out in the
early spring in any good garden soil. The Snowball will
be effective with shrubbery or by itself as a specimen on
a lawn. There is an excellent variation, rotundifolium,
which is particularly attractive, flowering two weeks
earlier.

Pansy

Viola tricolor

The Pansy is one of those flowers that come to our
gardens laden with many names and a weight of much tra-
dition. Shakespeare was familiar with "Love-in-idleness,"
another good Pansy name, and we may infer from a ref-
erence in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" that the Pansy
was a "western" flower and a component of love potions.
The English wild mountain Pansy is purple and pale
yellow. Heart's Ease, Love-in-idleness, Johnny Jump-up,
and Ladies' Delight are all well-accredited names for this
best known of flowers.

Quantity of bloom, wonderful range of color, the velvety

SUMMER 157

texture of the darker shades, are among the fine points of
the Pansy. Standard colors are purple, yellow, blue; the
variations are countless. The Pansy bed had best be
arranged in cool, deep loam and in partial shade. Start
seeds indoors in a seed pan in March and transplant in the
garden in May. Another plan is to sow in August and
cover over the thinned plants with a light protection of
leaves. The next season you should have luxuriant bloom.
Pansies run out quickly unless care be taken to renew old
stock.

V. cornuta, known as the Horned Violet and also as the
Bedding or Tufted Pansy, has smaller flowers with longer
range of bloom. After July, cut back, manure heavily,
water often. Plants should be in fine shape for September
bloom.

Monk's Pepper Tree

Vitex agnus-castus

Monk's Pepper Tree, Chaste Tree, or Hemp Tree, is an
aromatic shrub belonging more strictly to tropical and
subtropical regions than to the temperate zones. The
flowers are bluish lilac, quite effective, and the leaves
grayish in color and generally star-shaped. The shrub
blooms late for its type. The height varies considerably
according to locality, but is most likely to be around six to
eight feet. Any soil will do, but a rather dry sunny situa-
tion is much to be preferred. If possible, buy a small
shrub and set out in the spring. This will bring much
quicker results than the slow process of raising from seeds
or cuttings. The Chaste Tree may be planted in a shel-
tered spot as far north as New York with the reasonable
anticipation that it will be found hardy.

158 GARDEN FLOWERS

Immortelles

Xeranthemum annuum

The double-flowered Immortelle has a rather somber
old-fashioned look. This annual grows about two feet tall
and the flower heads are violet and purple, rather Aster-
like in appearance. The showy parts are the stiff bracts,
which as cut flowers will last all winter. This Immortelle
is easily raised and is very attractive grown with perennial
Grasses. Seeds may be sown in early May in the open,
or to get a better start, indoors in February. The plant,
a native of the Mediterranean regions, is grown quite com-
monly in European gardens but less frequently in thi*
country,

AUTUMN

AUTUMN

Japanese Maple

Acer palmatum

The Japanese Maple, with fine deeply lobed leaves,
growing into low specimens no higher than twenty feet, is
a very handsome, distinctive shrub for foregrounds, for
planting near houses, and in the rock garden. The color
a! the leaf is various yellow, purple, scarlet, giving excellent
choice of varieties. The Japanese Maple needs well-
drained, rich soil and partial shade. The varietal names
are descriptive of the plant. Thus: palmatum has a
divided leaf; atropurpurea is deep purple red, etc.

Autumn Aconite

Aconitum autumnale

Autumn Aconite, with vigorous but not so open bloom,
is a very timely successor to the summer Aconites or
Monkshoods. The growth is from three to five feet, the
flowers blue, lilac, whitish, holding on from September to
November; the foliage finely divided, dark and handsome.
This perennial is sometimes exasperatingly slow in estab-
lishing itself, but when it once has a good footing you need
give yourself no further concern over your Autumn Aconite
for a number of years. Aconite will thrive in sun or shade,
but the flowers seem to last longer in shady spots. Rich,

161

162" GARDEN FLOWERS

moist soil is preferable. Plants require a foot of space in
the garden. Growth for seed is very slow and it is better
to set out young plants if procurable. A new species from
China, A. Wilsoni, grows five to six feet with violet-blue
flowers. This is considered the hardiest of all Aconites.

Silver Sweet Vine

Actinidia arguta, A. polygama

This best of arbor vines has attractive dark green leaveSi
quite tough, with reddish petioles. The vine twines but
does not cling. The flowers are greenish white in June
followed by yellow fruit with fig-like flavor. The Silver
Sweet is remarkably free from insects and fungi and is
easily increased by seeds, cuttings, and layers. A. poly-
gama, flowering in July, is a lighter green, quite silvery
above the middle of the leaf; grows more slenderly and is
not so vigorous a climber. It possesses a great fascination
for cats who will very quickly play havoc with young
plants if opportunity be given them. Both species may
be grown without difficulty in all sorts of soils and are
very satisfactory as vines for arbors and trellises.

Hollyhock

Althaea rosea

The Hollyhocks stood like sentinels before the doors of
the first houses of the Plymouth Bay Colony. Nowadays
we see them mostly in bold masses amongst shrubbery
where, while they last, they are most effective. Holly-
hocks grow from six to eight feet high and are among our
tallest flower-garden plants. The flowers are rose, pink,

AUTUMN 163

white, pale yellow, madder-purple, in single and double
varieties. These biennials or perennials are unfortunately
subject to disease which has caused them to be less fre-
quently planted than formerly. To get bloom the first
year start indoors in February, transferring the seedlings
promptly in early May. The plants like deep, fertile
soil, but rank manure is not safe and the ground had best
be prepared quite a little while before planting. Allow
about two feet of space per plant, and always cover the
Hollyhock bed over winter with leaves held in place by
branches. The yellow and white fig-leaved Hollyhocks
(A. ficifolia) have a widening circle of admirers and look
well beside the older varieties.

Pearly Everlasting

Gnaphalium margaritaceum

This prettiest of Everlastings is no doubt still used for
decorating mantelpieces in the parlors of h/ >uses in remote
and backwoods districts. Pearly Everlasting grows two
or three feet high. The leaves are alternate, green and
downy on the upper surface, woolly below. The little
flower heads are formed of many dry, pearly white, over-
lapping scales enclosing a tuft of numerous fuzzy yellow
tubular florets. This is the common Everlasting found
growing wild on dry hillsides and recent clearings. In the
garden this white effect of late summer will appear sur-
prisingly well against a background of border plants. It
is entirely hardy and no garden soil is likely to be too poor
for it. Sometimes it runs into the lawn and becomes a
weed.

164 GARDEN FLOWERS

Japanese Anemone

Anemone japonica

Anemones in the autumn may seem a mere /reak of
nature to the uninitiated, but the Japanese Anemone, or
Windflower, which is to be found more frequently every
year in our gardens, blooms gloriously from August till
hard frost. The flowers are usually rose or white, two
or three inches across, and the bloom is prolific in Septem-
ber. The leaves, generally in clumps at the bottom of the
plant, are much lobed and quite decorative. This visitor
from over seas likes partial shade and cool, loose, moist, rich
soil. The plants had best be covered over winter and they
do not like to be transplanted in the autumn. Drought
in early midsummer will affect the bloom. The Japanese
I Anemone is chiefly to be seen in clumps amid shrubbery or
under trees. There is much choice of named varieties,
both single and double.

The Snowdrop Anemone (A. sylvestris), a white flower,
will give similar bloom in summer if planted in the spring.
Like most of its kin it also prefers half shade. The Wind-
flower (A. nemorosa) is a late spring and early summer
bloomer with solitary white or white-tinged purple flowers
like small single Roses. These natives of woods and mead-
ows are easily coaxed into wild home gardens and wili
make a brave showing in any good garden soil in partial

shade.

Hercules' Club

Aralia spinosa

Hercules' Club, also called the Devil's Walking Stick, is
a shrub oddity with twisted, club-like branches that stand

AUTUMN 165

out grotesquely in winter. It grows some forty feet high
with fine white-clustered flowers in August, and later
black berries much relished by the birds. The leaves are
large, pinnate; the stems armed with vigorous spines.
Hercules' Club is quite tropical looking and is just the
choice for those who want "something a little different."

True Goat's Beard

Aruncus astilboides

True Goat's Beard is often mistaken for the False
(Astilbe decandra) and both True and False are often mis-
taken for Spiraeas. They are not greatly different one
from another and either is well worth growing for bold,
massive, half-wild effects and especially for connecting the
flower garden with shrubbery. True Goat's Beard is a
perennial growing about two feet high with graceful
panicles of minute whitish flowers rising on long, slender,
forking spikes. There is a companion form, A. Sylvester.
growing wild in woods but not so trim and graceful. The
plants need about eighteen inches of space each. They
should be grown without difficulty and increased by divi-
sion of the roots.

Butterfly Weed

Asclepias tuber osa

The Butterfly Weed in full bloom is the handsomest of
the Milkweeds and one of the most gorgeous bits of color
of the garden. The flowers are large, fragrant clusters of
brilliant orange, more rarely yellow, carried on erect stems
two to three feet high, but after blooming the plant had

166 GARDEN FLOWERS

best be cut down or hidden by shrubbery. Pleurisy Weed
and Orange Mullein Weed are perhaps the best known of
the other numerous popular names this plant has gathered
to itself. The stalks are stout and hairy, only thinly
provided with the milk that is characteristic of the Milk-
weeds. The seed pods are also more slender than those
of the common Milkweed and no more than one or two
are produced at a time. As might be anticipated from the
name, Asclepias in full bloom is surrounded by such hordes
of butterflies and flying insects as to be called the Butter-
flies' Mecca. Transplant from the wild either early in
spring or after flowering is over in September. This is
one of the plants that do well in dry banks and fields in
full sunlight. If you bring along a little of the soil with
which the plant was surrounded, success will be doubly
sure.

Aster

Various species

The Windflower and the Violet, they perished long ago,
And the Brier-rose and the Orchis died amid the summer glow;
But on the hills the Golden Rod and the Aster in the wood,
And the yellow Sunflower by the brook, in autumn beauty stood.

— Bryaot.

The Hardy Aster, or Michaelmas Daisy, as it is called
in England, is par excellence the September flower. The
hardy Asters adapt themselves with supreme grace to
domestic gardens; a beautiful autumn garden would in-
deed be difficult to draw up without their aid. It seems
extraordinary to think that great, showy, delicately tinted
varieties have all sprung from the little country Aster that
mingles happily enough with the Golden Rod and the

AUTUMN 167

Ferns by dusty roadsides. The Hardy Asters — there are
several hundred species — show considerable ranges of
color from white to dark purple and including bright rosy
lilac, pink, rose, crimson, pale blue, and violet. The
colors are not vivid and dazzling, but commonly rich,
warm, and harmonious with a tawny subdued glow both
arresting and appealing. On large estates borders are
sometimes made up almost entirely of Asters, and every
carefully planned home garden should have a corner at
least of these indispensable, daisy-like flowers.

They will grow under practically all soil conditions and
will come through the severest winters unharmed. Old
clumps should be broken up and separated, as the increase
is rapid, the plants becoming untidy and unmanageable.
While they do well on all soils, they will naturally grow
taller and flower over a longer period if planted in deep,
rich, moist ground.

A. amellus is a small, free-blooming Aster good for neat,
restricted areas ; grows from two to three feet tall, is thor-
oughly reliable, offers the maximum of bloom to the
square inch. The leaves are oblong, lanceolate, the flowers
purple in fine large heads. The dwarf Aster (A. alpinus)
is spring-blooming.

The New England Aster and the New York Aster {A.
novae-angliae and A. novi-belgi) are conspicuous tall, loose-
growing species. The New England Aster in particular
grows as high as eight feet on good moist soil with plenty
of sunlight. The flowers are in heads, the ray flowers
purple, white, blue, pink, lavender, the disk flowers yellow,
often changing to purple. The New York Aster is a more
slender-growing plant with violet-colored flowers. These
may be started from seed indoors in February or planted

168 GARDEN FLOWERS

outdoors in August for the following season's bloom. In
this case thin in September so that the little plants stand
six inches apart and have the bed carefully covered over
winter. The New York Aster in particular has some very
attractive named varieties: roseus, clear rose color with
yellow center; F. W. Burbidge, light pinkish lavender with
yellow or brownish centers ; and Top Sawyer, clear Parma-
violet blue with yellow or brownish-yellow center.

The Smooth Asters {A. laevis) with sky-blue flowers are
among the best of the family for dry soils and dry wood-
lands, and may be easily naturalized by merely scattering
seeds. There is also a white variety excellent for late
bloom.

A. cordifolius and A. patens are among the finest of the
wild species. A. cordifolius, the common blue Wood Aster,
has been greatly improved under cultivation. In the wild
this Aster is very spreading, bushy, small-flowered, grow-
ing from one to five feet high in partly shaded roadsides
and thickets from early August often until the first snow-
fall. A. patens has fine blooming qualities; twenty or
thirty showy rays of a deep rich violet surround the yellow
purple-stained center of disk flowers which are set in
pleasing green cups of overlapping parts. The rays close
inward with recurved tips at night.

The Bouquet Star-Flower (A. ptarmicoides) is a dwarf
variety of neat, upright habit with small, pure white, star-
shaped flowers in great profusion. The foliage is finely
cut and dainty. The individual flowers are not so full or
well formed as in some Asters, but the thickness with
which they cover the plant makes up for their thinness in
detail. This prime favorite prefers dry, loamy soil and,
transplanted into the garden, should be given a dry or at

AUTUMN 169

least a well-drained soil. If native Asters are to be found
in near-by woods or fields, it is much better to transplant
than to grow from seed.

A. grandiflorus is the latest of the hardy Asters to come
into bloom. The flowers do not appear till late in Septem-
ber. They will continue to bloom till really severe winter
sets in. The flowers are large, dark bluish violet and
starlike, with yellow centers borne freely on bushy plants
two or three feet tall.

The White Heath Aster {A. ericoides), the last Aster the
limits of our space will allow us to mention, has masses of
small white, bluish, lavender-gray, or pinkish mauve
blossoms in September. White Heath also "owns up to'*
a long list of popular names, including Frost-weed, Fare-
well Summer, Dog Fennel, Mare's Tail, Scrub Brush, and
White Rosemary. This is an Aster for a dry soil. The
little white flowers scattered over the bushy plant look
like frost particles.

False Chamomile

Boltonia latisquama

False Chamomile with lilac flowers in late July through
September is a flower for bold, wild effects, very attractive
in rough places or at the back of borders. The flowers are
Wge, Aster-like, with yellow centers, carried in profusion
on tall, much-branching stems. The foliage is bright
green, oval, pointed. False Chamomile differs from the
Asters only in technical characteristics. The plant in the
woods grows no more than four feet tall, but often six and
eight in cultivation. False Chamomile blooms profusely
and will not require staking. For a plant whose natural

170 GARDEN FLOWERS

habitat is moist ground, it will do astonishingly well on
light dry soil; but of course the richest growth will only be
obtained under more favorable circumstances. Division
of the roots is the best method of propagation. Another
Boltonia (B. asteroides), also called False Chamomile, has
white, pink, or purplish flowers that come earlier.

Shrubby Calceolaria

Calceolaria integrifolia

Calceolaria, or Slipperwort, is a low, shrubby, evergreen
plant whose blossoms are somewhat the shape of a pouch
or slipper. The leaves are large and close-growing; the
flowers, abundant and showy, yellow. It grows about
two to six feet high and, as our summers are not suited
to the outdoor growing of this South American importation,
is more of a greenhouse and indoor plant with us. The
Calceolarias of the florists are hybrids of allied herbaceous
species and are variously colored yellow, brown, maroon,
mottled and spotted. Sow the seeds in rich soil, in pots
or pans, during early June in a greenhouse; they need not
be covered, merely sprinkled over the top of the soil.
Shift to small pots and then larger as occasion requires.

French Mulberry

Callicarpa purpurea, C. japonica

The French Mulberry has pretty pink flowers in July,
but is grown rather for its lilac-violet fruits which persist
in dense clusters well into winter. C. purpurea grows
three to four feet high, not quite so high as the American

AUTUMN 171

species (C americana). Choose a spot with good sunlight
but if possible sheltered from heavy winds. Sandy loam
is desirable but not at all essential. Callicarpa must have
some winter covering, but will spring up from roots ap-
parently dead and flower the same season.

The Japanese species (C. japonica) is extremely orna-
mental and hardy. The flowers in pinkish or whitish
cymes are succeeded by the shrub's great attraction, large,
purple, drupe-like fruits.

China Aster

Callistephus hortensis

The China Aster is one of the most satisfactory of the
none too many survivors of the old-fashioned garden
flowers. More modern improvements of forms and col-
ors have been made on this charming annual than per-
haps on any other of the Daisy family. There are many
desirable types: some tall and branching; some pyramidal
in shape; some with overlapping, recurved petals; others
with narrow, twisted petals. The prettiest tints are
shell-pink, pale lavender, white, and strong purple.
China Asters had best be started indoors, or in a frame, and
transplanted to the open only after all danger of frost is past.
Although seed may be sown in the open for late bloom
they prefer a light loam, deeply dug and well manured,
and must always be watered in times of drought. If
early, midsummer, and late-blooming strains are planted,
one may have a succession of bloom till frost. The plants
show a tendency to rust; for this rapid growth and well*
cultivated soil are the best of antidotes.

172 GARDEN FLOWERS

Canna

Carina indica

Everybody knows the Canna, most frequently seen in
circular beds in parks and in the centers of lawns. You
may have Cannas without difficulty if you wish to grow
them and if you do not think this tropical-looking flower
has not been somewhat overplanted. The modern large-
flowered varieties are wonderful improvements on the old-
time Indian Shot, as it was called. The truth is that the
Cannas give bold, brilliant color effects, but it is exces-
sively difficult to reconcile them with most of our northern
flowers. Perhaps the best that can be done — a variation
at least from the eternal circular bed — is to make one iso-
lated corner devoted to tropical effects, with Bamboo, Eu-
lalia, and tall decorative Grasses.

The Cannas grow from two to six feet high, with red,
pinkish, pale yellow, and nearly white flowers from August
till frost. The flowers are in branching spikes above large
sheathing leaves. Cannas like a rich moist soil with plenty
of water. They are sensitive to chill and must not be
planted till the ground is well warmed; and the roots
must be wintered indoors.

Blue Spiraea

Caryopteris incana

Blue Spiraea you will certainly wish to bear in mind, if
for no other reason than that it is the only blue-flowered
shrub of late summer and autumn. The flowers are
iavender-blue conical spikes somewhat suggesting the
Larkspur, blossoming in August and September. The

AUTUMN 173

shrub grows from three to four feet high, dying to the
ground at the close of each season. Blue Spiraea does well
along the sea coast and in sandy soil generally. The
shrub may be bought and set out early in the spring; or
seed sown in the autumn and protected over winter should
produce good growth with the advent of mild, balmy
weather. It grows easily, too, from cuttings of "half-
opened wood" in summer or fall. This fine blue is most
effective at the back of the flower border or massed with
other shrubs.

Cupid's Dart

Catananche caerulea

Cupid's Dart, which seems by name at least a flower with
a history and a long and honorable past, is a pretty, well-
behaved perennial with a blossom like a blue Daisy. The
plant grows about two feet high; the flowers are blue-rayed,
measuring two inches across, borne on long slender stems.
Cupid's Dart is easily grown anywhere and will do aston-
ishingly well on light, thin soil. Plants may be started
from seed or old roots. The bicolor variety has flowers oi
blue center with white margin, and alba is all white. The
flowers in olden time were much used dried, as Ever-
lastings.

New Jersey Tea

Ceanothus americanus

New Jersey Tea, Red-root, or Wild Snowball, is said to
have been used by American soldiers in the Revolutionary
War when other supplies failed, for brewing tea. It is a
shrub, late-blooming and very free-flowering, a member
of the Buckthorn family. The numerous tiny white or

174 GARDEN FLOWERS

cream-white flowers are densely crowded into oblong, ter-
minal clusters. The astringent, reddish roots possess
some medicinal qualities and also yield a brown dye. New
Jersey Tea ranges wild from Ontario and Manitoba to
Florida and Texas in dry open woods. Somewhat the
same type of situation should be picked out in the home
garden or grounds. The plant will grow three feet in
height with profuse bloom from July to September.
There are many attractive hybrids under the general
name Ceanothus hybridus, having flowers in various shades

of blue.

Bittersweet

Celastrus scandens

Bittersweet is a native vine of rapid growth with bright
orange-red berries that hold their own even amid the bright*
est of the bright hues of autumn. By contrary, the blosv
soms in June are altogether inconspicuous. Bittersweet
attains a height, or rather length, of some twenty feet, ad-
vancing vigorously along whatever solid is within reach of
its tendrils. The leaves drop off early leaving the fruit
exposed. The berries are in an orange-colored pod
which, when ripe, bursts open in three divisions. The
vine seems to grow indifferently in either sun or shade and
may be started from seed, layer, or root cuttings. A
Japanese species, C. orbiculatus, grows more vigorously
but the fruits are hidden till very late by the foliage.

Cockscomb

Celosia cristata, C. plumosa

The Cockscomb makes fine masses of color in red, scarlet,
salmon and old gold, but is not a very attractive plant

AUTUMN 175

otherwise. The flower heads grow into a monstrosity
somewhat of the appearance of a rooster's crest, eight to
twelve inches across in various shades of color from crimson
to orange and creamy white. Cockscomb, of which you
probably will not wish any great amount, is mostly seen in
borders and occasionally in beds by itself. Sow indoors
and transplant into any available garden soil, one that is
moist being preferred. Moisture either natural or arti-
ficial must be provided. The crested and the plumed or
feathery are the two main types. The feathered (grown as
C. pyramidalis) grows from two to three feet in height,
much higher than the crested, and is on the whole more
satisfactory for general garden use.

Plumbago

Ceratostigma plumbaginoide?

Plumbago, perhaps more commonly known as Blue
Leadwort, is the finest low-growing blue perennial for
autumn mass effects. The flowers are a fine cobalt blue
and the bloom will run through September and October.
They somewhat resemble Phlox in form and are great
favorites for bedding plants. The flowers are small, pro-
fusely borne in dense heads on shrubby, branching red
stems. The plants will produce their finest, deepest blue
in a warm light soil with full sun.

The shrubby Plumbago (Plumbago capensis) is a climb-
ing shrub in South Africa and California, a greenhouse
plant in the eastern United States. This Plumbago may
be put outdoors in early summer and will produce fine,
deep blue flowers up to frost. There is also a white variety
of this but hardly of the attractiveness of the type flower. ,

176 GARDEN FLOWERS

Pyrethrum

Chrysanthemum coccineum

The Pyrethrum, also called the Colored Daisy, is a
favorite of old-fashioned gardens that in recent years has
been more grown in England and on the Continent than
with us. The plants are single or double with color range
from white to pink, to scarlet and to lilac. The leaves are
finely cut, the blossoms terminal and solitary on stalks
eighteen inches high, the ray flowers are usually red.
Pyrethrums had best be started indoors in midwinter.
The plants should be set near the front of borders as they
are close, neat dwarf growers. In fairly dry soil set out
eighteen inches apart; in rich, deep moist soil as much as
thirty inches. Ground should be dug deeply and manured
well. If the foliage rots in midsummer cut it away un-
sparingly The roots lie close to the surface and the plants
cannot stand too much sun

Chrysanthemum

Chrysanthemum hortorum

Volumes have been written on the Chrysanthemum;
the number of named varieties is legion; the flower is
generally conceded to be the most important of the late-
blooming plants of the garden.

The hardy garden Chrysanthemums are single, semi-
double, or double flowers varying in size from over two
inches to no more than a quarter of that, and in color from
pure white, pale yellow, and pink, through orange and
red to bronze and dark, deep crimson. The stems are
two and three feet high, the leaves deeply cut and lobed

AUTUMN 177

The Chrysanthemum bloom is the most resistant to frost
of any garden flower and is often in bloom even after the
first fall of snow. Unfortunately the large-flowered, show
Chrysanthemums seen in florists' windows are unattain-
able without skilled personal attention, but there are
plenty of varieties well suited to gardens, most of which
may be wintered outdoors if provided with light covering.
The plants should grow easily and increase in size from ye°,r
to year without any great attention. Cuttings taker. in
the spring and early summer root easily. By pinching
back the growth till the end of May, plants can be made
quite bushy, developing often an extraordinary number of
flowers. The hardiest garden varieties are known as
Pompon Chrysanthemums, and all are crosses and strains
of C. indicum and C. morifolium (sinense). Chrysanthe-
mums show great diversity of form but are mostly sepa-
rated into well-defined types among which are the single,
resembling a Daisy; the double quilled; the double with
expanded rays; and the reflexed. The greenhouse and
florists' Chrysanthemums are commonly of the types des-
ignated as Incurved, Japanese (the most popular decora-
tive sort), Reflexed, and Large Anemone.

Clematis

Clematis recta, C. heracleaefolia, etc.

When the wild Clematis comes, with
her wealth of tangled blooms reach-
ing up and drooping low.

In September, when most of the summer flowers have
come and gone, the sprays of white or purple Clematis trail
over rocks and fences or swing lightly from the tops of

178 GARDEN FLOWERS

shrubs. In the cities and in suburban towns the culti-
vated varieties riot over veranda, trellis, and arbor.
Wherever it grows, exquisite, airy grace belongs to the
Clematis.

White Bush Clematis (C. recta) is the Common Bush
Clematis of southern Europe, with fragrant flowers an
inch across in dense corymbs borne two to three feet high
o^ erect leafy stems. This charming perennial is un-
fortunately very susceptible to drought and must be kepi
well sprayed in dry weather The best soil for it as foi
most sorts of Clematis is deep, rich, well-drained loam im-
proved by a very slight addition of lime.

C. heracleaefolia Davidiana is a stout, fairly erect form
with small china-blue, hyacinth-shaped flowers possessing
a fragrance like orange blossoms. The leaves are bright
green and very large — larger than the leaves of any other
cultivated species. This Clematis used with the white
recta will be a success as a border plant, but is seldom
strong enough to stand without support.

The Japanese Virgin's Bower (C. paniculata), of Japa-
nese origin, throws out masses of creamy bloom in August
and September. This is a rapid grower reaching out in a
single season a distance of as much as twenty feet. Vir-
gin's Bower prefers good sunlight, but it is thought that
some shade for the lower stems and roots is necessary to
ensure best results.

Jackman's Clematis (C. Jackmani) is one of the large-
flowered showy hybrids enormously free-flowering in July
and occasionally thereafter through the summer. The
deep violet flowers are produced on the new wood and
even if the plants should become frozen in the winter, they
'ill blossom from the new season's growth.

AUTUMN 179

Another exquisite, exotic-looking, large-flowered Clem-
atis with white blooms is Virgin's Bower (C Henryi).

The hybrids all favor shades of white, blue, or purple.
There is also the red-cupped C. coccinea which looks well
anywhere and is particularly fine when artfully mingled
with the white-flowered sorts. Lastly, in one's zeal for the
large-flowered and the over-cultivated, one should not for-
get the many small-flowered forms which are all generous
and charming climbers and practically never fail to re>
spond to reasonable anticipations.

Sweet Pepperbusb

Clethra alnifolia

Sweet Pepperbush grows three to ten feet high and has,
for garden points, lateness of bloom, attractive blossoms*
and a willingness to grow vigorously in moist, sandy soils.
The flowers are white in fleecy spires with spicy fragrance
very alluring to the bees. The shrub is native and its
sweetly fragrant odor should make its presence manifest
quite a little way off in the open woods and along the
country lanes. This is an adaptable shrub that will do
well under most conditions and is particularly effective
naturalized along streams and ponds.

Autumn Crocus

Colchicum autumnale

After the flowers have withered to nothing and the
Grasses and Sedges have been gathered for indoor use, the
astonishing Autumn Crocus makes the garden observer
wonder whether the old year has really taken on a second
childhood! These Crocuses are all the more surprising

180 GARDEN FLOWERS

because after a fine growth in May and June the foliage
Jies away to nothing before midsummer. The flowers
that appear quite late are larger than the spring Crocuses,
generally measuring as much as four inches across. The
standard colors are purple, pink, and white; there are also
purple-veined varieties and a white, striped lilac. Bulbs
should be planted in the early autumn for the next season's
blossoming or in midsummer. Place the tips three inches
below ground and cover the top of the bed with old manure
or leaves. Mass the bulbs in beds in the rock garden or
in light grass that is not expected to be frequently cut.

Meadow Saffron

Colchicum speciosum

This is indeed the Queen of autumn Crocuses! The
large blue-purple bowl is carried on a fine long stem and
within burns the flame-capped stigmata, " like a candle or
perhaps the torch of its hardy little spirit." (Wilder.)
They bloom late, generally well into October, with colors
varying from a violet to a pure pink. All the late-
blooming Crocuses should be planted in the autumn with
their spring brethren, and they all need a good warm cov-
ering against the winter's cold. These Crocuses, placed
on damp pebbles or on a window-sill, without earth or
moisture other than that to be obtained from the air, will
bloom in cheerful, quite astonishing fashion.

Tickseed

Coreopsis lanceolata

Tickseed has large daisy-like flowers that, if kept well
picked, will give the garden a brilliant note of yellow

AUTUMN 181

throughout the entire summer season. The foliage is
small, rather sparse, and had best be concealed or sheltered
by near-by shrubbery. The Tickseed blooms from August
till frost and is easily grown in all soils. Rich, damp soil
in open spots is preferred, but lacking natural dampness
the Tickseed responds vigorously to midsummer watering.
The plants had best be staked, and in setting out where
they are finally to stand, allow twelve inches of space be-
tween plants.

C. tinctoria, generally listed in seed catalogues as Calliope
sis, is a showy, easily grown annual very attractive for cut-
ting. The flowers have reds, maroons, and browns, as well
as yellow.

Red Twigged Dogwood

Cornus stolonifera

The Cornels and Dogwoods have many-colored fruits
and brightly colored barks that put them among the most
effective of late season and winter shrubs. They are
slender-twigged trees of small size, with simple entire-
leaves, strongly ribbed and of exceptional beauty. For
winter color bark is often as effective as fruit and more
lasting. C. stolonifera is considered by more than one
garden commentator to be the best red-barked shrub for
winter effects. The berries are an attractive white, but
after all, it is the brightly colored branches that give the
shrub its undeniable charm. Dogwoods have soft willow-
like wood and are easy to raise from cuttings. Take cut-
tings in summer and start in sand. For finest effect the
shrubs should be cut back every two or three years to in-
duce new growth. The shrub is quite hardy and you
should enjoy your Dogwoods for years and years.

182 GARDEN FLOWERS

Another fine dogwood for autumn effects is C. sari"
guinea, growing about twelve feet tall with purple or dull
blood-red branches and blackish fruit. C. sibirica has
very bright coral-colored branches, grows about ten feet
high, and is known as the Red Osier. The Cornelian Cherry
(Cornus mas) often grows twenty feet high with bright,
shiny scarlet berries about the size of an olive. This
Dogwood will light up to fine effect a mass of dull, unin-
teresting shrubbery. The Flowering Dogwood (C.florida)
has bright scarlet berries, but is generally better known for
its exuberant spring bloom.

Cosmos

Cosmos bipinnatus

The familiar Cosmos is a fine, tall, late annual with white,
pink, or crimson daisy-like blossoms. Our seasons are
really too short for Cosmos, which is generally coming into
its own about the time of the first frosts. The plant
grows seven to ten feet high; the disk flowers are invari-
ably yellow. Sow the seed as soon as frost has left the
ground in a dry, sandy soil. Cosmos does not care to
have the ground too rich, but appreciates full sunlight.
If started indoors in February, you are naturally more
likely to get the full benefit of the bloom. The Yellow
Cosmos (C. sulphureus) grows not so tall and the flowers
are smaller and come into bloom even later.

Gourds

Cucurbita, various species

Gourds are grown for their bright -colored and often
fantastically formed fruits. Old walls used to have gourd

AUTUMN 183

dippers, and housewives darned stockings over a gourd.
Some of the fruit, in the South particularly, grows to
enormous size. Negro cabins in the Southern States often
have large hollowed gourds hanging from poles in the door-
yard for bird houses. Gourds belong to the same family
as the Squash and the Pumpkin. Plant three seeds in a
hill no more than an inch deep. The vine grows very
rapidly and had best be trained over supports from which
the fruit will hang effectively. The Gourd vine is good for
quick screens over unsightly places, but is rather a rank
and undesirable annual otherwise.

Dahlia

Dahlia variabilis

The famous Dahlia respo nds to cultivation in a way that
flatters and encourages the timid amateur. In spite of
the obvious shortcomings of the flower, once a Dahlia
grower, always a Dahlia grower! Dahlias have thick
stems, large leaves, huge bulk. The trouble with the
modern Dahlia is chiefly the result of too much breeding
for bloom and too little breeding for strong, sturdy stalks.
Far too many of the otherwise fine modern varieties have
flowers too heavy for the stalks so that they hang over
and are half or entirely hidden by the leaves.

The Dahlia grows two to six feet high and comes in all
colors except blue and pure scarlet. They are easily
grown from seed, flowering the same season. In brilliance
of form and color they are the most effective of tall-growing,
late-flowering plants. Dahlias are heavy feeders with
moisture as a first essential. Special soil is not a matter of
importances but it is highly desirable to avoid a wind-

184 GARDEN FLOWERS

swept site. Dahlias are best planted by themselves in
beds; they are rather too gross feeders to do well in associa-
tion with other plants. The original Dahlia was some-
what star-shaped, with slender pointed ray flowers; in
process of cultivation the rays have become broader and
wider so that the small original flower is hardly recogniz-
able. The cultivated forms are all variations within the
species.

The numerous forms have been classified as follows:
Show, regularly quilled rays, self-colored, or lighter at the
base; Fancy, regularly quilled rays darker at the base;
Cactus, petals variously twisted and revolute, all colors;
Decorative, an intermediate group with broad and flat
petals; Peony-flowered, very large, irregularly formed, of
semi-double decorative type; New Century, single, very
large, with rich colorings; and Collarette, single or semi-
double with a row of enlarged florets in white or yellow.
The Pompon group includes miniatures of the Show,
Fancy, and Single types.

Dahlias may be raised from seed planted indoors in
February; the little plants should stand six inches high by
May. After the first frosts cut to the ground and dig up
the tubers, storing in a cool but not freezing cellar. In re-
planting it is best to divide the old roots.

Larkspur

Delphinium belladonna

With its early and very late blossoms and its rare tur-
quoise blue tints the Belladonna Larkspur is one of the
finest of the Delphinium hybrids and invaluable for the
border or for massing against shrubbery. The plants

AUTUMN 185

are low-growing and very sturdy; the flowers, curiously
shaped, sky-blue with white centers, borne on graceful,
stalky spikes about twelve inches long. Seed should be
started indoors, and plants will thrive in any good garden
soil in sun or partial shade. If you have a choice of soils,
plant in deep, rich, sandy loam, exposed to the sun. The
first-year plants should be spaced about eighteen inches
apart and the second year double this. Every three or
four years Belladonna Delphiniums should be taken up
and the ground respaded and ref ertilized ; reset the plants
somewhat farther apart than they were before.

Chinese Larkspur (D. chinense) has Larkspur leaves and
blue or white flowers. The stem grows from two to three
feet tall, very slender and not much branched. This na-
tive of China is a general garden favorite.

Cinnamon Vine

Dioscorea Batatas

The Cinnamon Vine grows thirty feet in a season with
profuse white, cinnamon-scented flowers borne in loose
clusters in July and August. Other names are Chinese
Yam and Chinese Potato. The roots are huge tubers,
potato-like in flavor and considered edible in the tropics.
The leaves are shiny and opposite, quite attractive. The
flowers are borne on the axils where appear also little
tubers about the size of a pea. These tubers sown like
seeds will produce the second year a full-sized vine. Cin-
namon Vine likes the sun and is not at all capricious as to
soil. The small tubers had best be started indoors in pots
for quick growth.

\S6 GARDEN FLOWERS

Hyacinth Bean

Dolichos lablab

Hyacinth Bean is a rapid-growing annual vine with
good ornamental qualities. Flower spikes are borne well
out from the foliage and the fruits — flat pods three inches
long — follow similarly colored, purple or magenta and
white. The leaves are three-parted, broad at the base
and pointed at the tip. The autumn effect is so attractive
that it is too bad the Hyacinth Bean succumbs so easily to
the first frosts. It is a good climber and an excellent
drought resister. Sow the small black seeds outdoors m
any garden soil about an inch deep and eight or so inches
apart. Hyacinth Bean comes from the tropics and is
commonly supposed to be the ancient Bean of India.

Purple Coneflower

Echinacea purpurea

The Purple Coneflower is rather somber looking but has
good habit and its numerous dull pink flowers persist
through a long period of bloom. The flowers are large and
daisy-like, sometimes five inches across with high-pointed,
purple central cone. The plant is coarse, rather bushy,
growing from two to three feet and a half and, in excep-
tional cases, four feet high. This perennial likes rich soil
and sunshine; is tolerant of drought. The very black
roots may be divided infrequently or the Coneflower may
be started from seed. The variety serotina, considered by
some gardeners to be a better variety than type, is later-
flowering with brighter colored, broader, flatter petals.

AUTUMN 187

Willow Herb

Epilobium angustifolium

The Great Willow Herb, or Fire Weed, attracts attention
by its tall, showy, magenta spikes of midsummer flowers.
Low moist land is the preferred habitat, particularly re-
cent clearings and land newly burnt over. Willow Herb
is a fine plant for bold effects, grows vigorously and spreads
freely. The plant often reaches seven feet high ; the leaves
are willow-like, the flowers purplish pink in long racemes,
blooming during midsummer and well into autumn.
Willow Herb grows wild from Labrador south to North
Carolina and westward to California. In the garden the
flower makes rank growth in moist spots and pretty effects
along the edges of small ponds. Propagate by division of
the root or by seed. Start preferably indoors, remember-
ing to keep the soil moist. There is also a white variety,
alba, that will make a delightful contrast.

Sea Holly

Eryngium ameihystinum

The Sea Holly is a thistle-like plant with blue-flowered
heads that show up well in a border but look quite out of
place with other plants in the restricted areas of small
garden beds. As the season advances the whole plant,
especially in sandy soils, where it does admirably, takes on
a metallic blue sheen. Blue Thistle and Star Thistle are
also popular names incorrectly applied, for Sea Holly is
not of the Thistle family. Growth is about three feet,
the stems very stiff, steel-blue in color. Sea Hollies thrive

188 GARDEN FLOWERS

vigorously in poor soil. Seeds germinate slowly; if sown
in a pot, keep in a cold frame over winter; the seeds will
germinate in the spring. The roots do not stand division
successfully. There is a desirable dwarf form, Bougati.

White Snakeroot

Eupatorium urticaefolium

White Snakeroot is native and may be found wild in
rich and moist woods in many parts of the country. The
flower grows three or four feet high with opposite dark
green leaves sharply toothed. The blossoms are tiny
white florets loosely grouped into small fringy heads
gathered in a terminal and somewhat flat-topped clus-
ter. These appear in August and September, making
a very attractive border plant. White Snakeroot must
have good moist ground and preferably part shade.
Sow indoors in fine soil and transplant the early part
of May, allowing a space of eighteen inches between
plants.

There are several other species occasionally found in gar-
dens : E. aromaticum melioscoides grows four feet high with
a mass of all-white flowers in August and September.

Mist Flower

Eupatorium coelestinum

Mist Flower, in general appearance somewhat like
Ageratum, has for its claim to distinction among the host
of competing flowers dainty heliotrope-color blossoms
very charming in the late autumn. These flowers come

AUTUMN 189

in compact, flat-topped clusters on somewhat downy,
leafy stems one to two feet high. The Mist Flower is just
the right selection for the front of a small border. Good
blooming season will be obtained even if the plants are
started outdoors in May. A sunny corner is desirable.
The young plants should be thinned to stand twelve inches
apart. Mist Flower is a hardy perennial requiring only a
light litter of leaves over winter.

Burning Bush

Euonymus europaeus, E. alatus

The Burning Bush, a well-named shrub, has fine scarlet
fruits that wax brighter till midwinter finally robs them
of their glory or until the birds spy them out. In October
there is a purple husk that gradually parts and curls back
revealing the red berries. Burning Bush has yellowish
flowers in May, but there are more flowers in May than
there are colorful shrubs in late autumn and winter, so it
is rather for its autumnal radiant foliage that Euonymus
gets its popular name. There is close family relationship
between this small tree and the woody vine Bittersweet,
both flowers and fruits being alike in many features. E.
europaeus has pinkish pods and orange-colored seeds.
There are varieties with deep purple, scarlet, and whitish
berries.

E. alatus is rather spreading with its eight feet in height,
and has corky wings running down its branches. The
fall husk is a pinkish purple that opens and displays orange
fruit. A blending of these in a group of autumn shrubbery
will make an exhibition that all will stop to admire.

190 GARDEN FLOWERS

Blanket Flower

Gaillardia aristata

The very gay, daisy-like flowers of the Gaillardia will
last from early summer till frost if no seed forms. The
colors range from brilliant yellow at the tips to red or
maroon toward the center. The foliage is rather deficient
and, to compensate for its own lack of leaves, the Blanket
Flower should always be planted with a setting of good
foliage plants. The bloom is exceedingly profuse and con-
tinues even after light frost. The only double-flowered
variety is splendidissima plena. In the variety Kelway's
King even the disk is yellow. The Blanket Flower will
provide blossoms for cutting from July to October and
their fine long stems will make them especially attractive.
The Blanket Flower likes the sun and will do well in any
good garden soil. Sow early in the season and allow ten
or twelve inches space between plants. They are likely to
winterkill in too heavy soils.

Horned Poppy

Glaucium flavum

The Horned Poppy is very delicate and short-lived, but
as it blooms almost continuously one really has no se-
rious cause for complaint. This Poppy wort branches and
grows low, no more than one or two feet in height. The
leaves in form of a rosette lie close to the ground and from
them rise the flower stalks, sparingly leaved. The flowers
are orange and yellow, two or three inches across and very
poppy-like, blooming from July to September. They will

AUTUMN 191

bloom till frost if the seed pods be kept constantly re-
moved. The plant is short-lived as a perennial and had
best be treated as an annual. Start seed indoors in April
and transplant to the garden as soon as the soil is warm,
in an open sunny situation, allowing about eighteen inches
between plants. The Horned Poppy makes an attractive
display in a flower border. If you wish a change from the
familiar yellow, G. corniculatum will provide red or purplish
flowers.

Witch Hazel

Hamamelis virginiana

This is the American Witch Hazel, a shrub or small tree,
inconspicuous through the summer but offering autumn
flowers and fruits at the time when other shrubs are wind-
ing up their season's activities. The American Witch
Hazel grows as high as twenty-five feet with yellow and
brown flowers in September and October. The pods that
contain the seeds eventually pop open, throwing the tiny
black pellets far and wide for a considerable distance.
The lining of the pod is believed to shorten, producing a
spring that drives the seed forth with surprising force.
Frost and sun decide when to spring the trap. The gath-
ered pods will burst indoors, but not so promptly. The
Witch Hazel likes moist earth, either peaty or sandy, and
makes a handsome, interesting autumn shrub; it grows
extensively in native woods, and a little investigation
ought to bring to light fine young material for trans-
planting. Select straight stock no more than four feet
high. The Japanese Witch Hazel is similar but is sDring
blooming.

192 GARDEN FLOWERS

French Honeysuckle

Hedysarum coronarium

The French Honeysuckle is an old-time garden plant*
quite inadequately named; it does not climb at all nor does
it in flower resemble in any way the more familiar Honey-
suckles. The French Honeysuckle grows two to four feet
high with reddish, pea-like, fragrant blossoms in crowded
axillary clusters. The leaves are compound with from
three to seven pairs of roundish leaflets. The blossoms
come in August and September, and are usually prolonged
till the first frosts. Plants are rather straggly in growth,
preferring light, open, well-drained soil with plentiful sun-
light. Seeds may be started outdoors in May, but pref-
erably indoors in February. There is a white variety
that goes well in combination with the red. The variety
multijugum grows taller than type with purplish blossoms
and very attractive gray -green foliage.

Sneezeweed

Helenium autumnale

The bright yellow Sneezeweed is our best large, yellow,
daisy-like flower for late summer and autumn. Sneeze-
weed grows up to six feet high with smooth, toothed leaves.
The showy and quite effective flowers are one to one and
a half inches across with drooping rays and hemispherical
yellow center. There is also a variety, rubrum, less com-
monly planted, with drooping rays of red terra-cotta color
and maroon and gold center. Sneezeweed has its habitat
in swamps and moist meadows; as a garden plant it is

AUTUMN 193

most commonly seen massed against shrubbery. Sow
outdoors in May and thin to stand twelve inches apart.
Old large plants should be dug up in early spring, divided,
and replanted in freshly prepared ground.

Sunflower

Helianthus annuus, etc.

Eagle of flowers! I see thee stand,
And on the sun's noon-glory gaze;
With eye like his, thy lids expand,
And fringe their disk with golden rays.

— Montgomery.

The Sunflower, certainly to be included in any list,
however short, of the better-known garden flowers, is
obviously so named from its great flower head with en-
circling rays of gorgeous yellow petals. The modern
varieties grow from three to twelve feet with individual
flowers six to fourteen inches across. This annual plant
makes a valuable quick-growing screen available for almost
all soils or even lack of soil. The large seeds should be
planted an inch deep and six inches apart. Even plants
two feet high may be successfully shifted provided plenty
of water is put into the newly dug holes. The Sunflower
family is a very large one. H. Maximiliani, a perennial,
is one of the latest to bloom and is also one of the tallest,
especially suitable for the back of a flower border. It is a
Western species and does well in dry soils.

Of other perennials, H . multiflorus grows about five feet
high, is compact and controlled as to growth, with dark
green foliage and many globes of bloom. H. mollis is a
fine Sunflower of moderate height with large yellow flowers

194 GARDEN FLOWERS

that contrast pleasantly with the grayish foliage. Helian*

thus rigidus var. Miss Mellish, or var. Rev. Wolley Dod,

are fine September Sunflowers with semi-double, deep

yellow bloom.

Jersusalem Artichoke

Helianthus tuberosus

This Sunflower was brought to England from Italy in
1617 and was called the Sunflower Artichoke from the
tubers which are edible and have somewhat the flavor oi
Artichokes. It varies from five to twelve feet in height
The leaves, rough on the upper surface, are four to eight
inches long. The ray flowers vary from twelve to twicti
that number; the disk flowers are yellow. This Helian
thus when in good condition will bloom from September U
November. Propagation by tubers is easy. Plant out-
doors in early May and thin the small plants to stand two
to three feet apart. If tubers are to be planted in the
spring, they need be no more than barely covered with soil.
Sunlight and good rich but not too heavy soil are desirable.

Everlasting

Helichrysum bracteatum

Everlastings are brilliant yellow to dull crimson and
white flowers that bloom in August and endure indefinitely
if cut and dried when only partly unfolded. H. bracteatum
grows two and three feet high and is the largest flowered
Everlasting. These are African and Australian forms
accustomed to dry, sandy ground and indifferent to lack of
moisture. Scatter the seed in drills half an inch in depth
and eight inches apart, and thin to stand eight inches apart-
Sandy soil and full sunlight will exactly suit this Ever*

AUTUMN 195

lasting. If desired to be preserved indefinitely the flowers
should be cut when only partly unfolded and hung up to
dry with their heads down.

Swamp Marshmallow

Hibiscus Moscheutos

The various forms of Hibiscus deserve more general cul-
tivation. To many flower lovers this perennial is quite
unknown; yet Hibiscus is easily raised, quite hardy, and of
attractive bloom. The Swamp Rose Mallow is a good-
sized expanded flower, rose or white, often four inches
across, sometimes with crimson eye, blossoming in August
and September. This is the best rose-colored flower for
swamps and brackish marshes by the sea. The leaves are
large and roundish, grayish green, handsome, persistent.
Young plants should be easily bought or they may be
raised from seed. They should be planted one or two feet
apart in good garden soil and will need no especial carev
A fine new race of hybrids is springing up from the native
Mallows of the North combined with some of the tropical
species. These hybrids have slender arching stems and
flowers in various colors, chiefly shades of pink and mad-
der, often as much as six or eight inches across, and are
known as Mallow Marvels; striking and effective for plant-
ing in groups at the back of a border.

Sea Buckthorn

Hippophae rhamnoides

Orange-red berries in clusters set off by grayish and sil-
very green foliage make the Swallow Thorn, or Sea Buck-

196 GARDEN FLOWERS

thorn, a splendid shrub for vivid late autumn coJor effects.
This Buckthorn is very capricious as to growth in different
soils and temperatures, causing such extreme varieties as
a height of twenty feet and then again in a poor location of
no more than two. Its liking for sandy soil makes it
preeminently a seaside plant, but fair growth is obtained
under average garden conditions. There are yellow blos-
soms in May, pretty but in no way remarkable. Stami-
nate plants are more upright than the pistillate, which are
quite twiggy. In order to make a fine showing of autumn
berries be sure that you have both staminate and pistillate
plants among those you set out.

Hypericum

Hypericum Moserianum

The largest of the St. John's Worts, and a graceful,
showy plant for borders and shrubberies. The single
flowers, golden yellow with bright orange stamens, are
wild rose shaped, about two inches across, borne one to
three on a stalk on a low-growing, erect shrub with droop
ing branches. The flowers bloom a few at a time through-
out the season, and this Hypericum should always be
planted in clumps as it will not look well singly. The
plant (it is technically a shrub) grows about two feet
high, is not hardy in New England, and except in the Far
South should be protected by leaves or litter over win-
ter. The flowers will bloom longer in partial shade than
in sun, and the plant will make good growth in any
light, sandy soil. Propagated easily by seed, suckers,
and cuttings.

AUTUMN 197

Hyssop

Hysscrpus officinalis

Hyssop is a very charming little herb with small, dark
foliage and bright blue flowers which last a long time.
The little plant grows about eighteen inches high with
linear leaves and flowers in whorled spikes, blue and oc-
casionally white or pink. The blossoming season is from
June to September and the plants are quite suitable for a
low, hardy border. Hyssop is one of the old-time plants
that have dropped out of notice but which are still quite
well worth cultivating. Plant the seeds outdoors as soon
as the ground is warm in light, sandy soil and thin so that
the plants stand twelve inches apart.

Ilex

Ilex laevigata, 7. verticillata, etc.

A number of the Ilexes offer fine red or black effects
desirable in selecting shrubs for autumn color. Winter-
berry makes an excellent choice for border and hedge
purposes, being low-growing, erect, and of good habit.
The Winterberry (7. laevigata) and Black Alder (7. verticil-
lata), both natives, have bright red berries. The leaves
blacken after heavy frost but the abundant berries remain,
untouched by birds, late into winter. The fruit-laden
branches of the black Alder gathered in the wild are sold
for Christmas decorations. The Ilexes like moist ground,
grow slowly, and object to being moved about. The
Ilexes bear the two sexes on different plants; so make sure
that you have both staminate and pistillate plants in your
group-

198 GARDEN FLOWERS

7. aquifolium is the European Holly, chiefly known to us
through the importation of the cut branches offered in the
markets for Christmas decoration. Its sharp leaf, more
spiny, more deeply cleft, more lustrous than that of our
native American Holly I. opaca, makes, it must be confessed,
a handsomer, more attractive shrub. The European
Holly must be protected for the winter in the latitude of
New York or Boston; yet the little trees, if successful, will
amply repay the extra labor they entail.

Our native American Holly (7. opaca) ranges from
southern Maine to Florida, throughout the Gulf States
and north into Indiana and Missouri. Carloads of this
Holly are shipped northward before Christmas and even
in the remotest hamlets it is generally possible to buy a
sprig for a buttonhole or a wreath for Christmas morning,
but this collection of wild material has almost destroyed
the plant in many sections.

Red-Hot Poker

Kniphofia Pfitzeri

Red-Hot Poker, also known as Tritoma and the Torch
Lily, bears foot-long cones of bright, orange-scarlet, tubu-
lar flowers, picturesque and sometimes startlingly effective
along a garden border. The plant grows three or four feet
high and is in bloom from early August till October. The
leaves are often three feet long, narrow and grass-like.
Named varieties give a color range from yellow to brick-
fed. The root is a rhizome from which the plant is com-
monly started. Red-Hot Poker will do best in warm, well-
drained soil and the color will be most vivid if the flowers
rise against a dark background. The rhizome should be

AUTUMN 199

planted outdoors in May with a space of fifteen inches
between plants. They are hardy south of Philadelphia
but farther north may have to be lifted and stored over
winter; otherwise they are quite easy to raise.

Mock Cypress

Kochia scop aria

Mock Cypress is a foliage plant, a dense, neat, little bush
with linear branches that turn a fine scarlet in the early
autumn. The plant needs only to be sown in the open
in May to grow in amazing fashion into a vigorous bush
in a couple of months. Mock Cypress has a straight, sol-
dierly look that is effective in a formal border or as a tem-
porary hedge. Allow two feet space between plants.
Clayish soil and a sunny situation are advantageous, but
there should be good growth in any average garden soil.
There are flowers of a sort in July, but quite inconspicuous.
Mock Cypress dies completely to the ground after the
first frosts.

Lavatera

Lavatera trimestris

Pink and white Mallows {Lavatera trimestris) are con-
spicuous in the late summer and autumn garden. They are
easily raised from seed, and in deep rich soil will grow with
large spreading clumps. They grow from three to six feet
high with heart-shaped leaves and large characteristic
flowers four inches across. The flowering season is quite
extended, running from June through September. Lava-
tera likes rich, deeply dug soil and sunny exposure. Plant
the seeds indoors in February and allow a space of two feet

200 GARDEN FLOWERS

between plants when the seedlings are transferred outdoors
in May. In dry weather the plants need careful watering.

Japanese Honeysuckle

Lonicera japonica

This vine, with small, dark-green foliage and neat,
black berries, is ideal for a situation that demands winter
foliage as a screen and where flowers are wanted to lend
attractiveness in summer. This Japanese plant grows to
the height of about fifteen feet and the lower portions of
the vine do not become leafless and unsightly. The flow-
ers are white changing to yellow, blooming in June, July,
and August.

The Belgian Honeysuckle (L. Periclymenum Belgica)
is a dwarf becoming somewhat bushy and particularly es-
teemed for its reddish, very fragrant blossoms which per-
sist all summer. There is also a fine variety, serotina,
blooming later in the autumn.

Honeysuckles flower on new wood and should be cut
back severely to produce long shoots of vigorous scented
lowers. If desired for effect as a vine, prune only lightly
for form. Honeysuckles may be transplanted in either
spring or autumn and young plants can be raised in any
quantity by layering. Honeysuckles like the sun and
thrive in any average garden soil.

Column Flower

Lepachys columnaris

The Column Flower is suitable for massing and makes an
attractive cut flower. This yellow perennial, sometimes

AUTUMN 201

also treated as an annual, will grow from three to five feet
tall. The leaves are divided with three to seven segments.
The flowers, two inches long and somewhat drooping, are
borne on thin wiry stalks. The ray flowers are yellow; the
disk flowers are an elongated thimble-like, reddish-brown
cone. Column Flower is easily grown from seed which is
best started indoors in March for early growth and blos-
soms. Outdoors, plants should stand eighteen inches apart
in a light garden soil exposed to full sunlight. Column
Flower is a native composite; the garden varieties, how-
ever, have been greatly improved through cultivation
largely in Europe where Lepachys is much used as a bed-
ding plant.

Bush Clover

Lespedeza Sieboldi, L. japonica

Bush Clover has graceful, slender growth and small, pea-
like flowers in rosy, pink or white clusters in September.
Bush Clover, so infrequently planted that the sight of it is
quite a rarity in some sections, is hardy in central New
England. Growth should be four to six feet, but winter-
kill generally keeps the plants a good distance from the
maximum of eight feet. Bush Clover has all the Clover
earmarks and is well to remember because of its late bloom
which can be depended on for September and October.
The two species are somewhat alike, L. japonica being
slightly later in bloom and its white flowers very numerous.
These Bush Clovers should be used in the backgrounds of
borders. Plants may be bought and set out a foot apart,
or the seed may be scattered broadcast or in drills. L.
bicolor, shrubby, has charming purple flowers in July
and more or less steadily through the summer and autumn.

202 GARDEN FLOWERS

Hardy Flowering Privet

Ligustrum ibota

Japanese Privet is an excellent evergreen Privet with
dense foliage. These shrubs, though somewhat over-
planted, are really indispensable as hedges. Left to them-
selves they become quickly long and leggy, but deprived of
new growth and sickish blossoms, their really extraordinary
vitality is immediately turned to the upbuilding of dense
undergrowth. The flowers which we seldom allow to come
to maturity appear in small white clusters in the early
summer and the fruit is a berry which often persists on the
branches all the autumn and winter. Privets may be
planted in any soil or sort of exposure. Though mostly
clipped short for hedges, they are occasionally to be seen
growing at full length in half -shade with other shrubs.
Cuttings start easily. L. japonicum and L. lucidum are
well-known species in the South. The so-called Calif ornia
Privet is a Chinese plant, L. ovalifolium.

Henry's Hardy Lily

Lilium Henryi

Henry's Hardy Lily, a sturdy, free-growing species, is
one of the finest of late-blooming Lilies. This native of
China grows in favorable circumstances as high as eight
feet and the flowers may be produced to the number of
twenty on a single plant. The flowers, dark salmon-orange
spotted with red-brown, make a superb showing in August
and September massed against shrubbery or in borders-,
The leaves are slender, rather inconspicuous. Bulbs may

AUTUMN 203

be planted in the spring or autumn as are other Lilies, A
well-drained soil is essential; manure must not come in
direct contact with the bulb; shade or a top dressing to
keep the ground cool and moist are very advantageous.
This Lily is hardy, vigorous, free from disease and, though
still somewhat expensive, as are most novelties, will better
repay anticipations than many novelties do.

Great Blue Lobelia

Lobelia syphilitica

The Great Blue Lobelia has perhaps suffered too much
by the comparison with its gorgeous sister, the Cardinal
flower. The flowers, about an inch long, light blue marked
with white, are borne on dense, leafy, wandlike spikes. In
the wild they are commonly to be found from July to
October, in low, moist soil frequently along the banks of
streams. The formation is similar to that of the red Lo-
belia, but the lobes are much shorter and the stamen tube
does not stand out beyond the corolla. The Great Lobelia
is a swamp plant and to make a success of it in domestic
surroundings you must have a corner that is more or less
permanently moist. The plant may be raised from seed
started indoors in February, but it is far better if possible
to select your own stock in the woods, transferring very
early in the spring. There is also a white-flowered variety
that grows on dry soils but far more vigorously on wet

ones.

Blue Lupine

Lupinus hirsutus

Lupines are especially effective when massed apart in
large groups in a setting of rich, dark green foliage. The

204 GARDEN FLOWERS

Hairy Blue Lupine grows two and three feet high and U
the largest flowered of its kind with purple, rose, and white
blossoms in July and August. The hairy leaves, quite
finger-like in appearance, are compound with seven to nine
leaflets. Lupine seeds may be started outdoors as soon as
the ground is warm. Sow lightly no more than half an
inch deep and allow a space of six inches between plants.
Bloom extends over a period of four weeks, but may be
much prolonged by frequent sowings. Lupines cannot be
successfully transplanted, so their corner or plot must
be selected with care.

Matrimony Vine

Lycium halimifolium

The Matrimony Vine, or Box Thorn, is a shrub with
trailing branches and orange-red, very attractive berries.
The foliage is gray-green and makes a fine contrast amidst
the berries. The flowers are fight purple fading to yellow,
appearing solitary or, in clusters, in early summer. The
shrub will frequently grow twelve feet high and is very
effective trained over light support. Arranged on a wire
trellis it may occasionally be seen doing duty as a hedge.
Box Thorns may be grown in any soil that is not too moist;
a sunny situation is desirable, as the plant is much given
to mildew. Shrubs may be started from cuttings or
seeds. The plants throw out suckers rapidly and had best
not be set out too near flower beds. There are two closely
related species. L. halimifolium is smaller and less vigor-
ous with grayish green leaves and orange berries; L.
chinense, more vigorous, has bright green foliage and large
scarlet berries. The name " Matrimony " is given the vine/

AUTUMN 205

because the flowers often grow side by side in the axils of
the leaves.

Osage Orange

Madura pomifera

Osage Orange is a small, thorny, North American tree
now planted chiefly for ornament but at one period widely
used in the Middle West in the pioneer's task of bringing
the prairies into cultivation. Osage Orange should be
hardy as far north as Massachusetts and if kept continu-
ally cut back will make an attractive, dense, defensive,
high hedge. As an ornamental shrub on a lawn the Osage
Orange displays brilliant leathery leaves that turn to a
mass of gold in the autumn, and conspicuous orange-like
fruits. There are also minute blossoms in May and June,
attractive but quite likely to be overlooked at the exu-
berant height of the vernal season. This native of the
middle Mississippi Valley is by nature of sturdy, vigorous
growth doing well in all sorts of soils. Young shrubs may
be set out in the early spring or seeds may be planted in
spring or autumn. The roots are unusually long and in
transplanting may be chopped back without harm.

Tar Weed

Madia elegans

Tar Weed has a very attractive yellow, daisy-like flower.
The blossoms close in full sunlight so that Tar Weed is
generally chosen for shady places. The plants grow a
foot or two high, of graceful, open habit; the leaves are
linear or lanceolate; the flowers, daisy -like, with three-
lobed yellow ray flowers having a brown spot at the base of

206 GARDEN FLOWERS

each. If frequent sowings are made, there should be
bloom from July to October. Sow outdoors in May, half
an inch deep, and space the young plants to stand eight
inches apart. Except that the Tar Weed should be planted
in shade, there are no special soil requirements. The
name comes from the heavily scented foliage.

Musk Mallow

Malva moschata

The old-time favorite Musk Mallow, two feet high, is
but little cultivated in domestic gardens nowadays. Per-
haps it is most frequently seen outside deserted farm
grounds, from which it has escaped and about which it
runs wild in riotous fashion. The Mallows are showy and
are among the most easily grown of all plants in any soil or
situation. All Mallows contain a sticky substance re-
sembling mucilage. The Hollyhock and the Hibiscus as
well as the common Mallow or Cheese Flower, which has
become a widely scattered weed, are all members of this
family. The Musk Mallow grows from one to two feet
high with single, well-expanded, rose or white flowers that
bloom from July to September. The name "Musk"
comes from the faint, musk-like scent of the foliage.
Plant outdoors in May and thin to stand twelve inches
apart; or more safely for early bloom, sow indoors in
February. M. Alcea has deep rose flowers in clusters and

is lower in stature.

Stock

Matthiola incana

The Stocks are lovely in form and foliage, color and
fragrance. The Ten Weeks' Stock is summer blooming;

AUTUMN 207

the autumn Stock comes later. The plant grows quite
straight, about two feet high, and the flowers are in ter-
minal racemes, white, pink, or purple in color, with strong
clove fragrance. There are single and double forms, the
double being particularly desirable. The Stocks like sun
and have no objection to water. They are generally
ordered by color in many varieties and seeds should be
started indoors very early. The plants will flower in
autumn and, carefully removed indoors, will also send
forth blossoms a large part of the winter. The older name
of the Stock was the Gilliflower — a name, however, shared
with the Carnation and Wallflower, as well. In England
to-day the Wallflowers in spring and the Stocks in summer
and autumn represent in somewhat improved and ad-
vanced forms the Gilliflowers of the Elizabethan period.

Bayberry

Myrica Gale, M. carolinensis

Bayberry, or Wax Myrtle, has as its autumn attraction
bluish white, wax-coated, and quite aromatic berries
prized for winter indoor decoration and much sought for
by the birds. The shrub grows compactly four to eight
feet high with dark green foliage that shows up the berries
to full advantage. The Bayberry is just the shrub for
semi-wild effects and will cover dry, exposed slopes where
grass can with difficulty get a foothold. Bayberry may
be found growing wild the entire length of the Atlantic
Coast, in the Far South often forming a tree thirty feet
high. No soil is too poor, apparently, but of course better
rounded more luxuriant specimens will be found in richer
soils. Seed may be planted in the spring in drills, or

208 GARDEN FLOWERS

suckers may be removed from the base of old plants of M.
Gale,

Zanzibar Blue Water Lily

Nymphaea zanzibariensis

The royal blue Zanzibar Water Lily is on all counts the
best of the large family of Water Lilies, adapting itself
readily to varied sorts of conditions, even producing its
large, sky-blue flowers in small pots indoors. The superb
starlike, solitary flower, ten inches or more in diameter, is
carried about a foot above the water. This is a day-
blooming Lily lasting four or five days and remaining open
from eleven in the morning to perhaps five in the afternoon.
The underside of the leaf is colored similarly to the flowers.
The type flower is sky-blue and there is a rose-pink variety
equally attractive. Tropical Water Lilies require rich,
deep soil and are commonly planted in tubs or boxes.
They must be moved into warm quarters during the cold
months.

Sour Wood Tree

Oxydendrum arboreum

Sour Wood or Sorrel Tree, with terminal clusters of white
flowers in June and highly colored foliage in autumn, is an
attractive addition to a home garden all the year round.
The Sorrel Tree is slow-growing and quite variable as to
size; in cultivation small, slender-stemmed, dainty, the
tree is known to reach a height of sixty feet along the slopes
of the Big Smoky Mountains in Tennessee The young
wood has crimson bark and the conspicuous seed pods
that follow the flowers remain white a long time. The
Sorrel Tree will grow in shade and does well in any moder-

AUTUMN 209

ately good garden soil. The leaves have a sour taste
somewhat like that of the herbaceous Sorrel.

Boston or Japanese Ivy

Parthenocissus tricuspidata

Boston or Japanese Ivy differs from its chief rival, the
Virginia Creeper, in its leaf and in its method of climbing;
clinging closely to its support by suckers, and forms a
solid, compact tapestry of green. This vine is rampant,
pervasive — too much so for many situations. "A single
plant has covered a stone retaining wall over one hundred
and fifty feet long and twenty feet high in twelve years."
(Blanchan.) Unpainted and rough surfaces suit it best.
The Boston Ivy clings by little adhesive disks at the tips
of its pink fingers and in time the large, overlapping leaves
of older growths conceal any surface, rough or smooth,
they may grow against. When the fall frosts turn the
leaves to as brilliant a crimson as any Maple, even the
most careless of passers-by will stop and survey this Ivy
with interest. With all its faults the Boston Ivy is the
best all-round "Ivy" yet developed for this country; it is
perhaps better known under its older name of Ampelopsis
Veitchi.

Winter Cherry

Phy salts Alkekengi

The older Winter Cherry, or Strawberry Tomato, with
red or yellow fruits, used formerly to be planted for its
cherry-like, edible fruit which was much relished in pre-
serves. Nowadays the bright, decorative red husk of the
other species is the attraction, the practical use of the fruit

210 GARDEN FLOWERS

having gone out of fashion. The plant is a perennial,
commonly treated as an annual. Winter Cherry grows
twelve to eighteen inches high with whitish flowers, not at
all showy. A bladdery dry inflated calyx an inch or more
across encloses the round fruit which grows a brighter red
as it matures. Many birds for whom the Winter Cherry
is a superlative attraction help disperse the numerous
kidney-shaped seeds. The Winter Cherry likes the sun
Sow indoors in light fine soil and transplant as soon as the
condition of the ground warrants in May. The plant
creeps under ground and in rich soil is likely to become
troublesome. Newer species, P. Franchetti, is twice as
big and even brighter than the older one, and the cut
stalks furnish a charming red for Christmas decorations.

Ninebark

Physocarpus opulifolius

Eight and ten feet high grows the Ninebark, and its
greenish white flowers are followed by bright red fruit;
very showy and effective in the late summer and early
autumn. With its spreading arching branches and its
good garden habit, this is one of the prettiest of native
hardy shrubs. The leaves are three-lobed and the whitish
clusters of bloom remind one a little of Spiraea, and it was
formerly classed under that name. Ninebark goes well
massed with other shrubbery, but is perhaps more fre-
quently seen by itself as a specimen shrub on lawns. All
the usual methods of propagation are available, and good
growth is assured on practically all garden soils. There is
a dwarf variety (nana) which should be planted in front of

AUTUMN 211

tall shrubs; lutea has bright yellow leaves that change to
golden bronze, and so offers a variation of color.

Mountain Fleece

Polygonum amplexicaule

Mountain Fleece with feathery, white, fragrant plume&
in September and October, is a splendid perennial for late
borders. The plant grows two to three feet high with
glossy leaves and flowers in great rose-red or white masses.
The Mountain Fleece may be easily started from seed
planted indoors in February and transplanted outdoors in
May to stand fifteen inches apart. The var. speciosum
has flowers of deeper red, almost purplish. There are
other species grown, including Sacaline (P. sachalinense),
a Japanese plant, growing very rapidly to a height of from
eight to ten feet. The soft, dull green leaves are unusually
large, sometimes eighteen inches long and half as broad;
the small greenish flowers are borne in axillary clusters late
in August and September. This Polygonum grows so
rapidly and spreads with such vigor as sometimes to be-
come a pest. A vine, P. Auberti, is white-flowered and is
sometimes seen clambering over the trellis.

Kudzu Vine

Pueraria hirsuta or Thunbergiana

If you do not believe it possible for a vine to grow fifty
feet in a season, try the Kudzu in a sunny soil with plenty
of water. It will make a dense screen and where speed of
growth is a main consideration this Japanese importation
should certainly be selected and it gets along well after

212 GARDEN FLOWERS

once being established. The foliage is a good green, but
succumbs to the first touch of frost, and there are no
autumn colorings. The flowers are pea-shaped, in color
dull purple, appearing in August and September. The
fruit is a pod. In the North the Kudzu dies to the ground
in the autumn and should be taken up, or be very heavily
mulched over winter except on dry soils. Old plants are
difficult to remove, as their thong-like roots penetrate
deeply into the earth, this helps the vine to get additional
moisture of which, indeed, it hardly ever gets too much.
Plants may be started from the tuberous roots. Either
plant indoors in pots (the better way) or else outdoors in
the spot where the vine is to remain permanently. Kudzu
will grow in any likely soil, but best growth will only be
obtained in full sunlight with plenty of moisture added.

Buckthorn

Rhamnus cathartica

The Buckthorn, a clean-leaved, handsome, thorny
shrub, makes the best strong hedge, as dense and tight as
Honey Locust but not so high. The flowers are greenish,
four-petalled, rather inconspicuous. The glory of the
shrub is the display of attractive black autumn berries
clustering close to the twigs. These berries yield a valu-
able medicinal principle oftenest sold in the form of a
syrup and the bark furnishes a yellow dye. The leaves are
opposite, a shiny pretty green. This prefers a dryish soil
and is to be propagated from seed sown in the autumn or
from layers. Old hedges that get out of condition are
easily recovered by cutting back. Waythorn, Harts'thorn
and Rhineberry are popular names for this English shrub.

AUTUMN 213

Jet Bead

Rhodotypos kerrioides

The Japanese White Kerria or Jet Bead growing with
us generally no more than six feet high is often plant-
ed for autumn and winter effects. The white May blos-
soms are very fine too; but in May the entire garden is
alive with competitive color, whereas the black, shiny,
berry-like fruits have few competitors in the late autumn
and early winter. The White Kerria grows in the country
of its origin to a height of fifteen feet with slender pendu-
lous branches and profuse flowers and fruits; in this
country the shrub appears more dwarf, but very orna-
mental and successful in most sorts of soils. The White
Kerria is hardy as far north as Massachusetts.

Staghorn Sumach
Rhus typhina

No tree carries its autumn foliage longer or blazes with
greater splendor in the softened light of October than the
Sumach. After the leaves have fallen the full red, fuzzy
fruit persists, slowly fading to brown as winter advances.
Staghorn Sumach reaches to a height normally of ten to
twelve feet, but sometimes as high as thirty, with velvety,
hairy foliage and, in July and August, flowers in dense
panicles. The Sumach is particularly successful in dry
soil in wild or semi- wild situations. The var. laciniata
has deeply cut foliage.

The Poison Sumach (R.vernix) is unfortunately the pretti-
est of the species, with shiny leaves and clear white berries

S14 GARDEN FLOWERS

in droopixig clusters. Poison Ivy, the familiar bugbear of
children, is a member of the Rhus family (R. toxicodendron).
The Smoke Bush, or Venice Sumach, an old favorite not
so frequently seen nowadays, and very effective in autumn
and early winter, is a close relative.

Japanese Currant

Ribes japonicum

The Japan Currant, after the custom of its country,
produces its bright scarlet berries in September and Octo-
ber rather than in May and June, and holds its foliage
quite late. The shrub grows about four feet high, and the
berries are valuable only for color and ornament, being
quite insipid as to taste. The flowers in May and June
are small, inconspicuous, generally unnoticed in the
height of the floral season. The Japan Currant would
hardly be planted were it not that the autumn season is so
little overcrowded. The shrub does well singly or with
contrasting shrubs in groups. Too much shade is not
desirable and this member of the Ribes f amilv will do well
in practically all soils where it is likely to be planted. Prop-
agation is easily arranged through the side shoots; cut
off shoots about six inches long, insert two thirds their
length in sandy soil outdoors in a shady position.

Castor Oil Bean

Ricinus communis

The Castor Oil Bean has large palmate leaves that pro-
duce a remarkable subtropical effect along the back of a
border. Rising three to eight feet high according to the

AUTUMN 215

variety planted and the richness of the soil, the Castor Oil
Bean is the boldest of annuals and very satisfactory as a
screen for unsightly spots. The leaves are large, with
seven or more lobes, the flowers small and borne in racemes.
Plant the seeds two in a hill no more than two inches deep
and allow the same distance between hills. The plant is
one of those that will put forth extraordinary efforts in
rich heavy soils ; is of easy culture, requiring practically no
attention after planting, and will continue looking well till
nipped by heavy frosts.

Golden Glow

Rudbeckia laciniata (.flore-pleno.)

Golden Glow, a double form of the wild Rudbeckia or
Corneflower, has both good and bad points. The blossoms
are pretty and excellent for cutting; but the plant itself
is quite long-legged and gawky, spreading rapidly without
encouragement and frequently quite swallowing up its
next-door neighbors. This Rudbeckia grows six or eight
feet high with masses of aster-like, bright yellow, double
flowers. If cut back after flowering, there is quite likely
to be a second crop of blossoms. Golden Glow is most
frequently planted in straight rows at the back of flower
borders or else massed against walls that it is desired to
hide. The plants increase with great rapidity and may be
said never to die out. Roots may be divided at any time
and, as may be easily surmised, the plant is adaptable to all
common soils. To kill the red plant lice with which
Golden Glow is commonly troubled in midsummer, any
common soap may be dissolved in water and sprayed over
the insects.

216 GARDEN FLOWERS

Cone Flower

Rudbeckia subtomentosa, R. speciosa

There are other Rudbeckias besides the best known
Golden Glow that will well reward planting. Black-eyed
Susan, the yellow or Ox-eye Daisy, or the Niggerhead (R.
hirta), has lively familiar orange and black heads that are
found glowing in dry, open, sunny fields from Canada to
Florida, Colorado, and Texas. R. subtomentosa is a long
and vigorous bloomer, a native perennial to be found on the
prairies from Illinois to Texas. The leaves are thick, the
flowers in excellent heads with yellow rays. R. speciosa
grows about two feet tall and bears throughout the sum-
mer and autumn large Daisy-like flowers with a dark
center cone. This is very successful massed in borders and
for naturalizing in dry places. Also a favorite for cutting.
R. triloba is a Western biennial having medium-siz*^
flowers gracefully borne on stiff black stalks.

Salvia

Salvia azurea, S. splendens

The Scarlet Sage (S, splendens) is probably the most
popular of red-flowered plants rivalled only by the Canna
as a display plant for suburban lawns. It is a tender per-
ennial, more commonly planted as a half-hardy annual.
The plants grow about three feet tall and the flowers ap-
pear as long tubular-shaped spikes, the entire plant glowing
like a flame during July and August. Seeds had best be
started indoors in February for May transplanting. Any
soil will do and plenty of sun is essential.

The tall, hardy Blue Salvia (S. azurea) is planted far less

AUTUMN 217

frequently than its more showy sister. The flowers are

small, tubular, sky-blue varying to white, on long terminal

spikes borne on erect leafy stems two to five feet high.

The lower leaves are oval and toothed along the margin;

the upper narrower with smooth edges. This hardy Salvia

requires a sunny situation and in a cold climate should be

given a light covering of leaves over winter. Wet seasons

and soils play havoc with the growth and bloom of Salvias

sometimes giving them a reputation for capriciousness

which they hardly deserve.

S. patens, not often seen, has quite large deep blue

flowers.

Sage

Salvia officinalis

The Sage of stews and stuffings is the one herb sure to be
found in every kitchen garden . S . officinalis is a fine spread-
ing bush with beautiful velvet gray-green leaves and spikes
of blue-purple flowers much frequented by bees. The sub-
shrub is perennial, a native of southern Europe, but will
become acclimatized without difficulty in this country.
The leaves are grayish green, thick, oblong, the flowers
two-lipped, in terminal spikes, blue, white or purple. The
seeds germinate but slowly and had best be started indoors
in early spring. The leaves should be cut before the flower
stems develop and carefully dried indoors. Sage is used
chiefly to flavor sausages and cheeses and for meat stuff-
ings.

Red-Berried Elder

Sambucus pubens

The Elders are quick growing, stout-branched trees and
shrubs with pithy branchlets and ill-smelling sap. Many

218 GARDEN FLOWERS

of the family are of fine appearance in the late months of
the year, turning a soft yellow and bearing rich ornamental
fruits. These berries begin to ripen as early as June in
large clusters, a bright attractive red. The leaves are
compound, made up from five to seven leaflets. The
bark is warty and if a small twig be cut, the pith in the
center will be found to be brown. Seeds dropped on the
ground will spring up of themselves and the Elders will
grow in any soil no matter how thin. If there is a poor
strip of land to be hidden, plant the red-berried and the
t»mmon black-berried Elders together.

Bouncing Bet

Saponaria officinalis

Those who like to speculate on the origin of flower
names may perhaps discover the reason why this natural-
ized European adventurer, long ago escaped from colonial
gardens, should be called Bouncing Bet. The beautiful,
clustered, pale pink flowers of this wandering Soapwort
are to be found from July to September along dusty road-
sides and railroad banks. Wherever it grows, it grows
luxuriantly in great patches constantly increased by under-
ground runners or stolens. The root when agitated in
water forms a soap-like lather that has given the plants
the common names of Soaproot and Lather wort. Boun-
cing Bet grows two feet or more in height with blossoming
time in July and August. Double flowers are not un-
common and are even more attractive than the singles.
The calyx often splits apart after maturity, causing the
faded petals to present a dilapidated appearance in strange
contrast to that of their days of mid-summer glory.

AUTUMN 219

Bouncing Bet may be most quickly procured by dividing
old plants in the early spring; or seed may be planted in-
doors in March.

Scabiosa

Scabiosa atropurpurea

The garden flower known as Scabiosa, Mourning Bride,
Pincushion, or Blue Bonnet, is like a large double Daisy
with dark blue, rose, or white flowers from July to October.
Scabiosas are fine for cutting, having excellent stems and
lasting well in water. The leaves are small, narrow, and
divided, grayish green and insignificant. The hardy
Scabiosas are not so well known or as much raised as the
annual varieties. They are, however, of easy culture in
any good garden soil, needing only to be protected with a
cover of leaves over winter.

S. atropurpurea,Sweet Scabious, much used as an annual,
grows three to ten feet high with flower heads on long
stalks. The outer row of the florets is much larger than
the inner; the styles are club-shape and protrude on the
inner flowers so that they give the impression of pins on a
pincushion. The seeds need only to be sown outdoors in
May and the young plants thinned to stand six inches
apart. Sweet Scabious grows in all sorts of soils and is
avid of sunlight. S. caucasica, white or lavender, is a
perennial.

Autumn Squill

Scilla autumnalis

None of the autumn-blooming bulbs ever seem as satis-
factory as those of the spring, nor are there as many of
them. The Autumn Squill, or Starry Hyacinth, usually

220 GARDEN FLOWERS

but not invariably, sends up its flowering stems before the
leaves appear. The blossoms that last from July well
into September are in racemes, hyacinth-like. The leaves
which are never numerous, die down in the spring and come
up in the autumn again after the blossom stems appear.
Any well-drained garden soil will do and the bulbs should
be planted in good season, three inches deep and three
inches apart. Every three or four years Autumn Squills
should be gone over with care and the poorest discarded.

Showy Sedum

Sedum spectabile

Showy Sedum is a sturdy plant with small flowers in
broad heads borne on stout, erect, leafy stems one to two
feet high. The leaves are wavy in form, opposite or in
threes, smooth, grayish, evergreen. The colours are rose-
pink, varying to purplish and whitish, and the time of
bloom from mid-August well into October. This Sedum
is a favorite for the fronts of borders, for rock gardens and
for massing in barren spots. Showy Sedum grows on all
garden soils in full sunlight and is propagated quickly by
offsets or more slowly through seeds. Many other
Sedums are in gardens.

S. maximum is bushy, the largest and stoutest of the
Family. The leaves are opposite, fleshy, purplish in color;
the salmon-colored flowers are in clusters; the flowering
season runs from August into late autumn. Live-forever
(Sedum Tele/phium), a well-named flower, flourishes in all
sorts of thin soils, in sunshine and in shadow; it will not
live up to its name in wet lands or spots where water will
stand and settle about the roots. Live-forever is not

AUTUMN 221

abundant in bloom or conspicuous in height, but will be
found useful in odd corners and spots where few other
plants will do more than wither and die.

Mountain Ash

Sorbus americana

There are about thirty species of Sorbus wiuely dis-
tributed over the Northern hemisphere and chiefly inhabi-
tants of mountain slopes. In the wooded uplands of New
England and lower Canada, along the borders of swamps,
or climbing the rocky bluffs, the frail scarlet-berried Moun-
tain Ash leaps up in the crisp autumn air like a yellow
flame. Dainty and slim on its red stem, there is no hand-
somer leaf at any season. On a lawn a Mountain Ash is a
very neat and decorative addition the year round.

The American Mountain Ash or Dogberry is in general
appearance shrubby, attaining an extreme height of
around thirty feet. There are clusters of greenish white
flowers in large corymbs in May and June, and early in the
autumn come the red fruits. The tree or shrub will grow
vigorously even in sandy or rocky soils. The Dwarf
Mountain Ash (S. spuria) grows about fifteen feet high with
branches slender and often drooping. Hybrids of various
sorts, many very interesting, have been grouped under the
name S. spuria. They mostly bloom in May and June
and have berries dark purple or black, according to par-
entage.

Stokes' Aster

Stokesia cyanea

Stokes' Aster, or the Cornflower Aster, with large
Thistle-like flowers blue or purplish blue, will furnish

332 GARDEN FLOWERS

brilliance to dwindling summer color from August till well
into October. The flowers, sometimes three to four inches
across, resemble a China Aster and are borne on erect,
leafy stems one to two feet high. The leaves are long and
narrow, rather inconspicuous. The flowers are in heads;
the darker tubular flowers in the center, the marginal
flowers composed of short-tubed corollas. Though found
in wet ground in the wild, this Aster in cultivation decid-
edly prefers well-drained sandy soils and full sunlight.
Stokesia is perfectly hardy in the South and with light
winter protection may be successfully grown as far North
as New England. Stokes' Aster is mostly used in borders
but is occasionally seen quite effectively massed in beds.
Allow usually twelve inches between plants. Procure
young stock if possible, as growth from seed is very slow.

Snowberry

Symphoricarpos racemosus

The Snowberry, or Waxberry, an old-time favorite, not
as much planted as formerly, still peeps through many
tumbledown fences on the outskirts of New England vil-
lages. Snowberry grows about five feet high sometimes,
with tiny pink flowers which are quickly followed by
large, gleaming, white berries. These berries remain till
well into winter, and their weight is sufficient to make the
branches bend quite noticeably. Tucked in with Dog-
wood and other shrubs, the attractive white of the berries
shows up splendidly. Snowberry nowadays is chiefly
massed in front of shrubbery borders or used as a cover
plant for banks and bare slopes. This charming shrub

AUTUMN 223

seems to thrive almost equally well in all common garden
soils. They sucker freely, making propagation a quite
simple matter.

The Coral Berry (S. vulgaris), another member of this
family, is planted for its dark-red berries considerably
smaller than those of the Snowberry which form in July
and remain on the branches all the autumn and winter.
The shrub grows five feet, sometimes ten under favorable
circumstances but usually only three feet, and the foliage
also turns reddish in autumn, making an attractive combin-
ation with the berries. Coral Berry is a native of the
Middle States.

Tamarisk

Tamarix gallica

Tamarisk is considered the best hardy shrub for feathery
effect in windswept places. The general impression is
of a big, feathery plume borne on drooping, red-barked
branches. The leaves are small and scale-like; the flowers
pinkish or white, almost three inches long. The range of
growth is from twelve to fifteen feet and the shrub is par-
ticularly to be recommended for alkaline and salty soils.
The Tamarisk may be cut back severely with good results.
Flowers are commonly produced on the old wood but in
one species T. narbonnensis, on the new. T. gallica blooms
in May; T. chinensis and T. hispida in September. The
last with carmine flowers and foliage rather more bluish
than green, is particularly to be recommended as an au-
tumn shrub. Young plants should be procured from nurs-
erymen if possible, as growth from seeds and cuttings will
be found generally too tedious for amateurs.

224 GARDEN FLOWERS

Japanese Toad Lily

Tricyrtis hirta

The Japanese autumn-blooming Lily known as the Toad
Lily will be a novelty for most gardens. The plants grow
one to three feet high and the flowers are Lily-like, many
on a stalk, cream-white with purple-black spots. The var.
nigra earliest to bloom, has black instead of purplish spots
and is generally considered the most satisfactory for do-
mestic gardens. The other Toad Lilies are so late bloom-
ing that they hardly reach maturity before they are nipped
by frosts. Toad Lilies have a short rootstalk and are not
bulbous. The plants flourish best in light, well-drained,
sandy loam. Set the roots out in spring, covering very
lightly with moist rich earth. A mulch of old manure
spread an inch or so thick will keep the foliage in fine shape
during summer. Roots divide easily and beds may be left
as they are for years without deterioration.

High Bush Blueberry

Vaccinium corymbosum

Few country people perhaps would think of transplant-
ing the High Bush Blueberry to garden surroundings, yet
the foliage in the autumn is as fine and brilliant as the much
prized Sumach. This familiar denizen of swamps and
moist woodland will well repay the labor of transplanting
provided you can offer a moist corner. The shrub grows
from six to fifteen feet high, and the fine, large, juicy berries
are the late Blueberry of commerce. It is best to select
your own bush in the autumn and transplant then and
there. Select a young shrub, of course; moist land is es-

AUTUMN 225

sential; it is only the little Low Bush Blueberry that flour-
ishes on dry soil. If there are no High Bush Blueberries
in your vicinity, you may possibly get a small shrub from a
nurseryman.

Great Virginia Speedwell

Veronica virginica

The Great Virginia Speedwell, sometimes called Cul-
ver's Root, growing five and six feet high with August and
September bloom, is the best tall blue flower of late sum-
mer. The leaves are in whorls of from four to six, finely
toothed, lance-shaped, the flowers are on rather stiff-
looking spikes, white or pale blue. Plant this tallest of
the Veronicas in rich soil in full exposure to the sun. Set
out young plants about four feet tall in the early spring.
Veronicas present no garden problems and you should
have fine September bloom.

Another Veronica (V. longifolia subsessilis) has a much
prolonged flowering season. The purple spikes are nearly
a foot long, the longest spikes of any autumn flower. This
late Veronica responds luxuriantly to the influences of deep,
rich soil and sunny position and will be found very success-
ful for distant mass effects.

Viburnums

Viburnum dentatum, etc.

Handsome foliage, showy flowers, and attractive fruits
justify the great popularity of the Viburnums in gardens
and parks. There are about one hundred species, and
many offer charming autumn leaf and fruit effects.

Arrow- wood (V. dentatum) is a fairly common native
shrub, an upright bush frequently fifteen feet high. Its

226 GARDEN FLOWERS

special attractions are its creamy white June flowers and
striking blue-black fruits that appear in September. B
not crowded by other shrubs, Arrow-wood will keep its
symmetrical appearance year after year with practically
no pruning. This Viburnum will grow in all sorts of soils
and is often used as a screen for boundary planting.

The Japanese Bush Cranberry (V. dilatatum) with large,
abundant, bright scarlet autumn berries, is an importation
that will certainly obtain a permanent position in our
domestic garden scheme. This Bush Cranberry grows ten
feet high with bright green, rounded leaves that make ex.
cellent foils for both flowers and fruits. The shrub seem:
to develop best in deep loamy soil, but fair results are ob-
tainable under more difficult conditions. V. dilatatum is
usually propagated by layering; that is, lower branches are
bent down and partially buried, allowing the tips only to
protrude; if this is done in spring the layers will be rooted
by autumn and may be dug up and planted separately.

The American Wayfaring Tree (V. lantanoides) is especi-
ally to be recommended for large handsome foliage, broadly
ovate, turning in early autumn to a deep rich claret color.
The flowers are white in cymes and the berries bright red
changing to black. This Viburnum is preferred for lime-
stone soils and dry situations, sometimes becoming tree-
like in height and in extent of spreading branches. All
in all, the Viburnums offer excellent variety of choice for
autumn effects.

White Watsonia

Watsonia Ardneri

The Watsonias, charming plants somewhat on the ordei
of the Gladiolus, are newcomers from South Africa, the

AUTUMN 227

culture of which is not as widespread as it ought to be.
Watsonias are "bulbous" plants growing three or four feet
tall, with September bloom. W. Ardneri white, and W.
iridifolia pinkish, are the species commonly planted either
singly or together. The bulbs require a somewhat shel-
tered position and soil that is light and sandy. Plant in
May and June six inches apart, covering with about four
inches of soil. When the foliage dies down after the
blooming season, dig up and store in dry sand in a cool
cellar. The Watsonias lend themselves very successfully
to indoor forcing.

Zinnia

Zinnia elegans

Zinnia with red, scarlet, yellow, magenta, and intermedin
ate tints, is considered the best showy annual for very
late bloom. This is a native of Mexico and blooms lav-
ishly in all sorts of garden soils from July till nipped by
heavy frosts. Individual flowers are often two to three
inches across, but flowers of this size will hardly be pro-
duced except in deep rich soil. In making selections avoid
the magenta and greenish tinges. The plants may be
used in borders or massed in beds. Wherever the effect of
distant masses is desired Zinnia may happily be called
into use. This native of Mexico transplants easily and
plants need stand no more than six inches apart. The
primitive Zinnia had both ray and tubular flowers, but in
process of time the tubular flowers have been slowly elim-
inated, producing larger, more intense, and generally more
satisfactory bloom.

WINTER

WINTER

White Fir

Abies concolor

The garden picture includes both the background and
the frame. To give diversity of outline and color, to form
windbreaks and boundary belts, to afford shelter and shade
to emphasize and to slur over, we must have trees. In
gardens of Europe and in our Eastern states, the Silver or
Blue Fir is probably the most frequently planted of the
highly ornamental family of Firs. All Firs are tall,
pyramidal trees with widespreading horizontal limbs and
branches that grow in whorls and spread like Fern fronds.

The White Fir (A. concolor) is a rapid grower and with-
stands successfully the extremes of heat and drought. The
Colorado form is usually grown by nurserymen and is con-
sidered superior both in beauty and in hardiness to more
Western forms. The foliage is dense, the leaves large and
broad, blue-green above and silvery beneath. The height
is rather variable, depending on the nature of the soil where
planted. The Fir should have plenty of room to develop,
and in well-drained, rich soils may grow to a height of two
hundred and fifty feet.

Nordmann's Fir (A. Nordmanniana), a native of the
Caucasian region, is one of the stateliest of the species with
broadly conical outline and glossy dark foliage. This
Fir grows thicker and wider than most Conifers and is un-

231

232 GARDEN FLOWERS

injured by salt spray. Nordmann's is also a rapid grower
and should attain a height of from one hundred to one hun-
dred and fifty feet. The common method of propagation
of most cone-bearing trees is to sow the seeds, as soon as
they are ripe, in a bed of sandy soil in the shade.

Maidenhair Fern

Adiantum cuneatum

The Maidenhair Fern, so called from the delicacy of its
stalks, may be easily grown in conservatories, but not with
any great success in the hot, dry atmosphere of the average
dwelling house. The delicate tracery of the graceful
branching fronds makes the Maidenhair perhaps the best
known of Ferns and the Fern par excellence for cutting and
for decorative purposes generally. Maidenhair will be
best grown in six-inch pots using as soil equal parts of
sandy loam, peat, and leaf mold. When the plants get
to be too large divide into parts and repot. A. Farley ense,
the culture of which is similar to that of A. cuneatum, pro-
duces enormous fronds with large pinnae of a delicate rose
color later turning to light green. The temperature where
this Fern — certainly among the most marvelous of Nature's
creations — grows must never fall below sixty degrees.

Century Plant

Agave americana

The so-called Century Plant is very useful to the ama
teur. Of good symmetrical habit, and with a predilection
for dry atmospheric conditions, the plant is attractive for
winter indoor growing and in summer for porch decoration.

WINTER 233

A large plant will have forty or fifty fleshy leaves, each
about three or four feet long and three to four inches across,
which gradually taper to a point that is tipped with a very
sharp spine. The edges also have a few sharp spines.
The leaves are light glaucous green in the type; some of the
varieties have a broad or narrow yellowish stripe running
through the center, while in others the leaves are edged
with yellow. The Century Plant will grow in any sort of
soil, but the soil must be well drained. The plant seldom
blooms in cultivation but under most favorable conditions
has been known to flower in twenty years. The flowers
are borne in clusters at the top of a tall, stout stem and
have a weird candelabrum-like sort of effect. Should you
have a Century Plant flower do not be alarmed that the
plant dies as soon as the seeds mature. Perpetuation is
commonly accomplished by means of the numerous suckers
which are to be found about the base of the old plant.

Allamanda

Allamanda Hendersoni

There are several Allamandas natives of tropical South
America, often grown in greenhouses for their large, yellow,
sweet-scented blossoms which are produced almost con-
tinuously. A. Hendersoni is of vigorous nature and should
be given plenty of room to spread. This plant may be
successfully trained over pillars, rafters, and conservatory
walls. A. Williamsii is more frequently grown as a pot
plant. The potting soil should consist of two thirds loam
and one third well-rotted manure. In a greenhouse
where a temperature of from fifty-five to sixty degrees is
maintained either of these species should be very successful.

234 GARDEN FLOWERS

During their period of rapid growth Allamandas must be
watered copiously.

Coppery Alocasia

Alocasia cuprea

Alocasias are foliage plants, as are Caladiums. The
leaves are of great variety, some of almost metallic ap-
pearance, others bright green or variegated with white.
These leaves are heart-shaped and sometimes on well-
grown specimens as much as eighteen inches in length.
The plants grow to perfection in humid greenhouses in
which the temperature does not fall below sixty-five de-
grees. If cultivated as a house plant, Alocasia will need
copious supplies of water. Alocasias may be treated as
Caladiums, allowing them to lie dormant for six months
and then forcing them forward, or they may be treated as
all-the-y ear-round plants. Another desirable kind is A.
macrorhiza variegata.

Lily-of-the-Palace

Amaryllis aulica

No window garden would be complete without some
bulbous plants like Amaryllis or the Calla. There are
some sixty or seventy species of Amaryllis or Hippeastrum,
which is the more approved name, many of great beauty
and quite able to withstand the special disadvantages of
indoor culture. The Lily-of-the-Palace is a late winter
bloomer with enormous flowers which are red in color with
a green base to the petals. The flowers are produced be-
fore the leaves and until the latter appear water must be
riven sparingly. The large bulbs should be potted in early

WINTER 235

winter in soil composed of two parts loam, one part de-
cayed manure, and one part sand. The bulbs should suc-
ceed in the temperature of an ordinary living room. As
soon as the flower bud is seen emerging from the bulb, put
the plant in a window where it may obtain plenty of sun-
light.

Variegated Pineapple

Ananas sativus variegatus

Variegated Pineapple has leathery leaves of hard smooth
texture with fine color — striped green and pale yellow with
a suggestion of red along the margin — and on both counts
is well adapted for house decoration. This plant is a vari-
ety of the Pineapple of commerce and in habit of growth
somewhat resembles a Screw Pine. Variegated Pineapple
grows most luxuriantly in a humid greenhouse with a
minimum temperature of sixty-five degrees ; but in default
of these ideal conditions the plant will thrive in fair shape
in a dry atmosphere and much lower temperature. Pre-
ferred soil should consist of two parts fibrous loam, two
parts fibrous peat, and one part sand. Keep always well
watered. Propagation is by suckers or, if the plants fruit,
the leafy part at the top may be treated in the same way.

Lily-of-the- Valley Tree

Andromeda floribunda

The Lily-of -the- Valley Tree forms a neat bush usually a
foot or two high but occasionally seen much taller. In
late autumn the blossom buds appear. These buds re-
main on the plants all winter, not opening up till early
spring. The flowers are produced on upright stalks, but

236 GARDEN FLOWERS

the individual flowers are drooping. Seeds should be
sown in a cool greenhouse as soon as they are ripe. The
plant may be propagated by layers and cuttings. The
various species of Andromeda are closely related to the
familiar Stagger Bush and also to Leucothoe.

Japanese Andromeda (A. japonica often listed as Pieris
japonica) has the fine combination of dark green foliage
and drooping white flowers that open in early March.
This Andromeda has masses of fibrous roots which may
be dug up and potted in the autumn. In the cool green-
house its charming blossoms will be certainly appreciated.
Soil should be light, containing humus and free from lime.

Anemone

Anemone coronaria, A. blanda

The Poppy-flowered Anemone (A . coronaria) or the blue
Winter Windflower (A. blanda) may be grown in the win-
dow of a cool room, and these charming, delicate harbingers
of spring will be a constant joy. The Poppy-flowered
Anemone has a pretty, finely divided leaf and a flower
often two and a half inches across, red, white, or blue in
color. The Winter Windflower has deeply cut leaves and
sky-blue flowers superficially like those of a Marguerite;
there are also charming color variations ranging from pure
white to dark blue. For house use tubers should be potted
in September, placing ten or a dozen in an eight-inch
pan. Plunge in ashes outdoors till December, when they
may be brought indoors for forcing. If more people
knew how easily these little bulbs are to be grown, we
should have far more colorful January and February win-
dow boxes.

WINTER 237

Flamingo Flower

Anthurium Andreanum

The Flamingo Flower with scarlet, waxy blossoms and
white, tail-like appendage, is one flower to which the
sometimes abused epithet of "striking" may well be ap-
plied. The blossoms have good staying quality, often
lasting eight or ten weeks, and the foliage, too, is attrac-
tive. Flamingo Flower in full bloom will never fail to ex-
cite comment. Plants are propagated from seeds sown in
fine peaty soil and kept in a temperature of seventy-five
degrees. Young plants should be potted in fibrous peat
and sphagnum moss with a few lumps of charcoal. The
plants, of course, are at their best in the even temperature
of warm greenhouses but, unless they experience too vio-
lent changes of heat and cold, should do well as house
plants. There are also several varieties grown especially
for foliage.

Norfolk Island Pine

Araucaria excels a

The branches of the Norfolk Island Pine are produced
in regular tiers of diminishing size as the top of the plant is
approached, and are studded with tiny, well-proportioned,
bright green leaves giving altogether an attractiveness that
easily explains the popularity of this evergreen for house
culture. Select a well-lighted cool room and success
should be sure. Soil should consist of one part leaf mold
and two parts loam. The plant is usually grown from
seeds, as those made from cuttings from the side shoots do
not produce shapely plants. Cut off the terminal shoot

238 GARDEN FLOWERS

of an old plant and a new growth of young shoots should
appear just below the cut. These are to be snipped off
and inserted in sandy soil, covered with a bell glass and
placed in shade in a cool house. There is also a variety,
glauca, with silvery leaves, and another variety, robusia
compacta, stronger and more compact of growth.

Ardisia

Ardisia crenulata

Ardisia with bright red berries and shining green foliage
in successive tiers is much seen in florists' windows round
Christmas time and at first glance reminds one of Holly.
Ardisia is usually grown as a small tree, the crown of leaves
occupying the upper part with leaves and berries projecting
on long stalks below. Growth of young plants from seed
is not difficult, but rather inclined to be exasperatingly
slow. Seeds sown in March or April will bloom the follow-
ing spring and the desired berries should appear the next
winter. Cuttings taken from vigorous plants in June and
inserted in sand in a warm greenhouse should produce
much quicker results. The plants lose beauty as they
get older, so they are seldom more than three years of age.
The best temperature is one ranging round sixty degrees.
Unfortunately, the plants are subject to attack by scale
insects which must be met promptly by a careful bath in
lukewarm soapy water.

Asparagus Fern

Asparagus plumosus

The light green, feathery sprays are like fairy lace and,
when cut, the Asparagus Fern holds both color and fresh-

WINTER 239

ness for a remarkably long time. For pot plants the
dwarf forms, nanus and compactus, should be selected.
Rich soil, loam two parts and decayed manure two parts,
is essential; when new growths get to be a foot or so in
length the ends may be pinched out to keep the plant
shapely. For indoor vines use the more vigorously grow-
ing type and prepare support along which to twine as for
Smilax, Your Asparagus Fern, if you have good luck with
it, should make a very attractive table decoration.

Smilax

Asparagus medeoloides

The florists' greenhouse "Smilax," with its light green,
heart-shaped leaves, an almost indispensable decorative
accompaniment of formal social occasions, is not a Smilax
at all, but a twining species of Asparagus; it is also one of
the best vines for the amateur's window garden, particu-
larly as it will grow in a shaded corner where other plants
often make but little progress. Seeds are started in Janu-
ary or February. When the young plants are a few inches
high, transplant singly to two-inch pots and later to three-
inch pots. For a window garden a long narrow box cap-
able of holding a half-dozen plants is more satisfactory
than pots. The soil should be fibrous loam to which may
be added half-rotted cow manure and sand, one part each
to three parts of loam. Strings on which the Smilax is to
climb should be provided as soon as the seedlings are ar-
ranged in their permanent position. New sowings of seed
should be made each year rather than to attempt to hold
the plants over. The night temperature ought not to fall
below fifty degrees.

84G GARDEN FLOWERS

Aspidistra

Aspidistra lurida

Aspidistra, with broad green or variegated leaves spring-
ing from a creeping rootstock is an interesting foliage
plant for indoor growing. Even the most careless and
forgetful of indoor gardeners will have success with this
sturdy plant, which however, will not stand frost.
Aspidistra seems not to mind dust and dry air, or spas-
modic watering or insufficient light. Aspidistra never
gets very tall, but it broadens out luxuriantly on rich soil
and plenty of moisture. The plant has no ascending stem,
the leaves coming directly from the rootstock or rhizome.
These leaves are from fifteen inches to two feet long, green
or variegated with white stripes; but the white stripes are
almost lost if the plant makes rapid growth, and on no
two leaves of the plant are they alike.

Indian Azalea

Azalea indica

The Indian Azalea, long considered the best Easter-
flowering plant for indoor growing, has white to deep red
flowers, either single or double, and small, shiny dark
green leaves. Azaleas are showy little shrubs of bushy
habit, easily grown and surveyed year after year with in-
creasing satisfaction. For early flowering they should be
brought indoors on the approach of cold weather and
placed in a light, airy corner, where the temperature may
be allowed to vary from thirty-five to forty-five degrees.
When you are ready to force them, bring the plants into a

WINTER 241

living room where you can watch the rapidity with which
the flowers develop. If started early, they may even be in
full bloom by Christmas. Azaleas are injured by too much
or too little water: the soil must be kept just moist making
sure that it becomes neither over dry nor waterlogged, and
it must not contain any lime. After flowering pick off the
dead flowers and water freely to induce good growth.
Pinch back faster-growing shoots in order to form a
symmetrical plant.

Quite recently a number of varieties of a new race of
Azalea, called "Kurume" is becoming popular. The plants
are more delicate in appearance and smaller in leaf and
flower, and of almost the same general nature as to soil,
♦water, heat, etc.

Begonias

Begonia coccinea, B. sanguined, etc.

Begonias are an enormous family divided into a few well-
marked groups. Next to the Geranium, among flowering
plants the "fibrous" Begonia is probably best adapted for
indoor gardens, and is offered to the ambitious amateur in
standard forms and in numerous and sometimes rather
capricious hybrids. These Begonias are easily grown and
will remain m bloom for long periods, new clusters of
flowers being produced as the old begin to fade. The
colors range from red through pink to white, the reds
being particularly attractive in dull winter surroundings.
They are easy to grow and easy to take care of. Soil
should be light and fibrous, of equal parts loam and leaf
mold, and with a liberal sprinkling of sand. Pots must
be well drained. Repotting is done preferably in the
spring. During the summer the plants should remain

242 GARDEN FLOWERS

outdoors in a sheltered spot protected from heavy winds
and strong sunlight.

Another group has rhizomes which are cut into pieces
an inch or so long which are planted much as large seeds
for propagation purposes. And a third group is the "tub-
erous," which is described by that term. They are usually
raised from seed and the tubers dried off for keeping over
winter, although they may be kept growing.

The showiest house Begonia is undoubtedly the Coral
Begonia, B. coccinea. The stems are bright green, stiff,
and upright, the leaves three to six inches long and half as
wide with wavy red margins. The flowers, which in a
sunny situation should be produced pretty steadily through
the winter months, are about half an inch across, deep
coral red, in good-sized clusters. Out in the greenhouse
the Coral Begonia will grow eight to ten feet high, but in pot
culture three feet is commonly as much as may be antici-
pated. This is the old-fashioned B. rubra.

The Beefsteak Begonia (B. sanguined) is grown chiefly
for the beauty of its foliage. The leaves often measure
six to eight inches in diameter and are roundish, leathery in
texture, dark green above and red below. This Begonia
will do better in darkish corners than others of the family.
B. metallica is probably the best with variegated foliage.

The upper surface of the leaf is dark green and has a
lustrous bronze shaded effect. The under sides, flowers
bluish white. B. Thurstoni, sl hybrid of B. sanguinea and
B. metallica, has the unusual combination of leaves that
are red above and purple beneath. B. albo-picta and B.
argentea-guttata, the spotted-leaved Begonias, have numer-
ous admirers.

The hybrid Begonia, Gloire de Lorraine (B. socotrana,

WINTER 243

B. Dregei), is very popular but somewhat capricious, even
professional gardeners being reported to have had troubles
with it. Yet if you ever see the plant in full bloom — a
mass of soft, rosy pink flowers from October till April —
certainly you will be tempted to give it a trial. There are
several other named varieties of this type; Turnford Hall
and Glory of Cincinnati, among others, are "sports" of the
Lorraine type that vary only in the color of the flower*
These are very popular in the florists' shops about hol-
iday time.

Air Plant

Bryophyllum calycinum

The old-fashioned Air Plant is still occasionally to be seen
as a curiosity in window boxes. This Bryophyllum is tall-
growing, of easy culture, with long, pinnately divided,
fleshy leaves. The plant has little decorative value and is
cultivated largely because of the curious fact that if a leaf
is laid on a damp surface it will produce a new plant at
each indentation. Leaves pinned to a wall or window cas-
ing will produce new plants which, of course, die as soon
as the nourishment contained in the old leaf is exhausted.
If mature leaves be laid on the surface of moist, sandy soil,
young plantlets will appear on the notches along the margin
of the leaf, and these may be placed in small pots as soon
as they are large enough to handle. There are several
species, all very similar in appearance.

Fancy-Leaved Caladium

Caladium bicolor

No other foliage plants exhibit the bright varied colors
of this Caladium. Plants are often grown outdoors in

244 GARDEN FLOWERS

shady sheltered spots, but to attain the finest development
of their fragile beauty they really demand the protection
of a greenhouse. The brightness of the colors is greatly
enhanced by the semi-transparency of the leaves. Cala-
diums lie dormant for long periods during which they
should be left in dry pots in a cool spot. Through the
growing period they need plenty of water. For soil,
fibrous loam and peat in equal parts, a little sand and a
few small lumps of charcoal are recommended. Young
plants should be started in quite small pots, transferring
to larger receptacles as needed. Plenty of light is neces-
sary to develop fine shades of color, but strong direct sun-
light is undesirable. When the colors begin to fade and
the leaves to lose their lustre it is time to put the plants
back into retirement. Withdraw water slowly and store
in a dry cool cellar.

Florists' Calceolaria

Calceolaria hybrida

The reports of the difficulties of growing Calceolaria are
rather discouraging to the timid amateur, but if difficulties
are overcome, the mottled, often brilliantly colored flowers
will be all the more a triumph. Seeds had best be sown
in June or July and the young plants kept in a shady cold-
frame till the approach of frosts, when they should be
Drought into a cool greenhouse. In January pot in six
or eight inch pots in two thirds fibrous loam and one
third well-decayed manure. Till they begin to bloom in
May they must be kept watered, and aphids, if discovered,
smoked out with nicotine.

The shrubby Calceolarias grow taller and more bushy

WINTER 245

but are less varied in color. They are mostly used for out-
door bedding, but are rather pretty in pots.

Camellia

Camellia japonica

The popular Camellia, hardy in the South, well deserves
to be grown in smaller compass as a window plant in the
North. The wild Camellia is a single red flower, but hun-
dreds of variations are in cultivation, single and double
and of various colors and shades of white, pink, and red
and even mixtures of these in one flower. The leaves are
dark green, shiny, laurel-like, setting off the large blossoms
most effectively. The plants are best grown in a green-
house where the winter temperature does not exceed fifty
degrees. Soil for potting should be rotted peat three parts,
sand one part. If the plants are placed in a temperature
of from sixty to sixty-five degrees, bloom will be much
hastened. They should have plenty of water, especially
while flower buds are forming.

Dumas's famous play translated into English as "Ca-
naille," was called in the original "The Lady of the
Camellias."

Japanese Cypress

Chamaecyparis [Retinispora] pisifera, etc.

The somber but very decorative Cypress is often ar-
ranged in groups or allowed to stand alone as a specimen
tree on lawns. The Japanese Cypress is of slow growth and
only the young trees are seen in garden cultivation. The
tree has nearly horizontal branches with tiny dark green

846 GARDEN FLOWERS

leaves forming a beautiful, feathery, frond-like arrange-
ment. Varieties with yellow and sulphur-colored foliage
offer opportunities for unusual color schemes. The little
trees (in cultivation they are seldom to be seen over six
feet high) may be set out in spring or early autumn. In
moving them at any time avoid disturbing the dirt about
the roots any more than is necessary. There are many
varieties : filifera has long-drooping branches and thread-
like, light green foliage. R. jplumosa and R. plumosa aurea
have short branches; aurea with golden. R. squarrosa is
silvery blue.

R. obtusa differs from most varieties in having dark
green, arborvitae-like branches. Growth is dense and
compact. All the Retinisporas do best in heavy, rich,
but well-drained soil sheltered from cutting winds. These
types of Cypresses are all increased by means of seeds or
cuttings; the finer sorts by grafting upon seedlings of one
of the common varieties in winter in a greenhouse.

Marguerite or Paris Daisy

Chrysanthemum frutescens

If you buy plants of white Marguerite in flower from a
tlorist in early winter, you should have bloom all the
season. The Marguerite makes an excellent plant for
the window garden if care be taken to keep the tempera-
ture as uniform as possible; in greenhouses where a tem-
perature of about fifty degrees is maintained, the plants
almost never disappoint the growers. Young stock for
another season is to be procured by making cuttings of the
ends of the branches in the early part of May and, as soon
as rooted, plant outdoors and pot early in September.

WINTER 24?

Old plants are best not kept over a second season. There
is also a double-flowered Marguerite and a fine yellow,
variety, Etoile d'Or, or Gold Star.

Florists' Cineraria

Cineraria hybrida

Cinerarias are pretty annuals with a varied range of
vivid coloring that makes the dwarf varieties valuable as
house plants and the taller sorts useful in more spacious
conservatories. Sow in April or May in light sandy soil,
cover lightly and keep the young plants moist, cool, and
partially shaded through the hot months. On the ap-
proach of autumn pot in rich fibrous soil and bring indoors
The dwarf varieties will hardly exceed a foot in height
and at the other extreme are enormous thick plants four
or five feet tall. The varieties range in color from purple
to blue and white and often in combinations such as blue
and white. Troubles more or less serious with aphids wilj

be best warded off by vigorous sprayings with nicotine
solution.

Clerodendron

Clerodendron Thomsonae

C. Thomsonae or Balfourii, perhaps the most frequently
cultivated species and a very attractive plant, flowers
quite young, and is among the best climbers for window
culture, producing immense clusters of crimson flowers
with large white calyx. The flowers are unusual in their
balloon-like, inflated calyx, which is very conspicuous and
in sharp color contrast with the rest of the flower.

The Three-Forked Clerodendron, C. trichotomum, is a
hardy sub-shrub in the North, but is more commonly to

248 GARDEN FLOWERS

be seen growing in greenhouses. It has white flowers in a
reddish-brown calyx. Soil should be rich and fibrous.
Propagation is commonly by cuttings. Clerodendrons,
though often grown, have somewhat of a reputation of
being especially susceptible to attacks by mealy bugs.

Coco Palm

Cocos Weddelliana

Cocos Weddelliana as seen in our greenhouses is a very
small Palm with finely pinnated leaves, not too large for
table decoration, and often considered the most graceful
of this numerous group. It grows slowly and is very
slender both in stem and in leaves. It requires heat and
moisture and the foliage will be benefited by frequent spray-
ings. Fibrous peat and loam with a little well-rotted cow
manure and a dash of sand will make an ideal soil ; the poti
should be comparatively small and well drained. Propa-
gation is usually from seed sown in a temperature of
seventy-five degrees. The Coco Palm is not of difficult
culture and will endure ordinary house conditions fairly
well. C. plumosa, a larger-growing species with feathery
leaves, is also often to be seen in conservatories and is used
for avenue planting in California.

Croton

Codiaeum variegatum

The plants known commonly as Crotons have large,
leathery, finely colored leaves vying in brilliance of color
with the Caladiums and displaying a diversity of form
which is always a surprise and a delight. Small plants

D A FFOD I L Narcissus pseudo-narcis.su i

NARCISSUS — Narcissus poeticus

PEONY Paeonia albiflora

LI LAC — Syringa vulgaris

CH R YS A NT H EM UM Chrysanthemum

D A H LI A— Dahlia variabilis

ZINNIA Zinnia elegans

AMARYLLIS — Amaryllis auiica

TIGER LILY — Lilium tigrinui

POPPY — Papaver

GERANIUM — Pelargonium hortorum

PET U N I A Petunia hybrida

PHLOX — Phlox panicvlata

MIGNONETTE — Reseda odorata

ROSE — Rosa odorata hybrida

£&:•&

MARIGOLD- Tageies erecta

WINTER 249

make attractive table decorations and large plants find
a place on summer lawns. The full beauty of the leaves
can be maintained by frequent and vigorous spraying.
Culture is easy: sun, rich fibrous soil, and plenty of water
at the roots are all that is required. Propagation is by
half -ripe cuttings in a warm place or by seeds. For winter
plants the Crotons offer an unusual choice of varieties,
nearly all of which are excellent and fancy can run free in
making a choice, for example: Andreanum, leaves large,
broadly lanceolate with yellow veins; Disraeli, particularly
to be recommended, with leaves hastate with red and
golden veins; undulatum, leaves lanceolate with wavy
edges, bronze with red and crimson; variegatum, heavily
blotched leaves, green and yellow, with pale rose-colored
leaf stalks. The names of these garden varieties often, as
here, describe the particular plant.

Dracaena

Cordylene terminalis

Dracaenas with straight stems and large tufts of grace-
fully recurving leaves are often seen decorating large en-
trance halls. Young plants are used in window boxes and
for table decoration. There are many species and varie-
ties and hybrids, some very highly colored, and altogether
the Dracaena, or Fountain Plant, as it is more popularly
called, is one of the most useful and adaptable of winter
plants. In C. indivisa the leaves are long, arching, strap-
shaped on slender green stems. D. terminalis has red
leaves and its varieties have bronzy leaves striped white,
red, yellow, spotted, mottled, or variegated. Dracaenas
are increased by means of stem cuttings laid down in sand

250 GARDEN FLOWERS

(a method impracticable in dwelling houses) or very slowly
by seeds sown in a temperature maintained at sixty degrees.
Fibrous loam, leaf mold, well-decayed manure, with the
usual sprinkle of sand, make a satisfactory soil. Frequent
spraying or careful washing of the leaves with soapy water
will be necessary to prevent disease and to keep the plant
on its best appearance.

Hawthorn

Many species of Crataegus as C. punctata, etc.

The Hawthorns are often planted as specimens on lawns
with the anticipation of their wonderful, late seasonal,
ornamental qualities in mind. The Hawthorn family are
generally undersized trees with stiff, zigzag branches set
with thorns. Over a hundred species have been cata-
logued by botanists. The Hawthorn has fine leaf colora-
tion and striking fruit scarcely equalled by any autumn
shrub. Often the bright red berries will persist through
winter into early spring. Hawthorns should be planted
by themselves rather conspicuously on lawns, or in groups
against a background of shrubbery. The ideal soil will be
rich and moist with underlying clay. They may be started
Irom seed planted in the autumn and take two or more
years to germinate, but quicker results are obtained from
small trees purchased from nurserymen.

Cyclamen

Cyclamen persicum

Our Cyclamens are beautiful plants of the Primula
order, which have been greatly developed and improved
from the original much smaller Persian parent. The

WINTER 251

blossoms, which should last all winter, are white or varying
shades of pink to dark rose, often with a purple blotch at
the mouth. It will take fifteen months to grow Cyclamens
from seed to flowers. Seeds may be sown in September or
not until the end of the year, according as one is planning
for midwinter or early spring bloom. Sow in pots well-
drained and filled with light, sandy soil; keep in tempera-
ture of sixty degrees till sprouted and repot once or twice
during the winter; store in a cool, shady place over sum-
mer. The plants may be rested after flowering and often
are thoroughly successful a second year, or they may be
kept growing. Indoors a temperature round fifty de-
grees will suit the Cyclamen best.

Sago Palm

Cycas revoluta

Sago Palms are of many kinds, all highly ornamental, all
with leaves of hard texture that are proof against the ordin-
ary accidents of the indoor life of plants. They grow
slowly, and, if a small plant is bought, it may be depended
upon for some years before it will become too large for
house culture.

C. revoluta, perhaps the most frequently grown species,
has leaves two to four feet long, six or eight inches wide,
very closely pinnate and deep glossy green. One whorl is
produced in a year; the new leaves unroll like fern fronds
and are upright; as they grow older they gradually bend
and when new leaves begin to appear the following year
they are horizontal or slightly drooping. The Sago Palm
is easily grown in any well-drained soil and makes no
objection to the somewhat variable temperature of living

252 GARDEN FLOWERS

rooms. Stems are potted in dormant condition and kept
in dry soil till the first crown of leaves comes, after which
abundant supplies of water should be furnished.

Umbrella Plant

Cyperus alternifolius

The Umbrella Plants, C. alternifolius, with green leaves
and the variety variegatus with variegated, grow one to
three feet high and make excellent house plants. The
height and luxuriance will vary greatly with the richness
of the soil and the amount of water supplied. The leaves
of a rich, deep green are produced in clusters at the top of
the slender stems. The Umbrella Plant is one of the easi-
est to propagate by rooting the leaves. Cut off a bunch of
leaves with a bit of stem and place in water. In a few
weeks a new plant will be seen pushing up from among
the leaflets which may be separated and potted. While
the new plant is germinating care must be taken that the
water does not become stale, which can be easily effected
by adding from time to time a bit of charcoal. If grown as
a pot plant, Cyperus had best always stand in a saucer of
water.

Genista

Cytisus canariensis

Late winter and early spring see this handsome, ever-
green shrub covered with spikes of small, yellow, slightly
fragrant, pea-shaped flowers that brighten up greenhouses
and rejoice the hearts of fortunate possessors of win*
dow boxes. Genistas are of easy culture and make suc-
cessful window or porch plants. Top growth and sid*»

WINTER 253

shoots should be checked after flowering to make neat,
symmetrical shrubs, at v/hich time cuttings may also be
taken for new plants. As soon as rooted pot in two-inch
pots, transferring to larger receptacles a& necessary. Dur-
ing summer the young plants will be benefited by being
plunged in ashes out of doors in a sunny position. Take
indoors before the time of frosts and transfer to larger pots;
then store in a cool greenhouse until ready for forcing;
bring out, and in a temperature of fifty degrees the plant
should flower in a few weeks.

Carnations

Dianthus Caryophyllus

Most amateurs think of the florists' Carnation as a
florist's flower only; yet they are well fitted for house cul-
ture, neat in habit, easily grown, plentiful in bloom. Dur-
ing the late winter or early spring take cuttings from vigor-
ous plants and, as soon as rooted, pot in two-inch pots in
light sandy soil. Repot several times, plant out in a
border over summer, nip long-growing buds and shoots.
By September the plants should be large enough for five-or
six-inch pots. A good forcing soil will consist of three parts
loam, one part manure, and one part sand. Suitable win-
ter temperature for Carnations will be one of about fifty-
five degrees. Well-known varieties are : Enchantress, pink;
White Enchantress; Portia, scarlet; and Eldorado, yellow.

Aralia

Dizygotheca elegantissima

In the florists' trade this is known as Aralia elegan-
tissima and is a charming foliage plant for conservatory or

254 GARDEN FLOWERS

dinner-table decoration, having leaflets with undulated
margins, red underneath and dark green above. Any good
garden soil will do : as a preliminary cut the thickest roots
available into pieces about two inches long, which are to
be plunged into sand, keeping uppermost the part of the
root that is nearest the stem. A temperature of seventy
degrees should induce growth, and the cuttings may pres-
ently be transferred to small pots. The genus Aralia is
comprehensive, including shrubs, small trees, and even
herbs scattered over temperate, sub-tropical, and tropical
regions, but the many decorative plants grown in green-
houses under that name are not Aralias at all. The very
pretty Aralia having pinnate foliage of pale green edged
and splashed with white is Polyscias Guilfoylei.

Oleaster

Elaeagnus pungens

Oleasters may be successfully grown as pot or tub plants
and will form a charming variation from indoor plants most
commonly seen in entrance halls and window boxes. The
Oleaster in a greenhouse or in a well-lighted room from
which frost is excluded should form a spreading shrub
about six feet high. All the Oleasters are handsome with
dark green leaves silvery on the underside, fragrant blos-
soms in late fall covered with silvery scales. The Oleaster
is most easily propagated by layers and is not fussy as
to soil or situation, except as to good drainage. Excel-
lent choice of foliage effects is offered in several varieties:
leaves with margins yellowish white (variegata) , and
variegated yellow and pale pink (Simoni tricolor), among
others.

WINTER 255

E. multiflora, the Goumi, is a hardy shrub with long-
stalked scarlet berries densely covered with scales or
spangles in June and July. Another is E. umbellata, with
small fruits in dense clusters on the older wood and is an
easy-growing shrub on any well-drained soil.

Winter-Blooming Heaths

Erica hyemalis, etc.

Winter Heaths, striking bell-shaped flowers, pink with
white tops, are more popular abroad than with us because
of climatic differences. Heaths are difficult for amateur
gardeners to manage successfully, but small plants about
to flower may be procured from florists, and you will be at
least sure of one year's blossoms. Particular attention
must be given to the supply of water given the Winter
Heaths, either extreme being fatal to development, and
they must be grown in a winter temperature round fifty de-
grees. They are thought to require very firm potting in a
mixture of good peat with plentiful addition of sand. E.
melanthera, with tiny white flowers, is another Heath often
seen in florists' shops during the Christmas season. Other
species less commonly grown in this country have yellow,
small red or white, or long, tubular flowers in purple um-
bels. This family is very numerous, especially in South
Africa.

Amazon Lily

Eucharis amazonica

Amazon Lilies are tropical plants of great beauty and
easy culture producing, sometimes thrice yearly under

256 GARDEN FLOWERS

favorable conditions, attractive umbels of very large white
flowers. It was at one time grown quite extensively for
cutting purposes, but in recent years has rather gone out of
vogue perhaps because the flower is fragile and easily
bruised. The Amazon Lily delights in a humid atmos-
phere and a minimum temperature of sixty -five degrees.
Soil should be quite rich and a half-dozen bulbs may be
planted in an eight-inch pot, placed so that the tips of the
bulbs will show above the surface. The Amazon Lily re-
quires frequent washing of its leaves and plenty of water
at the roots during its season of growth. It is preferable
that plants remain undisturbed for years. On account of
its requirements of heat and moisture, the Amazon Lily
is hardly possible as a household plant but will be found
very satisfactory in conservatories and greenhouses.

Crown of Thorns

Euphorbia splendens

The Euphorbias are rather grotesque plants grown
largely as curiosities. The stems are green, fleshy, often
angled, some kinds with a fair crop of leaves, others with
none at all and very spiny. The Crown of Thorns has
long, sinuous, purplish stems studded with stout spines
and much more sparsely with oval leaves. At the tips of
the branches are the bright-red flowers produced at all
seasons of the year but generally most abundant in winter.
Culture is not difficult. Any good soil except a clay will
do. In order to keep the plant within bounds it is ad-
visable to train the Crown of Thorns over stout wire or
wooden frames.

WINTER 257

Poinsettia

Euphorbia pulcherrima

The Poinsettia is grown for the brilliant scarlet bracts,
measuring often a foot in length and produced beneath tht
flowers. In the all too frequent dark days of early winter
there is nothing better to lighten a room than a generous
display of Poinsettia. For winter flowering the plants
should be grown in small pots and kept from too much
growth by pinching back and withholding supplies of
water. Cuttings taken in late spring or early summer root
easily under glass in moist sand. When well rooted, pot
in equal parts of fibrous loam, leaf mold, and decayed
manure. After flowering the plants had best be given a
few months' rest. Fifty to sixty degrees will be an ideal
winter temperature and in summer not over eighty de-
grees. There are white and pink varieties but they can
never be as popular as the dashing red. Poinsettia belongs
to the Spurge family and is named after Doctor Poinsett
of Charleston, S. C, who introduced the flower to American
horticulture about 1835.

Spindle Trees

Euonymus japonicus, etc.

The Japanese Spindle Tree is easy to grow and will add a
bright dash of color to a garden border or shrubbery in the
dead of winter when garden color is at a minimum. This
Spindle Bush survives winters in the vicinity of New York
without protection. Leaves with gold and with white
variegations offer a difficult choice and the tree grows
vigorously in a rich, well -manured soil. Altogether the

258 GARDEN FLOWERS

Japanese Spindle-Bush is one of the most decorative and
desirable of broad-leaved evergreen shrubs for winter use.
The Creeping Spindle (E. japonicus radicans) is an out-
door evergreen shrub, impregnable to frost and to be had
in many desirable varieties. It attaches itself to walls or
the side of a house by means of adventitious roots pro-
duced along the stems, and in a favorable location will
climb fifteen feet high or more. A deep, moist, sandy soil
is best for the Creeping Spindle Vine.

Leopard Plant

Farfugium grande

The well-named Leopard Plant makes rapid growth in
rich soil but will not survive a winter outdoors farther
north than Washington. The leaves are large, orbicular,
yellow spotted — in certain varieties white and pale rose — ■
and the leaf stalks tall and vigorous. The Leopard Plant
may be grown successfully in the average indoor atmos-
phere and is easily propagated by dividing old plants in
spring and repotting the divisions separately. Soil should
consist of two thirds loam and a third leaf soil, and as
with so many of the foliage plants, plentiful supplies of
water are a necessity. It is thought a good plan to let the
Leopard Plant rest outdoors in a shady spot during the
summer months and replant in the early autumn.

Rubber Plant

Ficus elastica

The ubiquitous Rubber Plant has an unfailing ability
to withstand the disadvantages of house conditions that

WINTER 259

makes the probability of its being superseded in popu^
larity quite unlikely. More usually grown as a single
stem plant, equally decorative specimens may be had by
procuring plants with compact, spreading branches. The
long oblong to elliptical leaves, glossy and dark green
above, dull and light green below, are familiar sights in
conservatories and entrance halls. The Rubber Plant is
a gross feeder, needing a rich soil and improving on a diet
of manure water and other liquid plant food. They grow
fast but even a plant grown to a single stem will not become
too tall for a living room for two or three years. Propa-
gation is effected by means of cuttings taken from the
terminal shoots. Tie together and insert in sand. They
need plenty of bottom heat and a constant temperature
of seventy-five to eighty degrees. Rubber Plants that
have grown well during the winter should not be put
outdoors in summer where full sunlight will strike th&
leaves.

The Fiddle-leaved Rubber Plant (F. pandurata) has much
broader, fiddle-shaped leaves with creamy white veins and
offers a welcome and attractive variation from the standi
ard type.

Freesia

Freesia refracta

No winter-blooming bulbs of easy culture are more
charming than the Freesias. Freesias are dwarf, Lily-
like plants with fragrant creamy flowers in large clusters
on slender stems. The leaves and stalks are quite tender
and will require support. Ashes in the soil are useful to
counteract this tendency and wire carnation supports will
be found neat and satisfactory. The bulbs are small and

260 GARDEN FLOWERS

should be potted as soon as received, placing half-a-dozen
or more in a five-inch pot and covering lightly with soil.
They are usually kept in a cool spot till growth is well
under way. By starting Freesias in August they may be
had in flower by Christmas. Hybrids offer carmine-rose,
violet-blue, orange-yellow, and other charming color vari-
ations, but the most popular form is the white variety
alba.

Cape Jessamine

Gardenia florida

Gardenias, or Cape Jessamines, hardy outdoor plants
of exquisite beauty in the South, have fragrant white
double blossoms rising amid shiny, deep evergreen foliage.
In the North they can hardly be grown with any degree of
success except in a warm humid greenhouse atmosphere.
Culture is not difficult provided the proper atmosphere
can be supplied. Cuttings should be inserted in sand
where there is plenty of bottom heat and the seedlings
transferred to three-inch pots, using as soil a mixture of
three parts loam and one part manure with a sprinkling of
sand and a few bits of charcoal. As the plants mature,
frequent spraying of the leaves will be found advisable.
Few plants are more attractive than the Gardenia grown
under conditions that give it a chance to do its best.

Wintergreen

Gaultheria procumbens

Shining evergreen foliage and pretty red berries that
remain on the plant all winter make Wintergreen attrac-

WINTER 261

tive both indoors and out. The plant is low-growing and
the leaves yield a pleasant-tasting, fragrant oil which is
used extensively in flavoring. Tea used to be steeped from
the leaves, and children eagerly devour the tender new
shoots tinged with red that are put forth in June. Small,
white, bell-like flowers, usually solitary, hang nodding
among the leaves from June to September and later come
the bright-red berries. Wintergreen is to be found under
great trees and in semi-shaded woods and succeeds best in
sandy soil which contains a good proportion of decayed
vegetable matter. Wintergreen is well adapted for plant-
ing along the edges of woodland paths and indoors for
hanging baskets and window boxes.

Gladiolus

Gladiolus Colvillei

The Gladiolus is among the flowers distinctive of the
summer season outdoors and may be turned to advantage
for late winter and early spring bloom, especially if the
Colvillei varieties are grown, as they are excellent for
winter forcing. For Easter bloom bulbs need not be
started before December and their rapid growth will prove
a constant surprise and delight. The secret of success is
to grow them cool, a night temperature of forty-five to
fifty degrees being recommended. Plant in boxes or potsv
placing the bulbs so that their tops are level with the sur-
face of the soil. Water only sparingly till growth com-
mences. Support is generally necessary to keep the shoots
in an upright position. These varieties have red and white
coloring*

262 GARDEN FLOWERS

Heliconia

Heliconia aureo-striata

Besides the Palms there are other tropical plants of noble
appearance that serve much the same decorative purposes
m cultivation. Heliconia is a plant of this sort, a dwarf
with large, deep green leaves obliquely striped with golden
yellow, invaluable in a greenhouse but too much a lover of
warmth and humidity to remain long a resident of dwelling
houses. Heliconia must have a half-shady position, the
richest of soils, and plenty of water. The plant is quickly
increased by division of the rootstock, an operation for
early spring during which care should be taken to disturb
*he Toots no more than is necessary. Heliconias are re-
lated to the Banana, and the various species are located
mostly in tropical America.

Heliotrope

Heliotr opium peruvianum

The beautiful purple of the flowers, the sweet, spicy per-
fume, the long period of bloom, all combine to make the
familiar Heliotrope an ideal window plant. For winter
flowers take stout, soft cuttings in early July, root them in
a sandy soil and pot after a couple of weeks, when well-
rooted. Heliotrope for winter use will need moderate
sunlight and warmth, rich light soil, and a constant supply
of moisture about the roots and in the air. To make bushy
sturdy plants, pinch back the new shoots regularly. Grown
in pots or boxes a plant will ultimately cover a space about
eighteen inches square and reach a height of twelve to
fifteen inches. Originally the flowers were violet, but we

WINTER 263

now have several shades of purple and a white, and the
individual trusses have increased from a meager two inches
across to a full six inches. If you wish to grow from seed,
sow from February to May and plan to keep the plants in
pots all summer. Winter Heliotropes are best plunged in a
border over summer but without removing from the pots.
They should be turned occasionally to prevent rooting
through the bottom of the pot.

Christmas Rose

Helleborus niger

The Christmas Rose has pure, snow-white flowers pro-
duced out of doors in late autumn and in early winter, too,
if the weather be at all mild. To obtain the best-developed
bloom cover the plants (as soon as the flower buds push
through) with a large bell jar or small coldframe. Give
the Christmas Rose a partially shaded position and soil en-
riched by the addition of leaf mold. These beautiful plants
are spoiled by too frequent shif tings. If they must be
moved it should be done when they are making new roots
in September. Of the varieties available, altifolius has
perhaps the largest flowers and praecox is valuable for
early bloom, which may even begin in September.

Kentia Palm

Howea Belmoreana

Tolerant of bad light and sharp variations of tempera-
ture, of erect, spreading, dark green foliage, the Kentia
Palms are among the best of the big Palm family for indoor
purposes and are much used for the embellishment of haU

264 GARDEN FLOWERS

ways, ballrooms, and for wedding decorations. The
Thatch Palm {H. Forsteriana) , a variant of the same type,
is stronger growing, with broader leaves but more drooping.
Palms require plenty of water and rich soil; three parts
loam and one part decayed manure will be none too heavy
for them. The leaves should be washed frequently (un-
derside as well as top) with a sponge and lukewarm soapy
water, both on account of dust and of insects which fre-
quently get a foothold on neglected plants. Palms do
best when their roots are slightly confined, so be sure that
pots are not too large. Plenty of drainage must be given
at the bottom of the pot and a few bits of charcoal added.
During the summer all Palms benefit by being plunged out-
doors in a partially sheltered position where they must be
regularly provided with water.

Wax Plant

Hoy a carnosa

The fragrant, pink clustered blossoms produced during
the summer months will make themselves delightfully
manifest in any dwelling house that has a Wax Plant.
The leaves are thick, leathery, ornamental at all seasons.
The Wax Plant likes fibrous peat and sand for soil and
plenty of moisture, particularly during the growing season.
The plant will climb up a back wall if desired, clinging by
adventitious roots as do the Ivies. Bits of stem with a
leaf or two attached inserted in sand in a warm tempera-
ture will quickly take root, disposing of the matter of propa-
gation. The scale insect known as the mealy bug seems
unfortunately to have a particular liking for the Wax
Plant, and as it increases rapidly, a careful watch must be

WINTER 265

kept at all times and the pests exterminated on appear-
ance.

Hyacinths

Hyacinthus orientalis

The Hyacinth is truly a domestic flower, a source of
fragrance and a joy to look upon. Hyacinths make
thoroughly successful pot plants. The trusses are hand-
some, the colors brilliant, the habit neat, and the perfume
delicious. Tliey may be grown in pots or in glass. If
grown in pots place one bulb in a five-inch pot, about an
inch of the bulb remaining above the soil, which should be
rich with a very liberal sprinkling of sand. After potting
place out of doors covered with soil or ashes to a depth of
about six inches for a period of five or six weeks. This will
check top growth but not root action. At the end of this
period bulbs may be brought into a heated room and given
free exposure to light and pi enty of water.

Glass culture is often more expensive than pot culture,
but has all the charm of novelty. The base of the bulb
should just touch the water, which should contain a bit of
charcoal. As long as the water remains clear it need not be
changed. The bulbs are to be kept away from light until
roots two or three inches long are formed. Then they
may be brought into light and heat as are pot Hyacinths.
If the trusses become heavy, some sort of support may be
found necessary.

The two well-known groups of Hyacinths are Dutch and
Roman. Flowers are smaller in the Roman type, and
several spikes are produced from each bulb; they are not
so stiff and formal as the Dutch Hyacinths and are more
oseful for cut flowers. The Roman Hyacinths are often

266 GARDEN FLOWERS

potted in batches from August to November in order to
obtain quick succession of bloom.

Hyacinths are single or double and may be obtained in a
bewildering variety of whites, reds, blues, and even yellows.

Hydrangea

Hydrangea hortensis

The tender Hydrangea is the most showy early-flowering
plant for indoor forcing. Plants brought out of seclusion
in January should be in flower for Easter. For forcing pur-
poses Hydrangeas should be grown in pots or tubs, plung-
ing the receptacles up to the rims out of doors during the
summer months. In early autumn bring inside and store
in a light cool spot. During the summer water should be
supplied abundantly, but while stored in autumn and
early winter only enough to keep the wood from shriveling.
Cuttings rooted in February and March should make
plants mature enough to bloom the following season. A
rich heavy soil of loam and manure is essential for good
growth and well-rounded bloom. Flowers vary from white
in some varieties to pink, ranging to light blue in others.
Blue flowers are produced by acidity in the soil and that is
sometimes obtained by regular watering during the sum-
mer with a weak solution of alum. Limestone in the soil
assures pink flowers.

Ixia

Ixia hybrida

Ixia, boasting the greatest range of color of any bulb, is
also cool-loving, which makes it very desirable for indoor
cultivation. A night temperature of thirty-five to forty de-

WINTER 267

grees with a rise of ten or fifteen degrees during the day is
considered ideal. The stems are slender and graceful,
the flowers offer white, yellow, purple, ruby, blue, green in
many shades and variations, usually with black eye. The
flower spikes contain six to twelve flowers, each of which
may be an inch or two in diameter. Bulbs should be
potted in autumn as late as possible in a mixture of loam,
leaf soil, and sand, placing eight or nine in a six-inch pot.
Keep cool and dark till growth commences. Then bring
into light and heat. If Ixia flowers successfully, you will
be many times repaid for any troubles or vexations you may
have had at the start.

Juniper

Juniperus communis

The slow-growing dwarf Junipers fit in well with most
garden schemes, are unaffected by average winters, and
will grow vigorously on thin soil. The common Juniper
is to be found covering vast stretches of waste land
throughout the temperate zones, even into the Arctic
regions, ranging according to locality and soil from a mere
low bush to a tree thirty or forty feet high. Junipers are
easily distinguishable from other Evergreens by their red,
blue, or blue-black berries which they bear instead of cones.
The dwarf Juniper forms a loose, open head above a short,
stout trunk; other forms are pyramidal. Three years
is required to mature the berries, and they hang on the
shrub two or three years longer; each berry has several
seeds which may require three years to germinate. All
forms of the Juniper are useful in the garden; the pyra-
midal for formal effects, the low shrubby for group plant-
ing and for screens.

£68 GARDEN FLOWERS

The Red Cedar (J. virginiana) becomes in cultivation a
neat symmetrical tree well adapted to the formal garden.
The dark blue berries have a pale bloom and resinous sweet
flesh. In the autumn the foliage becomes rusty brown
to match the stringy red bark. This is the cedar of lead
pencils and cedar chests and the cedar used by the railroad
companies for railroad ties.

Lantana

Lantana Camara, etc.

Lantanas belong to the Verbena family and produce well-
formed umbels of showy flowers more often seen in summer
garden beds, but available for conservatories and for win-
dow boxes. Lantanas may be propagated at any time
of the year when there is suitable young wood for cuttings.
Pinch out the shoots to encourage bushy habit and the
flower buds until you are ready for them to come to bloom.
If it is desired to utilize old plants, they may be dug up
from the garden at the end of summer and placed in pots
large enough to accommodate the roots without crowding.
Cut tops back to leave no more than six inches and keep in
warm, moist air till new growth is well under way. Lan-
tanas must have rich soil and plentiful supplies of water at
all times. There is a choice of white and yellow varieties
with many charming intervening shades.

European Larch

Larix decidua

The delicate curving twigs strung with little cones are
pretty enough all winter to compensate for the loss of the
needle-like leaves which the Larch, unlike most conifers,

WINTER 269

does not retain after they turn yellow in the autumn.

Attractive in winter, the feathery light green of the new

growth in spring makes this Conifer unique among trees

commonly planted. This less vigorous relative of the

Pines and Firs succeeds best in deep, well-drained soil and

is valuable as isolated specimens and for group planting. Of

available varieties pendula has drooping branches effective

at all seasons but particularly so in winter, and glauca has

needles of a glaucous blue. Larchwood is very durable,

beavy, and hard.

Sweet Bay

Laurus nobilis

The most "architectural" decorative evergreen tree
having lanceolate, leathery leaves, and formerly imported
in great quantities from Europe. Sweet Bay appears in
several different ways, sometimes with a stem and globu-
lar crowns, sometimes as a bushy plant with leaves close to
the ground, and occasionally clipped in the form of pyra-
mids or cylinders. Rich fibrous loam is needed and the
plants must never be without a suitable supply of water.
They may endure a temperature below freezing and escape
without damage, but it is better not to take the risk.
Plants may be kept in a cool, light cellar over winter for
summer use on lawns, or in heat and light for indoor decor-
ative effects. May be propagated from cuttings in the
greenhouse in late summer.

Leucothoe or Andromeda

Leucothoe Catesbaei

Leucothoe, the graceful sprays of which are much fancied
bv florists in making up decorations, is a relative of the

270 GARDEN FLOWERS

Rhododendrons. The shining evergreen leaves produced
on recurving stems two feet long turn a beautiful bronzy
purple in winter. The flowers in May are lily-of-the-valley-
like, creamy white, and fragrant. Deep soil with plenty of
humus and shade to prevent the burning of the leaves by
the sun are required. An ideal place for Leucothoe or
Andromeda is along the edge of a woodland path or
amongst Rhododendrons. The plant is commonly prop-
agated by division in spring or autumn. Leucothoe
grows wild in the South and much of the florists' supplies
comes from this source. The related Swamp Leucothoe
(L. racemosa) is a deciduous shrub attaining a height
sometimes of ten feet, also having white tubular flowers.

Chinese Fan Palm

Livistona chinensis

The Chinese Fan Palm vies with the Kentia for the title
of the most popular of house Palms. Comparing the twof
the Chinese Fan is much broader but not as tall; the leaf
stem is as long as the leaf and for half its length is armed
with short, stout, sharp spines. The foliage is a deep rich
green with gracefully drooping tips and presents a more
massive appearance than other Palms commonly grown
indoors. The Chinese Fan will succeed in any room where
the temperature does not go below forty-five degrees at
night. Care must be taken to see that the roots are well
supplied with water and the leaves kept free from dust by
occasional sponging. Heavy soil is essential and too large
pots are to be avoided. Plants with eight or more leave*
and a spread of four or five feet may frequently be grown
in pots as small as six inches. The purchase of a small

WINTER 271

Chinese Fan Palm is an investment that will bring results
and be a constant delight for a number of years.

Bermuda Easter Lily

Lilium Harrisi

The most appropriate flower for Easter is unquestionably
the Lily, but the Easter Lily of to-day is not the Lily of
history and religious painting. The Bermuda Lily which,
as recently as the early eighties, displaced the Madonna or
Annunciation Lily, is a longer, larger, more trumpet-like
flower; and it in fact is only a selected form of the
Japanese L. longiflorum. Bulbs should be potted when
received in August and September; bury outside until late
in November when they should be started for growth in a
temperature that does not sink below fifty-five degrees
at night. If Easter Day comes early in the year, it may
be necessary to keep the temperature much higher.
Water should be provided as needed and a careful watch
maintained for aphids. The Lilies are grown one to a
six-inch pot or several to an eight-inch pot; approved soil
will be loam, leaf soil, and decayed manure in equal parts.
Easter Lilies are not difficult to force and make fine bulbs
on which the amateur may try a 'prentice hand.

Manettia

Manettia cordifolia

Bright scarlet tubular flowers with yellow segments amid
small, broadly lanceolate leaves make Manettia very
beautiful and attractive in December. The plant is a neat
and graceful climber and may be trained over pillars or

272 GARDEN FLOWERS

along rafters. There are some thirty species, many o*
which, though little used, would be readily adaptable to in
door conditions. The soil should be quite heavy with a
good sprinkling of sand. A temperature that does not
fall below sixty degrees is advisable, but not absolutely
essential. Manettia increases quickly by means of cut-
tings inserted in sand and kept till well rooted in a warm,
moist atmosphere.

Japanese Allspice

Meratia fragrans

Japanese Allspice forms a shrub six to eight feet high
with whitish or yellowish blossoms, deliciously fragrant,
produced in late winter. One or two sprays will easily
perfume a whole room Outdoors this Allspice should be
planted in a sheltered position as it is probably not hardy
in regions that experience winter temperatures lower than
fifteen degrees. Propagation is arranged without diffi-
culty by layering in the spring and the shrub will put forth
best efforts in a soil well drained and fairly rich. Meratia,
formerly called Chimonanthus, is related botanically to
Calycanthus floridus, our native Carolina Allspice.

Fig Marigold

Mesembryanihemum cordifolium

Not every flower can be destined to occupy the center of
the floral stage. Fig Marigold is something for poor soil,
sandy banks, rocky spots. It reaches a height of no more
than six to twelve inches, but often has a spread of as much
as eighteen inches. The flowers are pink or white, the

WINTER 27S

pink fading noticeably as the season advances. The
leaves are light green, in whorls about the stems, growing
brown and woody in autumn. Start from cuttings taken
in September or October. Break off the lowest whorl and
plant above the break in sand. As soon as rooted, trans-
fer to a small pot containing a mixture of half sand and
half good garden soil. The variety cordifolium variegatum
has charming foliage and should be remembered for hang-
ing baskets and window boxes.

Ice Plant

Mesembryanthemum crystallinum

The Ice Plant is a little trailer and creeper grown for its
succulent thick foliage and tiny white blossoms. It blooms
from August to September and is often of service in rocker-
ies and, of course, indoors for hanging baskets and window
boxes. The fat, fleshy leaves are covered with glistening
dots that have somewhat the appearance of ice; hence the
popular name. This unassuming annual thrives famously
in the driest and thinnest of soils. The plants may be
raised from cuttings or from seed started preferably in-
doors in February. If to be started from cuttings, make
the cuttings about four inches long, dry in the sun two 01
three days and then keep in a sand bed till rooted.

Musk Plant

Mimulus moschatus

The Musk Plant is an evergreen trailer with small yellow
flowers that are produced almost continuously. Out-

274 GARDEN FLOWERS

doors they are half-hardy perennials needing winter cover
in the North and indoors they are great favorites for house
plants. Easy to grow, with plentiful, slightly fragrant
bloom, they are admirable by themselves or in combina-
tion with other window plants. Musk is easily propagated
through seeds sown early in coldframes or by means of
cuttings. The method of cuttings is perhaps preferable,
Some plants seem to possess greater fragrance than others,
which for indoor use is naturally of greatest importance.
Select these for your cuttings, avoiding those that have
but faint perfume. Musk is a great favorite in English
cottage gardens and is hardy in this country as far north
as the vicinity of New York. Strangely enough, the very
fragrant form is seemingly becoming obsolete. Why,
nobody knows.

Partridge Berry

Mitchella repens

No woodland creeper rewards care with greater luxuri-
ance of growth than does the Partridge Vine. Trans-
planted from its home beneath forest trees with plenty of
leaf mold or chopped sphagnum, the Partridge Berry
quickly makes thick mats at the foot of Rhododendrons
and other tall- growing shrubs. Indoors, the bright red
berries displayed to perfection amid the evergreen foliage
are often to be found in glass bowls covered to conserve
moisture. Certainly everybody ought to have a few
Partridge Berry plants. The vine is of easy culture in
shady positions. Propagation is simple: cut old plants
into small pieces four or six inches long with roots attached
and plant separately.

WINTER 275

Abyssinian Banana

Musa Ensete

The Abyssinian Banana in a large greenhouse will reach
a height of twenty or more feet, the crown of enormous
leaves with crimson midribs making a truly impressive
sight when the plant is moved outdoors in tubs for mid-
summer tropical effects. The young plant should be set
out in June in a position sheltered from heavy winds, If
rapid growth is desired, a hole three feet wide and the
same depth may be dug, filling in with rich loam and
decayed manure. Soil should be kept quite moist, par-
ticularly during the earlier months. The plant may be
wintered in a cool cellar or in growth in a greenhouse ; if in
a cool cellar, the leaves should be cut down and the water
supply kept quite scanty. This and other members of the
Banana family are attractive plants but hardly available
except for those possessing large greenhouses.

Wax Myrtle

Myrica cerifera

Wax Myrtle with dark-green leaves and wax-coated,
bluish-white, aromatic berries, grows wild from Delaware
to Florida, sometimes a fairly large shrub, sometimes of
thoroughly tree-like proportions. Unfortunately, it is not
reliably hardy in Northern states. The leaves are prac-
tically evergreen and the shrub, which has no objection to
dryness or sand, is a great favorite for seashore planting.
The seeds are similar to those of the more common Bay-
berry and like them are much sought for by birds. The

276 GARDEN FLOWERS

wax obtained by boiling and skimming was in early days
used for the making of candles. Wax Myrtle should be
propagated without difficulty from the suckers that spring
up around the bases of old plants or, if necessary, seeds may
be sown out of doors in spring.

Myrtle

Myrtus communis

The Myrtles are attractive in foliage and flower and
may be propagated with ease in any dwelling house. This
native of Mediterranean countries makes a neat evergreen
shrub fairly hardy, with shining, blue-green, long oval
leaves and white flowers. The leaves, bark, flowers, and
berries are all aromatic and are used commercially in the
manufacture of perfumery. Myrtle needs fairly heavy
potting soil and is easily increased by cuttings taken from
young shoots. The plants will be unharmed by light frosts
and may be kept in greenhouses at temperatures lower than
advisable for most plants. Among the ancient Greeks
the Myrtle, as a symbol of youth and beauty, was sacred
to Venus and found a place in all their festivals.

Chinese Sacred Lily

Narcissus Tazetta orientalis

Marvelously rapid growth and abundant silvery-white,
fragrant flowers have given the Chinese Narcissus a popu-
larity that is really world-wide. From forty to sixty days
after planting will be sufficient to produce bloom in a light
sunny window and a temperature that had best never get
over sixty or under fifty degrees. These bulbs are most

WINTER 277

frequently grown in glass bowls filled with pebbles and
water. The pebbles are used merely to support the bulb.
Use shallow bowls, place a little granulated charcoal in the
bottom to keep the water sweet, and cover with a one-inch
layer of bird gravel or sand. Set the bulbs on this nearly
touching one another, three or more to a bowl, according
to size. Fill in with white pebbles, or, if they are not
available, more bird gravel. This will prevent the plant
from toppling over when in leaf and bloom. Pour in water
until it almost reaches the bulbs. Place in a cool spot to
root, and grow on in a low temperature. Replenish the
water as it evaporates and occasionally change if it shows
any signs of getting stale.

When buying Chinese Lily bulbs remember that the
largest sizes will give the best results.

The Paper- White Narcissus (N. Tazetta papyraceus), with
snow-white, starry blossoms borne in good-sized trusses on
long strong stems, is one of the most desirable varieties for
indoor forcing. The bulbs are of easy culture and can
often be grown successfully in bowls of water with moss or
pebbles. Florists grow the Narcissus extensively for cut
flowers and, for flowering in pots at Easter time, the bi-
color (polyanthus) forms of the Tazetta Narcissus, known
also as Roman Narcissus. The variety grandiflora with
larger trusses and greater individual bloom is rapidly su-
perseding the earlier forms.

Boston Fern

Nephrolepis exaltata bostoniensis

Many people believe it impossible to grow Ferns in the
house or in the window garden. Of some rare varieties

278 GARDEN FLOWERS

this is all too true, but there are perhaps a couple of dozen
Ferns that may be grown, and their finely cut fronds will
have a graceful, airy effect possessed by few other plants.
The popular Sword Fern (N. exaltata,) now almost en-
tirely superseded by the newer variety, bostoniensis,
should be found quite satisfactory, will even stand some
neglect and still recover if properly attended to. The
fronds of a large Boston will be two to three feet long, two
to three inches across, and of a rich green color. As a
potting mixture rich loam and manure are required with
a little sand. Water must be provided regularly in con-
siderable quantities. Long cord-like runners or stolons
are produced from the base of the plant by which all
Sword Ferns are propagated. New forms in great num-
bers have been produced from the Boston, but few are
desirable as house plants. There are several attractive
plumose forms with fronds a foot or so long and quite
broad that are available for indoor use, and Piersoni and
Barrowsi are both well recommended.

Guernsey Lily

Nerine sarniensis

The Guernsey Lilies are a genus of small, ornamental-
bulbous plants with deciduous foliage. N. sarniensis, with
attractive shades from salmon to scarlet and glowing crim-
son, is late-flowering with blossoms somewhat similar to
but smaller than Amaryllis. The flowers appear in a dense
umbel before the leaves in late autumn or early winter.
The Guernsey Lily will well reward the amateur's care
and attention. Pot the bulbs in three- or four-inch pots,
one bulb to a pot, with good rich soil and give no water

WINTER 279

till the flower spike begins to show life. After the leaves
appear, supply water in good quantity till the foliage be-
gins to turn yellow. Then cut down and rest the bulbs
until time to start growth for another winter. Nerines
succeed best in a winter temperature of about fifty-five de-
grees.

Sweet Olive

Olea fragrans

The small white flowers of the Sweet Olive are pro-
duced all through winter and should scent a room ok
greenhouse with delightful perfume. The plant is ever-
green, of bushy habit, and with holly-like, somewhat leath-
ery leaves that withstand well the hazards of indoor con*
ditions. Though easy to grow and to take care of, the
Sweet Olive is not always easy to propagate. Slips with a
heel (a portion of the old stem) should be taken and inserted
in sand under a bell glass in a temperature of sixty-five de-
grees. Soil should consist of loam, peat, and sand in al-
most equal portions. The American Olive, related to the
Olive of commerce, is hardy in the South and in the North
is often found in conservatories.

Oxalis

Oxalis Bowiei

Oxalis has the reputation of being one of the easiest
plants to grow and should be in all ways satisfactory.
This Oxalis is tuberous rooted with trifoliate leaves
and large rosy-red flowers which are often produced all
through the winter. The leaves are large, fleshy, bright
green in color. Bulbs should be started in early spring
in light sandy soil and kept moist and shady until it is

280 GARDEN FLOWERS

desired to bring them out for flowering. Some species do
better if rested after their season of bloom ; others contrive
to grow and to blossom almost throughout the year.
There are many other desirable winter-flowering Oxalis,
including the charming Grand Duchess group.

Screw Pine

Pandanus utilis, P. Veitchi

The Screw Pine, very popular and thoroughly successful
in house culture, obtains its name from the fact that the
leaves are arranged along the stem in spirals. P. utilis
is stronger growing than Veitchi, but the latter is very
attractive, the leaves being light shiny green with broad
pure white stripes, recurving gracefully and set with for-
midable spines along the edges and midrib. While still
small the Screw Pines are valuable as table decorations.
They need rich but carefully drained soil which must not'
be packed too closely about the roots. The Screw Pines
are more or less subject to spot caused by small insects bur-
rowing under the epidermis of the leaf for which there
seems to be no remedy. Over- watering tends to induce an
attack of this insect and should be avoided. The plants
sucker freely, making it a matter of no difficulty to obtain
new stock. A recent Screw Pine with yellow instead of
white stripes and with its winter growth a deep gold, P.
Sanderi, promises to be a very successful variation.

Lady Washington Geranium

Pelargonium domesticum

A corner window of well-grown Geraniums — the familiar
whites and pinks with a dash of more vivid scarlet or sal-

WINTER 281

mon — will make a charming winter picture. The Geran-
ium is the cheapest and surest of bloom of the plants of
winter. Cuttings of many varieties made in spring should
flower from Christmas on. The Lady Washington has
not so many flowers in a truss as has the common Geran-
ium, but the trusses are very large and effective, the
flowers usually with a white ground marked or blotched
with red or purple. Make cuttings in spring and keep
outdoors over summer, during which they should be
watered frequently and tips that show a tendency to be-
come straggly pinched back. On the approach of winter
bring the plants indoors. They should bloom in March or
April. As soon as Lady Washingtons are well established
in their flowering pots, manure water should be supplied
regularly until flowering season. If the red spider or the
vphides appear, syringe with one of the numerous tobacco
extracts diluted with water. Slight shade will prolong the
blooming season.

Peperomia

Peperomia argyreia

Peperomia is a dwarf foliage plant of easy culture and
neat habit, indispensable for edgings in the greenhouse and
for indoor floral embellishment. The attractive leaves are
thick and fleshy, bright green, banded or marbled white;
the reddish leaf stalks are attached to the under side of the
leaf blade. Peperomia is easily increased by division and
will grow in light and sandy soil if necessary. A minimum
temperature of fifty degrees is essential, and there should
be abundance of water about the roots ; if these not o ver-
difiScult requirements can be met, there should be no
trouble in growing this useful little plant.

«82 GARDEN FLOWERS

Night-Blooming Cereus

Phyllocactus, Hylocereus, and others

The Night-blooming Cereus is of easy growth in a sunny
window and the flowers, white, fragrant, sometimes a foot
long, are among the most charming of those commonly
produced indoors. When planted in a greenhouse and en-
couraged to climb, the plant often attains a height of
fifteen or twenty feet, becoming a fragrant mass of bloom;
but where so much space cannot be afforded, a small plant
two or three feet high in an eight-inch pot will provide a
more modest display. The Phyllocactus family is easily
increased by means of cuttings which, after taking, are
usually allowed to lie a day or two before being inserted in
sandy soil. Young, just-ripened shoots are best, though
any piece of the stem provided with a bud will generally
grow.

Spruce

Picea excelsa, P. pungens

The highly ornamental and attractive Spruces are so
frequently planted about suburban homes and more ex-
tensive estates, for screens and for windbreaks and for
specimens, that they may well be included within the
modest limits of this volume. The Spruces are pyramidal,
with four-angled leaves, sharp pointed and distributed
spirally along the shoot, and pendant cones of which there
is an annual crop.

The Norway Spruce (P. excelsa) is the familiar Spruce
of dooryards with long cones hanging on the topmost
branches and lower limbs drooping to the ground. It may

WINTER 283

be sheared to produce a fine hedge and for this purpose
young trees should be set out so that their branches will
just touch. Dwarf Spruces, very slow growing, are offered
for garden use and there are varieties with golden foliage
and with foliage that droops far more than type.

The Colorado Blue Spruce (P. pungens) is a cool, crisp-
looking tree, rapid growing, and in its youth very sym-
metrical. The Spruces as a family like deep, moist, sandy
soil ; pungens, however, will do very well on soil quite poor
and dry. The leaves of the type are deep green; the varie-
ties most commonly planted are those with leaves of steely
blue. The Colorado Spruce is one of the hardiest of Ever-
greens.

The very blue form grown for lawn decoration is P.
pungens Kosteri.

Pine

Pinus strobus, P. rigida, P. resinosa, etc.

One half of the eighty known species of Pines grow in
North America. Singly, or arranged in groups in small
groves, Pines are to be seen with more or less frequency in
home grounds serving as shelter and windbreaks, as shade
and ornamental trees. Their winter beauty and useful-
ness single them out above others and make them beloved
of home-makers both rich and poor. Within our narrow
limits we can do no more than indicate a few of the more
commonly planted sorts.

The White Pine (P. strobus) thrives anywhere except
on wet clay subsoil and is our most useful Conifer for
general planting. As a forest tree it has been known to at-
tain a height of two hundred and fifty feet with a trunk

284 GARDEN FLOWERS

seven feet in diameter at the base. The needles are light
green and silvery, arranged in clusters of five.

The Pitch Pine (P. rigida) will not grow as high : eighty
feet is about the standard for full-grown trees. The Pitch
Pine is hardy, of very rapid growth, of symmetrical habit
with spreading horizontal branches. This is one of the few
Evergreens that will withstand ocean breezes and the ef-
fects of salt spray.

The Red Pine (P. resinosa) is a northern Conifer, its
range being from Newfoundland to Pennsylvania and
from Manitoba to Minnesota. The Red Pine stands trim-
ming well and is a favorite for garden use. The bark is
red and the light green leaves are arranged in pairs. Poor
sandy soil and dry rocky hillsides offer no impediment to
the growth of this sturdy tree which will look especially
picturesque in ripe old age.

The dwarf Mountain Pine (P. montana Mughus) makes
an almost globular bush ten feet high. The leaves are
bright green, particularly attractive in spring when new
growth is starting. This dwarf is frequently massed a*
entrances and along roadbeds and terraces. Resistance
to cold and readiness with which it stands being trans-
planted are additional though scarcely needed recom-
mendations.

There are also foreign Pines — Austrian, Swiss, Japanese
— many of which would be more frequently planted if they
were better known.

Stevia

Piqueria trinerva

The light graceful Stevia is invaluable for cutting and
quite dependable in coming into bloom within estimated

WINTER 283

limits. It is the most fragrant white flower you can be
sure of for Christmas, and by arranging plants in succes-
sion you may obtain bloom practically all through the
winter. Take cuttings after the plant is done flowering
(in January usually) and shift to larger pots as the young
plants develop. Plunge outdoors in ashes over summer.
It is important that the plants be turned occasionally and
the ends pinched out to induce symmetrical growth. With
the autumn chills bring Stevia inside and store in a cool
spot till you are ready to force them into bloom. A winter
temperature around fifty degrees is thought to be best for
this very attractive flower. There is a splendid varie-
gated form and a pretty dwarf, nana.

Primrose

Primula obconica, P. Sieboldi, P. sinensis, etc.

Many of the Primroses are suitable for indoor culture in
small houses, though one will be always handicapped in
starting the young plants without the aid of a greenhouse.
Primroses are early, gay, neat, profuse in flowering, a joy
and a delight to the lover of flowers.

P. obconica, particularly to be recommended in var.
grandiflora, is among the most useful of all Primroses.
Large single flowers are borne in clusters on the tops of
stems four to ten inches high, individual flowers being
often an inch and a half across. The type color is lilac,
with crimson, white, pink, and rose-colored variations of-
fered. The leaves are almost round, forming a rosette
supporting the flower stalk. The hairs on the leaves are
irritating or poisonous to some people, producing a rash
somewhat like that caused by Poison Ivy, which has caused

fc86 GARDEN FLOWERS

this Primrose to be planted less frequently than it should
be on its undeniable merits. P. obconica will grow in
greater range of temperature than most indoor plants, and
the season of bloom is long and brilliant.

The Chinese Primrose (P. sinensis), another desirable
indoor species but not one to be raised from seed except in a
greenhouse, needs a temperature between fifty and sixty
degrees at the time of flowering. The stellata forms are
more graceful than the large-flowered sorts.

P. malacoides bears its small pink flowers in spring on a
long loose spike. P. Sieboldi is beautiful, free-blooming,
with large, variously colored, deeply cut flowers. P.
floribunda yellow; P. Forbesi lilac with yellow eye; and
P. kewensis sl yellow hybrid, all have their admirers.

Seeds for Primulas are sown from January to March
and by May the seedlings should be ready for thumb pots.
After the middle of September the night temperature had
best be kept about fifty degrees. In the various repottings
do not press in too closely about the roots or cover the
crowns of the plants. Soil should be quite heavy for P.
obconica, three parts loam and one part cow manure, but
need not be as heavy for P. sinensis and for many of the
hybrids.

Spider Fern

Pteris cretica

The Spider Ferns are among the best small Ferns for the
home, for window gardens, and particularly for table
decoration. P. cretica, one of the safest of Pteris to try,
grows nearly a foot high with straw-colored stalks and
dark green foliage plain, or in some varieties with white

WINTER 287

markings. It has the further advantage that it will grow
with a minimum of light and is therefore available for
shaded windows. Good drainage is essential and the
plants are greatly benefited by an occasional spraying with
clear water. Loam, leaf soil, and well-decayed manure
make the needed potting mixture, and propagation is to be
effected by means of spores or by division of the old plants.
Another excellent Spider Fern is P. serrulata, not so
strong a grower, however; it has brown stalks and the
edges of the pinnae are sharply saw-edged. P. argyraea is
stronger, growing with a broad white band down the mid-
dle of each division of the frond.

Calla Lily

Richardia aethiopica, R. Elliottana

The pure white flowers of the Calla Lily rising amid
vigorous dark green foliage are among the most charming
of indoor flower exhibits. The Calla retains its popularity
year after year even though it is sometimes grievously dis-
appointing as to bloom. Calla needs very rich soil — loam
and well-decayed manure in almost equal parts. Bulbs that
are rested during the summer are thought to respond better
to winter forcing than those kept in light and heat the
year round. Bulbs should be brought into growth again
in September. One good watering should be sufficient at
the start. When the plants are well under way, they will
need watering copiously till the end of the flowering season.
A winter temperature always approximately sixty degrees
is strongly recommended.

The yellow Calla (R. EUiottiana) , similar to the more
common Calla except that the flowers are bright yellow

288 GARDEN FLOWERS

and the leaves spotted white, will make rapid growth ii
brought into light and heat in early spring. Plants may
come into vigorous bloom within ten or twelve weeks after
growth is under way. Culture is similar to that of the
white Lily.

Pussy Willow

Salix discolor

If you wish to cheat the winter and produce the signs of
spring while wind and storm still rage outside, bring in-
doors some Pussy Willow cuttings in December or January
and place them in water in a warm room. The Pussy
Willow, gathered in armfuls by children of all ages over
:he wide stretch of country in which the Bog Willow flour-
ishes, heads the long procession of flowering shrubs and
trees that lasts through the spring to the edge of midsum-
mer. The pollen-bearing and seed-bearing catkins are
different in appearance and are produced on separate
trees; the pollen-bearing are fluffy yellow, the seed-
producing silky and gray. The cultivation of Willows is
simple. A twig stuck into moist soil will grow to be a tree.
When Willows are set out in damp situations their roots
drain and greatly improve the land. The numerous mem-
bers of the Willow family offer many varieties, attractive
in form and foliage and well suited to the purposes of gar-
den embellishment.

Bowstring Hemp

Sansevieria thyrsiflora

Bowstring Hemp has very stiff, erect, white-spotted
foliage. Their general appearance is attractive and thcr

WINTER 289

toughness enables them to regard with indifference the
adverse conditions with which all indoor plants have to
contend. Bowstrings were formerly made from a fiber
obtained from the leaves of this Sansevieria. S. zeylanica,
equally as well known and equally as tough, offers striking
foliage variation. S. zeylanica is light green with many
traverse markings of grayish white, and the leaves stand
np as straight as small sticks. There is also a variety with
round leaves (S. cylindrica) not so frequently met with in
cultivation. Sansevierias will do well in all sorts of soils, in
sun or shade, but preferably in sun with plenty of water.
They are easily propagated from leaf cuttings.

Mother-of-Thousands

Saxifraga sarmentosa

Many admirers who have grown Mother-of-Thousands,
Strawberry Geranium, Aaron's Beard — the names all
apply to the one plant — for years would hardly know how
to fill up a window box or hanging basket were this prettily
variegated foliage plant not available. This charming
Saxifrage forms a rosette of round leaves, light green
variegated with silver above and reddish on the under
side. The leaves are never more than eight inches high;
the flower stalk rises a foot or a foot and a half high, pro-
ducing whitish flowers in loose panicles. From the rosette
of leaves come runners which, as they touch moist soil,
root and produce new plants. When a young plant ac-
quires a half-dozen leaves, it may be broken off from the
parent and started on its own career. Rich, sandy
vegetable soil is to be selected, if there be a choice, and a
little shade against the rays of the midsummer sun is

290 GARDEN FLOWERS

highly desirable. Mother-of-Thousands may be planted
outdoors and will survive mild winters in the vicinity of
New York.

Gloxinia

Sinningia speciosa

Gloxinias, as these plants are called by gardeners, have
thick, fleshy leaves and large, showy, bell-shaped flowers
of very rich coloration, dotted or blotched on either dark
or light ground. Gloxinias are delicate, requiring light
soil and careful watering that will be well repaid in the
delicacy and softness of both leaf and flower. The
plants bloom in early spring and summer and should
be kept cool and shaded at that time. Seeds are
fine and may be sown and treated as are Begonias; or
tubers, or possibly young plants, may be obtained from
florists. If tubers are bought, they should be started in a
warm spot about midwinter or earlier. Gentle sprayings
of the foliage will be found very beneficial.

Sparaxis

Sparaxis tricolor

Sparaxis bulbs are not readily obtainable but the charm
of the wonderful color effects to be found in the flowers is
most alluring. The plants grow six to twelve inches high
and the flowers are produced in clusters on slender stalks
in somewhat the same manner as those of Ixia. The
flowers are often two inches in diameter and offer red,
purple, and orange blotched or streaked on white com-
binations that are unusual and very attractive. They do
well in a temperature that does not fall below a minimum

WINTER 291

of fifty-five degrees at night and are therefore available
for the indoor winter garden. Bulbs should be potted in
the autumn in good rich soil with some sand and the
addition of a little bonemeal. Keep cool and dark until it
is time to bring them out for flowering; then they will
need copious supplies of water and the sunniest position
available. If given good care they are quite likely to be
successful a second season.

Yew

Taxus baccata, T. cuspidata, T. canadensis

The historic English Yew with its very dark glossy
foliage, once extensively planted, has been proved to be
not adaptable to our climate except in favored spots of the
Middle South. We have available, however, T. canaden-
sis, the native Yew, a charming, low-spreading, ever-
green bush, extremely hardy and invaluable for carpeting
purposes in colder climates and for forming undergrowth
in the shade of high trees. Also, the richly hued, red-
berried, thoroughly reliable Japanese Yew (T. cuspidata)
which is being very largely planted nowadays. The
dwarf Japanese Yew will grow ten feet high with a spread
of several feet and with crisp, dark green foliage, but is
most popular in its dwarfer form called brevifolia. The
leaves are arranged flat in two ranks; the flowers are in-
significant but the red berries and bark are superlative
features of this shrub.

Yews succeed best in deep, moist, well-drained soil.
Cuttings may be taken in the autumn and kept over
winter in a frame or cool greenhouse. The Yews are slow
growing and it is not advisable to try to raise from seedL

292 GARDEN FLOWERS

Arborvitae

Thuja occidentalis

The flat leaf spray sets off the Arborvitae from other
Evergreens and under its common but unfortunately ap-
plied name of White Cedar, this native tree is known
over a wide stretch of territory. Slow growth and com-
pact habit are points in favor for garden use. The
Arborvitae is hardy, will stand severe pruning and late
transplanting, and is easily propagated from seed. Well-
grown specimens will develop into symmetrical trees
sixty feet or more high and there are dwarf garden forms
that never grow higher than four or five feet. Foliage is
brownish green, becoming darker with winter. There
are very many varieties. The Siberian Arborvitae (T.
occidentalis Wareana) is narrower, denser, better colored
in winter than the standard type. Among the great
number of improved garden forms available, perhaps
the favorite is George Peabody, orange-yellow, and very
desirable for bedding purposes.

Wandering Jew

Tradescantia fluminensis

The name Wandering Jew has been applied to many
trailing plants of vigorous nature. Tradescantia fluminen-
sis, perhaps the best known of those to which the name
has been applied, is an old-time favorite for hanging pots
and baskets. The type has shiny green leaves, but the
variegated forms — yellow, or white striped, or tinged
pink — are those most commonly seen. The stem and

WINTER 293

leaves are succulent. The plant grows vigorously, as
might be anticipated, in poor soils and in indifferent light.
In the greenhouse this Spiderwort will be often found
covering bare ground under benches. It is important
to remember that variegated forms must be grown where
they will receive a fair amount of light or they will tend
to revert to the green-leaved type.

Zebrina pendula is another trailing plant to which the
same name is frequently applied. The leaves are red
above and purple below, with silver bands along the
midrib. Pieces about four inches long stuck in the edges
of a hanging basket quickly root and in no time at all form
a mass of foliage sufficient to obscure the basket.

Hemlock

Tsuga canadensis

The Hemlock, partaking of the general character of the
Norway Spruce but more graceful, feathery, and with
brighter color, is one of the most desirable of ornamental
Evergreens available for garden use. The Hemlock lifts
its broad, pyramidal trunk and dark green, spray-like
foliage high into the air, in favorable circumstances as high
as sixty to a hundred feet. For domestic use this Conifer
should not be planted where it will receive full exposure
to heavy winds or salt spray. Hemlock stands the trim-
ming shears very well and will make an excellent hedge.
A rather moist soil seems to be about the only cultural
requirement. Propagation is effected in winter by means
of cuttings placed in a cool greenhouse or from seed which
should be sown as soon as gathered. The Carolina Hem-
lock (T. caroliniana) is lighter and not so dense in foliage.

394 GARDEN FLOWERS

Veronica

Veronica speciosa

Shrubby Veronicas, attractive both in foliage and in
bloom, are available for window boxes and with some
protection will survive moderate winters out of doors.
The flowers are at first reddish purple changing slowly
to deep blue-purple, in long axillary spikes or racemes.
For indoor culture soil should be rich, fibrous, sandy.
A half -shady position is desirable for the summer months.
Better-formed plants will be produced if the young shoots
are kept continually pinched back. Cuttings may be
inserted in sand in a greenhouse at any season of the
year. The Veronicas are a large family, included among
which are several of the most colorful of our garden
flowers.

Crab Cactus

Zygocactus truncatus

This is the old-fashioned Epiphyllum or Christmas
Cactus. The commonest Cactus for the window garden
and generally most satisfactory with its profuse, brilliant,
ruby-red or violet-red blossoms. The plants may be
grown on their own roots or grafted on some other Cactus.
The young stems are flat, resembling the claws of a crab,
but as they grow older, they become round and woody.
Crab Cactus is useful in suspended pots or baskets
as the branches hang downward. The plant delights in
sunshine and dry air, and its leathery texture renders it
resistant to dust and the fumes of gas. The problem of
propagation is not bothersome, as bits of stem root readily.

WINTER 295

Too much water should not be given this lover of dry soil,
especially in winter. A good soil mixture will consist of
sandy loam three parts, leaf mold one part, and a liberal
sprinkling of old mortar to make the combination porous.
During summer the plants should be placed outdoors in
sunshine.

THE END

COLOR KEY

(See General Index for reference to pages)

BLUE TO PURPLE FLOWERS

Aconite

Aconite, Autumn

Agapanthus

Ageratum

Amethyst

Aster, Alpine

Aster, Stokes'

Barrenwort

Basket Fiower

BellHower, Carpathian

Bellflower, Chinese

Bellflower, Creeping

Bellflower, Great

Blazing Star

Bluebell, Common English

Bluebell, Virginia

Clarkia

Chamomile, False

Columbine, Rocky Mountain

Cupid's Dart

Daisy, Swan River

Dead Nettle

Delphinium, Hardy

Flox, Perennial

Forget-me-not

Foxglove

Gentian, Alpine

Glory-of-the-Snow

Grape Hyacinth

Guinea-Hen Flower

Heliotrope

Hellebore

Hepatica

Holly, Sea

Honesty

Hyacinth Bean

Hydrangea

Hysop

Immortelles

Indigo, Bastard

Indigo, False

Jacob's Ladder

Larkspur

Lavender

Lilac, Summer

Lobelia

Loosestrife

Love-in-a-Mist

Lupine

Matrimony Vine

Mezereon

Mist Flower

Monk's Pepper Tree

Morning Glory

Peppermint

Periwinkle

Plumbago

Raspberry, Flowering

Rosemary

Saffron, Meadow

Saffron, Spring Meadow

Sage

Salvia

Sea Lavender

Speedwell

Speedwell, Great Virginia

Spiderwort Common,

Spiraea, Blue

Squill, Autumn

Sweet Rocket

Sweet William, Wild

Valerian, Greek

Veronica

Violets

Water Lily, Zanzibar Blue

Wisteria

MAGENTA TO PINK

Alleghany Vine

Azalea

Bleeding Heart

Bouncing Bet

Carnations

Clover, Bush

Crab Apple, Japanese

Cyclamen

Garland Flower

Geranium, Wild

Heaths, Winter Blooming

Honeysuckle, Tartarian

Hydrangea

Judas Tree

Lavatera

Mallow, Swamp

Marigold, Fig

Marjoram, Pot

297

298

COLOR KEY

Millfoil
Mulberry
Pink, Wild
Poppy, Plume
Sea Thrift
Sedum, Showy
Steeplebush
Sweet William

MAGENTA TO PINK— Continue*

Tamarisk
Tunica
Turtle Head
Valerian
W ax Plant
Weigela
Willow Herb

WHITE AND GREENISH

Achillea, The Pearl

Allspice, Japanese

Anemone, Poppy

Anemone, Snowdrop

Aster, Alpine

Astilbe

Baby's Breath

Barrenwort

Basil

Bladder Nut

Bridal Wreath

Campion, Evening

Candytuft, Evergreen

Cape Jessamine

Cereus, Night Blooming

Chokeberry

Christmas Rose

Cinnamon Vine

Clover, White

Cornel

Daisy, English

Daisy, Moonpenny

Daisy, Shasta

Day Lily

Deutzia

Elder

Everlasting, Pearly

Fair Maids of France

Farewell to Spring

Fetter Bush

Feverfew

Foxglove

Gas Plant

Goat's Beard, True

Goumi

Hawthorn or May

Hellebore

Hemp

Hercules Club

Honesty

Honeysuckle, Bush

Honesuckle, Hall's

Honeysuckle, Japanese

Hyacinth, Giant Summer

Indigo, False

Kerria, White

Leucothoe

Lily, Amazon

Lily, Bermuda Easter

Lily, Calla

Lily, Chinese Sacred

Lily, Gold-banded

Lily-of-the- Valley

Lily-of-the- Valley Tree

London Pride

Love-in-a-Mist

Magnolias

Man-of-the-Earth

Marguerite

Meadow-Rue, Feathered

Mock Orange

Mountain Lady's Mantle

Myrtle

Narcissus, Poet's

New Jersey Tea

Olive, Sweet

Pearl Bush

Pepperbush, Sweet

Poppy, Prickly

Rock Cress

Sage, Silver

Sea Thrift

Shadbush

Shooting Star

Silver Sweet Vine

Snakeroot, White

Snowball

Snowball, Japanese

Snowdrop

Snowdrop Tree

Snowflake

Solomon's Seal

Sour Wood Tree

Stagger Bush

Star-of-Bethlehem

Stevia

Sweet Alyssum

Toad Lily, Japanese

Tobacco, Flowering

Tuberose

Viburnums

Virginia Creeper

Watsonia, White

Wayfaring Tree

White Fringe

Yucca

YELLOW AND ORANGE

Aconite, Winter

Adonis

/Ulamanda

Artichoke, Jerusalem

Ashberry

Avens, Long Plumed

COLOR KEY

299

YELLOW AND ORANGE— Continued

Barberry, Japanese

Bladder Senna

Blanket Flower

Buckthorn, Sea

Burning Bush

Butterfly Weed

Calceolaria, Shrubby

Canary Bird Flower

Chrysanthemum, Annual

Cinquefoil, Shrubby

Columbine, Golden Spurred

Columbine, Wild

Column Flower

Cone Flower

Crown Imperial

Daisy, African

Daffodils

Dutchman's Pipe

Everlasting

Fair Maids of France

Genista

Globe Flower, Mountain

Gold Tuft

Golden Bell

Golden Chain

Golden Glow

Henry's Lily

Hop, Japanese

Hypericum

Jasmine, Sweet

Jonquil

Lemon Lily

Leopard's Bane

Marguerite, Golden

Marigold

Marigold, Pot

Monkey Flower

Musk Plant

Nasturtium

Oleaster

Pea-tree

Poppy, Horned

Poppy, Iceland

Prickly Pear

Primrose

Primrose, Evening

Rose, Japanese

Senna, Wild

Sneezeweed

Sneezewort

Spice Bush

Stonecrop, Dark Green

Sunflower

Sunflower, False

Tar Weed

Tickseed

Wallflower

Wallflower, Perennial

Witch Hazel

Witch Hazel, Japanese

RED AND INDEFINITES

Almond, Double Flowering

Anemone, Japanese

Bean, Scarlet Runner

Bee Balm

Begonia

Blazing Star

Cactus, Crab

Campion, Rose

Canna

Cardinal Flower

Catchfly, German

Clarkia

Clerodendron

Cockscomb

Coneflower, Purple

Coral Bells

Crown of Thorns

Dragon Head, False

Flamingo Flower

Foxglove

Fuchsia, Cape

Geranium

Geranium, Lady Washington

Giant Reed

Heath

Honeysuckle, French

Laurel, Mountain

Lily, Guernsey

Lily-of-the-Palace

Mallow, Musk

Maltese Cross

Manettia

Mountain Fleece

Oxalis

Peach, Flowering

Poinsettia

Poppy, Corn

Poppy, Oriental

Quince, Japanese

Red-Hot Poker

Salvia

Shooting Star

Strawberry Shrub1

Trumpet Vine

IN VARIETY

Anemone, Poppy-Flowered

Aster

Aster, China

Azalea

Balsam, Garden

Beard Tongue

Begonias
Butterfly Flower
Calceolaria
Camellia
Canterbury Bell
Carnations

300 COLOR KEY

IN VARIETY-Continued

Chrysanthemum Pea, Perennial

Cineraria Peas, Sweet

Clematis Peony, Chinese

Cornflower Peony, Tree

Cosmos Petunia

Crocus Phlox, Perennial and Annua)

Crocus, Autumn Poppy, California

Dahlia Portulaca

Four o'Clock Primrose

Freesia Pyrethrum

Fuchsia Rhododendron

Gladiolus Rose of Sharon

Globe Amaranth Roses

Gloxinia Salpiglossis

Hollyhock Saxifrage

Hyacinths Scabiosa

Iris Snapdragon

Ixia Sparaxis

Lantanas - Stock

Lilacs Sweet Sultan

Lilies Sword Flower

Love-Lies-Bleeding Tulips

Mignonette Verbena

Moss Pink Wishbone Flow«

Pansy Zinnia

GENERAL INDEX OF NAMES

PAGE

Aaron's Beard 289

Abies concolor 231

Abies Nordmanniana 231

Acer palmatum 161

Achillea Millefolium 81

Achillea Ptarmica 1

Achillea, The Pearl 1

Achillea tomentosa 81

Aconite 81

Aconite, Autumn 161

Aconite, Winter 27

Aconitum autumnale 161

Aconitum Napellus 81

Aconitum Wilsoni 162

Actinidia arguta 162

Actinidia polygama 162

Adiantum cuneatum 232

Adiantum Farleyense 232

Adlumia fungosa 82

Adonis 2

Adonis vernalis 2

African Lily 83

Agapanthus 83

Agapanthus umbellatus .... 83

Agave, americana 232

Ageratum . 83

Ageratum conyzoides 83

Air Plant 243

Alchemilla alpina ...... 2

Alder, Black 197

Allamanda 233

Allamanda Hendersoni .... 233

Allamanda Williamsii .... 233

Alleghany Vine 82

Allspice, Carolina 15

Allspice, Japanese 272

Allspice, Wild 12

Almond, Double Flowering ... 60

Almond, White Flowering ... 61

Alocasia, Coppery 234

Alocasia cuprea 234

Alocasia macrorrhiza variegata . . 234

Althaea ficifolia 163

Althaea rosea 162

Althea, Shrubby 113

Alum Root 113

Alyssum maritimum 84

Alyssum saxatile 2

Alyssum saxatile compactum ... 3

Alyssum, Sweet 84

Amaranth, Globe 110

Amaranthus caudatus 3

Amaryllis aulica 234

Amazon Lily 255

Amelanchier canadensis .... 3

Amethyst 90

Amor p ha fruticosa .
Ampelopsis quinquefolia
Ampelopsis Veitchi
Ananas sativus variegatus .
Andromeda ....

PAGE

. . 84

. . 85

. . 209

. . 235

. . 269

Andromeda floribunda 235

Andromeda, Japanese .... 236

Andromeda japonica 236

Anemone 236

Anemone blanda 236

Anemone cor onaria 4,236

Anemone Hepatica 35

Anemone hortensis 5

Anemone, Japanese 164

Anemone japonica 164

Anemone nemorosa 5, 164

Anemone, Poppy 4

Anemone, Snowdrop 164

Anemone sylvestris 5, 164

Anthemis Kelwayi 86

Anthemis montana 86

Anthemis tinctoria 85

Anthurium Andreanum .... 237

Antirrhinum majus 86

Aquilegia caerulea 5

Aquilegia canadensis .... 6

Aquilegia chrysantha 7

Arabis albida 7

Arabis alpina 8

Aralia 253

Aralia spinosa 164

Araucaria excelsa 237

Arborvitae 292

Arborvitae, Siberian 292

Ardisia 238

Ardisia crenulata 238

Argemone grandiflora 86

Aristolochia macrophylla .... 87

Armeria maritima 8

Aronia arbutifolia 8

Aronia nigra 8

Arrow -wood 73, 225

Artichoke, Jerusalem .... 194

Aruncus astilboides 165

Aruncus Sylvester 165

Arundo donax 87

Asclepias tuber osa 165

Ash, Mountain 221

Ashberry 12

Asparagus asparagoides .... 239

Asparagus Fern 238

Asparagus plumosus 238

Aspidistra 240

Aspidistra lurida 240

Aster, Alpine 9,167

Aster alpinus 9,167

301

302

GENERAL INDEX OF NAMES

PAGE

Aster ameltus 167

Aster, China 171

Aster cordifolius 168

Aster, Cornflower 221

Aster, Dwarf 167

Aster ericoides 169

Aster grandi florin 169

Aster, Hardy 166

Aster laevis 167

Aster, New England . 167

Aster, New York 167

Aster novae-angliae 167

Aster novi-belgi 167

Aster patens 168

Aster ptarmicoides 168

Aster, Stokes' 221

Aster, White Heath 169

Asters, Smooth 167

Astilbe 88

Astilbe Davidi 88

Astilbe decandra 165

Astilbe japonica 88

Avens, Long Plumed 107

Azalea 9

Azalea calendulacea 9

Azalea, Indian 240

Azalea Indica 240

Azalea, Kurume 241

Baby's Breath 109

Baby's Breath, Annual .... 110

Bachelor's Button 94

Bachelor's Button, White ... 61

Balsam, Garden 115

Banana, Abyssinian 275

Baptisia australis 10

Baptisia leucantha 10

Barberry, Japanese 13

Barberry Fig 128

Barrenwort 26

Basil 127

3asket Flower 94

Bayberry 207

Bean, Butterfly Runner .... 133

Bean, Hyacinth 186

Bean, Scarlet Runner 132

Beard Tongue 55

Bee Balm 125

Begonia 10

Begonia albo-picta 242

Begonia argentea-guttala .... 242

Begonia, Beefsteak 242

Begonia coccinea 241

Begonia, Coral 242

Begonia Evansiana 11

Begonia Gloire de Lorraine . . . 242

Begonia hybrida 10

Begonia metallica 242

Begonia sanguined 241

Begonia Thurstoni 242

Begonias 241

Bell flower, Carpathian .... 91

Bell flower. Creeping 92

Bell flower, Great 16

Bellflower, Peach-leaved .... 91

Bellis perennis 11

Benzoin Bush 12

Benzoin odoriferum 12

Berberis aquifolium
Berberis Thunbergi .
Bermuda Easter Lily
Bird's-eye
Bittersweet .
Black Alder
Black-eyed Susan
Bladder Nut
Bladder Senna .
Blanket Flower
Blazing Star.
Bleeding Heart .
Blue Bonnet
Blue Bottle
Blue Rattle-Bush
Blue Thistle
Blue Wild Indigo
Bluebell, English
Bluebell, Virginia
Blueberry, High Bush
Bluet . . .
Bocconia cordata
Boltonia asteroides
Boltonia latisquama
Bouncing Bet .
Bouquet Star Flower
Bowstring Hemp
Box Thorn .
Brachycome iberidifolia
Bridal Wreath . .
Browallia demissa
Bryophyllum calycinum
Buckthorn
Buckthorn, Sea
Buddleia Davidi
Bulbocodium vcnum
Bunch Pink
Burning Bush .
Butterfly Flower
Butterfly Weed
Button Snakeroot .

Cactus, Crab . .
Caenomales lagenaria
Caladium bicolor
Caladium, Fancy-Leaved
Calceolaria, Florists'
Calceolaria hybrida .
Calceolaria, integrifolia
Calceolaria, Shrubby
Calendula officinalis
Calla Lily

Callicarpa americana
Callicarpa japonica
Callicarpa purpurea
Callistephus hortensis
Calycanthus floridus
Calycanthus occidentalis
Camellia ...
Camellia japonica
Campanula carpatica
Campanula latifolia
Campanula Medium
Campanula persicifolia
Campanula rapunculoides
Campion, Evening .
Campion, Morning <
Campion, Rose .

PAGB

12
13
271
2
174
197
216
68
100
190
118, 151
24
219
94
1C>
181
1C
65
47
224
94
89
170
169
218
168
288
204
89
67
90
243
212
195
90
13
101
103, 189
148
165
118

294

14

243

243

244

244

170

170

15

287

171

170

170

171

15

76

245

245

91

16

91

91

92

45

45

45

GENERAL INDEX OF NAMES

SOS

Canary Bird Flower
Candytuft, Evergreen
Canna ....
Carina indica
Cannabis saliva .
Canterbury Bells
Cape Jessamine
Caragana arborescens
Caragana frutex
Cardinal Flower
Carnations .
Caryopteris incana
Cassia marylandica
Castor Oil Bean
Catananache caerulea
Catchfly, German .
Ceanothus americanus
Cedar, Red
Cedar, White . .
Celastrus orbiculatus
Celastrus scandens .
Celandine, Tree.
Celosia cristata .
Celosia plumosa
Celosia pyramidalis
Centaurea americana
Centaurea Cyanus
Centaurea imperialis
Centaurea macrocephala
Centaurea Mare.aritae
Centaurea montana .
Centaurea moschata
Century Plant .
Ceratostigma plumbaginoides
Cercis canadensis
Chamaecyparis pisijera
Chamomile, False .
Chaste Tree
Checker Lily
Cheiranthus Cheiri
Chelone Lyonii
Cherry, Cornelian .
China Aster
China Pink
Chinese Fan Palm .
Chinese Sacred Lily
Chionanthus virgintca
Chionodoxa grandiftora
Chionodoxa Luciliae
Chokeberry .
Christmas Rose
Chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemum, Annual
Chrysanthemum carinatum
Chrysanthemum coccineum
Chrysanthemum coronarium
Chrysanthemum frutescene
Chrysanthemum kortorum .
Chrysanthemum lacustre
Chrysanthemum leucanthemum
Chrysanthemum maximum
Chrysanthemum Parthenium
Chrysanthemum uliginosum
Cineraria, Florists'
Cineraria hybrida .
Cinquefoil, Shrubby
Cinnamon Vine
Clarkia

PAGE PACE

153 Clarkia elegans 18

36 Clematis Henryi 179

172 Clematis her acleae folio ... .177

172 Clematis heracleaefolia Davidiana 178

93 Clematis Jackmani 178

91 Clematis paniculata 178

260 Clematis recta 177, 178

16 Clematis, White Bush 178

16 Clerodendron 247

121 Clerodendron Thomsonae .... 247

102, 253 Clerodendron, Three-Forked ... 24?

172 Clerodendron trichotomum . . . 247

93 Clethra alnifolia 179

214 Clove Pink 102

173 Clover, Bush 201

46 Clover, Crimson 151

173 Clover, Red 151

268 Clover, White 151

292 Cockscomb 174

174 Coco Palm 248

174 Cocos plumosa 248

89 Cocos Weddelliana ...... 248

174 Cod Head 96

174 Codiaeum variegatum 248

175 Colchicum autumnale 179

94 Colchicum speciosum .... 180

94 Coleus 98

95 Coleus hybrida 98

95 Colocasia antiquorum esculenta . . 99

95 Columbine, Feathered .... 69

95 Columbine, Golden Spurred . . 7

95 Columbine, Rocky Mountain . . 5

232 Columbine, Wild 6*

175 Column Flower 200

17 Colutea arborescens 10C

245 Coneflower 216

169 Coneflower, Purple 186

157 Convallaria majalis 19

30 Coral Bells 113

95 Coral Berry 223

96 Cordylene terminalis 249

182 Coreopsis lanceolata 180

171 Coreopsis tinctoria 181

102 Cornelian Cherry 182

270 Cornels 73

276 Cornflower 94

17 Cornflower, Mountain , . 95

18 Cornus florida 182

18 Cornus mas 182

8 Cornus sanguined 182

263 Cornus sibirica 182

176 Cornus stolonifera 181

97 Cosmos 182

97 Cosmos bipinnatus 182

176 Cosmos sulphureus 182

97 Cosmos, Yellow 182

246 Cowslip, American 25

176 Cowslip, Virginia 47

98 Crab Apple, Bechtel's 61

11, 97 Crab Cactus 294

98 Crab Apple, Japanese .... 61

98 Cranberry, Japanese Bush . . . 226

98 Cranberry Bush 74

247 Crane's Bill 33

247 Crataegus monogyna 20

138 Crataegus Oxycantha 19

185 Crimson Bells 113

18 Crocus 20

304

GENERAL INDEX OF NAMES

PAGE

Crocus aureus 20

Crocus, Autumn 179

Crocus susianus 20

Croton 248

Crown Imperial 105

Crown of Thorns 256

Culver's Root 225

Cupid's Dart 173

Currant, Japanese 214

Cycas revoluta 251

Cyclamen 250

Cyclamen persicum ..... 250

Cydonia japonica 14

Cyperus alternifolius 252

Cypress, Japanese 245

Cypress, Mock 199

Cylisus canariensis 252

Daffodils 49

Dahlia 183

Dahlia variabilis 183

Daisy, African 104

Daisy, English 11

Daisy, Giant 98

Daisy, Michaelmas 166

Daisy, Moonpenny 97

Daisy, Ox-eye 216

Daisy, Paris 246

Daisy, Shasta 98

Daisy, Swan River 89

Daphne Cneorum 21

Daphne Mezereum 22

Daphne Mezereum grandiflora . . 22

Day Lily 106

Day Lily, Yellow 112

Dead Nettle 41

Delphinium Ajacis 23

Delphinium belladonna .... 184

Delphinium chinense 185

Delphinium formosum .... 100

Delphinium grandiflorum ... 22

Delphinium, Hardy 100

Deutzia 23

Deutzia gracilis 23

Deulzia Lemoinei 23

Deutzia scabra 23

Deutzia scabra candissima ... 23

Devil's Walking Stick .... 164

Dianthus barbatus 101

Dianthus Caryophyllus . . 102, 253

Dianthus chinensis 102

Dianthus plumarius 102

Dicentra spectabilis 24

Dictamnus albus 103

Diervilla florida 103

Digitalis purpurea 24

Dimorphotheca annua .... 104

Dimorphotheca aurantiaca . . . 104

Dioscorea Batatas 185

Dittany 103

Dizygotheca elegantissima . . . 253

Dockmackie 73

Dodecatheon Meadea 25

Dog Fennel 169

Dogwood, Flowering ... .182

Dogwood, Red Osier .... 182

Dogwood, Red Twigged , . . 181

PAGB

Dolichos lablab 186

Doronicum excelsum 25

Dracaena 249

Dutchman's Pipe 87

Easter Lily 271

Echinacea purpurea 186

Elaeagnus anguslifolia . . . 26, 104
Elaeagnus argentea .... 26. 105
Elaeagnus longipes .... 26 105
Elaeagnus multiflora .... 105,255

Elaeagnus pungens 254

Elaeagnus umbellata .... 105,255

Elder, Common 64

Elder, European 64

Elder, Golden 64

Elder, Red-Berried 217

Elephant's Ear 99

Epilobium angustifolium . . . 187

Epimedium macranthutn ... 26

Epimedium macranthum violaceum . 27

Eranthis hyemalis 27

Eranthis sibirica 27

Erica carnea 27

Erica fragrans 255

Erica hyemalis 255

Erica melanthera 27

Erica vagans 27

Eryngium amethystinum .... 187

Erysimum asperum 28

Erysimum ochroleucum .... 28

Erythronium dens-canis .... 28

Eschscholtzia californica .... 29

Eucharis amazonica 255

Eulalia 125

Euonymus alatus 189

Euonymus europaeus .... 189

Euonymus japonicus 257

Eupatorium aromaticum melioscoides 188

Eupatorium coelestinum . . 188

Eupatorium ur tic ae folium . . . 188

Euphorbia pulcherrima .... 257

Euphorbia splendens 256

Everlasting 109, 19*

Everlasting, Pearly 163

Exochorda grandiflora 29

Fair Maids of France . . . . 1,61

Farewell to Spring 128

Farewell to Summer 169

Farfugium grande 258

Fetter Bush 57

Fern, Boston 277

Fern, Maidenhair 232

Fern, Spider 286

Fern, Sword 278

Feverfew 98

Ficus elastica 258

Ficus pandurata 259

Fig Marigold 271

Fir, Nordmann's 231

Fir, White 231

Fire Weed 187

Firebush 14

Fish Mouth 96

Flamingo Flower 237

Flax, Narbon ....... 42

GENERAL INDEX OP NAMES

305

PAGE

Flax, Perennial 42

Forget-me-not 44

Foxglove 28

Forsythia intermedia .... 30

Forsythia suspensa 30

Forsythia virtdissima 30

Fountain Plant 249

Four o'Clock 124

Fragrant Balm 126

Fraxinella 103

Freesia 259

Freesia re fr acta 259

Fritillaria imperialis 105

Fritillaria meleagris 30

Fritillaria recurva 31

Frost Weed 169

Fuchsia 106

Fuchsia, Cape 134

Fuchsia speciosa 106

Fumitory, Climbing 82

Funkia 106

Gaillardia aristata 190

Galanlhus nivalis 31

Galtonia candicans 107

Garden Pink 102

Gardenia florida 260

Garland Flower 21

Gas Plant 103

Gaullheria procumbens 260

Gay Feather 118

Genista 252

Gentian Fringed 32

Gentiana crinita 32

Geranium, Lady Washington 131, 280

Geranium maculatum 32

Geranium Robertianum .... 33

Geranium, Wild 32

Geranium, Zonal .... 131, 280

Gjum chiloense 108

Geum triftorum 107

Gilliflower 207

Gladiolus 261

Gladiolus hybridus 108

Gladiolus Colvillei . .... 261

Glaucium corniculatum .... 191

Glaucium flavum 190

Globe Amaranth 110

Globe Flower, Mountain .... 70

Glory-of-the-Snow 18

Gloxinia 290

Gnaphalium Leontopodium . . . 109

Gnaphalium margaritaceunt . . . 163

Goat's Beard, False 165

Goat's Beard, True 165

Godetia 128

Gold Dust 2

Gold Tuft 2

Golden Bell 30

Golden Chain 40

Golden Feather 98

Golden Glow 215

Gomphrena globosa 110

Goose Tongue 1

Goumi 26, 255

Gourds 182

Grape Hyacinth 48

PAGE

Guernsey Lily 278

Guinea-Hen Flower 30

Gypsophila elegans 110

Gypsophila panic ulata . . . . 109

Gypsophila repens 110

Halesia telraptera 33

Hamamelis arborea 34

Hamamelis japonica 33

Hamamelis virginiana 191

Hardhack 148

Harts'thorn 212

Hawthorn, or May ... 19, 250

Heart's Ease 156

Heath 27

Heaths, Winter-Blooming . . . 255

Hedysarum coronarium 192

Helenium autumnale 192

Helenium Hoopesii 34

Helianthus annuus 193

Helianthus tuber osus 194

Helianthus Maximiliani .... 193

Helianthus mollis 193

Helianthus multiflorus .... 193

Helianthus rigidus 194

Helichrysum bracteatum .... 194

Heliconia 262

Heliconia aureo-slriata 262

Heliopsis helianthoides Pitcher iana . Ill

Heliotrope Ill, 262

Heliotropium peruvianum . . Ill, 262

Hellebore 34

Hellebore, False 2

Helleborus antiquorum .... 35

Helleborus atro-rubens 35

Helleborus caucasicus 35

Helleborus olympicus 35

Helleborus orientalis 34

Helleborus rubra-purpureus ... 35

Helleborus niger 263

Hemerocallis aurantiaca . . . .112

Hemerocallis flava 112

Hemerocallis fulva 112

Hemlock 293

Hemlock, Carolina 293

Hemp 93

Hemp Tree 157

Hepatica 35

Hepatica triloba 35

Hercules Club 164

Hesperus matronalis 112

Heuchera sanguinea 113

Hibiscus Moscheutos 195

Hibiscus syriacus 113

Hippophae rhamnoides .... 195

Holly, American 198

Holly, European 198

Hollyhock 162

Honesty 43

Honeysuckle, Belgian 200

Honeysuckle, Bush 42

Honeysuckle, French . . . . 192

Honeysuckle, Japanese .... 200

Honeysuckle, Tartarian .... 43

Honeysuckle, Wild 9

Hop, Japanese 1T4

Hop, Wild 1L4

306

GENERAL INDEX OF NAMES

PAGE

Horned Poppy 190

Horse Mint 125

Hosta lancijolia 106

Hosta plantaginea 106

Howea Belmoreana 263

Howea Forsteriana 264

Hoya carnosa 264

Humulus japonicus 114

Humulus lupulus 114

Hyacinth, Cape 107

Hyacinth, Giant Summer . . . 107

Hyacinths 35, 265

Hyacinthus orientalis .... 35, 265

Hyacinth Bean 186

Hydrangea 114, 266

Hydrangea hortensis 266

Hydrangea paniculata grandi flora . 114

Hypericum 196

Hypericum Moserianum ... .196

Hyssop 197

Hyssopus officinalis 197

Iberis sempervirens 36

Ice Plant 273

Ilex 197

Ilex aqui folium 198

Ilex laevigata 197

Ilex opaca 198

Ilex verticellata 197

Immortelles 158

Impatiens Balsamina 115

Indigo, Bastard 84

Indigo, False 10

Ipomoea pandurata .... 37

Ipomoea purpurea 116

Iris 37

Iris germanica 37

Iris, Japanese 38

Iris .aevigata 38

Ivy, Boston or Japanese .... 209

Ivy, Poison 214

Ixia 266

Ixia hybrida 266

Jacob's Ladder 58

Jasmine, Sweet 38

Jasminum nudiflorum .... 38

Jerusalem Cross 122

Jet Bead 213

Johnny Jump-up 156

Jonquil 50

Judas Tree 17

June Berry 4

Juniper 267

Juniperus communis 267

Juniperus virginiana 268

Kalmia latifolia 39

Kansas Gay Feather 118

Kentia Palm 263

Kerria, Japanese White .... 213

Kerria japonica 40

Kerria, White 40

Kniphofia Pfitzeri 198

Kochia scopmria 199

KudzuVine 211

PAGE

Laburnum vulgare 40

Ladies' Delight 156

Lamium album 41

Lamium maculatum . 41

Lantana 268

Lantana Camara 268

Larch, European 268

Larkspur 22

Larkspur, Belladonna ... .184

Larkspur, Chinese 185

Larkspur, Perennial 100

Larix decidua 268

Lathyrus grandi florus 117

Lathyrus lalifolius 117

Lathyrus odoratus 117

Laurel, Mountain 39

Laurus nobilis 269

Lavandula vera 118

Lavatera 199

Lavatera trimeslris 199

Lavender 118

Lemon Lily 112

Lenten Lily 34

Leopard Plant 258

Leopard's Bane 25

Lepachys columnaris 200

Lespedeza bicolor 201

Lespedeza japonica 201

Lespedeza Sieboldi 201

Leucojum aestivum 41

Leucojum vernum 41

Leucothoe 269

Leucothoe Catesbaei 269

Leucothoe racemosa 270

Liatris pycnostachya 118

Liatris scariosa 119

Ligustrum ibota 202

Ligustrum japonicum 202

Ligustrum lucidum 202

Ligustrum ovalifolium 202

Lilac, Summer 90

Lilacs 69

Lilium auratum 119

Lilium candidum 120

Lilium Harrisi 271

Lilium Henryi 120, 202

Lilium regale 120

Lilium speciosum 120

Lilium superbum 120

Lilium tenuifolium 120

Lilium tigrinum 120

Lily, Amazon 255

Lily, Bermuda Easter . . . ,271

Lily, Calla 287

Lily, Gold-banded 119

Lily, Henry's 202

Lily, Madonna 120

Lily, Regal 120

Lily, Siberian Coral 120

Lily, Tiger 120

Lily, Toad 224

Lily, Turk's Cup 120

Lily of the Nile 83

Lily-of-the-Palace 234

Lily-of-the-Valley 19

Lily-of-the- Valley Tree . . . . 235

Linum grandiflorum ..... 42

GENERAL INDEX OF NAMES

307

PAGE

Linum harboucuse 42

Linum perenne 42

Linum perenne album 42

Livistona chinensis 270

Lobelia 121

Lobelia cardinalis 121

Lobelia, Great Blue 203

Lobelia Erinus 121

Lobelia syphilitica 203

London Pride 147

Lonicera fragrantissima .... 42

Lonicera grandiflora 43

Lonicera japonica 43, 200

Lonicera Morrowi 43

Lonicera Periclymenum Belgica . . 200

Lonicera tatarica 43

Loosestrife 122

Love-Entangle 65

Love-in-a-Mist 127

Love-in-idleness 156

Love-Lies-Bleeding 3

Lunaria annua ...... 43

Lunaria rediviva 44

Lupine 44

Lupine, Blue 203

Lupinus hirsutus 203

Lupinus polyphyllus 44

Lychnis alba 45

Lychnis ehalcedonica 122

Lychnis Coronaria 45

Lychnis dioica 45

Lychnis Viscaria 46

Lycium chinense 204

Lycium halimifolium 204

Lylhrum Salicaria 122

Madura pomifera . 205

Madia elegans 205

Magnolia conspicua 47

Magnolia Fraseri 47

Magnolia glauca 47

Magnolia, Hall's 47

Magnolia macrophylla .... 47

Magnolia Soulangeana .... 46

Magnolia stellata 46

Magnolias 46

Mahonia aquifolium 12

Mahonia japonica 13

Maidenhair Fern 232

Mallow, Musk 206

Maltese Cross 46, 122

Malva Alcea 206

Malva moschata 206

Manettia . 271

Manettia cordifolia 271

Man-of-the-Earth 37

Maple, Japanese 161

Mare's Tail 169

Marguerite 246

Marguerite, Golden 85

Marigold 149

Marigold, Fig 272

Marigold, French Dwarf . . . .150

Marigold, Pot 15, 52

Marshmallow, Swamp .... 195

Marvel-of-Peru 124

Matrimony Vine ...... 204

PAGE

Matthiola incana 206

May, or Hawthorn 19

Meadow-Rue, Feathered .... 69

Meadow Saffron 180

Meadow Saffron, Spring .... 13

Menta piperita 123

Meratia fragrans 272

Merlensia virginica 47

Mesembryanthemum cordifolium . 272

Mesembryanthemum crystallinum . . 273

Mezereon 22

Millfoil 81

Mignonette 138

Mimosa pudica 123

Mimulus cardinalis 124

Mimulus luteus 124

Mimulus moschatus. . . . 124, 273

Mirabilis Jalapa 124

Miscanthus sinensis 125

Mist Flower 188

Mite he I la repens 274

Mock Cypress 199

Mock Orange 56

Monarda didyma 125

Monkey Flower 124

Monk's Pepper Tree 157

Monkshood 81

Montbretia 151

Moon Flower .37

Morning Glory ....... 116

Moss Pink 57

Mother of Thousands . . 147, 289

Mountain Fleece 211

Mountain Fringe 82

Mountain Lady's Mantle .... 2

Mountain Laurel 39

Mourning Bride 219

Mulberry 170

Mullein Pink 45, 46

Musa Ensete 275

Muscari botryoides 48

Musk Mallow 206

Musk Plant 273

Myosotis alpestris 49

Myosotis dissitiflora 49

Myosotis palustris 48

Myrica caiolinensis 207

Myrica cerifera 275

Myrica Gale 207

Myrtle 276

Myrtle, Blue 74

Myrtus communis ...... 276

Nancy Pretty 147

Nannyberry 74

Narcissus 276

Narcissus Jonquilla 50

Narcissus, Paper- White .... 277

Narcissus poeticus 51

Narcissus pseudo-narcissus ... 49

Narcissus Tazetta orientalis . . . 276

Narcissus Tazetta papyraceus . . . 277

Nasturtium, Dwarf 152

Nasturtium, Tall 152

Nephrolepis exaltata 278

Nepkrolepis exaltata bosloniensis . . 277

Nerine wwiensis .... 278

308

GENERAL INDEX OF NAMES

PAGE

New Jersey Tea 173

Nicotiana alata Grandiflora . . . 126

Nicotiana Sanderae 126

Nicotiana iabacum 126

Nigella damascena 127

Niggerhead 216

Night-Blooming Cereus .... 282

Ninebark 210

None-so-pretty 147

Norfolk Island Pine 237

Nymphaea Zanzibar iensis .... 208

Ocimum basilicum 127

Ocimum minimum 127

Oenothera biennis 52

Olea fragrans 279

Oleaster 104, 254

Oleaster, Russian Olive .... 26

Oleaster, Silver-leaved .... 26

Olive, Russian 104

Olive, Sweet 279

Opuntia vulgaris 128

Orange, Mock 56

Orange Mullein Weed 166

Origanum vulgare 52

Ornithogalum umbellatum .... 53

Osage Orange 205

Oswego Tea 125

Ox-eye 2

Ox-eye Daisy 216

Oxalis 279

Oxalis Bowiei 279

Oxydendrum arboreum .... 208

Paeonia albiflora 54

Paeonia moutan .... 54, 55

Paeonia tenuifolia 54

Palm, Chinese Fan 270

Palm, Coco 248

Palm, Kentia 263

Palm, Sago 251

Palm, Thatch 264

Pandanus Sanderi 280

Pandanus utilis 280

Pandanus Veitchi 280

Pansy 156

Pansy, Tufted 157

Papaver nudicaule 129

Papaver orientate 129

Papaver Rhoeas 130

Papaver somniferum 131

Parthenocissus tricuspidata . . . 209

Partridge Berry 274

Pea, Perennial 117

Pea-Tree 16

Peas, Sweet 117

Peach, Flowering 56

Pearl Bush 29

Pelargonium domesticum . . 131, 280

Pelargonium hortorum .... 131

Pentstemon barbatus 55

Pentstemon digitalis 56

Pentstemon grandiflorus .... 56

Pentstemon laevigatus 56

Pentstemon ovatus 56

Pentstemon pubescens 56

Peony, Chinese 54

PAGS

Peony, Fennel or Fern-leaved . . 54
Peony, Moutan .... 54, 55

Peony, Tree 54

Peperomia 281

Peperomia argyreia 281

Pepperbush, Sweet 179

Peppermint 123

Periwinkle 74

Persica vulgaris 56

Petunia 132

Petunia hybrida 132

Phaseolus multiflorus 132

Phaseolus multiflorus papilio . . . 133

Pheasant's Eye Pink 102

Pheasant's-eye, Vernal 2

Philadelphus coronarius .... 56

Phlox, Perennial and Annual . . . 133

Phlox divaricata 133

Phlox divaricata Laphami . . . 133

Phlox Drummondi 133

Phlox paniculata 133

Phlox subulata 57

Phygelius capensis 134

Phyllocactus grandis 282

Physalis Alkekengi 209

Physalis Franchetti 210

Physocarpus opulijolius . . . . 210

Picea excelsa 282

Picea pungens 282

Pieris floribunda 57

Pieris Mariana 58

Pincushion 219

Pine 283

Pine, Dwarf Mountain .... 284

Pine, Pitch 284

Pine, Red 284

Pine, White 283

Pineapple, Variegated 235

Pink, Bunch 101

Pink, China 102

Pink, Clove 102

Pink, Garden 102

Pink, Ground 57

Pink, Moss 57

Pink, Mullein 46

Pink, Pheasant's Eye 102

Pink, Scotch 102

Pink, Wild 66

Pinus montana Mughus .... 284

Pinus resinosa 283

Pinus rigida 283

Pinus strobus 283

Pinxter Flower 9

Piqueria trinerva 284

Plantain Lily 106

Pleurisy Weed 166

Plumbago 175

Plumbago capensis 175

Plume Grass 125

Plume Poppy 89

Poet's Narcissus 51

Poinsettia 257

Poison Ivy 214

Polemonium caeruleum .... 58

Polemonium confertum . 59

Polemonium nimalaicum .... 59

Polemonium reptans 59

GENERAL INDEX OF NAMES

309

PAGE

Polemonium Richardsoni .... 59

Polianthes tuberosa 136

Polygonatum bejlorum 67

Polygonum ample xicaule . . . .211

Polygonum Auberti 211

Polygonum sachalinense . . . .211

Polvscias Guilfoylei 254

Poor Man's Orchid 148

Poppy, California 28

Poppy, Corn 130

Poppy, Horned 190

Poppy, Iceland 129

Poppy, Opium 131

Poppy, Oriental 129

Poppy, Plume 89

Poppy, Prickly 86

Portulaca 137

Portulaca grandiflora 137

Potato, Chinese 185

Potato, Wild 37

Potentilla fruticosa 138

Prickly Pear 128

Pride of Ohio 25

Primrose 59, 285

Primrose, Evening 52

Primula floribunda 286

Primula Forbesi 286

Primula kewensis 286

Primula malacoides 286

Primula obconica 285

Primula Sieboldi 285

Primula sinensis 285

Primula vulgaris 59

Privet, California 202

Privet, Hardy Flowering .... 202

Privet, Japanese 202

Prunus glandulosa 61

Prunus japonica 60

Prunus triloba 60

Pteris argyraea 287

Pteris crelica 286

Pteris serrulata . 287

Pueraria hirsuta 211

Pussy Willow 288

Pyrethruro 176

Pyrus Malus floribunda .... 61

Pyrus Malus Halliana .... 61

Pyrus Malus ioensis 61

Quince, Japanese 14

Ragged Robin 16

Ragged Sailor 94

Ranunculus aconitifolius .... 61

Raspberry, Flowering .... 139

Red-Hot Poker 198

Red-root 173

Reed, Giant 87

Reseda odorata 138

Relinispora obtusa 246

Relinispora plumosa 246

Relinispora plumosa aurea . . . 246

Relinispora squarrosa .... 246

Rhamnus cathartica 212

Rhineberry 212

Rhododendron 62

Rhododendron maximum .... 62

PAGE

Rhododendron calendulaceum ... 9
Rhodotvpos kerrioides .... 40, 213

Rhus toxicodendron 214

Rhus typhina 213

Rhus vernix 213

Ribes japonicum 214

Richardia africana 287

Richardia Elliottana 287

Ricinus communis 214

Rock Cress 7

Rosa gallica 141

Rosa multiflora 143

Rosa odorata 142

Rosa odorata hybrida 143

Rosa rugosa 144

Rosa se tiger a 145

Rosa Wichuraiana 145

Rose, Crimson Rambler . . 143

Rose, Japanese 40

Rose, Memorial 145

Rose, Prairie 145

Rose, Ramanas 144

Roses 139

Roses, Hybrid Perpetual .... 141

Roses, Hybrid Tea 143

Roses, Tea 142

Rose Balm 125

Rose Moss 137

Rose of Sharon 113

Rosmarinus officinalis 63

Rosemary 63

Rosemary, White 169

Rubber Plant 258

Rubber Plant, Fiddle-leaved . . 259

Rubus odoratus 139

Rudbeckia hirta 216

Rudbeckia laciniata flore pleno . . 215

Rudbeckia speciosa 216

Rudbeckia subtomentosa . . . . 216

Rudbeckia triloba 216

Rush, Japanese 125

Saffron, Meadow 180

Saffron, Spring Meadow .... 13

Sage 217

Sage, Silver 63

Sago Palm 251

St. Patrick's Cabbage 147

Salix discolor 288

Salpiglossis 146

Salpiglossis sinnata 146

Salvia 216

Salvia argentea 63

Salvia azurea 64, 216

Sa'via farinacea 64

Salvia officinalis 217

Salvia patens 217

Salvia splendens 216

Sambucus canadensis 64

Sambucus nigra 64

Sambucus pubens 217

Sambucus racemosa 64

Sansevieria cylindrica 289

Sansevieria thyrsiflora 288

Sansevieria zeylanica 289

Saponaria officinalis 218

Saxifraga Cotyledon 147

310

GENERAL INDEX OF NAMES

PAGE

Saxifraga crasifolia 65

Saxtfragu Huetiana 65

Saxifraga ligulata 146

Saxifraga sarmentosa . . . 147, 289

Saxifraga umbrosa 147

Saxifraga virginiensis 64

Saxifrage 146

Saxifrage, Early 64

Saxifrage, Pyramidal . . . .147

Saxifrage, Thick-leaved .... 65

Scabiosa 219

Scabiosa atropurpurea 219

Scabiosa caucasica 219

Scarlet Lightning 122

Scarlet Sage 216

Schizanthus pinnatus 148

Scilla autumnalis 219

Scilla feslalis 65

Scotch Pink 102

Screw Pine 280

Scrub Brush 169

Sea Buckthorn 195

Sea Holly 187

Sea Lavender 149

Sea Pink 8

Sea Thrift 8

Sedum acre 66

Sedum Aizoon 66

Sedum maximum 220

Sedum, Showy 220

Sedum sexangulare 65

Sedum Sieboldi 66

Sedum spectabile 220

Sedum Telephium 220

Senna, Wild 93

Sensitive Plant 123

Service Berry 4

Seven Years' Love 1

Shadbush 3

Sheepberry 74

Shooting Star 25

Silene pennsylvanica 66

Silver Bell Tree 33

Silver Sweet Vine ..... 162

Sinningia speciosa 290

Slipperwort 170

Smilacina racemosa 66

Smilax 239

Snapdragon 86

Snake's Head 30, 96

Snakeroot, White 188

Sneezeweed 192

Sneezewort 34

Sneezewort, Double 1

Snowballs 73

Snowball, Japanese 156

Snowberry 222

Snowdrop 31

Snowdrop, Giant 31

Snowdrop Tree 33

Snowfiake 41

Solomon's Seal 66

Solomon's Seal, False 66

Sorbus americana 221

Sorbus spuria 221

Sorrel Tree 208

Sour Wood Tree 208

PAGE

Sparaxis 290

Sparaxis tricolor 290

Speedwell 154

Speedwell, Hoary 154

Speedwell, Rock 155

Speedwell, Virginia 225

Spice Bush 12

Spider Fern 286

Spiderwort 70

Spindle Trees 257

Spiraea, Blue 172

Spiraea prunifolia ...... 67

Spiraea Reevesiana 6

Spiraea Thunbergi 67

Spiraea tomentosa 148>

Spiraea Van Houttei 68

Spruce ... 282

Spruce, Colorado Blue .... 283

Spruce, Norway 282

Squill, Autumn 219

Stagger Bush 58

Staphylea colchica 68

Staphylea trifolia 68

Star Thistle 187

Star-of-Bethlehem 53

Starry Hyacinth 219

Statice latifolia 149

Steeple Bush 148

Stevia 284

Stock 206

Stokes' Aster 221

Stokesia cyanea 221

Stonecrop, Dark Green .... 65
Strawberry Geranium . . 147, 289

Strawberry Shrub 15

Strawberry Tomato 209

Sumac, Poison 213

Sumac, Staghorn 213

Sunflower 193

Sunflower, False Ill

Swallow Thorn 195

Swamp Pink 9

Sweet Basil 127

Sweet Bayj 269

Sweet Olive 279

Sweet Peas 117

Sweet Rocket 112

Sweet Scabious 219

Sweet Shrub 15

Sweet Sultan 95

Sweet William 101

Sweet William, Wild 133

Sword Flower 108

Symphoricarpos racemosus . . . 222

Symphoricarpos vulgaris .... 223

Syringa vulgaris 69

Tagetes erecta 149

Tagetes patula 149

Tagetes signata 150

Tamarisk , 223

Tamarix chinensis 223

Tamarix gallic a 223

Tamarix hispida 223

Tamarix narbonnensis .... 223

Tansy, White 1

Tar Weed 205/

GENERAL INDEX OF NAMES

311

PAGE

Taxus baccata 291

Taxus canadensis 291

Taxus cuspidata 291

Tecoma radicans 150

Thalictrum aquilegifolium ... 69

Thatch Palm 264

Thuja occidentalis 292

Thuja occidentalis Wareana . . . 292

Tickseed 180

Toad Lily, Japanese 224

Tobacco, Flowering 126

Torch Lily 198

Torenia Fournieri 150

Tradescantia fluminensis .... 292

Tradescantia virginiana .... 70

Tricyrtis hirta 224

Tritoma 198

Tritoma crocosmae flora . . . . 151

Trifolium incarnatum 151

Trollius asiaticus 71

Trollius europaeus 70

Tropaeolum majus 152

Tropaeolum minus 152

Tropaeolum peregrinum .... 153

Trumpet Vine 150

Tsuga canadensis 293

Tsuga carolindana 293

Tuberose 136

Tulipa Gesneriana 71

Tulipa suaveolens 72

Tulips, Cottage and Parrot ... 71

Tulips, Darwin 72

Tunica 153

Tunica Saxifraga 153

Turtle Head 96

Umbrella Plant 252

Vaccinium corymbosum .... 224

Valerian 154

Valerian, Greek 59

Valeriana officinalis 154

Verbena 72

Verbena hybrida 72

Veronica 294

Veronica incana 154

Veronica longifolia 154

Veronica longtfolia subsessilis . 155, 225

Veronica speciosa 294

Veronica repens 155

Veronica rupestris 155

Veronica virginica 225

Viburnum acerifolium 73

Viburnum Carlesi 73

Viburnum dentatum .... 73, 225

Viburnum dilatatum 226

Viburnum Lantana 155

Viburnum lantanoides ..... 226

Viburnum lentago 74

PAGE

Viburnum opulus 74

Viburnum tomentosum plenum . 156

Viola tricolor x56

Viburnums 225

Vinca major 74

Vinca minor 74

Viola cornuta 75, 157

Viola cucullata 76

Viola odorata 75

Violet, Damask 112

Violet, Dog's-Tooth 28

Violet, Horned 157

Violets 75

Virginia Creeper 85

Virgin's Bower 179

Virgin's Bower, Japanese . . 178

Vitex agnus-castus 157

Wallflower 95

Wallflower, Perennial 28

Wallflower, Yellow 28

Wandering Jew 292

Water Lily, Zanzibar Blue . . . 208

Watsonia Ardneri 226

Watsonia iridifolia 227

Watsonia, White 226

Wax Myrtle 207, 275

Wax Plant 264

Waxberry 222

Wayfaring Tree 155,226

Waythorn 212

Weigela 103

White Fringe 17

Wild Snowball 173

Willow, Pussy 288

Willow Herb 187

Windflower 164

Windflower, Winter 236

Winter Cherry 209

Winterberry 197

Wintergreen 260

Wishbone Flower 150

Wisteria 76

Wisteria Chinensis 76

Wisteria floribunda 76

Witch Hazel 191

Witch Hazel, Japanese .... 33

Xeranthemum annuum .... 158

Yam, Chinese 185

Yew 291

Yucca filamenlosa 77

Zebra Grass 125

Zebrina pendula 293

Zinnia 227

Zinnia elegans 227

Zygocactus truncotua . . • • • 294