r Y wore tee ities earn erate i ai yo st PATH ert hati ty ol kat aa iia Ht) (ep 7 i Aarbie et be af on L sh tha ot ne Vy patie nm vay peeene bees FP ‘ ny in een Veee din « : hai her HA. feet. f 4 ainern . rae net a +9 fhe | wrrryy) 14s i . on bret srs ‘es thy wifi Abe : were) , ‘i eel diate in oh Heytn otf ed oh if is Tis a4 vy A t “ren vee i} i a wer bet ' ae an 40 rhs Siewat sional ai nt ¥ ' Hien irt Nikos i oh ty ” iodine wt pf beeen ne cecinaht hatha Bs ‘ bee sonal OE feih as iat i-atsrot hae ion ili ehtach tabs Paraits ate bee) ' ng fs ibbnanei shat As che as te * . nh te ey +i vytang | nes 74 ote aoc " tent ie i a i 4 ” er haty Ay) ih or bee Prteghy ant at mplelere ow y betas, ee qaaeeveee HM a F der bert oh arerieaey ; 4 “i ie ila , Meith a is ni TURP etn’ ie Lpaemiernew i rel sf 2a ses atari ee pL preset } " } * i : ate ; } iiyal vies “yer a 4148) ity AOE RMINSK shapes Wit ay ; afi ' ay rf yy iy a; ' ait (pif hay " 4 Pe an | AS ets ; Ai a i yas i eae ahd ia! ert ie By ie ea i ry) peers svaeede ; i EL aha dine ai: Pf Saretera FRE f : at y she hay ey ? ats 8 ( j tint tial Mihertadts ‘ “ et rv] tala Hibelet ei eth { it ‘ es poate ie Ndi g hy Ash td ' ba Ha bo Vy Meet) 4? §* ep fhad eo le oc bare | La ee ’ ” “a al Anes ;? on i ae {84 we! t “e #: tly meee ait n Ga : py ney gts é oe eh peu betes odeas ahd be Ha 14 rid rie he BUF ity fish vile ibbate ida sbantese vi itis, uw ‘aban teeter a : eres ei A, + Hitaisied galt a at t ne 3 ‘ Pur rf 4 nigh stot gee ie Ree 1 ito i Pea o ad iy Haine ify ptadien pate ata ties ; neat i ee piptastisesarhigtet maleated rt rion 6 4 ; pacep eens . A HA ert af Ry tear ray boetee " HY if wits f eg ise ti A aed . aia . i , oan) rich paphee atts tal ‘4 re rata * bye ‘ ity Tea aie { {igoid ube na ot sa ae io MN iat eeinig 4 Lpharnee bande it oe ~~ i" any Vea i 7 ~ J i. iy 4 Ni { re.) fee Fit, As. elas A es Wiheeit J My - a es De a Pyly ib ¥ Vara | fi : ‘i \ i \HE sixty-three colors of the accompanying chart have been accurately compared with the colors of growing flowers. Although blossoms, even on the same _ plant, will vary somewhat in shade, the au- thor hopes that the care with which this chart has been prepared may prove of genuine service to all who plan their gardens with the aid of this book. As will be noticed, each color block is supplied with a number as well as a name. A corresponding color number will be found opposite every description of a plant through- out the volume. I. STRAW COLOR 8. PUMPKIN ORANGE 15. PINKISH ORANGE 2. LEMON YELLOW Q. ORANGE 16. NEUTRAL ORANGE VERMILI 1 3. PRIMROSE IO. NEUTRAL ORANGE 17. ORANGE VERMILION ‘ 4. SULPHUR YELLOW Il. DEEP ORANGE 18. SCARLET VERMILION i] 5. GAMBOGE YELLOW 12. RED ORANGE 19. ORANGE SCARLET 6. GOLDEN YELLOW 7. ORANGE YELLOW Iq. TERRA-COTTA. 21. CHOCOLATE A CHARI STRAW COLOR 8. PUMPKIN ORANGE 15. PINKISH ORANGE | 22. LIGHT SALMON PINK 20. PURE LIGHT PINK 36. PALE LIGHT PINK | 43. PALE LILAC 50. PALE LILAC BLUE . PALE SKY BLUE I. STRAW COLOR { : } is i f \ | | | . eae a OUAeE 16. NEUTRAL ORANGE VERMILION 23. ROSE PINK 30. DEEP PINK 37. DULL LAVENDER PINK H 51. AZURE 58. TURQUOISE BLUE 2 | j : | t | t } | ; | i] { ; | 1 | ] i | . ! : / 8 Cate 3. PRIMROSE DEN DUTRATORAINGYS 17. ORANGE VERMILION | 24. DEEP ROSE PINK 31. BRIGHT MAGENTA 38. MAGENTA PINK { 45. DEEP LAVENDER 52. PORCELAIN BLUE 59. DEEP TURQUOISE BLUE } aS 4 - ~~ | ] | | | i | o | | | | i | | i] | ; j E | | t | | j | } : = Sei arte ct u =| t : a ise : 3 2 ; = SOME au PRS ; 25. OLD ROSE 2. DEEP PURPLE PINK . DEEP HELIOTROPE 6. BRIGHT VIOLET BLUE |. PE: 4. SULPHUR YELLOW II. DEEP ORANGE 18. SCARLET VERMILION ) 3 39) 4 60. PEACOCK BLUE , } ‘z { } | | } | | | } Hi | | | 5 | i ei a a CRS Ee i ee aD } 2 ae i = : —— ——— - 20. CARMINE PINK 40. PURPLE MAGENTA iy 47. PURPLE VIOLET - SAPPHIRE 5. GAMBOGE YELLOW 12. RED ORANGE 19. ORANGE SCARLET Sue Ds : 1 - _ . _ = eC ) a = ] } g Sar = =, 5 7 27. ROSE RED 34. GARNET 41. DULL MAROON PURPLE f 48. PURPLE 55. BRILLIANT VIOLET 62. PURE BLUE 6. GOLDEN YELLOW 13. BURNT ORANGE 20. CARDINAL RED } a = = {| it ; : i) 28. RUBY RED 35. MAROON 42. MAROON PURPLE i 49. DEEP PURPLE VIOLET 50. DEEP DULL VIOLET BLUE 63. GENTIAN BLUE 7- ORANGE YELLOW 21. CHOCOLATE A CHART § WING THE COLORS OF GARDEN FLOWERS ai bce alent los WOOTd TINA NI SYAMOTA JO NAGUVO V THE GARDEN MONTH BY MONTH DESCRIBING the appearance, color, dates of bloom and cultivation of all desirable, hardy plants for the formal or wild garden, with additional lists of aquatics, vines, etc. By MABEL CABOT SEDGWICK Assisted by ROBERT CAMERON Gardener of the Harvard Botanical Gardens With over two hundred half-tone engravings from photographs of growing plants, and a chart in colors. NEW YORK FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY PUBLISHERS TLIBRARY of CONGRESS Two Copies Recelved APP 1 1907 Copyright, 1907 By FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY This edition published in March, 1907 ere o40e0 TO W. GoGs AND. Re C. PREFACE O Perpetui Fiori del Eterna Letizia T is prudent perhaps for many of us to have our pleasure gardens shaped for us by an expert wiser than we may hope to be. Ai trained eye, long study of old forms, and that knowledge which is born only of experience, make possible a beauty of outline and insure a perfection of detail in a project which in the minds of most of us is a desire rather than a definite conception. Yet he who truly loves his garden will not relin- quish altogether the happy task of creating it. For him it is the centre of bright imaginings. He dreams of it asleep and awake, until from among the multitude of his thoughts there flashes some happy vision finished in all things, like the completed picture which the painter sees on the white canvas before him. Quickly before it fades he rushes to his task. But to the amateur, garden catalogues are often a snare and most books a de- lusion. Search as he may, these helpers serve him little, and as he struggles to find the appropriate flowers with which to paint his picture, the gay vision fades and confusion and discouragement ensue. It is for this gardener that I have made this book and offer it as a full palette, to enable him the more readily to paint the picture as he sees it, and save him the discouragement of looking in a thousand places for a thousand bits of information. However small a part of the garden it may be that he himself plans, he will look upon that portion with a kindlier eye, and find more in it to love and enjoy than all the rest of the garden has to offer. With this book I wish my gardener joy of his experiments, and if he fails to make his garden altogether as he has imagined it, may he have a fancy quick to suggest new visions; for in the possibilities of change lies the im- perishable charm of gardens. Forever through past experience shine the bright alluring pictures of the future. Vii PREFACE The plan of this book is simple. The plants are arranged 1n the order of the months in which they bloom, while for the reader’s convenience a plant which flowers in more months than one is listed afresh in each appro- priate month, though the full description of its habit and the directions for its culture are given only where it makes its first appearance. In the great majority of cases, the dates of bloom are taken from personal observations in the vicinity of Boston. The season about New York is, generally speaking, about ten days earlier. A rough and ready calculation allows six days’ difference to every degree of latitude. Yet in this matter of the date of bloom the reader must understand that nothing like exactness is possible. All that can be claimed is the representation of a fair average. The season of bloom is very irregular, often varying as much as a fortnight in the spring. But though early dates may vary, by June first all irregularities seem to disappear, and the reader can be confident that whatever are the dates of bloom, the succession of bloom remains invariable. As the plants are divided according to the months in which they first bloom, so they are subdivided according to color. In each month’s list of blooming plants there are nine color groups, including “ parti-colored,” z.e., those plants in which each blossom is variegated, and “ various,” #.e., those in which the color of the blossoms vary. Since color is the chief glory of a garden, much stress has been laid upon it throughout the preparation of the book. Almost every flower mentioned has been accurately compared with the appended color chart, and in the column devoted to that purpose it bears its appropriate color number, while above this in quotation marks is the color ascribed to it by some reliable authority. The reader must remember, however, that with matters of color it is much as with matters of taste. One may call the wood violet purple and another insist that it is blue, while red fades so insensibly into pink, and yellow blends so imperceptibly into orange, that he is an artist indeed who can define the precise point where one becomes the other. It must also be borne in mind that the same flower may vary in color in different localities and the sante plant may put forth blossoms of varying shades. And yet, though you may quarrel with the division lines, they are just in the main and are not further wrong than others might well be. A word or two is needed concerning the comprehensiveness of this Vili PRE RACE book. Annuals have mot been included, as their dates depend altogether upon the time when their seed is sown. Of biennials but few are mentioned; _ but of hardy perennials it can fairly be said that all are included which de- serve a place in the garden proper, in the rock or wild garden, or which are worthy of naturalization; and of tender perennials a few that should find a place in every garden have been added. Large estates as well as small gar- dens are increasing so rapidly throughout the country and so many new and unfamiliar plants have come to enlarge the gardener’s choice, that it has seemed best to make this book offer all which the most varied taste could wish for beautifying a great estate; but it is selection rather than variety,which the small gardener needs, and for his sake such plants as are especially serviceable or exceptionally to be desired are marked with a single or double asterisk. The details of this book have been almost infinite in number, and my best thanks are due to all who have helped me: To Mr. Robert Cameron, of the Harvard Botanical Gardens, for revision of all facts mentioned in the book and for much valuable assistance; to Prof. Benjamin Watson, of Harvard, for advice and encouragement; to Mr. L. T. Ernst for observing many of the dates of flowering; to Miss Louisa B. Stevens and Miss Turner for the preparation of the color chart and, with the assistance of Miss Edith May, for the skilful comparison of colors; to Miss Rose Standish Nichols, who has conducted the book through the press; to Messrs. John L. Gardner, J. S. Lee and J. Woodward Manning for many admirable photo- graphs which I should have gone far to secure elsewhere; and to Miss Elizabeth Dean for much devoted work. To all of these I feel greatly in- debted for their real interest and assistance, and in a special sense I wish to record the gratitude with which I shal! always remember the unselfish and unremitting assistance and encouragement given me by Miss Pauline Brigham. For the rest I only hope that this book may help to make more gardens lovely and more gardeners content. IMISECHS:; Brook.iineE, Mass., Nov., 1906. ie as) “ i ant v “a CONTENTS PREFACE . MARCH APRIL MAY SURAT te lias. yy Ae Paice JUNE JULY LOTS? 42 0 an nb ante PoE 4 ER 2S c7 nS a an PE THE BEST HERBACEOUS PLANTS A FEW WATER PLANTS OR AQUATICS SOME BOG GARDEN OR MARSH PLANTS SOME PLANTS CONSPICUOUS FOR THEIR FOLIAGE A FEW SELECTED VINES AND CLIMBERS A FEW OF THE BEST FERNS EMBELPMENTARMILISTS 20/1... WOU INDEX OF BOTANICAL AND ENGLISH NAMES .. i it hy x ii AN th i an i ane A Mae i) Heat ‘1 oe ACN HN Wik ) = 2 i ih ais MV i VF ma ‘ Hey ra sh! i ILLUSTRATIONS A GARDEN OF FLOWERS IN FULL BLOOM . ; ; : : ; Frontispiece Page EARLIEST SPRING FLOWERS: GALANTHUS NIVALIS AND ERANTHIS HYEMALIS . 2 Photograph by John L. Gardner A. GALANTHUS PLICATUS. B. GALANTHUS ELWESII . ; : : ; Pes LL, Photographs by John L. Gardner A. HELLEBORUS NIGER. B. CROCUS VARS. : - : ; Pg A. IRIS RETICULATA VAR. KRELAGI. B. CHIONADOXA LUCILIZ. C. SCILLA SIBIRICA. Photographs by John L. Gardner : : é : : : 89 AN APRIL LANDSCAPE. Photograph by John L. Gardner : : ; 10 A. ANEMONE SYLVESTRIS. B. ARABIS ALBIDA. Photographs by John L. Gardner. 13 A. FRITILLARIA MELEAGRIS. VAR ALBA. B. DICENTRA CUCULLARIA : . 44 Photographs by John L. Gardner LEUCOJUM VERNUM. ORNITHOGALUM NUTANS. Photographs by John L. Gardner. 17 PHLOX SUBULATA VAR. ALBA : : é : : : : t E ah es SANGUINARIA CANADENSIS. : : P : : : : ; 3 2 ae VIOLA CANADENSIS. Photograph by John L. Gardner - : 4 2 : mee ALYSSUM SAXATILE. Photograph by John L. Gardner : . : 5 : By peas ERYTHRONIUM AMERICANUM. Photograph by John L. Gardner - 2 : co NARCISSUS INCOMPARABILIS “SIR WATKIN”. Photograph by John L. Gardner . 29 A. NARCISSUS LEEDSII. B. NARCISSUS JONQUILLA : P : : . -. 30 Photographs by John L. Gardner NARCISSUS PSEUDO-NARCISSUS, DOUBLE VAR. Photograph by John L. Gardner . 33 A. PRIMULA OFFICINALIS. B. TROLLIUS ASIATICUS . : : ‘ ; Zino Photograph by John L. Gardner AQUILEGIA CANADENSIS. Photograph by John L. Gardner ! : ; : a Sa TULIPA GREIGI. Photograph by John L. Gardner . : : : ete. BELLIS PERENNIS AND NARCISSUS POETICUS. Photograph by sien L. Gardner . 41 ARMERIA ALPINA. Photograph by John L. Gardner : . : : 4 ayia ERYTHRONIUM DENS-CANIS . x : : : : “ - : : . 45 PHLOX PROCUMBENS. Photograph by John L. Gardner . - ; : . 46 SAXIFRAGA CORDIFOLIA. Photograph by John L. Gardner . : - : . 49 MERTENSIA PULMONARIOIDES ; : y : . - . - : a! Xili ILLUSTRATIONS MUSCARI BOTRYOIDES. Photograph by John L. Gardner . : ; C ° A. PHLOX STELLARIA. B. PULMONARIA SACCHARATA 5 ‘ “ f Photographs by John L. Gardner FRITILLARIA IMPERIALIS. Photograph by John L. Gardner . 6 . : A. PRIMULA POLYANTHA. B. FRITILLARIA MELEAGRIS . : : . Photographs by John L. Gardner SINGLE HYACINTHS. Photograph by John L. Gardner : f 5 : : PRIMULA POLYANTHA. Photograph by John L. Gardner . 0 : ° TULIPS. Photograph by John L. Gardner : : 0 TULIPA “YELLOW PRINCE”. Photograph by John L. Gardner . SINGLE PARTI-COLORED TULIPS. Photograph by John L. Gardner 3 A MAY BORDER. Photograph by John L. Gardner . : A 6 4 . A. ANEMONE PENNSYLVANICA. B. ANEMONE NEMEROSA Photographs by John L. Gardner CONVALLARIA MAJALIS . IRIS FLORENTINA. NARCISSUS POETICUS. Photographs by J. W. Manning LEUCOJUM ASTIVUM AND TULIPA “WHITE SWAN” Photograph by John L. Gardner NARCISSUS PSEUDO-NARCISSUS VAR. MOSCHATUS. Photograph by John L. Gardner . ORNITHOGALUM UMBELLATUM. TRADESCANTIA VIRGINICA VAR. ALBA Photographs by J. W. Manning PAPAVER ALPINUM. Photograph by John L. Gardner é . SANGUINARTA 'CANADENSIS) 200) OWS ND NUN ee A ST nh A. STELLARIA HOLOSTEA. B. SHORTIA GALACIFOLIA . : S . TRILLIUM GRANDIFLORUM. Photograph by John L. Gardner . : : 2 CYPRIPEDIUM PUBESCENS. Photograph by John L. Gardner . 9 . CYPRIPEDIUM PUBESCENS. Photograph by John L. Gardner . : “ HYPOXIS ERECTA. ‘NARCISSUS INCOMPARABILIS STELLA . : . - Photographs by J. W. Manning EUPHORBIA MYRSINITES. Photograph by John L. Gardner . : : . RANUNCULUS FICARIA. Photograph by John L. Gardner . ; : . - SPRING FLOWERS. Photograph by John L. Gardner. A. TULIPA SYLVESTRIS. B. TULIPA RETROFLEXA : - > C . Photograph by John L. Gardner UVULARIA PERFOLIATA AND VIOLA BLANDA : - - - . . TULIPA DIDIERI. BhoteecanH by John L. Gardner . : - . . A. DIANTHUS DELTOIDES. B. DAPHNE CNEORUM : ° - . ° DICENTRA SPECTABILIS. Photograph by John L. Gardner : : 2 “ SCILLA HISPANICA VAR. ROSEA. Photograph by John L. Gardner . : . X1V Page 53 54 57 58 61 62 65 66 609 70 73 74 79 80 83 84 87 88 91 92 97 98 . 103 104 107 108 111 112 119 = 20 123 124 ILEUSTRATIONS ASTER ALPINUS DODECATHEON MEADIA. Photograph by John L. Gardner GERANIUM MACULATUM. ERIGERON BELLIDIFOLIUS . A. AND B. IRIS VERSICOLOR. C. IRIS PUMILA VIOLA CORNUTA VARS. AND PHLOX PROCUMBENS Photograph by John L. Gardner POLEMONIUM CARULEUM. Photograph by John L. Gardner . - ° AMSONIA TABERNAEMONTANA. Photograph by John L. Gardner BAPTISIA AUSTRALIS HOUSTONIA CHRULEA LINUM PERENNE MYOSOTIS PALUSTRIS VAR. SEMPERFLORENS. Photograph by John L. Gardner A. VERONICA GENTIANOIDES. B. POLEMONIUM REPTANS Photographs by John L. Gardner IRIS GERMANICA PZONIA MOUTAN. phoneeet by I. W. Mente LATE TULIPS. Photograph by John L. Gardner TULIPA “DARWIN” AND MYOSOTIS ALPESTRIS. Photograph by John L. Gardner . TULIPA GESNERIANA VAR. DRACONTIA. Photograph by John L. Gardner A JUNE BORDER ASTILBE JAPONICA. Photograph by James S. Lee CAMPANULA PERSICIFOLIA VAR. ALBA. Photograph by James S. Lee CORNUS CANADENSIS : : ; : : ; - ‘ : - DIGITALIS PURPUREA VARS. Photograph by James S. Lee LILIUM CANDIDUM . LUPINUS POLYPHYLLUS VARS. Photograph by James S. Lee . MITCHELLA REPENS POLYGONATUM MULTIFLORUM. Photograph by John L. Gardner A. SMILACINA RACEMOSA. B. VIOLA PEDATA VAR. ALBA. C. VIOLA CANADENSIS . YUCCA FILAMENTOSA. Photograph by James S. Lee HEMEROCALLIS FLAVA _ LILIUM CANADENSE VAR. FLAVUM : PHLOMIS TUBEROSA. LYSIMACHIA PUNCTATA. Photographs by John L. Gardner A. (2QNOTHERA FRUTICOSA. B. PAPAVER NUDICAULE Photographs by John L. Gardner LILIUM ELEGANS. Photograph by James S. Lee LILIUM MACULATUM. Photograph by James S. Lee. 5 PAPAVER ORIENTALE. Photograph by James S. Lee : - : - ° XV Page ILLUSTRATIONS JUNE LANDSCAPE . if ‘ } f i A } DIANTHUS PLUMARIUS VARS. : 4 i ft : EREMURUS ROBUSTUS . f i { ! i : CAMPANULA CARPATICA : : : 2 : 4 CAMPANULA GLOMERATA. Photograph by James S. Lee . TRIS GERMANICA TRIS SIBIRICA . : : ; : : 5 PRIMULA JAPONICA. Photograph by John L. Gardner STACHYS BETONICA SAMs ! i AQUILEGIA CHRULEA. Photograph by John L. Gardner DELPHINIUM FORMOSUM | DELPHINIUM HYBRIDUM IRIS XIPHIUM . : , : : ue MYOSOTIS SYLVATICA. Photograph by John L. Gardner AQUILEGIA FLABELLATA. Photograph by John L. Gardner CAMPANULA MEDIUM : y 4 DIANTHUS BARBATUS. Photograph by James S. Lee IRIS LAZVIGATA. Photograph by James S. Lee PAONIA VARS. A MIDSUMMER GARDEN ACHILLEA PTARMICA VAR. “THE PEARL” CAMPANULA PUNCTATA . CIMICIFUGA RACEMOSA . LILIUM AURATUM PLATYCODON GRANDIFLORUM VAR. ALBUM. LYCHNIS CHALCEDONICA VAR. COREOPSIS GRANDIFLORA. Photograph by James S. Lee COREOPSIS LANCEOLATA HELIANTHUS MOLLIS HYPERICUM MOSERIANUM ALBA RANUNCULUS REPENS VAR. FLORE-PLENO. Photograph by John L. Gardner RUDBECKIA SPECIOSA A : ; : 5 SOLIDAGO SEMPERVIRENS. Photograph by James S. Lee THALICTRUM FLAVUM f , : : : VERBASCUM OLYMPICUM. Photograph by James S. Lee . ASCLEPIAS TUBEROSA HEMERCCALLIS FULVA AND PHLOX PANICULATA. Photograph by James S. Lee . LILIUM TIGRINUM . XVi TRITONIA CROCOSMEFLORA. Photograph by James S. Lee CORONILLA VARIA . ACANTHUS MOLLIS VAR. LATIFOLIUS ACONITUM UNCINATUM ECHINOPS RITRO. ERYNGIUM AMETHYSTINUM PENTSTEMON GLABER LILIUM BROWNI. Photograph by James S. Lee ALTHZA ROSEA CACTUS DAHLIA ILLUSTRATIONS DECORATIVE DAHLIA. QUILLED DAHLIA GLADIOLUS VARS. IRIS LZVIGATA. Photograph by James S. Lee PHLOX PANICULATA “A SHADY WALK IS PLEASANT IN AUGUST” BOLTONIA ASTEROIDES . EUPATORIUM AGERATOIDES SEDUM SPECTABILE. Photograph by James S. Lee . LILIUM SPECIOSUM VAR. RUBRUM ASTER NOV ANGLIA STOKESIA CYANEA . AUTUMN . ANEMONE JAPONICA VAR. ALBA A. HELIANTHUS GIGANTEUS. B. ASTER TURBINELLUS HELIANTHUS ORGYALIS . KNIPHOFIA ALOIDES ANEMONE JAPONICA -—