THE WILD FLOWEU GARDEN. 159 



Many persons who love flowers are so situated that they lack either the 

 time or the inclination to fuss with the ordinary garden flowers, or the 

 tender bedding plants. Such persons, as well as those interested in saving 

 the native sorts, will find a wild flower garden a most interesting diver- 

 sion. 



It is quite possible to have flowers throughout the season from early 

 April until killing frosts in October. Of course, to accomplish this result 

 requires a large variety of flowers, but there is an abundance of those 

 which are desirable to fill in the entire season if one has only the proper 

 situation in which to plant them. The woodland plants, of course, 

 require conditions somewhat similar to those provided by nature, but if 

 one has a grove this is easily provided. Our own wild garden is planted 

 in a bit of native woods that furnished the barn lot to a former owner of 

 the place. When we arrived we soon decided that it could be put to 

 better use, so the barn was moved away and a fence placed about the lot 

 to keep out all live stock. In this prairie region many may lack the 

 proper shade, but groves will soon grow and the wild flowers will thrive 

 even among small trees if the weeds are not allowed to crowd them out. 

 Here in Iowa there is a much greater danger of the extermination of the 

 wild flowers than in timbered regions where there is a considerable 

 amount of waste land, so that it behooves nature lovers to put forth an 

 effort to preserve our native flora. 



Our earliest bloom comes from bloodroots followed by Dutchman's 

 breeches. Trillium is earlier, but in our locality it seems to be entirely 

 exterminated. The Dutchman's breeches are just at their best when the 

 adder-tongues come in great abundance. Hardly have these faded when 

 literally thousands of violets make an attractive display. We have both 

 the blue and yellow varieties in large numbers. Yellow buttercups are 

 next in order, and we have enough to give splendid mass effects. Then 

 comes the wild phlox and Virginia waterleaf, also in quantity. Then 

 there is a liberal showing of Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Solomon's seal, and many 

 others. We have scoured the country in search of columbine and now 

 have several fine clusters. This is one of the wild plants seldom seen 

 outside of gardens in our country now. The azure larkspur is a fine wild 

 flower of other days; so far I have been able to flnd only one wild speci- 

 men. The wood lily on the list of those becoming rare is a treasure in 

 the wild garden. May apples, once abundant in this section, are now 

 rapidly disappearing. Space will not permit the enumeration of all the 

 attractive wild flowers that fill' in the season, but with a little care in 

 selecting one can have a succession of bloom from April until October. 

 Midsummer varieties are not so numerous, yet they are by no means 

 scarce. The starry campion blooms in July, and with its pyramidal 

 panicles of white bells it is not overshadowed by the finest creation of 

 the florists' art. The cup plant and a number of similar showy plants 

 bloom at this season. White snake-root and asters make a grand display 

 at the end of the season, literally coming out to meet Jack-Frost. 



Of shrubs there is quite a long list of desirables such as sumach, elder- 

 berry, and dogwood. 



