392 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



AUGUST 30, I'JOO. 



written one time or another on the 

 subject of color in the ilower garden, 

 but for this style of bedding I would 

 certainly give preference to distinct 

 contrasts, rather than blending, or 

 mixtures of all colors. 



Sub-tropical bedding is more prac- 

 ticed the last few years, but not as 

 much as it deserves to be. What is 

 grander than a large bed of ricinus, 

 cannas, caladium, etc., and in this 

 country, where they grow to such per- 

 fection, they should be planted large- 

 ly. A bed of cannas alone, of the up- 

 to-date varieties, make a display 

 which is unsurpassed by any other 

 bedding plant in the garden. 



Hardy herbaceous plants should 

 have a very important place in the 

 flower garden, not only on account of 

 their beauty, but for the never ending 

 variety and change which they give 

 from early spring until long aftei'' the 

 frost has cut down the tender bedding 

 plants in the fall, there will still be 

 some hardy flowers left which are not 

 only interesting but useful to cut from. 

 The flrst flowers of spring are always 

 more appreciated after the long, dull 

 winter months have passed and the 

 snow has left the ground. How we 

 welcome the violet, the primrose and 

 other harbingers of spring. Then 

 comes the trollius. Phlox .subulata, 

 Iris pumila. Iceland poppies, and al- 

 most before they are out of bloom the 

 borders are ablaze with flowers of the 

 early summer varieties. Iris of sorts, 

 Heuchera sanguinea. an endless va- 

 riety of campanulas, the stately del- 

 phiniums, foxgloves and hollyhocks, 

 the graceful gypsophila, which keep 

 gay until the heliauthus and rudbeck- 

 ias come into bloom, and as the sea- 

 son advances we have the hardy as- 

 ters and heleniums. There is always 

 something new coming into flower, al- 

 ways a change, and always interest- 

 ing. 



It is not possible for me to mention 

 a complete list of perennials here, 

 neither would all be suitable to plant 

 in all positions, but every garden 

 would be much more attractive if her- 

 baceous plants were used more ex- 

 tensively. But whatever style of bed- 

 ding .you pursue, use as much va- 

 riety as possible; variety Is the spice 

 of gardening. Get the idea into your 

 head that no bit of ground ought ever 

 to be seen without flov/ers, or the im- 

 mediate prospect of flowers. Heaps 

 of combinations will immediately oc- 

 cur to those conversant with the dif- 

 ferent growth and habits of plants. 

 Another point, be as original as pos- 

 sible. All that is required is that 

 gardeners shall avoid doing as their 

 neighbors do and strike out new 

 paths for themselves; the besetting 

 sin is a tendency to get Into ruts; one 

 man starts a way of doing a certain 

 thing, we see it, admire it, and go 

 home and do exactly the same. In 

 things involving such a multitude of 

 details and varieties as gardening 

 there is no right way, but a great 

 many right ways, and a great many 

 wrong ones. One of the worst ways 



is to make every part of a garden con- 

 sist of the same features. 



I have touched lightly upon the sub- 

 ject of bedding-out, but no hard and 

 fast rules can be laid down that will 

 apply to every place. The gardener 

 will have to consider his own partic- 

 ular location, whether it is shaded by 

 trees, as, unfortunately, too many of 

 them are, or whether it is exposed to 

 high winds and sunshine, and choose 

 his own plants accordingly. Again, 

 he must study the tastes and wishes of 

 his employer, for it Is to the em- 

 ployer before anyone else that he has 

 got to make the place attractive. 



All these points are important in 

 making a place attractive, but it is 

 the management of a garden that is 

 its real attraction. Neatness and or- 

 der are the two points most to 

 be considered. A garden that Is 

 well kept is a thing of beauty and a 

 pleasure to visit, but neglect the same 

 place and it becomes a wilderness; 

 therefore let neatness be the order of 

 the day, not only In the immediate 

 vicinity of the dwelling house, but in 

 all corners and out of the way places. 

 Endeavor to so arrange your work 

 that everything will be done at the 

 proper time. It will save a lot of la- 

 bor, and be far more satisfactory In 

 the results obtained. In the spring, 

 as soon as the snow has left the 

 ground, start cleaning up. and keep 

 eternally at it until the last of the 

 leaves have come down in the fall. 



The gi'ass will be the first thing to 

 need attention. As soon as possible 

 it should be swept or raked, and thor- 

 oughly rolled, patches that have been 

 winter-killed, resodded or seed sown 

 on them and given a good top dress- 

 ing of some fertilizer. It should then 

 be mowed often enough not to require 

 raking, as apart from giving unneces- 

 sary work, it imparts a ragged and 

 uneven appearance. 



Some of the herbaceous plants will 

 be found missing through winter- 

 killing. They should be replaced from 

 the nursery beds, which should be In 

 every well ordered private place. 



The edges of the beds must be kept 

 trimmed regularly throughout the 

 summer. No matter how nicely a bed 

 is planted, if the edges are uncared 

 for the bed will always have an un- 

 tidy and slovenly appearance. Pick 

 off all dead flowers as they appear, and 

 cut down plants as they finish bloom- 

 ing, not only on account of neatness, 

 but in the case of such plants as del- 

 phiniums, pyrethrums and others it 

 insures a second crop of bloom later 

 In the season. 



The garden walks and carriage 

 drives should always be kept raked 

 and rolled, weeds cleaned off. and 

 edges cut frequently. First impres- 

 sions are always the best, therefore 

 create a good impression by keep- 

 ing your walks In a perfect condition. 

 No garden can appear neat and pleas- 

 urable where walks clean and neatly 

 kept do not exist. 



None of the work of the flower gar- 

 den is of greater importance than 



staking, and the difficulty of doing It 

 well is often too evident. It is more 

 often overdone than underdone, and 

 the beauty of the garden marred by 

 the plants being tied Into broom-like 

 bundles. To my mind herbaceous 

 plants growing naturally, with their 

 infinity of form and color, furnish a 

 sight beautiful In themselves, but 

 when staking commences, transform- 

 ing tlie border Into a miniature forest 

 of stakes, all beauty disappears, sim- 

 ply from the injudicious manner In 

 which the tying up and staking are 

 too often performed. Those who prac- 

 tice excessive primness with their 

 plants might think the way in which 

 I manage ours careless, and even 

 slovenly, nevertheless there is a nat- 

 ural look about our borders that (to 

 me at least) Is far more satisfactory 

 than if every plant wa.s tied up like 

 a birch broom. Some plants must be 

 staked, but let It be done In such a 

 manner that they will always look as 

 If they are growing naturally. 



Watering is an operation which Is 

 often abused. There is much unnec- 

 essary labor expended In watering. 

 Often If the surface of a bed looks 

 dry It is concluded that watering is 

 needed and accordingly It is given. 

 The flower garden In dry weather does 

 require to be watered, but when this 

 Is necessary it should be given a 

 thorough good soaking, which 

 will last a considerable time and keep 

 the plants in a luxuriant growth, but 

 daily surface driblets have a contrary 

 effect, for, naturally enough, the roots 

 of the plants will go in search of 

 moisture, and, this being on the sur- 

 face they have a hard battle in hold- 

 ing their own against drought and hot 

 sunshine. A thorough watering when 

 the plants require it Is far more effi- 

 cient, but this operation would be 

 hardly required if the beds were 

 mulched soon after planting. The 

 benefits arising from this practice 

 would be compensation for the labor 

 expended. Some people object to It 

 on account of It being unsightly, but 

 the plants will soon cover it entirely 

 out of sight. These are all mere mat- 

 ters of detail, but they all help to 

 make an attractive garden. 



Aim to have your bedding plants In 

 the best possible condition for the 

 time required. Our summers are so 

 short that unless the plants are well 

 grown and ready to make a good dis- 

 play as soon as planted out. the best 

 part of the summer Is gone and the 

 frost cuts everything off just as they 

 are looking at their best. 



It Is not my Intention to go into 

 details here regarding the cultivation 

 of plants in the greenhouse for time 

 will not allow. 



To make a private place most at- 

 tractive, we must study the style of 

 place of which we have charge, and 

 the likes and dislikes of our employ- 

 ers. In many places the proprietor's 

 residence is of short duration, espe- 

 cially In the city, where they go away 

 for the summer, and consequently do 

 not take much interest in outdoor 



