Mat 22. 1902. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review, 



909 



exclusion of the other. Eecognizing and 

 acknowledging the merits of the one, the 

 purpose is to point the merits of the 

 other. 



Perhaps the earliest of our bulbous 

 plants, as well as one of the liandsomest, 

 is the blood-root of our woods. The whole 

 plant — flower, leaf and tuber — is intense- 

 ly interesting, and is well worth a place 

 in every wild garden. By a series of ob- 

 servations made several years ago I 

 found the average duration of the tlower 

 to be three days, and as the flowers do 

 not appear simultaneously, the period of 

 bloom continues for an extended period. 

 After the bloom has passed the leaves of 

 the plant are an ornament to any gar- 

 den. The blood-root will do well in any 

 light soil, and with any attention at all 

 it will grow. The plant usually blooms 

 about April 10. 



About the first of April the first 

 flowers of the spring-beauty may be 

 found. It usually grows in rich ground, 

 in woods near streams. The bulb will be 

 found from two to three inches below the 

 surface, and to obtain it without injury 

 a trowel is required. Although the foli- 

 age of the plant is not especially desir- 

 . able, the flowers are very beautiful, and 

 no wild garden is complete without it. 



The rue anemone usually blooms in 

 company with the spring-beauty, and the 

 windflower blooms a little later. Both of 

 these are worthy plants, and will do well 

 in a shaded place in the garden. 



umbines I know grow on a shelving bank 

 of loose soil near Valley Forge. Com- 

 pared with this colony of plants, the rock 

 columbines, which are obliged to strug- 

 gle for existence, appear poor and ill- 

 treated. 



The lungwort is one of the choicest of 

 our native plants. At one time it was 

 common, but now it is rare near Germap- 

 town. It grows freely when transplanted. 



The rattlesnake plantain may be found 

 from the first of April until late in the 

 fall. It is one of the finest of our native 

 foliage plants, and few, if any, of our 

 cultivated plants surpass it in the beauty 

 of its markings. Compared with plants 

 previously mentioned, it is rare, but when 

 once observed it may be found again, and 

 when transplanted it may be kept in 

 good condition without difficulty. This 

 is not properly a spring plant, for it 

 blooms in June. The flower, however, ii 

 not its attractive feature, and only or- 

 chid lovers would think of securing it 

 for the bloom. 



The saxifragaca> start early, and are 

 usually in bloom aboxit April 10. _ About 

 (lermantown there are two varieties, 

 early saxifrage and meadow saxifrage, 

 and both are desirable on account of 

 their sweet spring odors. The common 

 saxifrage usually grows in the crevices 

 of rocks; swamp saxifrage, as the name 

 implies, usually grows in meadows. The 

 first is desirable in certain positions on 

 account of its low, dwarfish growth, and 



A Cottage Garden. 



Early in April the quaker lady makes 

 its appearance. It has many names, and 

 the name depends entirely upon the dis- 

 trict where it grows. Here it is some- 

 times called innocence, and again bluets. 

 Elsewhere it is known as dwarf pink, 

 and by numerous other names. The tech- 

 nical name is Houstonia eocrulea. I dis- 

 like technical names, but they are useful 

 and necessai-y to a proper identification 

 of a plant. The quaker lady is known 

 to every one, I think, and there are few 

 who have not gathered in grassy fields 

 and meadows its delicate, refreshing, va- 

 riable sky-blue flowers. 



One of the brightest of our early 

 spring flowers is the columbine. It will 

 generally be found in the crevices in 

 rocks in woods, though it thrives as well 

 in other positions. The finest native col- 



the latter in other positions because of 

 its erect and sturdy form. Either plant 

 will do well, and will look well in a 

 rockery. 



The specimens of the liliaeere growing 

 near Germantowu are many, and all that 

 I recall are worthy a place in the gar- 

 den. Among the number which appear 

 early are the Solomon's seal and false 

 Solomon's seal. They will be found in 

 flower from May lO" to May 25. Both 

 grow in woods, and in several respects 

 resemble each other. Thoy flourish in a 

 rich, loose soil, and when transplanted to 

 a like soil grow freely and do well. The 

 flowers of both plants are interesting and 

 beautiful, and when they have passed 

 the berries of the false Solomon's seal 

 are wonderful in their variation. 



Other desirable and easily obtainable 



native plants are wake-robin, Dutch- 

 man's breeches, wild ginger, bluebell, 

 dogtooth violet, spring iris, panax, py- 

 rola, pipsissiwa and several varieties of 

 violets and buttercups. There are many 

 other desirable flowering plants, but at 

 this time we shall pass them. 



Almost without exception our common 

 wood ferns do well in a garden, and if 

 given any attention at all will generous- 

 ly respond. The beauty of our maiden- 

 hair fern, royal flowering fern, cinnamon 

 fern, Christmas fern, and of a number of 

 other of our hardy ferns, cannot be sur- 

 passed and I doubt if they can be 

 equaled by any of the aristocratic exot- 

 ics we sometimes see in glass eases. The 

 ferns I have named, if properly planted, 

 are permanent, and from year to year 

 gain in strength and beauty. All do well 

 in a good, well-drained soil, and in a par- 

 tially shaded place. There are other de- 

 sirable varieties of ferns to select from, 

 among them several rock ferns. The rock 

 ferns are the hardest to manage, and 

 should be left until experience has been 

 gained from more adaptable sorts. 



As the wild garden is the object before 

 us for consideration and discussion, 

 enough has been presented for the open- 

 ing of the subject. The plants mentioned 

 are but a few of the many about us, and 

 those given are not calculated to im- 

 press all with a sense of their beauty. 

 The individual fancy must ever be the 

 guide, and individual judgment, director. 

 In this, as in every other matter, the im- 

 portant thing is to have a definite object 

 in mind, and to start well. A wild gar- 

 den well begun will renew itself, and, if 

 I mistake not, will become the most at- 

 tractive-part of the garden. When once 

 planted such a garden is permanent, and 

 daily increases in beauty, which, as the 

 poet says, "is a joy forever," and .joys 

 enjoyed "will never pass into nothing- 

 ness." 



THE FUTURE. 



The progress made in the growing of 

 cut flowers under glass during the past 

 quarter century has been truly remark- 

 able, but it is evident there renuuns 

 room for further advancement. 



The frequent scarcity of really good 

 flowers in summer time suggests that 

 more attention should be paid to meeting 

 and overcoming the adverse conditions 

 of that period. That this will be finally 

 accomplished none can doubt. The 

 question is merely who will do it and 

 how will it be done. 



Just to set brains at work and possi- 

 bly bring out some discussion we will 

 mention a few points that have occurred 

 to us. We are inclined to think that 

 eventually the house for summer bloom- 

 ing roses and carnations will be kept 

 closed. That scientific inquiry will place 

 at our disposal a shading that will ad- 

 mit practically all of the light from 

 the sun while excluding much of the 

 solar heat. That the temperature will 

 be further reduced when necessary by 

 the use of the refrigerating machinery 

 now in common use. And that the air 

 in the house will be continually changed 

 by the use of fans or similar devices. 

 And this air will be drawn through 

 filters that will effectually prevent the 

 admission of fungous germs, or insects 

 of any kind. 



Would it pay? Yes, it would pay from 

 the start the few who would make the 

 start. And if success was attained in 

 this it would not be long before all up- 



