Jrt.T 10. 1902. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



191 



^ THE RETAIL 



FLORIST 



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Hardy Flowerf. 



There is an immeasurable pleasure and 

 a vast amount of various kinds of profit 

 derivable from what we may call a semi- 

 wild herbaceous garden. The great gal- 

 axy of colors there at present form a pan- 

 orama of exquisite beauty, and the flow- 

 ers, ferns and grasses we name here are 

 in full glory through June and July. Very 

 few if any of them are seen in iiorists' 

 stores, or for that matter in the homes of 

 wealthy Americans, and yet they are far 

 superior to many of the flowers we see 

 there. Every plant or flower we mention 

 in this article is useful for decorative pur- 

 poses. The majority of them may be 

 found growing wild in this country. Per- 

 haps that is why they are not more gener- 

 ally appreciated here, though they are ex- 

 tensively cultivated and constitute the 

 principal summer cut flowers in European 

 markets. Some of them are natives of 

 other countries, but they are all hardy 

 here. 



A great many of our landscape engin- 

 eers succeed by conjuring up for their 

 patrons glowing pictures of native wilds. 

 The great majority of their actual crea- 

 tions are absolutely failures from a use- 

 ful standpoint, for in nearlj' every ease 

 the people who own private gardens and 

 who have expended enormous sums to cre- 

 ate and maintain so-called ' ' wild gar- 

 dens, " have to depend upon the florist 

 or general commercial flowers to supply 

 materials for their decorations during 

 June, July, August and September. We 

 know of hundreds of places where except 

 for a supply of annuals not a flower is 

 obtainable when most wanted. 



The city florist goes to the country 

 woods and meadows for his best material 

 for extensive summer decorations, while 

 the country florist often imagines it nec- 

 essary to go to the city market. Let us 

 consider what is in bloom at present and 

 what can be done with it. 



First come all the white, French white, 

 mauve and very light shades, which are 

 all useful for funeral or general decora- 

 tive purposes. Oenanthe pimpinelloides, 

 Oenanthe peneedanifolium and Seseli 

 glaucum are good for groundwork, vases, 

 bases or clusters, with other flowers. 

 Their long, light sprays give a very 

 graceful effect among stiffer flowers or 

 where great masses are used. Libanotis 

 vulgaris is on the same order, but is more 

 adapted to solid work. Astrantia major 

 is good, and the common elder (Sambucus 

 nigra) is very fine to mix with other 

 flowers in large designs. Few florists 

 would be able to recognize it if the foli- 

 age is taken ofif and the flowers properly 

 used. It would be considered an invalua- 

 ble flower if it had to be cultivated un- 

 der glass. 



Then there are several varieties of pen- 

 stemons. P. campanulatus and P. lievi- 

 gatus bear good, long spikes of white 

 and mauvish flowers. P. gracilis is small- 

 er and of a deejier color. They are all 

 beautiful and very useful in anj- class of 



decoration. Such a common thing 

 as Aspcrula galoides can be made 

 most useful for feathery effects, 

 though Gypsophila paniculata is prefera- 

 ble. Sidalacea Candida's pure white 

 spikes are very good, and Spirsa palmata 

 is far grander than many of the flowers 

 we see in the markets. Delphinium gran- 

 diflorum alba is a fine pure white type of 

 that well-known flower, and the grounds 

 and rocks are covered with Eosa Wichu- 

 raiana. Thalictrum angiistif oliuni 's long 

 golden-tipped white plumes are very 

 pretty. Chrysanthemum corvTnbosa is, a 

 splendid daisy-like flower and grows in 

 great masses. And then there is a whole 

 army of achilleas — A. lanata, A. alpina, 

 A. commutata, A. impatiens and A. as- 

 plenifolia are all in bloom and can be 

 used to good advantage. The last named 

 is probably the best for general use. Cam- 

 panula persicifolia is fine with its spikes 

 of white bells. 



In colors ranging from lavender to lilac, 

 purple and blue, we see Jasione perennis, 

 something similar to, but larger than the 

 well-known cornflower. A great many 

 campanulas, the best of which are C. cer- 

 vicaria and C. Eutheniea. Erigeron spe- 

 eiosus and E. glandulosus are two pretty 

 lavender daisy-like flowers; another is 

 Calameris incisa. Lythrum virgatum 

 sends out a nice spray and L. salicaria 

 has densely covered spikes of puce. Erin- 

 gium planum is a very odd blue thistle- 

 like flower, and when used in conjunction 

 with such grasses as Elymus glaucus, E. 

 arenarius or Agropyron caeruleum they 

 make a charming picture in tall dull col- 

 ored vases. Monarda fistulosa mollis, Pol- 

 emonium caeruleum, Veronica cranifolia, 

 V. longifolia, V. maritima and V. incisa, 

 Delphinium chinense, Achillea tanacetifo- 

 lia, are all worthy of culture. 



From light pink tones to intense scar- 

 let and crimson colors we find the old mul- 

 lein pink (Lychnis coronaria), a flower 

 prominent among the bouquets offered in 

 the markets of Europe. The brilliant 

 flowers of Lychnis fulgens deserve to be 

 better known. Silene Serchenfeldiana is 

 a good rosy pink flower for cutting pur- 

 poses. Dianthus calocephalus is graceful. 

 There is nothing more brilliant than a 

 cluster of Geum coccineum. Lathyrus 

 latifolius is grand for vase or hanging ef- 

 fects. Althaea Keerdica and A. rosea are 

 two sorts of single hollyhocks fine for tall 

 vases. Achillea millefolium rubra must 

 not be overlooked, nor Phlox pilosa. The 

 very curious straw and white florets of 

 Digitalis lanata are very good, and i^ 

 this family we have a vast range of col- 

 ors. D. gloxinoides with claret rosy 

 trumpets, and D. grandiflorum, orange 

 splashed yellow, are remarkably good for 

 tall effects. 



What can be more beautiful than the 

 long sprays of the brilliant Penstemon 

 barbatus, and how grand it looks any- 

 where! Hemerocallis aurantiaca major 

 is a superb ochre orange cup, and the 

 great masses of Lilium pardalinum are 

 magnificent alongside the several varieties 



of Lilium elegans and the many sorts of 

 irises in bloom at present. 



Among yellow and orange colors there 

 are many lovely things, such as Euabeckia 

 lancinata, with its pretty, curious long 

 cones. Lepachys pulcherima is another 

 fine flower. Also Anthemis tinctoria, He- 

 liopsis scabra, H. Pitcheriana, Buptha- 

 lium speciosum (like a golden anemone 

 chrysanthemum). Coreopsis verticillata, C. 

 auriculata and C. lanceolata grandiflora, 

 Solidago canadensis and S. californica, 

 Galium verum, Hieraceum aurantiacum, 

 Cephaloria alpina, and many of the scabi- 

 osas. The kneiffias — Frazeri and riparia, 

 Lysinachia punctata, Alyssum argenteum 

 and A. tortuosum. Genista tinotoria, Se- 

 dum Maximowiczii, form an army of 

 flowers capable of capturing any heart. 



Patches of the lake are covered with 

 sweet water nymphs and along the banks 

 are masses of Acorus calamus var., Avena 

 sempervirens, melicas, airas, agropyrons, 

 hystrix, secale, dactylis, spartina, phleum 

 and many other common but highly orna- 

 mental grasses. 



In the shade where the sun's rays 

 scarcely reach them, but so deserving of 

 the light of recognition and highest 

 praise, are the beautiful ferns. The 

 bracken, pteridium (wish we could get it 

 in pots for winter decoration) is fine for 

 cutting. Osmunda cinnamomea, O. re- 

 galis and O. Claytonia with their royal 

 plumes. Then the ferns which are com- 

 monly called fancy ferns am )ii5 the trade 

 in winter — Asplenium fiUx foemina and A. 

 thalictroides, Adiantum pedatum. The 

 common dagger fern — Polystichum acros- 

 tichioides. The shield ferns — Doryopte- 

 ris spinulosa intermedia, D. Boothii, D. 

 custata and its several varieties, form a 

 set worthy of cultivation in any garden. 



The above list is in splendid condi- 

 tion at present and the best of work 

 can be done with all or any part of the 

 list. A wild garden decoration, be it 

 on dining table, in ordinary vase work, 

 for church weddings, or even the most 

 elaborate forms of house or ball deco- 

 rating, can be made to exceed in variety 

 of beauty all the tender greenhouse pets. 



We have in our mind 's eye a large 

 room or series of rooms transformed 

 into a summer woodland scene or garden. 

 Some may call it a fairy land. We go to 

 the swamps and cut down tall young oaks, 

 maples and birch. We cover, the walls 

 and ceiUngs completely with this mate- 

 rial, allowing a few light vines to sus- 

 pend here and there. Our prettiest young 

 trees we stick into tall vases filled with 

 wet moss and weighted down. These we 

 arrange so people can walk under them. 

 Young oak trees keep well and make a 

 pretty effect. The vases can be covered 

 with grasses or filled with tall flowers. 

 Then the different wild flowers can be 

 arranged in separate colors, one color to 

 each room or so as to harmonize. The 

 grasses anu ferns may be used as a back- 

 ground or to cover vases. It is wise to 

 put as many of the flowers in water as 

 possible, but care should be taken to hide 

 vases that detract from the beauty of 

 the flowers. 



Ribbons should never be used in con- 

 nection with wild flowers, for you are 

 supposed to copy nature, and in that 

 sense must avoid artificiality. Made uji 

 designs are out of place here also. The 

 decorator's model must be an emphasis 

 of some nook he has seen in the moun- 

 tains or woods, and if his materials are 

 such that he cannot create an ideal he 



