THE 



GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



AND 



HORTICULTURIST. 



.DEVOTED TO HORTICULTURE. ARBORICULTURE AND RURAL AFFAIRS. 



Edited by THOMAS MEEHAN. 



Vol. XX. 



AUGUST, 1878. 



Number 236. 



Flower Garden and Pleasure Ground. 



SEASONABLE HINTS. 



For a month or two in Spring, wlien all nature 

 is gushing forth joyously into life, we are con- 

 tent to look on and enjoy the wondrous sights; 

 and when in Fall the whole universe sparkles in 

 autumnal tints, we gaze on the splendid pagent 

 passing away without a selfish thought; but broil- 

 ing, sweltering, roasting under our August sun, 

 we feel that our garden art must do something 

 more for us than show us beautiful sights like 

 these. We must not forget this when we are 

 thinking of laying out or improving our grounds. 

 In fact landscape gardening has not quite the 

 same idea to an American as it has to an Euro- 

 pean. In the old world it appeals to the eye 

 and to the mind. It as an intellecta^ial art. But 

 our wants are more -material ; and the art must 

 look after our creature comforts somewhat, as 

 Avell as afford us pretty sights to see. 



We have learned to protect ourselves from 

 •cold wintry winds, but the art of making a place 

 cool in Summer is yet in its infancy. There is 

 nothing accomplishes this better then plenty of, 

 grass and the neat deciduous ti-ee foliage. The j 

 making of flower beds with box edgings and gra- 

 vel walks suits Dutch and French gardening, 

 but it is too hot for us. 



The beds should be cut in grass. The walks 

 round about a place should also be in grass as | 

 much as possible ; only those likely to be fre- 

 quently used should be gi-avel walks. Even 

 these where tan can he ol)tained, are much cooler 

 when this material can "be used, than when grav- . 



elled. In the planting of roads. Art, as we read 

 it in the books, plants only in corners, and makes 

 its most striking effects to be seen from the drives ; 

 but American art as it should be, plants all the 

 chief drives with deciduous shade trees, and yet 

 allows you to look through beneath them to the 

 beauties beyond. 



Then again very much may be done by plant- 

 ing two or three trees together so that as they 

 grow up, they will form natural seat backs. For 

 this purpose there is nothing like the Oak tribe. 



Sometimes we cannot get the coveted shade 

 because we have planted slow growing trees — 

 generally the prettiest and well worth waiting 

 for, — this may be affected by planting liberally 

 of Alders, Poplars, and similar ephemeral trees, 

 to be cut away as they gradually interfere with 

 the permanent kinds. The planting season will 

 soon come around, and now is the time to look 

 about and select the desirable kinds, and to de- 

 cide on the proper place to set them. 



The latter end of August is one of the best 

 seasons of the year to transplant evergreens. 

 The young growth of the past season has got 

 pretty well hardened, so as to permit of but 

 very little evaporation, — and the earth being 

 warm, new roots push with great rapidity, and 

 the tree becomes established in the ground before 

 cold autumn winds begin. The chief difficulty 

 is that the soil is usually very dry, which pre- 

 vents much speed with the operation; and the 

 weather being usually very warm, the trees have 

 to be set again in the ground almost a.s fast as 

 they are taken up ; so that it is not safe to bring 



