August 3, 1907. 



HORTICULTURE 



12» 



A Hardy Plant Garden. 



Brilliant as is the disi^lay effect of the prevalent 

 bedding-out system this method of garden planting has 

 several defects. Much labor and expense are involved 

 in wintering the plants — particularly when both spring 

 and summer bedding are followed up and often the gar- 

 den remains unattractive for several months of the year 

 On the other hand a garden of hardy plants comprising 

 aquatics, herbaceous, alpine and rock plants, makes a 

 charming combination and is a source of perpetual 

 pleasure. Then the choice is such a wide one, affording 

 flowers for every position, all kinds of soil, shade and 

 sun, both serviceable and ornamental, that the wonder 

 is that the bedding-out system is still with us. As the 

 popular taste is largely created by those who cater to it, 

 the display of a good thing being generally the needful 

 preliminary to the demand for it, much of the blame 

 must be imputed to our nurserymen for lack of proper 

 display of these beautiful and interesting plants. 



An ideal situation for a hardy plant garden is one 

 which is sheltered from high winds and open to sun 

 and air. Shrubs flowering at different months of the 

 year, planted informally, make a beautiful background, 

 and right in front is a charming situation for the her- 

 baceous border. 



The old method of making a border about six feet 

 wide and planting all the taller plants in the back with 

 a regular slope to the front, is far too formal and much 

 too narrow, as the border of herbaceous plants is, as a 

 rule, intended to be interesting and attractive through- 

 out most of the year. This can be accomplished much 

 better by having the border from 12 to 15 feet wide 

 and the introduction of some of the taller varieties in 

 the front, cutting out formality and avoiding the prac- 

 tical adoption of the bedding-out system. 



Another old method on which we can improve is the 

 planting of single plants at regular intervals. Here 

 again much is gained by planting in large gi'oups — 

 not in circles or squares but of irregular shape, so that 

 no one part of the border resembles another. The mar- 

 gin of a border is, as a rule, planted with box or laid 

 with sod. A much better method for dividing the 

 border from the walk is the use of rocks. It is imma- 

 terial about the size or form ; 18 inches long by 12 deep 

 are preferable; they should be sunk to such a depth 

 that from 2 to 3 inches are seen above the level of the 

 walk wth a dividing rock alternately. With the adojD- 

 tion of this method, trimming and patching of the box 

 or the continual u.=!e of lawn mower is entirely unneces- 

 sary and at the same time a congenial home is made 



ior the more rapid growing rock plants, such as aubre- 

 tias, mossy-saxifrages, erysimum, iberis, ourisea, lysi- 

 inachia and many others which ought to be allowed to 

 ramble on to the walk to give informality to the margin 

 of the border. 



SOIL 



As a general rule any kind of soil, well-drained and 

 trenched to the depth of 2 feet, with the addition of 

 barnyard maniire will suit most of the herbaceous 

 plants for several years without replanting, with the 

 aid of annual topdressing of soil and artificial manure, 

 when signs of growth are apparent in the spring. 



The list of herbaceous plants is such a large one that 

 only a few of the choicer ones will be mentioned. 

 Eremurus is undoubtedly one of the best among the 

 taller varieties and ought to have a place in every bor- 

 der. Delphinium, cimicifuga, bocconia and aconitum 

 are all worthy of merit. Also fncarvillea Delavayi, 

 Eryngium alpinum, Morina longifolia, platycodons, yuc- 

 cas and Gypsophila paniculata. Asperula longiflora is 

 one of the most useful for decorative purposes; it be- 

 longs to Greece and is much like gypsophila, growing to 

 the height of 25 feet and flowers a month to six weeks 

 earlier. Dictamnus and the Cambridge variety of Mon- 

 arda didyma are also worthy of mention. Nothing af- 

 fords greater opportunity for the exercise of individual 

 ^aste than planting such a border to produce a good 

 effect in color harmonics. 



Through an Italian idea, the illustration of a pergola 

 which forms the frontispiece of this paper shows an 

 admirable entrance to a hardy plant garden. Clothed 

 with suitable vines it makes a delightful promenade 

 which helps to make a garden most enjoyable. 



CLxA-OOC J^-u^I^^JLl^ 



