162 1 



THE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



[June, 



we may make the trees and shrubs objects of 

 beauty. Take the flowering shrub. If you let 

 it alone, it will probably get too large for the 

 place it occupies; or it will send out its sprawl- 

 'Ing branches with no more pleasure to the eye, 

 than the tangled hair of an unkempt child. 

 Suppose now it is a Deutzia, Wiegela, Forsythia, 

 or something which has flowered this season, take 

 ■out at once those branches which have weakened 

 themselves by blooming, cutting them away 

 clean to their source. In n^any cases this will 

 be to the ground, that is in cases where there 

 are numerous vigorous shoots coming up from 

 the ground. The idea is to give encouragement 

 to numerous vigorous young wood, without 

 leaving any stumps of the old growth. The 

 bush may have some of its strong growth nip- 

 ped here and there, to make it dense, but gener- 

 ally there will be enough of the new shoots 

 which follow from the thinning out, to fill up all 

 the open spaces. So of trees. It is extremely 

 injurious to cut off large branches. If the place 

 where the tree is growing is limited in space, 

 cut out the branches down to some younger 

 strong shoot, which, starting lower near the 

 ttrunk, may replace the branches getting beyond 

 the limit desired. By looking at this matter, at 

 4hi8 season, every year, a tree will never out- 

 grow its boundaries and will always look fresh 

 and young. You will never be tempted by a 

 tree-butcher to " saw the head uv it off fur yees." 



COMMUNICA TIONS. 



THE ADORNMENT OF SMALL YARDS. 



BY MISS A. G. 



Stands of flowers may be used to advantage in 

 ■some yards, filling a blank space on a pavement. 

 If these cannot be used, groups can be made of 

 pot flowers, some being raised in the centre by 

 boxes or bricks. A small palm, or other large 

 plant, set in the centre with fuchsias and gera- 

 9ii«ras making an oval around it, has a good 

 •effect. A corner filled up with large plants at 

 the back also forms a good and convenient ar- 

 rangement. Cactuses can be grouped in this 

 way. Rex begonias are beautiful arranged in 

 shady places on rising shelves. Rustic stands, 

 banging baskets, old stumps as stands for boxes, 

 or vases, all can be used. Ivy trained about the 

 latter add much to the beauty. For vases or 

 baskets there are many lovely plants, such as trail- 



ing abutilon, Peristrophe variegata. Convolvulus 

 Mauritanicus, Othonna, Mesembryanthemums, 

 Begonia macrophylla, Petunias, Oxalis Bowiei, 

 Floribunda alba, and rosea, Trailing Fuchsias, 

 Senecio scandens, or German ivy for sunny 

 spots. While for half-shaded places there are the 

 lovely Trailing Lobelias, the Tradescantias, Tor- 

 renias, Anthericum folia variegata, Nasturtions, 

 Senecio, green and variegated, &c. For all 

 shade are the delicate climbing ferns, mosses, 

 Tradescantia, and the Cissus discolor with its 

 lovely leaves. This plant may be kept through 

 the winter in a moderately heated room, and 

 does not require a hothouse to winter it. The 

 pretty Kenilworth ivy and the useful Lysima- 

 chia must not be omitted. Both of these, and 

 the Torenia will cover bare spots with beauty, 

 and bear the sun well, if watered freely and 

 constantly. 



Where gateways of iron are used, or those 

 with heavy posts of wood, they may be made to 

 add dignity to the premises by being adorned 

 with vases, or arched with vines, or trailing 

 shrubbery. They should present an inviting 

 aspect to the visitor. Who, that looks through 

 a garden gate into a lovely picture of flowers 

 and vines, does not feel an added regard for the 

 owner of such grounds. 



The quality of the earth is very important in 

 floriculture. It should not contain any of the 

 rubbish so frequent in city yards, nor any mat- 

 ter to cause fermentation. Where the beds 

 have been filled with building refuse it is best to 

 have it all removed. One-third of street dirt, 

 or anthracite coal ashes, could be used in refill- 

 ing without detriment to the plants. I have 

 seen beautiful Roses, Forget-me-nots, Pinks, Pan- 

 sies, &c., grown in beds, the foundations of 

 which were pure coal ashes (anthracite). Field 

 earth is next best after rotted sod, or good gar- 

 den mold. In our climate of hot summers it is 

 better to sink rather than raise beds above the 

 general surface, as they retain moisture longer. 



As Americans, we have no need to blush at 

 the progress made in the tasteful adornment of 

 our houses and grounds. We may see more 

 sj'stematic work and finer specimen plants in 

 parts of Europe, but Americans will always 

 miss the luxuriance of growth produced by our 

 almost tropical summers. We have heard of 

 flower-loving Germans standing in pleased amaze 

 at the beauty of the Weigelia as grown in this 

 country, not to mention the wealth of bloom in 

 other plants. We are, too, more select as to 



