A Garden of Lilies 



By Samuel A. Hamilton 



One can hardly name a family of plants which will 

 give as much and as beautiful bloom for so long a period 

 as do the lilies and which require and receive so little 

 attention once they are safely established. There is the 

 sticking point — the establishment of the lily garden — for 

 there are many other plants which are more easy to 

 establish than lilies, but with knowledge and care it can 

 be done, and they will increase in beauty from year to 

 year. 



Lilies are somewhat exacting as to the nature of the 

 soil in which they will do their best, and are intolerant of 

 fresh manure. When called in to diagnose the case of a 

 fine clump of Liiiiim auratum which was dying, on taking 

 up the clump I found that it had been planted early in 

 the spring with a thick wadding of fresh horse manure 

 next to the roots. It was saved by being shifted to a new 

 location in proper soil, but it lost a year's time as a bloom- 

 ing clump. 



When making a new garden or border of lilies, if there 

 be a choice of locations select one which has enough 

 natural slope to insure good surface drainage. The 

 matter of under-drainage may be controlled. All the 

 lilies like plenty of water, but none but the semi-aquatics 

 will stand water-soaked soil continuously. Many of 

 them do best when shaded from the hot afternoon sun 

 in what is called "partial shade," but no variety will do 

 well on the north side of a building or clump of shrubbery 

 where it gets little or no sunshine. There are some so- 

 called lillies which are acquatics, and this tendency to 

 class plants with certain kinds of blooms as "lilies" is by 

 some writers carried to extremes : even the iris is some- 

 times called a lilv. I write only of the true lilies. 



The soil for the lily garden or border should be old and 

 well composted. That from an old garden which has 

 been kept up to a good state of cultivation makes a fine 

 base for a lily soil. The best lily. border that I know of 

 was made from sods cut from an old white clover pas- 

 ture. One-third sod was used, one-third garden loam 

 and one-third well-rotted manure. To this bone-meal 

 was added in the proportion of one quart to a bushel of 

 the mixture, a dusting of lime, and a heavy one of 

 unleached wood ashes. This soil was prepared in the 

 fall and allowed to remain in a compact heat until spring. 



A border made of all lilies should not be too wide. 

 Six feet is about right, and it may be as long as desired. 

 It makes a good front for a shrubbery border or a wind- 

 break hedge. There are those who prefer to plant their 

 lilies in clumps, and this is all right when the number 

 is small; but those who desire to grow a fine collec- 

 tion should use the border, where they can be displayed 

 to better effect. Lilies can be used, of course, along with 

 other flowers, judiciously, in the mixed hardy border. 



As the matter of under-drainage is so important, it will 

 be well to ascertain whether the proposed border under- 

 drains naturally. It should do so if the subsoil is light, 

 loose or shaly and is underlaid with stratified rock or 

 gravel of coarse texture. If the subsoil be a tough or 

 sticky clay or hardpan, it will be best to excavate the 

 border, throwing out enough of the subsoil to make room 

 for at least a foot of soil and a layer of porous hollow 

 tiles, if they are at hand. If not, use broken stones at 

 least four inches deep, and a foot of soil on top. Only 

 those who have looked into the matter can appreciate the 

 difference between a drained and an tindrained border, so 



to quote prices 

 on specimen 



I am in a Position 



Evergreens that will be decidedly attractive for any estate. 

 If you are in the market for anything from Norway Spruce 

 to the finer varieties of 



EVERGREENS 



send in your lists and I will give you a figure that will 

 satisfy you. 



P. H. GOODSELL, ^ 



:200 BRO/\D\A//\Y 

 E\A/ YORK. CITY 



Telephone', 5G17 Coi-Hancit 



