536 



GARDENERS' CHRONICLE 



perennial border hut is usually grown in the rockgarden 

 where it is not so likely to be overgrown by coarser 

 plants. At Kew it was used as a pot plant in the far 

 famed Alpine House and even when past the flowering 

 stage it was attractive because of its finely divided, dark 

 green foliage. Another seldom seen member of this 

 genus, which possesses some merit as a garden plant, is 

 the "Pheasant's Eye," Adonis autumnalis. This, as its 

 name implies, is a Fall bloomer. It is an annual and its 

 flowers are bright scarlet. 



The Glory of the Snow, Chionodoxa, was in bloom by 

 March 20, and the pale purple flowers of Sa.rrfraga crassi- 

 folia were opening well down amongst its leathery foli- 

 age. The bright red coloring of the buds of Pritnus Con- 

 radincc was showing and the interesting Daphne Mezere- 

 um was in full bloom. 



That charming bulbous Iris from the Orient, Iris reti- 

 culata and its variety Iris reticulata Krclagci were in 

 bloom at this time. The type is violet scented, violet in 

 color, with striking golden markings on the falls. Iris 

 Krclagei is purple and not quite so pleasing. Presum- 

 ably, Iris reticulata is one of those plants that Quaran- 

 tine 2)7 renders difficult to import, for it was missing 

 from most of the bulb catalogs issued last Fall. Fortu- 

 nately it succeeds well in our climate and its propagation 

 here should present no great difiiculties. In our rock- 

 garden a few bulbs were planted about four years ago. 

 Some of them have produced offsets so that we have 

 sizable tufts of foliage and flowers; the remainder are 

 represented by spindling leaves and no flov^'ers, the re- 

 sults of unintelligent ])lucking by visitors, who, in their 

 anxiety to secure a bouquet, roughly grab the whole 

 plant, leaving behind only the bulb, which, likely as not, 

 has its roots severely injured by this maltreatment. The 

 loss of leaves at this period of their growth of course 

 prevents the manufacture and storage of food in the 

 bulbs ; and the result is that growth the following season 

 is weak or lacking entirely. There seems to be no dim- 

 unition of vandalism in our public parks and gardens in 

 spite of efforts to educate the public to a proper regard 

 for plants and flowers that are the property of all. It 

 is heartbreaking sometimes to find the results of the 

 labor of months destroyed by the eft'orts of irresponsible 

 children, or bv thoughtless or ignorant adtilts. 



One does not usually think of the ^Taples as '"flower- 

 ing" trees but some of them, whilst perhaps they do not 

 merit the term showy, are really attractive when in bloom. 

 \\'hen travelling from New York to Newport via the 

 Shore Line about the middle of the month it was noticed 

 that the Red Maples, Acer rubrum, were the only trees 

 that showed much sigas of life. Their twigs, arising 

 from branches of a color approaching a battleship gray, 

 were arraved in red blossoms which caused them to stand 

 out strikingly from amongst their seemingly lifeless 

 neighbors. This maple is recommended as a street tree 

 and specimens to be seen in Greater New York, mostly 

 in the suburbs, warrant this recommendation. It is prob- 

 ably not so tolerant of city conditions as Acer planta- 

 noidcs. the Norway Maple (which, too, is conspicuous 

 when its greenish yellow flowers are displayed), as it 

 requires a moist soil for its development. In some re- 

 spects, however, it is to be preferred to the Norway 

 Maple. It is not so low headed, which is sometimes a 

 desirable feature in city streets, and it is distinctly more 

 handsome. In cities where there is not too much smoke, 

 dust, and gas and where its roots are not too much 

 boxed in with asphalt and pavement it should receive the 

 preference over the Norway Maple. Its beauty is such 

 that it is fit to grace anv situation where trees are used. 



The orange and red coloring of its leaves in tiie Fall is 

 preeminent even in a genus famed for its Autumn color- 

 ation, and, coming in between the displays made by flow- 

 ers and foliage, the delicate rose of the fruits in their 

 young state form an attractive picture against the foil 

 supplied by the green leaves. 



The Sugar Maple, in addition to the gastronomic joys 

 that it provides, gives us aesthetic pleasure when it un- 

 folds its ye"ow flowers on long, drooping peduncles 

 about the same time that its leaves appear. Many of 

 the Japanese Maples, usually planted with no thought 

 but for the beauty of their leaves, have immensely at- 

 tractive flowers which are the more noticeable because 

 borne on trees or shrubs of low stature well within the 

 range of vision. Many folks of the lay persuasion com- 

 ment on these interesting looking flowers not realising 

 they are looking at a Maple. 



* * * 



Our British friends seem to have been doing great 

 things with the perennial Asters or Michaelmas Daisies 

 during the past lew years. The Royal Horticultural 

 Society conducted a trial of these favorite Autumn bloom- 

 ing plants at the Society's gardens at Wisley during 

 1920. No fewer than twenty-eight varieties received 

 Awards of Merit: thirty-three were Highly Commended; 

 one Commended: and one. Aster amcllus "King 

 George,'' was awarded a First Class Certificate — an hon- 

 or but seldom given. The Gardeners' Chronicle, London, 

 issued a colored plate of the latter in the number for 

 Dec. 21, 1918. and one can readily see the justice of 

 the award It has bright blu( -purple flowers three inches 

 in diameter and according to the description appended 

 "has a very neat habit of growth and with good culti- 

 vation there is no difficulty in obtaining specimens a vard 

 in diameter." "Beauty of Colwall," an older variety, a 

 form of the New York Aster {Aster Nova: Eboracecc), 

 received a First Class Certificate in 1907 but had its 

 award reduced to .\.M. in the 1920 trials which may 

 be taken as an indication of improvements made in this 

 class of plants of late years. This is a variety that is 

 catalogued by I'nited States nursery firms. It has lilac- 

 lilue double flowers and grows about four feet in height. 



A recent illustration in the English Gardeners' Chron- 

 icle of a row of the variety "Mons" growing at Alden- 

 ham Gardens gives one an idea of the capabilities of 

 growth possessed by these plants when given liberal 

 treatment. Those pictured have a height of about three 

 feet six inches and must be over four feet in diameter. 

 This result was obtained by planting them about four 

 feet apart and removing all but three or four of the 

 strongest shoots on each plant. This suggests that other 

 of our hardy perennials could with advantage be thinned 

 out more severely than the usual practice allows. 



Many of these wonderful Asters are varieties of the 

 European Aster amelhis but a large proportion are de- 

 scendants, or hybrids, of our native species such as Aster 

 Noz'ce Anglicc, Aster Never Eboracccr. Aster diffusus. As- 

 ter cricoides, etc. Many, if not all, of these new forms 

 were originated in Europe. It is an indication that has 

 lieen commented on before, that our plant breeders have 

 been neglectful of material actually within our gates, or, 

 that there has been a "let George do it" spirit in this 

 connection. 



The jihotographs and descriptions of the new Michael- 

 mas Daisies that have recently appeared in the horticul- 

 tural press are sufficient to make any true gardener's 

 mouth water and to engender the hope that they will soon 

 make their appearance on this side of the .\tlantic. 

 Their beauty and the ease with which they may be prop- 

 agated and grown should then ensure for them a wide 

 and swift distribution. 



