jor February, 1921 



465 



Essentials to Success with Wild Gardens 



HERBERT DURAND 



WITH few exceptions, native shrubs, evergreens, 

 ferns and wild flowers cannot be expected to 

 thrive unless they are given conditions of soil, 

 moisture and exposure closely similar to those of their 

 natural haunts. 



Some country places are fortunate in having suitable 

 areas for establishing all, or nearly all, i>ur indigenous 

 plants. In such cases practically the only problem is to 

 fit the plant to the localit}-. 



]\Iost home owners, however, have naturallv congenial 

 situations for only a limited number of plant families, 

 and if other kinds are desired, as is almost invariably the 

 case, the main problem becomes one of making- the lo- 

 cality fit the plant. 



To solve these two problems satisfactorily, it is neces- 

 sar)' to know what plants are suitable for effective wild 

 gardening, what each species requires in the way of nour- 

 ishment and shelter, and what must be done to supply its 

 needs artificially, if the}- do not exist naturally. 



I believe the simplest way of teaching these funda- 

 mentals to the uninformed is by giving a list of the most 

 beautiful, desirable and easily handled plants, divided into 

 groups according to habitat, and with a concise description 

 of the conditions under which the members of each group 

 will ordinarily flourish, when properly planted. 



Groi'p 



Plants (tRciwixg X.\tur.\i.i.v in Moist Shade. 



Soil — rich, black, acid and light, largely leaf mold. Location — 

 woods, ground sloping or well drained. Constant moisture fnini 

 neighboring streams, or from springs. Conditions may be repro- 

 duced in any shaded area by adding leaf mold or commercial 

 humus to the existing soil, seeing that the drainage is good and 

 providing water when needed. A light mulch of dead leaves 

 should be maintained. Avoid lime, manure and fertilizers. 



Conifers — White Cedar (Thuya occidcnlalis) : Hemlock (TsH,s.a 

 Canadensis) ; White Spruce {Picca alba) ; White Pine (Pinus 

 strobus) ; American Yew {Taxus Canadensis.) 



Broad-leaved Evergreens — Andromeda (floribi(nda and poli- 

 folia) ; Leiophylluin ; Leucothoe (Catesbceii) ; Mountain Laurel 

 (Kalmia latifolia) ; Pachysandra; Rhododendron {Maxiniuni. 

 Catazvbiense, Caroliniaiiunt and punctatus.) 



Deciduous Shrubs — Azalea {arborescens. calendulacea and 

 vaseyi) ; Dogwoods {Cornus florida, sericea and Stolonifera) \ 

 Flowering Raspberry {Rubus odoralus) ; I'iburnum (acerifoliui)i, 

 cassinoides and lentago). 



Ferns — Maidenhair {Adiuntum pedatunt) ; Braun's Holly 

 (Aspidium aculealum, var. Braunii); Male Fern (Aspidinin 

 Felix Mas) ; Goldie's Fern (Aspidium Goldianutn) ; New York 

 Fern (Aspidium A'ovahoracense) ; Spiny Wood Fern (Aspidium 

 Spinulosum, var. dilalaluin) ; Narrow-leaved Spleenwort ( As- 

 plenium angustifoliuni) ; Silvery Spleenwort (Asplcnium thelyp- 

 teroides) ; The Bladder Ferns (Cysptopteris, bulbifera and 

 fragilis) ; Interrupted Fern (Osmunda Claytnniana) ; Broad 

 Beach Fern (Phegopteris hexagonoptcra) ; Woodsia obtusa. 



Wild Flowers — The Baneberrys (Actea, alba and rubra) ; Wood 

 .'\nemone (A. nemorosa) ; Rue Anemone (Ancmonella Ihalie- 

 troidcs) ; Wild Ginger (Asarum Canadensis) ; Pipsisscwa 

 (Chimaphila nuieutata) ; Prince's Pine (Chimaphila umbellata) ; 

 Black Snakeroot (Cimicifuga racemosa) ", White Snakeroot 

 (Eupatorium ageratoides) ; Bunchbcrry (Cornus Canadensis) : 

 Crinkle Root ( Penlaria diphylla) : Dntchman'.s Breeches ( />i- 

 centra cucutlaria) ; Shooting Star (Dodrratheon meadia) ; Trout 

 Lily (Erythronium Ainericanum) ; Galax (G. aphylla) ; Liver-leaf 

 (Hepatica triloba) : Alum Root (Ileuchera Americana) : Crested 

 Iris (I. cristata) ; Twin Leaf (Jcffersonia diphylla) ; Red Wood 

 Lily (Lilium philadelphicum) ; Cardinal Flower (Lobelia car- 

 dinalis) ; Blue Bell (Mertensia virginiea) ; Partridge Berry 

 (Mitchella repcns) ; Bishop's Cap (.UiVc/Zu diphylla) ; Wild Bhio 

 Phlox (P. divaricata) ; May Apple (Podophyllum prllalum) : 

 Solomon's Seal (Polygoiialum bitlorum) ; Bloodroot (Sanguinana 

 Canadensis): False Solomon's Seal (Smilaeena racemosa) ; 

 Shortia (galacifolia) ; Foam Flower (Tiarella cordifnlia) ; Wake 

 Robin (Trillium ereclum) ; Great \\'hitc Trillium (T. grandi- 



tlurum): Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arisicma diphylla); Great Bcllwort 

 (L'vularia granditlora) ; Virginian Speedwell (Veronica Vir- 

 giniea); Canadian Violet (/'. Canadensis); Dog Violet (V. 

 canina, var. sylveslris) ; Common Blue Violet (V. cucullata) ; 

 Yellow Lady Slipper (Cypripedium parvillorum) ; Showy Lady 

 Slipper (Cypripedium spectabile). 



Group 2. Plants Growing Natx-rallv in Moist Sex. 



Soil— rich and black, usually peaty. Location— low meadows, 

 pastures, along streams and similar open places. Conditions may 

 be approximated by adding muck or peat and supplying persistent 

 moisture. Mulch plants until established. 



Conifers — White Cedar and Hemlock. 



Broad-leaved Evergreens — Sheep Laurel (Kalmia angustifolia) ; 

 Pale Laurel (K. glauca) ; Leather Leaf (Cassandra calyculata). 



Deciduous Shrubs— Sh3.d Bush (Amelanchicr Canadensis) ; 

 Azalea (A. viscosa) ; Sweet Pepper Bu?h (Clethra alnifolia) , 

 Moose wood (Direa palustris) ; Black Alder (Ilex verlicillata) ; 

 Sweet Gale (Myrica Gale) ; Chokebcrry (Pyrus arbutifoUus) ; 

 Rhodora; High Bush Bluelierry (I'acciniuni corymbosum) ; 

 Pussy Willow (Salix discolor). 



Fi'r;(j-— Marsh Shield Fern {.tspidium Ihelypteris) ; Lady Fern 

 (.4splenium iilix-fa-niina ) ; Sensitive Fern (Onoctca .';ensibilis) ; 

 Ostrich Fern {Onoclea sirufhiopteris) ; Royal Fern (Osmunda 

 regalis); Cinnamon Fern (Osmunda cinnamomea) ; Narrow- 

 leaved Chain Fern (IVoodimrdia angustifolia) ; Virginia Chain 

 Fern (W. Virginiea). 



Wild Flowers — Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) ; 

 Meadow Beauty (Rhexia I'irginica) ; New England Aster (.4. 

 Xova-.-ingliie) : Turtle Head (Chelone glabra); Joe Pye Weed 

 (Eupatorium purpureum) ; Golden Ragwort (Senccio aureus); 

 Closed Gentian (Gentiana Andrc'vsi) ; Sneezeweed (Helenium 

 autumnale) ; Swamp Mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos) ; Quaker 

 Ladies (Houstonia ctcrulea) ; Blue Flag (Iris versicolor) ; Wild 

 Strawberry (Fragaria Amcricanum) ; Meadow Lily (L. Cana- 

 densis) ; Turk's Cap Lily (L. supcrbum) ; Cardinal Flower 

 (Lobelia cardinalis) ; Great Blue Lobelia (L. syphilitica) ; Purple 

 Loose-Strife (Lythrum roseum) ; Bee Balm (Monarda didyma) ; 

 Grass of Parnassus (Parnassia Carolinianum) ; Obedient Plant 

 i Physostegia Virginiea) ; Meadow Rue (Thalictrum cornuti) ; 

 Irouweed (J'ernonia Xoz'cboraeencis) ; Common Blue Violet 

 iJ'iola cucullata); Yellow-fringed Orchis (Habenaria ciliaris) ; 

 Purple-fringed Orchis (Habenaria psychodes) ; Smooth Wild 

 Rose (R. Blanda) ; Pasture Rose (R. lucida). 



Groui' 3. Plants Growing Naturally in Dry Shade. 



Soil — thin, rocky and usually impoverished by tree roots, e.xcept 

 in pockets among the rocks, etc. Location — dry slopes and rock 

 ortcrops. Similar conditions may be improved by adding leaf 

 mold where it is desired to install plants from Group 1, but in 

 such cases moisture must be provided when needed. Without 

 improvement the following plants will grow and do well in such 

 situations : 



Conifers — Common Juniper (/. Co}nmunis and /. Communis 

 prostata); Red Cedar (Juniperus Virginiana and its varieties). 



Deciduous Shrubs — Pink Azalea (A. nudidorum) ; Sweet Fern 

 iComptonia asplenifolia) ; The Sumacs (Rhus cnpallina and R. 

 aronuilic) ; Dw;irf Bluel;erry (I'ascinium vacillans) ; Dock- 

 mackie (I'iburnuni acerifolium) ; W-Wow Root (Xanlhorrhisa 

 apiifolia). 



Ferns — Christmas (Aspidium acrostichoides) ; Braun's Holly 

 Fern (Aspidium aculeatum. var. Braunii) ; Evergreen wood Fern 

 Clspidium marginale) ; Ebony Spleenwort (.4splenium ebeneiim) ; 

 Hay-scented Fern (Dicksonia punctilobula) ; Polypody (P. vul- 

 gare) ; Bracken (Pteris aquilina) ; Rusty Woodsia (IF. ik-ensis). 



Wild Flowers — Colic Root (Aletris farinosa) ; Wild Colum- 

 b'ne (Aquilegia Canadensis) ; Sky Blue Aster (.4. la:vis) ; Blue 

 Bells of Scotland (Campanula rotundifoUa) ; Bristled Aster 

 ( Diplopappus linariifoUus) ; -Star Grass (Hypoxis erecta) ; 

 \'enial Iris (/. verna) ; Creeping Charlie (Lysimacliia nununu- 

 taria) ; Violet Wood Sorrel (O.ralis violacea) ; Saxifrage (S. 

 aizoon and S. Virginiensis) ; Rock Pink (Silenc Pennsylvanica) ; 

 The Sedums: Golden Rod (Solidago cffsia) ; Purple Rue 

 ( Thalictrum dioicum) . 



Group 4. Plants Growing Naturally in Dry Sun. 



Soil — usually peer, thin and .sandy, or gravelly. Location— 

 liarren hills and rocks and other open uncultivated places. Diffi- 



