HORTICULTURE 



The Hardy Flower Garden 



The hardy flower garden is interesting at any time ; 

 from the time the first crocus blooms, until the last 

 asters — A. Shortii, and A. spectabilis, which carry 

 the season from April until late October. It is prob- 

 ably more interesting now than at any time — not 

 that the wealth of bloom will be less later, when the 

 phloxes and large composite bloom — but because 

 now everything is fresh and green. Later we shall 

 be cutting down larkspurs which are past, sweet 

 Williams, foxgloves, and many other things. Ori- 

 ental poppies — gorgeous while they last, leave a 

 complete blank in a week or two. It requires quite 

 a little management to fill their places for the re- 

 mainder of the season. Those looking for plants 

 which make a display at this season, will do well to 

 take notes now. 



For the front rank Stellaria Holostea, a member of 

 the chickweed family, but happily not quite a weed, 

 is just going out of bloom. Bright patches have been 

 conspicuous for a few weeks past. Its star-shaped 

 white flowers are abundantly produced. The plant 

 is increased by division at any time during the grow- 

 ing season. Dianthus deltoides — -the "maidens 

 pink" is very bright, witli small, deep pink flowers. 

 They are small, but make up in numbers. Some 

 plants escaped into a near-by lawn and look quite 

 pretty in grass ; here is a suggestion. Forms or varie- 

 ties of D. annulatus, D. arenarius, = 



D. caesius, D. atrorubens and other 

 Alpine species might be. added. 

 Ajuga genevensis is the brightest 

 and best of all the bugles. It is now 

 a mass of short spikes of deep blue . 

 Varieties of A. reptans are other 

 first-rate plants for carpeting the 

 front lines. Campanula persicaei- 

 folia in several varieties, includ- 

 ing the semi-double, in blue and 

 white,is very effective. It is also 

 an excellent plant for cut flowers. 

 C. AUiarioefolia is a distinct and 

 interesting species, not quite as 

 showy as the others, but still 

 worth a place. C. rotundifolia — 

 the harebell of Scotland — is quite 

 hardy, and exceedingly graceful. 

 It is a weak plant, spreading by 

 underground shoots. C. punctata 

 var. from Siberia, is the best of 

 this species we have seen. It is a 

 fairly good white, and the bells are 

 large and finely spotted . 1 1 grows 

 about two feet high, and is easily 

 increased from underground 

 shoots. C. latifolia macrantha is 

 a noble plant, with large deep 

 blue flowers. C. glomerata dahu- 

 rica, an effective blue, is peculiar 

 among campanulas in^that the 



heads are bunched. C. lactiflora, a tinted white- 

 flowered kind, is very graceful. C. Carpathica and 

 C. Van Houttei are just coming into bloom. 



Anthemis tinctoria is a trifle weedy, but a worthy 

 plant for all that. Its growth is pretty, forming a 

 feathery mat. In bloom it is almost exactly a yellow 

 daisy, and it blooms for the greater part of the summer. 

 Its only defect is that it sows itself too freely. Malva 

 moschata alba has a special interest to me as I found 

 it growing wild on a trip to Nova Scotia. I think it 

 ought to have specific rank — I never saw a pink 

 one. Its handsome digitate foliage is attractive 

 when not in bloom. It is more of a biennial than 

 perennial and comes easily from seed. All the 

 wild geraniums are attractive — at any time. We 

 have G. Richardsoni alba, a low growing white- 

 flowered kind; G. macrorhizon, also low growing, 

 with purplish, wooly flowers ; G. sanguineum and 

 vars. Lancastriense, striped, and G. s. album, white. 

 They have creeping roots, and form dense masses of 

 handsome peltate leaves covered with pink or white 

 flowers for a long time. G. Wilfordi is a spreading 

 one with small white flowers, suitable for the rock- 

 garden. G. sylvaticum, robust, blue. G. platy- 

 petalun, in habit like our G. maculatum, but with 

 deep blue and larger flowers. 



Handsome foliage many of us are apt to overlook 

 in our anxiety for gorgeous bloom. A bold group of 

 Polemonium coeruleum is as effective in foliage as 

 bloom; the flowers are blue and white. Seedlings 

 come mixed in color. Iris dalmatica is still in bloom. 

 It does not increase so fast with us as the rest of 



■KK OK .Xmerican Rose Society ai 

 Rose Garden, Hartford, Conn. 



