October 31. 1914 



HORTICULTUKE 



615 



Herbaceous Clematis 



The cultivation and artistic employment of hardy 

 perennials in gardening is not only a most enjoyable 

 pastin)o but a wonderful educator. A growing intimacy 

 with the difi'ereut characteristics of the material brings 

 the desire to study plant life scientifically; it devel(i|is 

 the subtlety of our vision in regard to beauty in form and 

 outline as well as to colors and there is no use denying 

 that by sometimes taxing our patience it is apt to 

 strengthen this virtue. In the frequent absence of the 

 latter I see one of the ])rinci])al reasons why the Ameri- 

 can garden lacks so numy plant treasures of which the 

 European is justly proud. It takes time, and in our 

 modern age there seems to be no time to wait for grad- 

 ual developent. A thing we cannot have at once,, in by 

 far the most instances, does not appeal to us at all. I 

 wish to call the special attention of those of my readers 

 inclined to be impatient to the cover-page illustration of 

 an, at least, five-year-old specimen of Clematis recta. 

 For further explanation I wish to add that the photo- 

 graph was taken in Compton Garden in Chestnut Hill 

 near Philadel]ihia. Compton Garden represents one of 

 the rare exceptions where work has been carried on sys- 

 tematically for many years and the results, to say the 

 leai5t, i)rove the value of patience beyond a shadow of 

 doubt. It is today Philadelphia's foremost private plant 

 treasury excelling in its large collections of trees and 

 shrulis embracing the bulk of ilr. Wilson's new Chinese 

 introductions, grouped sutficiently apart to perfect de- 

 velopment of the natural habit of growth of eacli speci- 

 men and all its other characteristics are easilv discern- 



ible. L'onipton Garden should be a Mecca for all Phil- 

 adelphia's horticulturists who are anxious to learn. 



Returning to our subject — the herbaceous clematis — 

 the limited niuuber of garden species rank among our 

 best plants for the large perennial flower garden. Em- 

 ployed as single specimens on the open lawn, or as fore- 

 runners of flowering shrub plantations their ornamen- 

 tality evocates admiration. Clematis recta decidedly 

 merits more consideration and space than it has so far 

 received. Its mas.?es of large white panicles can easily 

 be made a conspicuous ornamental feature in our floral 

 midsummer displays. Clematis Davidiana distinguished 

 by beautiful bright green foliage and very handsome 

 long bell-shaped lavender blue flowers, deliciously fra- 

 grant, deserves the attention of all garden and flower- 

 lovers. The same may be said of Clematis heracleae- 

 folia, a species closely related to the former, but bearing 

 flowers of a lighter hue. Clematis recta flore pleno is 

 said to be an improvement on the original form. The 

 Siberian type of Clematis recta, offered by European 

 firms under the name of Clematis Pallasii, ju-oduces 

 more branching, lighter built panicles of graceful appear- 

 ance. 



Herbaceous clematis can be easily raised from seed 

 sown in early spring, or, after ripening in September; 

 or propagated by divisions. All prefer the open sunny 

 exposure and thrive best in light rather high ground. 



SjUA<xrui-^c/&uy 



Ghnslde, Pa. 



BOSTON CONVENTION GARDEN 



NOTES. 

 The Nymphaeas. 



In the several bays planted with 

 aquatic and semi-aquatic plants these 

 flowers have made quite a hit with the 

 visiting public. They sauntered around 

 those bays in animated groups, and 

 sat on the seats so thoughtfully pro- 

 vided by the park management at ad- 

 vantageous places expressing the en- 

 joyment they received from beholding 

 those strange, to most of them, water 

 nymphs. The varied hues of the tropi- 

 cal kinds, commingled with the hardy 

 species added a dash of color and nov- 

 elty to the scene that made the pic- 

 ture a particularly pleasing one to 

 those who are not so familiar with the 

 charming effect of the tropical varie- 

 ties. Indeed the professional frater- 

 nity are not any too familiar with the 

 striking beauty of the tropical nym- 

 phaeas, largely, doubtless, on account 

 of the extra care and preparations 

 with its accompanied fuss of starting 

 them in hothouses, etc. Nevertheless, 

 they are so impressive that any extra 

 fuss bestowed on them is amply re- 

 paid by their large and stately flowers. 

 One or more according to the size of 

 the small artificial pond, should al- 

 ways be employed to lend an added 

 character to the collection. 



The Convention Garden in this ex- 

 hibit, as in others, has had its useful- 

 ness manifested, inasmuch as it has 

 revealed two at least splendid acquisi- 

 tions to the galaxy of hardy nym- 

 phaeas. In Mr. Tricker's exhibit, two 

 excellent comparatively new hardy va- 

 rieties were shown. Paul Harlot and 

 Escarboucle: the term superb can ap- 

 propriately be applied to the latter 



named kind. It is the freest flowering 

 variety that ever came under my no- 

 tice, as it behaved here, being in con- 

 tinuous flowering since it was planted 

 in early summer up to its removal in 

 late October, and such large strikingly 

 beautiful cup-shaped carmine colored 

 flowers as I am persuaded to think has 

 not an equal in the hardy Nymphaea 

 family. It has. further, the essential 

 characteristics that must be inherent 

 to any kind of plants claiming special 

 merits, and that is a strong growth 

 habit. Xymphaea Paul Hariot seems 

 to possess a superabundance of the 

 latter characteristics, the masses of 

 large foliage in every case testifying to 

 the same. It is a very fine variety, of 

 great substance, large cup-shaped 

 flowers, creamy-white in color with a 

 slight shading of pink at times. Nat- 

 ural robustness inherent in any one 

 kind of plants when superfluity of fo- 

 liage or wood is produced at the ex- 

 pense of floriferousness, would suggest 

 to the practical cultivator the adoption 

 of a less liberal dietary treatment, 

 which, if not in all cases, in most, will 

 correct largely the uneven balance be- 

 tween the excess of leaf or wood and 

 that of floriferousness. 



The water garden has a fascinating 

 charm comparable to any branch of 

 horticulture on a large scale. With an 

 appropriate location and surroundings, 

 it might indeed become an incompar- 

 able branch of horticulture, as a par- 

 ticular choice spot to delight and 

 please the owner or the beholder, ac- 

 cording to the excellency of the sub- 

 jects used and the deftness of their re- 

 spective artistic placing. Much pleas- 

 ure can be derived from a limited area 

 of water, planted judiciously, and it 

 should be made a feature whenever 



possible on all well regulated estates. 

 To succeed well in this branch of flori- 

 culture, it is needless to say that "hap- 

 py-go-lucky," "on-the-spur-of-the-mo- 

 ment" methods will not work towards 

 that end. Forethought and prepara- 

 tion in securing the proper soil and 

 other necessary material beforehand is 

 as essential as in other cultural 

 branches. Kexxeth Finl.wson. 



PERSONAL. 



Harry A. Barnard, representative of 

 Stuart Low & Co., London, will sail 

 for liome on the Lusitania on Novem- 

 ber 4. 



Matthew Macnair. Providence. R. I., 

 is back from Europe. Several hun- 

 dred palms which he purchased in 

 Belgium and England have arrived in 

 fine condition. 



Alex Geranios. head of the .Metro- 

 politan Flower Co., St. Louis, was 

 married the past week to Miss Anna 

 Wittmann who has been in his em- 

 ploy. The happy couple were pre- 

 sented with a silver percolator and a 

 cut glass set by the mombrrs of the 

 Retail Association of which Mr. 

 Geranios is secretary. 



Economy is one of the principles 

 of modern distribution which must be 

 recognized no matter whom it hits. 



Do you share in preventing this old 

 world from becoming a howling wild- 

 erness by not howling. 



Cold cash isn't so cold as it sounds; 

 it has been known to warm some 

 pretty chilly men. and women, too. 



Many a man puts his foot in it when 

 he attempts to stand on his dignity. 

 — Kittinnal Hardware Bulletin 



