206 



GARDENERS' CHROMCLE 



thev cannot be planted elsewhere. On the contrary these 

 plants lend themselves artistically to the general land- 

 scape scheme. 



More often than not the use of shrubs is overdone, that 

 is comparatively, as the quantity planted is too large in 

 proportion to otlier things, and there is frequently there- 

 b}- caused a general want of balance in country home sur- 

 roundings as well as in public parks. 



However good the selection of shrubs has been so as to 

 obtain the longest possible flowering season from them, 

 the majority bloom more or less early in the season, and 

 the more northern the latitude the fewer late flowering 

 ones there are which can be used. In any case a border 

 of shrubs always presents a flowerless condition in some 

 of its parts for a considerable period. Therefore the 

 psychological position for herbaceous pereimials is along 

 the foreground of the shrubbery so as to illuminate the 

 existence of a flowerless condition from any part during 

 any period of the floral year : at the same time the shrubs 

 aftord the best possible background for the perennials. 

 One would suppose that this idea would present itself to 

 every one giving any thoughts to the subject, and espe- 

 cially to those who practice garden planning as a profes- 

 sion. It is, however, extremely rare to find this idea car- 

 ried out in any landscajie architect's plans. 



For house decoration, no class of plants are so valuable 

 for cut flowers as these. The artist in arranging flowers 

 is glad when outdoor ones are available as they lack the 

 stiffness and continual sameness of the stereotyped hot- 

 bouse products. 



Informal gardening with hardy plants is beyond dis- 

 pute more economical in every way, especially when we 

 take results into consideration. Not only is this the case 

 as regards the actual amount of attention needed, but the 

 annual cost of bedding-out plants and the work connected 

 with them is saved. The sacrifice of the flower garden 

 to plants which so far as the garden is concerned, perish 

 every year, even sujx^rficially considered, appears an ob- 

 surdity, without taking into account the hothouses ; the 

 propagation of plants by the thousand; the planting out 

 at the busiest time of the year ; the digging and storing 

 in Autumn, and the care in Winter. Practically speaking 

 there are nine months' care under glass for three months' 

 eft'ect out of doors in connection with bedding plants. 



It would be better in every way if, so far as the flower 

 garden is concerned, gardeners would see what can be 

 done without the aid of the hot house. Some owners 

 have reduced their glass with this end in view, and in one 

 case within my own kno\\ledge, the entire range of green- 

 houses was removed as the owner des])aired of ever being 

 able to get proi)er attention to gardening with hardy 

 plants so long as the glass existed. 



Before the advent of greenhouses onr ancestors had 

 their beautiful flower gardens, although the number of 

 species they had to draw upon was small compared with 

 the wealth of hardy flowers we have to our hands today, 

 and there are still a large number of beautiful plants, 

 native of this country, which are unknown in our gar- 

 dens. For instance the native flora of our Rocky Moun- 

 tain districts, especially the Western side, has been prac- 

 tically untouched. Therefore gardening with hardv 

 ])lants presents unlimited possibilities without going to 

 the trouble and expense of handling tropical species. 



The recent Hardy Flower Show at P>oston must have 

 been an eye-opener to those who have hitherto looked with 

 contcmi)t upon, or who have been ignor.inl of the unsur- 

 pas.sed beauty of our native plants. 



A further sign of the times is .seen in the fact that 

 many flower shows now give a prominent position to 

 classes for hardy flowers, this is especially noteworthy 

 in the case of a locality where up to recently nothing else 



was thought of but the greenhouses which has this year 

 placed hardy flowers in the premier position. 



As a rule, a man who has been "bedding-out" all his 

 life will made a lamentable failure in planting herbaceous 

 perennials, and a thorough knowledge of their character 

 is necessary before one can arrange a hardy border satis- 

 factorily. The three most important things to know about 

 one of these plants are, the height it will attain to. period 

 and duration of blooming, and color of its flowers. 



It is a great help to make a planting plan and have the 

 arrangement of plants first ]nit upon paper. By this 

 means plants can be properly grouped and the color 

 scheme made as artistically perfect as possible. More- 

 over, an opportunity is thus afforded to thoroughly think 

 the matter out, and of knowing beforehand the actual 

 number of plants of each species which will be required. 



These plants .should be set out in irregularly shaped 

 groups ; circles, squares, and rows should be avoided, so 

 as to accomplish as far as possible the effects of Nature's 

 planting. Although the taller species should generally be 

 placed at the back of the border, yet the groups of these 

 should run toward the front : at the same time the dwarfer 

 kinds should run toward the back to some extent between 

 the groups of tlie taller ones. By these means a liroken. 

 wavy, and plea-ing surface is obtained, and naturalness 

 and informality secured. No method of arranging these 

 plants can possibly be worse than that which is some- 

 times seen, of having a row of the tallest growing species 

 along the back ; then a row of those not quite so tall, and 

 so on down to the dwarf est in front. One does not, of 

 course, plant groups of dwarf species behind, and sur- 

 rounded by groups of tall ones, but partially in front and 

 partly between them. There is no harm, however, in fin- 

 ishing off a border, at its junction with the lawn, with 

 an edging of quite dwarf subjects, such as Phlox subii- 

 lata, Sednm sieboldii, and things of a similar character. 



The number of species of herbaceous perennials is so 

 large that it appears useless to attempt the mention of 

 species. What to plant depends upon the conditions and 

 one's individual taste, and gardens of hardy plants always 

 reflect more or less the personality of the planter. The 

 first aim should l>e to have a constant succession of 

 flowers of varying forms and colors throughout the sea- 

 son appearing from all parts of the border. The fact that 

 this is easily obtained is wh.at constitutes one of the 

 charms of gardening with hardy plants : every week, al- 

 most every day, gives a totally different impression from 

 the days which have passed. Many of them will continue 

 in flower for five months if not allowed to form seed, in- 

 stances of the fact the more flowers which are cut the 

 more flowers we have. Others give more than one dis- 

 tinct jieriod of bloom : while others which onlv have one 

 period of blooming leave a j)lcasing mass of foli;ige which 

 rests the eye while passing from one group of llowers to 

 another. 



In connection with those kinds which only bloom f)nce, 

 it is possible to have two distinct species combined in one 

 group so that it will give two distinct periods of flowers. 

 .\s examples. Peonies flower rather early, and onlv once; 

 if Lilies are ]ilanted among them they grow above the 

 peony foliage and produce a beautiful efl'ecl. .\notlier 

 combination is that of Japan Iris and TTardy C'hrysantlu'- 

 mums. The former flowering in June and July ;ind the 

 lafter in the Autumn. 



.\nother point to be considered is the size of llic border 

 ;ind of ihe garden, as well as the distance of the border 

 from the principal ])oint of view. For instance as regards 

 the latter, a large border with a background of shrubbery 

 al the far side of an extensive lawn may h.ive mucla 

 bolder masses of color at a time in one place than a small 

 border in a suburban lot. In the latter case one plant of 



