For November, 1923 



281 



Wildwood Beauties for Our Lawns 



CHARLES H. CHESLEY 



MANY of the plants found in our northern woods 

 make very pretty and profitable perennials for 

 shady places about the lawns and grounds. They 

 are easy to grow, in most cases, and once established will 

 increase with the years. If there is an out-of-the-way 

 corner, with considerable shade, no better place can be 

 found for native plants. I am speaking particularly of 

 the woodland plants. There are, as well, open-country 

 and prairies plants which may be planted in the open 

 spaces of the lawn and they will require very little 

 attention. 



Nearly all of our natives, when removed to a different 

 environment, improve with the change. This does not 

 mean, of course, that a species found in sandy soil should 

 be removed to a heavy clay location. Prepare the soil 

 with plenty of fertility but have it conform in texture 

 with the native habitat nf the plant, then success is as- 

 sured. 



In this corner, which we are going to plant in imagina- 

 tion, and which is in reality a composite of two or three 

 wild gardens we have in mind — the soil will be pre])ared 

 by hauling several loads of woodland mould and spread- 

 ing it evenly beneath the stand of trees. Over this leaf- 

 mould, we shall spread well-rotted manure from the cow 

 stable. Almost all plants take kindly to rotted manure 

 and the extra size of plants and flowers well repay the 

 cost. So, we have the place prepared with the soil mel- 

 low and easy to v/ork. This is accomplished by using 

 nothing but fine soil from the woods, no large flakes, and 

 then working with a hand cultivator. Of course, a horse 

 cultivator cannot be used between the trees. Having the 

 soil mellow to a depth of six inches, we proceed to get 

 the plants, which may be either in Spring or Fall. If in 

 the Spring, it should be very early, while any time during 

 the b'all will usually prove satisfactory. We shall assume 

 that the shade is dense, but preferably it should not be 

 that cast by evergreens. Certain plants grow beneath 

 evergreens but a larger variety will thrive beneath shade 

 which is partly, at least, cast by deciduous varieties. I 

 should not set plants in masses but should try to have 

 many diflrerent kinds in a hit-or-miss pattern, the Summer 

 and Fall bloomers mixed with those that open in Spring. 

 It often seems that Nature grows two plants in the same 

 place, for certain it is that b'all-blooming plants seem to 

 grow in the .same place that was occupied by some delicate 

 Spring beauty. 



First we shall set the ]_)lants which bloom early in 

 .Spring. The trilliums, known as Wake-Robin and Birth- 

 root, should certainly have a place. These grow from a 

 tuber-like rootstalk and may readily be transplanted. ( )f 

 these perhaps the handsomest is Trillium erectum, with 

 showy purple blooms. The one thing against it is its 

 rather disagreeable odor. T. undulatum is another hand- 

 some species, having red and white flowers, hence the 

 name Painted Trillium. The Snow Trillium, T. nivale, 

 has handsome white flowers. Several other species of 

 Trillium are also found throughout our northern and 

 eastern states, all of which take kindly to cultivation. 

 Found in the same woodlands are Solomon's Seal, Poly- 

 gonatum biflorum and P. commntatum, and the similar 

 Streptopus roseus. Maianthemum canadense grows in 

 similar localities and should find a place in our corner. 

 .•Ml of these are plants of the Lily family, to which per- 

 haps we should add Clintonia borealis, that has rich 

 yellow blooms. The above are Spring flowers. 



Along with the plants named will be found several 

 members of the Orchis family. Those which are found 

 in woodlands, and therefore thrive in the shade, are 

 Orchis rotundifolia and O. spectabilis. The latter is one 

 of our most beautiful native plants. Several species of 

 Fringed Orchis, particularly Habenaria blephariglottis, 

 with white flowers; H. ciliaris, with yellow blooms, and 

 the handsome pink-flowered H. fimbriata, should also 

 be planted. I shall not enumerate any more of this family, 

 though there are many others which are worth transplant- 

 ing to the private grounds. 



During the early Summer the flower ])rocession of the 

 woods seems to pass to the shrubs, although there are 

 several species of woodland violets, which could be 

 naturalized and used to blossom with the liliaceous plants 

 mentioned. Later, still, the shade-loving species of Golden 

 Rod and Aster take up the procession and continue it until 

 the frost comes. One can scarcely name all the desirable 

 plants of the woodland but many beauties are found in 

 every locality. 



The thing to do then, is to prepare the place 

 for the plants, then go out in the woods and take up 

 whatever is desired. Some of the species, which are most 

 lieautiful, are, of course, only local in the native state. 

 Many of these may now be procured from nurserymen, 

 who are beginning to appreciate the beauty of our native 

 plants, as the European florists have for many years. It 

 really matters little what is transplanted, the plants are 

 sure to prove a jov all Summer and will improve with 

 the years. 



As to the care of such a garden of wildings, once it 

 makes a start there will be little required. The first Winter 

 a mulch of leaves and straw should be used ; in fact, it is 

 a good plan to ])rovide some sort of covering every Fall, 

 for in the woods the leaves provide a natural covering. 

 Perhaps the leaves from the shrubbery will be sufficient 

 but one should be sure there is a good covering and that 

 it will stay in place. In the Spring this covering can be 

 raked ofif, and, if a little work is done about the plants 

 after they come up. they will well repay for the labor. 

 Once in three or four vears a Fall coat or rotted manure 

 can be added. 



MOTES FROM AN OLD COUNTRY GARDEN 



(Continued from page 274) 



of the highest esteem for its autumnal tints is Parrotia 

 l^ersica. This belongs to the same natural order (Ham- 

 amelidacea) as the Sweet Gum: it seems perfectly hardy 

 and the large leaves assume glowing shades of orange and 

 crimson before they fall. 



Also most attractive at this time is the deciduous Cy- 

 press (Taxodium distichum) which, though a native of 

 the southern parts of North America, is quite hardy with 

 us. This is, moreover, a tree that has grown and pros- 

 pered for many years in. our London parks under con- 

 ditions which few of the Coniferje can endure. There 

 and elsewhere are some noble specimens, some 100 feet in 

 height, and when the pale-green, yew-like foliage turns 

 color prior to their fall, the whole tree becoming a tower- 

 ing spire of a glowing foxy red, it is a most arresting 

 sight. 



l^nlike most Conifers, T. distichum enjoys a swampy 

 soil and will even thrive in shallow water. 



