GARDENERS' CHRONICLE 



OF AMERICA 



DEVOTED TO THE SCIENCE OF FLORICULTURE AND HORTICULTURE 



ADOPTED AS THE OFFICIAL ORGAN OF 

 THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GARDENERS 



\nl. X\J1I. 



jUiXi';, i'n4. 



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Building the Flower Garden 



By W. G. Gomersall. 



There is no ganlen picture su beautiful as that [)ruduccil 

 liy a group or groups of hardy flowers and fohage. Yet 

 try as one will to produce the best effects how often we 

 have to admit that some of the most beautiful and effective 

 llmver ])ictures we have seen have been produced either 

 l)y accident or without human careful forethought. Yet, 

 because occasionally one has met with this accidental pict- 

 ure, it does not follow that unskillful or careless planting 

 will produce such results, far from it. To properly plant 

 pictures of tree shrubbery or hardy flowering plants re- 

 i|uires a knowledge of their habits, their flowering season, 

 height, degree of hardiness, whether fall or spring is the 

 best season to plant. Whether they are shade or sun lov- 

 ing jjlants, whether suitable for a dry or wet ground, and 

 also it is important to know their suitability as a cut flower, 

 and their color. Some plants are best adapted for a semi- 

 wild garden, others for edges of lakes and water courses 

 and others form splendid subjects for the well kept lawn. 

 It is among the rocky hills bordering the Hudson River 

 tiiat some of the most glorious Autumn pictures are seen 

 to the best advantage. 



The Wild .\ster or Jilichaelnias daisies in lovelv masses 

 of lavender, lilac and purple s])lendnr splashed with 

 Golden Rod and the fiery Autumn tints of the Sumach 

 toned and mellowed by the yellow leaves of the Sassafras 

 and the rich red coloring of the dogwood. A bold rock 

 standing majestically above this group has tempted a 

 woodbine to raise its head above the purple mass and 

 itself has ])ut on that glorious orange scarlet tint with 

 which the sun has clothed it and so make it a fit coni- 

 panidii for such gorgeously arrayed company. What 

 more beautiful i)icture could there lie for the eyes to feast 

 upon. Hut imagine the flowers changed to hollyhocks, 

 Campanulas or gorgeous Phlox, and would not the picture 

 lose its charm, or if the whole picture were transferred 

 to a well kept lawn should we not realize the discord of 

 the surroundings. The inharmonious settings to the 

 picture would rob it of its charm. 



In ])lanting hardy herbaceous plants the ada|)tabilit\ of 

 the surroundings to the character of the plants must be 

 considered, where a corner of the grounds can be sj)ared. 

 Try a special setting for those hardy flowers that are of a 

 semi-wild character. It may take a few years to grow 

 the surroundings into that peaceful and restful character 

 so that everything growing a])])ears so adapted to its sur- 

 roundings, that the hand of man is lost ;md only nature 

 seems to have done the work. 



In the formation of such a hardy garden, rocks are of 

 great assistance. In many localities, however, rocks are 

 not obtainable, but the evenness of the ground ma\ be 

 broken by sunken gardens using the excavated earth to 



form mounds and slopes, the whole or part being 

 screened from the general view with evergreens. 

 Rhododendrons, Pines, Spruce, Boxwood, etc., or plants 

 of such character as are adapted to the local climate con- 

 ditions. These sunken or depressed gardens would in 

 wintl exposed places form splendid gardens for such ten- 

 der plants as are difficult to grow ex])osed to the winter 

 wind. The possibilities of such a garden, if entirely sur- 

 rounded by Pines, dense growing deciduous shrubs and 

 evergreens adapted to the locality, appeal to the imagina- 

 tion. Being separated and distinct from the other garilens, 

 it would have a distinct character of its own. The en- 

 trance might be partially obscured and thus be a garden 

 for seclusion and rest. In such a place would be found a 

 home for choice Rhododendrons, Andromedas, .Azaleas, 

 Clethras Kalmias and Hollies, ( )smanthus and even the 

 laurels and Aucubas. While intermingled or in groujis 

 would be ])lanted Cornus Florida, the white ami red 

 flowering, Pinus Mugho and I'rinos Verticillata or decid- 

 uous holly and Eunoymons Europeous, while on the top of 

 the mound Rhus Glabra Laciniata or cut leaved Sumach, 

 and Eunoymons Alatus and a cer gimiale against the back- 

 ground of Pines would be most beautiful, and here would 

 grow in ])erfect harmony the Wild Asters Novol Anglica, 

 and the Helenimns, Autumnale, Supcrlium and Pumilum. 

 While on the sloping bank a mass of Hypericum 

 Moserianum, Densiflora and Aenothera Youngii with 

 Mahonia Aquafolia would be charming. ( )f course, the 

 continuity of such a sloping bank would have to be l)rokeu, 

 by either rocks or planting the Rhododendrons to form 

 points or breaks. The rocks could be covered with 

 Wichuriana Roses, Cotiueaster Microphilea, English Ivies, 

 Polygoniinn, lialdsehusanum and Clematis, and a few 

 plants of Veronica Subsessilis and Salvia Azurea thrown 

 in near the Hypericums would, with their lovcl\- blue 

 liarnKJnize with the yellow of the llyi)ericum. '{"he border 

 being on a slope could be wide in jjlaces and narrow in 

 others, having an edging of English Ivies or Vinca 

 Minor, and jierhaps in places Phlox Subulata, I'unkia 

 Subcordata Grandiflora and the Tritomas. Here too 

 would be si)Ien<lid |)laces for grou])s of Liliums and lu- 

 carvillas. The Alstromeria Chilensis flowering at the 

 same time, as the Speciosum Liliiuns, would with their 

 orange and ])ink flowers, harmonize s])lendidly with the 

 pink and white of the Liliums; flowering in the -Autumn 

 too, would be most useful for a summer residential garden. 

 Some of the Erenuirus with their white and pink 

 flower spikes from 4 to 8 feet high are splendid for the 

 center or back ground of a Lily group, and the Autunui 

 Daffodil, Sternbergia Lutea with the Autumn crocus, 

 C(jlchin"i would find a home, perhaps grouped in a mass 



