THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA. 



41 



places, as do also the Tree and Herbaceous Peonies and 

 the Hypesicums, but they also lend themselves to the 

 adornment of the open borders. Although as with the 

 Wild Asters and the Golden Rod, their place is in a part 

 of the garden that is set apart for a quiet corner, a sort 

 of semi-wild garden where the mowing machine is not 

 allowed to enter, and the pruning knife is s]:)aringly used. 



Surely, in such a place as this, a Lily-of-the-Valley bed 

 would be found, and a bed of X'iolets, the Poets Narcissus, 

 Wood Hyacinth, and the endless variety of the other 

 Narcissus, Trilliums and Crown Imperials. Here too, if 

 there are a few trees, plant some climbers. Clematis 

 Paniculata will soon scramble into a tree letting fall its 

 long tendril like growths like a fountain of snow. The 

 Akebia has a light feathery growth which does no injury 

 to the trees through which they clamber and festoon 

 from branch to branch. 



Celastras Scandens or Bitter Sweet might be far more 

 extensively used in the plantation lines. It is a strong 

 grower but its soft trailing habit does not allow any in- 

 jury to the trees, and its persistent red berries enliven 

 the shrubbery trees all the winter. 



Quite recently I saw an old pear tree with its trunk 

 and branches almost covered by the Euonymons Radican 

 \'arigata. It was a beautiful object and undoubtedly pro- 

 duced by chance. If some one planted a Bitter Sweet 

 vine so that it scrambled through the branches inter- 

 mingling its red berries with the white foliage of the 

 Euonymons, a charming picture would be produced. The 

 Euonvmons Radicans is a splendid climber to plant at 

 the foot of trees, for it will clothe the bole of a tree 

 withstanding frosts that w'ould kill the English Ivy. 

 Hydrangeas Scandens is a good tree climber, also good 

 for walls. It is self-clinging, has handsome foliage and 

 pretty clusters of flowers. For large trees the Ampelop- 

 sis \'irginica surpasses all the climbers, pushing its 

 growths up to the top branches or to the outermost twigs, 

 letting fall its long tapering growths which, during the 

 summer are unnoticed, but in the fall their brilliant color- 

 ing and gracefulness makes this vme a prominent and 

 charming feature of the garden. 



The Dutchman's Pipe is a good vine for large trees or 

 for furnishing the entrance to a secluded or different 

 part of the garden. Some of the Honeysuckles are also 

 splendid climbers for scrambling into lower limbs of the 

 trees in narrow plantation belts, giving that density which 

 is a necessary feature and yet not olitainable because of 

 narrowness of the planting. 



The Honeysuckles, Ivies, Vincas and Euonymons 

 should be planted extensively for a carpet through the 

 shrubberies and plantations, the little moisture they take 

 is a small matter compared with the protection they 

 give the roots from the drying, hot winds in summer 

 and severe cold of winter. Then the leaves they hold 

 decay and enrich the ground. This manner of treating 

 shrubbery borders opens a field for hardv bulbs, for in 

 such a place they will give the best results. It is on the 

 wavey outline of these shrubbery and plantation borders 

 that our Peonies find a place. If planted in groups of 

 one color they are the most efl^ective. The Iris family 

 also, if there was no more suitable location, would do 

 splendidly here. The Spanish and the English should be 

 planted so as to get the protection of Ivies and other 

 ground creepers. Of course, a place near the water 

 would be preferred by most of the Iris, but the Iris family 

 are accommodating : they do well almost anywhere if 

 given a deeply dug and well prepared soil with protection 

 for their crowns in the winter. 



The Spirea family are all beautiful, from the tall Spires 

 Aruncus to the small Japonica in groups near the water 

 or in a moist situation they are most at home. But they, 



like the Iris, will accommodate themselves to almost any 

 situation if not very dry. The Spirea Palmata and Queen 

 Alexandra are both very pretty and shovdd be included 

 with the other Spireas. 



In arranging the various plants so as to obtain a unity 

 of expression there must be harmony in the individual 

 parts, and each individual part must be in harmony with 

 the whole. 



There is no rule to work by. The landscape artist must 

 have a preconceived picture impressed upon his mind. 

 He may have seen it, and endeavors to imitate or he may 

 have an idea of his own, but the scene, the picture, which 

 he desires to work out is impressed upon his mind, and 

 every act performed in the work is part of the definite 

 plan already in his mind having a definite shape. Of 

 course, diversity of mind, climate and environment must 

 naturally produce different tastes which will show itself 

 in flower arrangements equally with dress and millinery. 



In carrying out flower bedding arrangements there are 

 certain principles that should be borne in mind. We may 

 not need reminding, but I will just mention the fact that 

 a flower bed or flower garden is to display the flowers. 

 It is not the purpose' of flowers to display the beds. 



Beds of flowers in the form of a clock, a rug, or an 

 animal, or the initials of the owner may gratify some in- 

 dividual taste, but it is not art. They may be even quaint, 

 but not beautiful nor artistic. Try to avoid all such 

 eccentricities. One look usually suffices to take in all 

 there is in such objects. It is, of course, essential that 

 the flower display be in harmony with the surroundings 

 and the residence, if near. 



Beds of flowers should nut be scattered over a lawn 

 without any apparent connection with each other, and 

 j-et no hard line can be drawn, for exception is made 

 to beds of cannas, castor oil plants, hardy grasses, 

 bamboos, and sometimes Salvias, or plants of that 

 character, when properly placed. Simple or regular 

 formed beds are usually the best to display flowers and 

 easiest to fill and care for. Such shapes are rectangu- 

 lar, circular and elliptical or oblong. F"lower beds 

 show to the best advantage when formed into groups 

 or flower gardens. The patch work quilt style of 

 shrubbery planting bears the stamp of office manufac- 

 ture : it is not landscape art. Landscape art more 

 nearly approaches an artistic picture, the other, the 

 carpet factory. 



The hardy flowers appear most natural on borders with 

 a background of tall plants, of sufficient depth to give 

 an air of density. ( )n such a border both hardy perennials 

 and annuals may intermingle. If planted or sown in 

 irregular groups or masses, the best effect is produced, 

 although I think some latitude is left to the individual 

 taste. Hollyhocks to my taste are beautiful and stately 

 in rows, while the foxglove of similar appearance, but 

 smaller, appears to better advantage in irregular groups. 

 The hardy Asters are best with the golden rod in the 

 semi-wild garden border, so also are many of the tall 

 growers like the Boltonias, some of the Helianthus and 

 Heliopsis. The hardy garden pinks are best used to edge 

 a border or group. They may even be dug every year 

 or two and relaid like box edging. Their foliage is at- 

 tractive the whole year. 



Some plants like the Iris, Hibisens Moschutos or 

 Mallows and Lobelia Cardinalis and some Funkias show 

 off to the best advantage if planted either by the water- 

 side or in wavv lines in hollows or at the bottom of a 

 declivitv so as to resemble as much as possible the line 

 of a watercourse. 



The rose-garden is always an important feature and 

 indispensable in all gardens of any pretensions. This 

 should, where it is possible, be detached from the main 



