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THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA. 



trouble than satisfaction. The best protection is either 

 dry leaves, salthay or straw pinned down by boughs of 

 evergreens. The latter in itself is sufificient. No protec- 

 tion should ever be given until the cold weather sets in. 

 Protection is not required for the purpose of keeping 

 frost out, but mainly to keep the frost in and its real 

 worth is manifested in Alarch when warm spells thaw 

 the ground and encourage the bulbs to come through, only 

 to be nipped by the first cold night. Do not remove the 

 covering at the first sign of spring nor let it remain too 

 long, but judge by weather conditions. 



A sprinkling of pulverized sheep manure over the bed 

 as soon as the covering has been removed will help ma- 

 terially to improve the size of flowers. 



THE ITALIAN GARDKN. 



Here the use of regimental beds of gaily colored 



FANNED SHAPE SPECIMEN PLANT I'KoM AIKJLPII LEWISOIINS 

 ESTATE, AT NEW YORK SHOW. 



Hyacinths and Tulips and the golden Dafl'odils find the 

 setting that nature seems to have designed for them. The 

 very fields of Holland with their squares of scarlet and 

 yellow and blue and gold and the tender shades of pink 

 and lavender and white can be duplicated here. 



The real effects, though, can only be achieved through 

 masses, and quantity counts here more than quality. 



Close planting is essential. Color combinations may 

 be suggested, but after all they should be the product of 

 the individual and the expressions of his own taste. A 

 study of varieties, their character, heights, flowering sea- 

 son and color is absolutely essential to create the most 

 pleasing effects. 



The carpeting of other flowers through which these 

 bulbous flowers rise add a particular charm to this style 

 of garden and should be universally followed. But an- 

 other effect I have in mind which the author of "Studies 

 in Gardening" has entirely overlooked. If between the 

 Hyacinths and the Tulips and the Daffodils you plant 

 "Pushkinnias" thickly so as to carpet the unfilled space 

 a perfect carpet of "heavenly blue" will greet your eye 

 the first thing in the spring, long before the leaves of tbe 

 Hyacinths or Tulips or Daffodils can spoil the effect. 



By a careful selection of varieties and material the gav 

 bulb season can be extended from earliest April until 

 early June. 



Pushkinnias appear first, then follow in rapid succes- 

 sion Crocuses, Scillas, Hyacinths, the Single Early Tulips, 

 Jonquils, Single Late Tulips, Daffodils, Double Tulips, 

 Poet's Narcissus and Darwin Tulips. All these are showy 

 species and fit within the borders of a well designed Italian 

 Garden. 



The method of culture differs from that described in 

 that the Crocuses and Pushkinnias should be planted but 

 one inch deep. 



THE HARDY BORDER. 



Again I wish to submit here an extract from "Studies 

 in Gardening," as follows : 



In the herbaceous border, however, the problem of the 

 right use of bulbs is less easy ; and yet it is not very diffi- 

 cult. True, there are many bulbs which are best lifted 

 as soon as they die down, and there are others which re- 

 sent disturbance at the very time when the border may 

 need to be dug over. But both these difliculties may be 

 overcome with a little contrivance and foresight. Take, 

 for instance, the country garden, in that the Crocuses and 

 Pushkinnias should be lifted at least every other year. 

 These may be planted in considerable masses among car- 

 peting plants or in clumps of eight or ten surrounded 

 with plants that will contrast with them ; and they may 

 be taken up without difficulty when they have died down, 

 and without injuring the plants about them. The ar- 

 rangement in clumps is best suited to the taller May 

 flowering Tulips and to other tall bulbs such as the Ca- 

 massias, English and Spanish Irises, Crown Imperial 

 Lilies, most of the true Lilies, and Snowdrops. Some of 

 these, especially Madonna Lilies, resent disturbance, and 

 it is the bulbs which resent disturbance that we have 

 learned to grow in the most beautiful and rational way. 

 No doubt, if Madonna Lilies could be treated like Tulips, 

 they would often be bedded out like Tulips, and all their 

 beaut-'- would be spoiled. As it is, we grow them in the 

 border and treat them like herbaceous plants, with excel- 

 lent results. We should extend the same treatment to 

 other bulbous plants, so far as their needs will allow. 

 Thus, the May flowering Tulips should be planted in 



COLLECTION OF ORCHIDS FROM P. .\. D. WIDENER 

 (WM. KLEINHEINZ. GARDENER). .\T PHILADELPHIA 



ESTATE 

 SHOW. 



