448 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA. 



of Bohemia, but a year later he was completely defeated 

 by the Imperial troops in the battle of Weisseberg, near 

 Prague, which terminated his short-lived reign. He 

 lost his kingdom and his hereditary estates and became 

 known as the Winter King. The decoration of the garden 

 progressed until de Cans heard of the King's defeat, 

 whereupon he immediately discontinued the work, went 

 to France and was made engineer and architect to the 

 king. 



During the Orleanian Wars the garden went to ruin. 

 But as soon as peace was fully established, the grand 

 dukes again gave marked attention to the castle and its 

 surroundings until the reign of Karl Theodor, who for- 

 sook the castle forever and removed the last vestiges of 

 ornaments and statues to Mannheim and to the new park 

 at Schweitzingen in Baden. The Duke of Baden's gardens 

 at Schweitzingen thus became the grandest in Germany. 

 The once renowned garden at Heidelberg was now entire- 

 ly neglected. 



About the year 1800, an association for the improve- 

 ment of the castle and castle garden was organized. In 

 1804, Grand Duke Karl Frederick authorized Professor 

 Gatterer, of Heidelberg University, to replant the terraces 

 ill systematic order for university purposes. Plants from 

 all parts of the globe were secured, rendering the garden 

 particularly rich in exotic species of trees and shrubs. 

 The most interesting group of trees in the garden consists 

 of a collection of rare conifers arranged very artistically 

 on several of the terraces. A long list of the different 

 kinds of American cone-bearing trees could be made, 

 but a few may be named to show the great variety in the 

 plantation. Among the pines are Piniis lirginiaiia. P. 

 strobus, P. ponderosa, P. lamhcrtiana, and P. taeda; 

 among the spruces. P'lcca rubens and P. canadensis : 

 among the firs, Abies balsamca and A. nobilis; and to 

 these must be added the eastern hemlock, larch, junipers, 

 and the two Sequoias. But the most remarkable trees near 

 bv are several fine araucaria pines ( Araifcaria imbricata) 

 from Chili, which have developed into picturesque forms, 

 with their lower branches resting on the ground. These 

 evergreens add remarkable cheer and afford visitors a 

 glimpse of the gayest season even in the midst of winter, 

 when the surroundings are sere and melancholy. 



Superior horticultural skill is manifested throughout 

 the garden. One delights to linger in the dense shade of 

 the trees, whose boughs spread over luxuriant beds of 

 ivy. Here and there among the trees one finds the most 

 solitary recesses naturally contrived for privacy, shade 

 and comfort. Winding walks, occasional statuary, dilapi- 

 dated grottos and artificial water falls still remain to re- 

 mind us of the beauty and dignity of this former Eden. 

 From the large terrace one is afforded a perfect view of 

 the famous castle of Heidelberg, which stands in quaint 

 grandeur overlooking the city as well as the valley of 

 the Xeckar and the plains of the Rhine. 



PROTECT THE GARDEN AGAINST WINTER 

 WEATHER. 



The United States Department of .\griculture gives 

 the following advice regarding the protection of garden 

 plants and shrubs during the winter in suggestions for 

 "putting the garden to bed." 



Cover hardA- perennials, such as peonies, larkspur, holly- 

 hocks, columbines, iris, platycodons, and jjerennial pop- 

 pies, with a good coating of manure or other litter to a 

 denth of 3 or 4 inches. In more southern localities this 

 will hold the frost in the ground and keep the plant from 

 alternately freezing and thawing; in more northern 

 regions the manure will protect the plant from freezing to 

 a depth that will cut off its water supply. 



As soon as the tops of cannas, dahlias, gladiolus, cala- 

 diums and similar plants are killed by frost, dig up the 

 roots or bulbs and store them in a cellar where the tem- 

 perature will remain at 55 degrees, and should never go 

 below 50 or above 60 degrees. Do not shake any more 

 earth from the clumps of cannas and dahlias than is nec- 

 essarv in removing them from the ground. Place the 

 plants on racks or in slat boxes so the air may circulate 

 freely through them. No frost must reach the roots nor 

 must they become too warm or dry. 



Hydrangeas (semi-herbaceous) in the .South will last 

 through the winter out-of-doors, if properly cared for. 

 The tops should be protected with straw or brush. This 

 may be held in place aljout the bushes with a little manure 

 or stones. The flower buds of the hydrangea form in the 

 fall, and this cover will keep them from winter-killing 

 while shielding the bush from winds and sun. In the 

 North hydrangeas must be taken up, planted in tubs and 

 placed in the cellar. This is generally true of latitudes 

 north of Philadelphia. 



.•\s a rule shrubs should not be trimmed in the fall. 

 This process is timely immediately after the blooming 

 period, if this is in the spring, as in the case of the snow- 

 ball. If the shrubs bloom in the fall, as do some hydran- 

 geas, the rose of Sharon, and some lilacs, they should not 

 be cut directly after blooming, but in the spring of the 

 following year. Lilacs, snowballs, and mock orange 

 should be let alone during the winter, being neither trim- 

 med nor covered with straw and manure. 



Almost all kinds of roses are liardy in the vicinities of 

 Washington, D. C, and St. Louis and to the south of a 

 line drawn between these points. From Washington 

 northward local conditions influence the successful cul- 

 tivation of certain varieties. Some roses, as the briar and 

 rugosa, need no protection, but other varieties, such as the 

 hybrid-perpetuals, teas, and hybrid-teas, need special care, 

 particularlv north of the fortieth parallel. Teas and 

 h\brid-teas hardly succeed in Chicago, although the 

 hxbrid-perpetuals grow as far north as Canada. All these 

 classes do well on Long Island and in Boston near the 

 sea when proper care is given them. These varieties in 

 llie vicinity of Washington need merely a little manure on 

 the ground to prevent alternate freezing and thawing. 

 Farther north, however, they should be treated as follows : 



Cut the tops to within 30 inches of the ground. Cover 

 the roots with coarse manure or leaves or similar litter. 

 Hold this in place by evergreen boughs which also acts 

 as a protection. Brush from deciduous trees or shrubs 

 may be substituted for the evergreen boughs except in 

 the most northern regions. 



Mounds of earth about six or eight inches in height 

 should be drawn about the base of the rose bushes to keep 

 th.em from mice. -\s an added protection against mice, 

 pemit the ground to freeze slightly before winter protec- 

 tion is supplied. In fact, roses should not be protected 

 until after the first light freeze. 



In the latitude of Philadelphia and farther south climb- 

 ing roses usuallv need no protection during the winter 

 unless they are a particularly tender varietv. Farther 

 north these roses need protection similar to that given to 

 the tea and hybrid tea roses. 



Where it is possible to do so, remove climbing roses 

 from their supports, and cover the branches with a little 

 dirt. A little fall trimming might be desirable to lessen 

 the space occupied bv the branches on the ground. Such 

 side branches as are not to be needed for next season's 

 blooming may be cut off. Such cutting off and shorten- 

 ing of the ends as would otherwise be done in the spring, 

 mav be done in the fall before covering, merely for con- 

 venience. 



