338 



HORTICULTURE 



September 2, 1911 



The Edgebrook Greenhouses and Nurseries of • 

 THE CEO. WITTBOLD CO. 



Fine Ferns, Palms, and Nursery Stock 



We solicit the shipping trade and have a full stock especially 



adapted to the needs of FLORISTS and NURSERYMEN 



EDGEBROOK, CHICAGO, ILL., on Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway 



Asparagus Plumosus. Boston 

 Ferns, Dracaena Fragrans, Eng- 

 lish Ivy, Ferns, Jirusalem Cher- 

 ries, Kentias, Latania Borbo- 

 nica, Phoenix Reclinata, Sol- 

 atium Aculeatissimum. 



We now have 80 acres of Nurseries and 70,000 square feet of glass at Edgebrook which is 

 well stocked with a full line of seasonable plants. 



For sizes and prices see ad- 

 vertisement in Buyers' Direc- 

 tory Section, this issue, under 

 Decorative Plants. 



| We now hav« 



well stocked wit 



PARK GARDENING. 



Bead before the Florists' Club of Puila- 



flelphia, August 1st, by Xavier E. E. 



Sclimitt. 



{Continued from page joq) 



It has been our aim to have as much 

 variety as possible and we find that 

 oftentimes a small group gives a great 

 deal of pleasure to the public, if of 

 things that are not met with in the or- 

 dinary lines of the trade. Orchids come 

 in for a lot of inquiry as most people 

 have in mind only cattleyas and a few 

 cypripediums as orchids and it is a 

 revelation when they see some small- 

 flowered or curious orchid in bloom. 



The planting commences with pan- 

 sies and daisies and a few other spring 

 flowering plants about April 10th 

 which is about the earliest with us 

 that planting can be done, followed by 

 geraniums in the middle of May, and 

 by the beginning of June all kinds can 

 be planted. Then in the fall we plant 

 the tulips just as fast as we can so 

 that they can make some roots before 

 the ground freezes over. We plant 

 Mav-nowering tulips in groups among 

 shrubbery, also in colors in beds along 

 with singles, making a succession 

 which is very pleasing and prolongs 

 the season. They are useful where 

 they are succeeded by foliage beds. In 

 fact I always advocate the planting of 

 bulbs of all kinds as such handsome 

 sffects can be obtained for such a 

 .imall outlay. 



For a number of years wt have been 

 paying attention to cacti and other 

 succulents, (of which we have aboul 

 500 species and hybrids) an 1 keep a 

 large set of beds for them with a de- 

 signed ground cover devoted to these 

 during the summer and fall. It is re- 

 markable to note the number of visit- 

 ors who come to inspect these. They 

 ate odd, grotesque and most decidedly 

 peculiar as plants, all visitors will 

 spead some time admiring them. 



We also give some attention to 

 aauauc plants among which the fol- 

 lowing stand out preeminently — Nym- 

 phaea, hardy and tender ones com- 

 bined; the stately Nelumbiums. the 

 two Victorias and many other minor 

 aquatic plants are used. Centennial 

 Lake is one of the handsomest in the 

 park, where can be seen N. odorata by 



the thousands the surface of the water 

 fairly covered with floating stars. 



One class of plants which I will 

 touch on before closing is the Ram- 

 bling Roses, which are used over un- 

 sightly cliffs and enbankments where 

 undesirable trespassing in the latter 

 as well as beautifying in both can be 

 obtained. It would be a grand sight 

 to come across what had previously- 

 been an unsightly wall of rocks to find 

 them transformed with draping ot 

 beautiful green followed by a sheet of 

 blooms later on and in the fall cov- 

 eted l.y brilliant clusters of fruit 

 which will last nearly all winter 

 Among these I would mention Lady- 

 Gay, Dorothy Perkins, Gardenia, Ever- 

 green Gem and in fact, all the Wichu- 

 raiana hybrids and many others. 



I believe from an educational poin 

 of view the Public Park and its sys- 

 tem has much to do in the education o 



the people. Many schools in and 

 around our city visit the park very fre- 

 quently by entire classes accompanied 

 by their teachers to study plant life 

 from nature, also a great number come 

 from afar to study it and to admire. 

 They imbibe civic piide, and adopt as 

 nearly as means will permit, better 

 conditions surrounding their own 

 homes, — the most frequent visitors are 

 that class of people. On the other hand, 

 opening the whole park to the pub- 

 lic and allowing the ireedom of every 

 pait of the grounds for public use (with 

 us there are only a few places where 

 people are not allowed on the grass) is 

 the strongest health feature and one 

 which the parks alone afford. Par;? 

 gardening requires many-sided abili- 

 ties, which when practiced by the up- 

 to-date gardener gives to the visitors 

 from other cities impressions deep and 

 lasting. 



LARGEST IRON FRAME CARNATION HOUSE ON LONG ISLAND, 55x400 FT. 



Owned bv A. Coekcruft. Northport, L. 1. The Big Kroeschell Boiler Exliib: 

 Baltimore Will Heat This House. 



