70 



Tlie Horticulturist and Journal 



Herbaceons Plants. 



WE have no greater proof of the increag- 

 ing love for flowers, than is aiForded 

 by the general inclination to once more pay 

 especial attention to the class of plants 

 above named. Fashion, with her unyield- 

 ing demands, has for several years past in- 

 sisted upon geometrical beds of variegated 

 flowers and highly-colored foliage arranged 

 in stripes and masses, so formal in their 

 character that for a while it seemed as if we 

 were drifting back to the old days of " Topi- 

 ary work " and Italian gardens. 



The traveler in Europe is at once struck 

 with the prevalence of what is there termed 

 the Alpine Gardens, in all the first class 

 places, and he wonders why they are not 

 better known at home. Americans, as a 

 general rule, are slow to adopt innovations 

 of this kind, and especially after having 

 become so interested in the present formal 

 system of arranging their parterres ; but 

 thanks to the few pioneers in floriculture, 

 who are always ready and willing to take 

 the lead in every good work, herbaceous 

 plants will soon be as eagerly sought after, 

 and as justly prized, as their merits deserve. 

 We enumerate their claims as follows : 

 They are hardy ; they form a succession of 

 bloom from the snows of early spring to 

 those of early winter ; every possible shade 

 and tint of color is represented ; in their 

 growth and habit there is such a wide field 

 to select from that we can produce any de- 

 sired efi'ect ; and they are readily and 

 rapidly reproduced. 



In accordance with their choice of loca- 

 tion, gardeners have classified them into 

 three divisions, and the several apartments 

 devoted to their culture are known under 

 the following titles : First, the Bog Garden, 

 for growing aquatic plants, or those prefer- 

 ring a moist situation; secondly, the Alpine 

 Garden, composed of stones and gravelly 

 soil, for plants that are natives of rocky 



' eminences and high mountain elevations ; 

 and thirdly, the Common Herbaceous Gar- 

 den, embracing all plants that succeed well 

 in ordinary garden soil. 



All of these divisions may be gathered 

 into one enclosure, and the effect will be 

 visibly heightened by so doing. 



If water can be introduced by a con- 

 cealed pipe into a mass of rockwork, the 

 owner can then cultivate ferns and other 

 moisture-loving plants, by having a small 

 jet or jets of water to rise from the summit 

 and sprinkle the surface for some distance 

 around. Or the water may be allowed to 

 bubble up out of some fissure, and then 

 slowly run along between and over the 

 rocks, forming a miniature rivulet, and 

 occasionally a tiny cascade, until it reaches 

 the base, where it may spread around for 

 some distance to form the Bog Garden. 



This does not necessitate a very great 

 outlay of money, unless the work should be- 

 on an extensive scale. Anyone with a little 

 ingenuity can construct a small garden 

 such as we have described, simple in its 

 appointments, yet always neat and natural 

 in appearance. Our own woods and swamps 

 will furnish us with a complete outfit of plants, 

 and if means are at our command to indulge 

 in a few foreigners, these can be added from 

 time to time, as taste may dictate. 



In removing our wild flowers we must in- 

 variably study the requirements of their 

 nature, and endeavor to supply these in 

 their new home. It will not do to remove 

 delicate ferns nor choice little plants from 

 the north side of a thicket out into the 

 blazing sun of our gardens. Rather select a 

 shady spot and obtain a portion of rich leaf- 

 mould in which to plant them, and the novice 

 will be surprised to find how readily and 

 kindly they will take to their new quarters. 



The little aquatic garden may be adorned 

 with the gay Cardinal Flower (Lobelia car- 

 dinalis) and Blue Lobelia (L. syphilitica) ; 

 the Arrow Head (Sagittaria), Pickerel Weed 

 (Pontederia), Water-Chinquepen (Nelum- 

 bium), Water Lily (Nymphoea), Yellow 

 Pond-Lily (Nuphar), Lizard's Tail (Sauru- 



