246 



• * • GARDENING. 



May /, 



asparagus will grow 20 feet tall if given 

 "a chance," that is if given a string or 

 branch to twine on. It is often grown in 

 pots and not encouraged to make a long 

 growth because it is really of more value 

 to the average florist for cutting in 

 sprays of a foot or so long than in strings 

 of 7 feet, and when in short growth has 

 far more grace and beauty than the long 

 ones. Nothing equals it in short sprays 

 for mixing with a bunch of roses, and it 

 clean discounts Maiden Hair fern or any 



are showing well and give promise of a 

 wealth of bloom. Amongst the plants in 

 bloom nothing is giving more satisfaction 

 than a large mass of narcissus of the vari- 

 eties Sir Watkin and Oueen Bess. They 

 both opened their first flowers the 7th of 

 April. The first named is one of the finest 

 narcissi we have in the garden (and we 

 have many). The flowers are very large, 

 when fully expanded being over three 

 inches across, the color a rich golden yel- 

 low. This daffodil is both showy and 



Beans growing in a pot. 

 AN AMATEUR'S GREENHOUSES 



other fern, for mixing with a bunch of 

 flowers. 



It is raised from seed and it is rather 

 a long process to get a strong plant, so 

 I would advise buying of a firm that 

 makes a specialty of raising palms, lerns, 

 etc. 



The principal thing in the culture of the 

 asparagus is to have it in a solid bed. If 

 you want good strings this is absolutely 

 necessary. It will thrive well in a night 

 temperature of 50° to 55° and will absorb 

 any amount of animal manure, like all 

 this family. I tried to grow Asparagus 

 plumosus on a bench with eight inches of 

 soil, and after doing grandly for a few 

 months it turned yellow. So give it a 

 solid bed or large pot where you can feed 

 it. W. Scott. 



The Flower Garden. 



PLANTS IN BLOOM APRIL 15. 



We now have spring flowers in great 

 abundance, the fine weather we are hav- 

 ing at present bringing us something new 

 nearly every day. All the spring flowers 



easy to grow and is in every way to be 

 commended. Queen Bess does not have 

 such large flowers but as the color is dis- 

 tinct both should be grown largely. 



The hyacinths are now quite showy but 

 it will be a week before they are at their 

 best; it is quite noticeable where the sec- 

 ond grade of bulbs were used; the named 

 varieties are far superior to the mixed, as 

 they come in flower all about the same 

 time, giving fine large spikes of bloom, 

 while in the mixed ones some are in 

 flower while others are just breaking 

 through the ground. They opened their 

 first flowers April 3. 



The hardy primroses are now begin- 

 ning to make quite a show. The common 

 varieties are of easy culture; they like a 

 half shady, moist situation. They are 

 easily raised from seed and a large 

 stock is soon worked up in this way. If 

 sown in June they will make fine plants 

 lor the following spring. They are better 

 if given the protection of a cold frame the 

 first winter, for although they are quite 

 hardy, if left unprotected they may not 

 all flower. The double varieties in a cold 

 frame are now giving a wealth of bloom 

 and how beautiful they are! The flowers 

 are very large and as double as a dahlia. 

 Those who wish superfine flowers should 



grow some of these double primroses; the 

 yellow, white and lilac all are worth 

 growing. The polyanthus or bunch prim- 

 roses are just beginning to flower; they 

 are good and showy and like the prim- 

 roses a stock can be worked up from seed 

 quite easily. The same treatment as for 

 the preceding. 



Erythronium dens-canis (Dog's tooth 

 violet) has been in good bloom of late but 

 is now past. The large flowered one 

 {giganteum) is yet in good flower; it is 

 the finest one of all. Our native one 

 (americanum) in the woods is not yet in 

 flower. 



Arabis albida (mountain rock cress) is 

 now making a fine show; it is one of the 

 best early flowering perennials we have. 

 The large sprays of white flowers are 

 borne on leafy stems and in such profu- 

 sion as to almost hide the olant. It is 

 nice for cutting and lasts for some time 

 in bloom; it should be in every collection 

 of hardy plants. It is easily raised and 

 comes true from seed. 



Another fine dwarf perennial which is 

 now in full bloom is Aubretia violacea. 

 This is a charming little plant with small 

 purple flowers, and so well does it bloom 

 that the foliage is almost hidden. The 

 variety Leichtlini has rose colored flow- 

 ers and is the best of them all, but a little 

 later to bloom than violacea, A. grseca 

 and .4. Eyrei are not yet in flower. 



Adonis vernalis came into flower April 

 8, and is now making a fine show. It 

 has beautiful finely-cut foliage and bright 

 yellow anemone-like flowers at the end 

 of each branchlet. We consider it one of 

 the choicest early spring flowers we have. 



Sanguinaria canadensis (Blood-root I 

 although a native plant too much of it 

 cannot be grown to associate with other 

 early flowering plants. The handsome 

 broad glaucous foliage alone makes it 

 valuable, but the additional merit of 

 beautiful, large, white flowers borne in 

 great profusion when the leaves arejust 

 unfolding makes it specially desirable. 

 It likes a shady nook to grow in and 

 when once planted it will increase fast 

 and soon make the prettiest clump of 

 spring flowers you have in your garden. 



The daisies ( liellis perennis) that were 

 wintered in thecold frames are now nicely 

 in flower and are very useful for spring 

 gardening. Snowball is a fine large 

 white and Longfellow has large double 

 rose colored flowers. These will last a 

 long time in bloom and need very little 

 care in winter. The forget-me-nots, win- 

 tered the same as the daisies, are just 

 beginning to flower, but it will be a week 

 or two before they make much of a show. 



The grape hyacinths, Muscari botry 

 oides cceruleum. At. azureum, M. concin- 

 num, and Af. album are quite conspicuous 

 in the garden. They last a long time in 

 flower, and when grown in a mass or 

 broad line they are seen at their best. 

 They are easy to grow, sure to flower, 

 and should find a place in even- garden. 



Scilla siberica is still in fine flower and 

 how showy it is when planted close to- 

 gether. Crocuses are no w past their best, 

 and so are the spring snowflakes. 



Tulipa Kaufmanniana is the earliest of 

 our tulips to flower, opening the 7th of 

 April. In color it is rosy white. Blooming 

 so early makes it valuable, although we 

 have a great many better and snowier 

 tulips in the garden. Anemone fulgens 

 has been in flower for over a week and is 

 the earliest of the anemones to bloom 

 with us. The flowers are scarlet. They 

 do not last a long time in bloom, and 

 have to be grown in a sheltered place as 

 they are not reliably hardy. The same 

 can be said of the .4. corouaria varieties, 



