i8 97 . 



GARDENING. 



39 



VICTORIA REGIA 



should be entered, on account of the 

 almost black color of its leaves at this 

 season. Ioseph Meehan. 



Philadelphia. 



SOME NOTABLE TREES AND SHRUBS ABOUT 

 THE CAPITOL GROUNDS, WASHINGTON. 



When on my way to Virginia recently I 

 took the opportunity to stop over a 

 couple of days at Washington, to see the 

 trees, shrubs and flowers of that beauti- 

 ful city, and of Arlington and Mt. Vernon. 

 I propose at this time to mention some of 

 those I saw about the capitol building. 

 There were many there that pleased me 

 greatly, not that they were new but be- 

 cause that the delight of seeing them 

 flourish out of doors is denied to us poor 

 northerners. 



Approaching the building from Penns\'l- 

 vania avenue, on the right of the flights 

 of steps is a splendid nook for what are 

 with us considered partly tender plants. 

 There were fine bushes of .4 belia rupestris, 

 full of flowers, lots of the white jasmine, 

 officinale, Scotch broom, etc., and scat- 

 tered here and there through masses of 

 shrubs were some fifty or so of the Mag- 

 nolia grandiflora, in sizes from 6 to 15 

 feet. And how it pleased me to see it 

 thriving as it was, yet grieved me to 

 think we could not get it to thrive here, 

 was the sight of my old friend the Eng- 

 lish laurel, Cerasus Laurocerasus. I could 

 not help wondering why I did not see the 

 Portugal laurel, the sweet bay and 

 Photinia serrulata, as I had supposed 

 them fully as hardy as the English. But 



probably it has been found that they are 

 not. Aucubas, both green and spotted 

 leaved, and many of them in berry, were 

 there too, and in luxuriant growth. 

 Aucubas do fairly well about Philadel- 

 phia, and the Ostr.anthus aquiiolia, which 

 was to be seen in large bushes about the 

 capitol, is entirely at home with us. 



I noticed the use to a great extent of 

 Juniperus prostrata, Bambusa Metake, 

 Yuccas filamentosa and gloriosa, Maho- 

 nia aquifolia, Hypericum calycinum, 

 cotoneasters and yews. The many I'ucca 

 gloriosa plants were' mostly in flower. 

 Some were past flowering, others in their 

 prime, while still others were just show- 

 ing flower. There seemed to me more 

 than one kind among these gloriosas, 

 some having stiff, partly erect foliage, 

 others that of a drooping nature, while 

 still others seemed to have flowered a 

 month ago. Mentioning this to my 

 friend William R. Smith, when I met later 

 in the day, he said there were several 

 varieties of them, and I remember Mr. P. 

 J. Berckmans saying there was an early 

 and a late flowering sort. 



Following on the shrubbery plantings 

 to near the east side disclosed some large 

 groups of English laurels, some individ- 

 uals being 12 feet high and very bushy, 

 indicating that the cold of winter cannot 

 have affected them much of late, if at all. 

 Some very nice specimens of the Japanese 

 holly, Ilex crenata, were here. This is 

 perfectly hard}- in Pennsylvania, and it 

 will be more used as it becomes better 

 known. Here, to, was the hardy orange, 

 Limonia trifoliata, full of fruit, but not 



as full as others seen later on. Both 

 Magnolia glauca and M. grandiflora 

 were to be seen in large size. The grandi- 

 flora was showing ripe pods of seeds; and 

 these pods on this and other trees of it 

 seen were very much prettier than those 

 on our Philadelphia trees become. The 

 flowering with us is too late to permit of 

 the full maturity of the cones, though the 

 seeds perfect themselves enough to grow. 

 Some rhododendrons on the north side of 

 the buildings had seen hard times in their 

 day, evidently. I should think there must 

 be a great sweep of wind where they are 

 at times. And a little farther along were 

 some white fringe, Chionanthus virginica, 

 which seemed discontented with some- 

 thing, either soil or situation. 



Farther away from the building on the 

 grounds surrounding it, are some inter- 

 esting trees. Sophora japonica was in 

 flower. This late blooming tree is most 

 ornamental when of good size. But it is 

 such a slow grower that one must wait a 

 good many years before he sees flowerson 

 the tree he plants. Magnolia macrophylla 

 is pretty always, but a low branched one 

 here, full of its roundish pods of fruit, 

 would have delighted many a one to 

 look at. 



A fine specimen of Cornus Mas, 8 feet 

 high by 15 feet in width, must make a 

 grand showing both when full of its 

 bright yellow flowers in April and its red 

 cherry-like fruit in August. Ziziphus 

 vulgaris is rare in collections, hence the 

 sight of one some 35 feet high and full of 

 fruit pleased me much. This tree has 

 lovely bright green leaves and is quite 



