66 



GARDENING. 



Nov. /j;, 



The Flower Garden. 



THE SPRING FLOWER GARDEN. 



In the October 15th issue of Gardening 

 we spoke about bulbs for the spring gar- 

 den but as there are a great many other 

 plants (mostly hardy) that bloom in 

 spring and can be associated with the 

 spring flowering bulbs a few words about 



is a choice plant of easy culture, it has 

 beautiful, finely cut foliage and showy 

 bright yellow flowers at the end of each 

 branchlet. It grows about a foot high 

 and blooms about April 10. 



Sanguinaria canadensis (blood root), 

 though plentiful in the woods around 

 Mahwah, still a place was also given it 

 in a shady part of the garden, as we 

 regarded it as one of the prettiest spring 

 flowers we had. The foliage is very hand- 

 some and the flowers appear just as it 



VASE OF MRS. JEROME JONES. NINE FEET IN HEIGHT. AT THE BOSTON SHOW. 



them may not be out of place. In the 

 cottage garden at Mahwah we had a 

 large collection of these plants and from 

 early in April until the end of June we 

 made it a point to have a big display. In 

 this way a long season of flowers was 

 had, which is not the case if only summer 

 flowers are grown as these are never at 

 their best until about the end of June. 



Among the many good things that 

 flower early in spring I would place the 

 mountain rock cress, Arabis alhida, at 

 the head of the list. It makes a grand 

 edging plant and lasts a long time in 

 perfection. The flowers are white, 

 arranged in little round heads and the 

 foliage is glossy green. It comes in 

 flower about April 6, and lasts all 

 through May, it is nice for cutting and is 

 a very desirable plant. Adonis vernalis 



is unfolding. The 1 looms are pure white 

 but are of no use for cutting purposes. 

 It flowers about April 12. Aubretia 

 violacea is a dwarf growing plant of 

 spreading habit and bears blue flowers. It 

 makes a nice edging plant and is best 

 raised from seed each year, as it looks a 

 little ragged after it is through flower- 

 ing. A. Leichtlinii has rose colored 

 flowers; in habit it is similar to violacea 

 but comes into flower two weeks later; 

 about April 12. 



Phlox subulata and its variety alba 

 are showy, creeping, moss-like evergreen 

 plants that are well adapted for edgings. 

 They flower very freely; in fact the foliage 

 is completely hidden with purplish pink 

 flowers. The variety alba has pure white 

 flowers which commence to bloom about 

 April 20, and last through May. P. pro- 



cumbens comes into flower a little later 

 with habit the same, but with flowers of a 

 lilac color. Forget me-nots, wintered 

 over in a cold frame, come in handy for 

 early spring work. They are much 

 prized for cutting and are very easily 

 grown. Ours lac-t spring came into 

 flower April 20 and lasted until the end of 

 June. The variety semperflorens blooms 

 later and bears flowers nearly all summer. 

 The variety Victoria did best with us as 

 the sprays are longer, making it more 

 useful for cutting purposes. 



Iris pumila was the first of the irises to 

 flower. It makes a nice edging plant as 

 it only grows about six inches high. It 

 bears purple flowers which come into 

 bloom April 24. The perennial poppies 

 are very showy. P. nudicaule, j'ellow, 

 and its variety alba are very showy when 

 in flower. The foliage is also pretty, be- 

 ing in dense tufts aud finely cut. It grows 

 about a foot high and sends its flowers 

 well above the foliage on long clean stems 

 making it nice for cutting. April 25 it first 

 bloomed. P. alpinum came into flower 

 at the same time. There is little differ- 

 ence in the two varieties except that the 

 foliage of alpinum is a little finer than 

 nudicaule; still both should be grown as 

 they last a long time in flower. Iris 

 cristata is one of the nicest of the dwarf 

 sorts having flowers of a light shade of 

 blue (ringed and spotted with yellow. 

 Like J. pumila it makes a fine edging 

 plant. April 30, is the time it blooms. 

 The Chamea iris has bright yellow flowers 

 and is very dwarf; it came into flower the 

 same time as cristata. 



Trillium grandidorum is a common 

 plant in our woods, but where it is given 

 a place in the garden with good soil, the 

 improvement in the size of the flower is 

 remarkable. It is a beautiful flower and 

 should find a place in every garden. It 

 flowers about May 1. Primula Sieboldii 

 is one of the best of the primroses. The 

 foliage of this variety dies down over 

 winter, the flowers appearing with the 

 young leaves. It grows about eight 

 inches high and lasts a long time. The 

 flowers vary from pure white to deep 

 crimson. It likes a shady place in which 

 to grow and comes into flower about 

 May 3. Iberis sempervirens, the ever- 

 green candytuft, is one of our showiest 

 spring flowers and is indispensable in 

 every garden. It grows about a foot high 

 and has flat heads of pure white flowers 

 which are much used for cutting; flowered 

 April 3. 



Doronicun, plantagineum is a biautiful 

 plant growing about two feet high. The 

 flowers are yellow, about three inches 

 across and borne in great profusion. This 

 is a choice plant but sometimes a little 

 hard to grow; it came into flower May 3. 

 Anemone sylvestris (the snow drop 

 anemone) grows about a foot high, has 

 large cup-shaped, pure white flowers on 

 clean stems borne well above the foliage 

 and will either grow in the shade or open 

 looking nice the whole season. Came into 

 bloom May 4. The single pasonies bloom 

 about two weeks before the double ones 

 and very choice they are. The flowers ot 

 many of them are of very large size. There 

 are all colors to be found among them 

 from pure white to deep crimson; the 

 foliage is also handsome. They grow 

 nine inches to two feet high, and bloom 

 about May 5. 



Viola cornuta is a good plant for 

 amateurs to grow as it begins to bloom 

 early and if kept watered will last the 

 whole of the season. It is a very free 

 flowering plant and likes a partially 

 shady place in which to grow. The flow- 

 ers are blue resembling single sweet 



