HA RDY H\ -DRANGEAS. 



The Alpine Auriculas are easily raised 

 from seed, if a first class strain is pro- 

 cured one is sure to get some marvel- 

 lously well-colored flowers ; about seven 

 years ago we raised a batch of them and 

 they grew well for the start, but we had 

 to give them the protection of a cold 

 frame to make them behave well during 

 the winter, as the plants attained size 

 we thought the game scarcely worth the 

 candle, as they say, and planted them in 

 the garden with the intention of letting 

 them live or die as they chose. Their 

 situation was, quite unintentionally, on 

 the north side of a spruce hedge, just 

 about three feet from the lower branches. 

 They wintered there perfectly, and have 

 done so ever since ; they show some 

 good flowers and really fine colors. 



Hardy pinks, among which the white 



variety, Her Majesty, deserves special, 

 mention, are splendid for cutting ; they 

 are always prime favorites in the small 

 garden, as are the hardy Primrose or 

 Polyanthus, including the English Prim- 

 rose. In some places these latter will 

 require the protection of a cold frame. 



Alyssum saxatile compactum is a 

 superb, dwarf, yellow flower, a veritable 

 sheet of gold in its season. 



The Iceland Poppies {Papaver iiudi- 

 caule), in the various colors are much 

 thought of. Aubretia Grceca too, with 

 its pretty purple flowers, deserves atten- 

 tion. Arabis albida is a neat, very early 

 and showy white-flowered plant, without 

 which no collection is complete. 



Webster Bros. 



flaiiii/toii, Out. 



HARDY HYDRANGEAS. 



STANDING preeminently among 

 the most noble shrubs for the lawn 

 is the Hydrangea paniculata gran- 

 diflora, introduced comparatively 

 few years ago from Japan, it now beau- 

 tifies the choicest gardens throughout 

 America, and is grown for sale by the 

 millions. 



The snowy white or pinkish panicles 

 of flowers which open in early-September, 

 are very lasting; in fact, if cut before they 

 begin to wither they last splendidly all 

 winter. 



Just how to obtain the largest and 

 finest flower heads from this shrub is not 

 generally understood. Left to itself the 

 bush will make a large growth in two or 

 three seasons, the growth will then not 

 be so rapid or vigorous, the new wood 

 will be short-jointed, and the flowers 

 while they may appear in great numbers, 

 will look the size of those on young, 

 vigorous plants. It is possible to have 



large, fine flowers from this variety for 

 an almost indefinite time if the correct 

 treatment is given. Hard pruning, after 

 the style that Hybrid Perpetual Roses 

 are pruned for finest flowers, should be 

 adopted. 



That is to say, instead of allowing all 

 shoots to grow up, thin out, in the spring, 

 all but the strongest, and shorten these 

 to from six to eight inches from the 

 ground, the result is large healthy foliage, 

 and fewer flowers of greater size. A 

 specimen bearing a few panicles, say 15 

 inches in length, will command attention 

 where one left to itself may not. It 

 seems hard to cut down the fine strong 

 stems the following spring, but this 

 sacrifice of good wood is the price of 

 fine flowers. 



The variety Paniculata has darker 

 colored bark than the preceding, and its 

 season is earlier, the panicles are borne 

 more upright and are nearly pure white 



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