CULTIVATION OF NATIVE PLANTS. 



an agreeable and delicate fragrance. 

 The Knotgrass, so common in our door- 

 yards, has a pretty little white flower ; 

 the Thyme leaved Speedwell, often found 

 growing in lawns, has very beautiful little 

 pale blue flowers, in terminal racemes, 



" Nor India's rarest gem outvies 

 The little Blue-eyed Grass." 



Among native plants, we have such 

 climbers as Clematis Virginiana, the 

 Virgin's Bower, sometimes seen on 

 verandas, and which retains its silky 

 mass of feathery tails for a long time in 

 the fall ; Adhimia cirrhosa, Mountain 

 Fringe, with small but pretty leaves and 

 pink flowers ; Vitis cordifolia, our native 

 Grape, with fresh and luxuriant foliage 

 and bright berries ; Ampelopsis quinque- 

 folia, the Virginia Creeper, more gener- 

 ally grown and better known than most 

 native plants ; and Echinocystis lobata, 

 the Wild Cucumber, an annual, easily 

 grown from seeds. 



Among bog and aquatic plants, we 

 have Nymp}i(za odorata, the Sweet- 

 scented ^Vater Lily ; Nymphcea tuberosa, 

 the Tuberous Water Lily ; Nuphar ad- 

 vena, the Common Yellow Pond Lily ; 

 Typha latifolia, the well-known Cat 

 Tail or Reed Mace ; Caltha palustris, 

 Marsh Marigold ; Cal/a palustris, Marsh 

 Calla, which seems to ofier a fine oppor- 

 tunity to the hybridist for cross-fertiliza- 

 tion with either the Little Gem or com- 

 mon Calla ; Alisma plantago. Water 

 Plantain ; Acorus calamus. Sweet Flag ; 

 Iris versicolor, Blue Flag ; with different 

 varieties of Sarracenia, Pitcher Plant ; 

 Lemna, Duckweed ; Saggitaria, Arrow- 

 head ; various aquatic orchids and ferns, 

 and numerous other plants, which will 

 thrive in deep or shallow water or in 

 merely damp places, and whose culture 

 can be best understood from their natu- 

 ral mode of growth. 



Nature has distributed our Ferns with 



a generous hand, and when required for 

 the flowerless nook or shaded bank, 

 they can be found in abundance in 

 every locality. One only Adiantum 

 pedatum, the Maiden Hair Fern, need 

 be particularly mentioned, because it is 

 not known and appreciated as ir de- 

 serves. It grows about a foot high, and 

 its black shining stems, forked fronds 

 and recurved branches, present a simple 

 grace of outline and elegance of form 

 that are unsurpassed in beauty. It 

 flourishes in rich soil with good drainage 

 and plenty of moisture, and does well 

 in shade or not too strong sun. 



Some of our native plants that do 

 best in ordinary cultivation may be no- 

 ticed in brief detail : 



Achillea millefolium Yarrow or Mil- 

 foil, has white and purple flowered 

 forms, very common and not of much 

 value; but the rose colored form (rose- 

 urn) is a jewelled beauty, its heads of 

 flowers going well with the fern-like 

 foliage. It is in bloom for two months, 

 but is, like most of the Achilleas, in- 

 clined to spread. 



Anemone nemorosa, Wood Anemone, 

 grows not more than 6 inches high 

 and blooms in May. Flowers white, 

 tinged with purple, leaves dissected, 

 trifoliate. There is a red flowered 

 variety which is very attractive. 



Anemone Pennsylvanica or dichotoma, 

 Pennsylvanian Anemone, grows in low 

 meadows, about i8 inches high and 

 often flowers from June till September. 

 It has showy, pure white flowers, held 

 above the foliage, and does well in 

 shade. 



Aquilegia Canadensis, Canada colum- 

 bine or wild honeysuckle, one of the 

 best of the columbines, i to 2 ft. high, 

 has brilliant scarlet and yellow flowers 

 in May and June, and is sure to please 

 the most fastidious. 



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