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THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



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A SIMPLE PLANTING SCHEME TOR A TOWN LOT OF MCDI UM SIZE 



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moisture. It is difficult to get plants 

 to do well near trees for this reason. 



Starting the Garden from Seed. 



Some of the best gardens are those 

 which cost the least. Raising the 

 plants from seed is a cheap method of 

 beautifying the lot. In order to germ- 

 inate properly, seeds must be sown in 

 fine friable and fairly moist soil. Shade 

 must be provided for the first two or 

 three weeks. It Is a good plan to start 

 seeds in flats or pots, in the house or 

 a hot-bed. Seed should be covered 

 about three or four times the depth of 

 its diameter. That is, fine seed is just 

 covered with fine soil, while larger 

 seed is sown from one-eighth to one- 

 half inch deep, according to the size. 

 The soil must not be allowed to dry out, 

 and water must be applied with care 

 and caution. Several slightly different 

 methods will bruig equal success, as 

 there is no trick in successfully grow- 

 mg most flowers from seed. After the 

 seedlings are several inches high they 

 should be transplanted. 



Some flowers may be raised success- 

 fully by sowing the seed out doors, as 

 sweet peas are sown. Transplanting is 

 not necessary in such cases. At the 

 time of transplanting the seedlings it 

 is well to remember that you will have 

 greater success if the work is done in 

 the evening or on a dull day. After 

 they are pricked out, water well. This 

 prevents wilting, and hastens growth. 

 About the middle of April is a good 

 time to start seed indoors. For outside 

 sowing, sow as soon as the ground is 

 dry enough, or about the first and sec- 

 ond weeks of May will give good re- 

 sults. 



Beautifid Shrubs. 



For early spring bloom — Snow Gar- 

 land (Spiraea arguta). Sweet Scented 

 Currant, (Kibes aureum) Lilacs. 



For spring and summer — ^Van Hout- 

 te's Spiraea, Mock Orange, (Philadel- 

 phus) Honeysuckles. 



For late summer and autumn effects 

 — Japanese Rose, (Rosa rugosa) Hy- 

 drangea paniculata, Japanese Barberry. 



Evergreen Shrubs — Japanese Cy- 

 press, (Retinospora), Japanese Yew, 

 Junipers. 



Ornamental Trees. 



Small trees — Siberian Pea Tree, 

 Mountain A.sh, Flowering Crab Apple. 



Large tiees— Weeping Cutleaved 

 Silver Maple, Purple Leaved Norway 

 Maple, Lindens (Basswoods). 



Evergreens — White or Norway 

 Spruce, Rocky Mountain Blue Spruce, 

 Pines. 



Small evergreen trees — Siberian Ar- 

 borvitae, Pyramidal Arbor-Vitae, 

 Dwarf Pines. 



Perennial Flowers. 



Bulbs for spring effects — Crocus, 

 Narcissus, Tulips. 



Flowers for early spring — Colum- 

 bines, bleeding-heart. Oriental Poppy. 



Flowers for spring — Iris, Paeonies, 

 Day Lilies. 



Flowers for early summer — Pinks, 

 Foxgloves, Delphiniums, Hollyhocks. 



Flowers for summer — Coreopsis, 

 Blanket Flower, Shasta Daisy, Lilies. 



Flowers for late summer — Phloxes, 

 Rose Mallows, SuufloM'ers. 



Flowers for autumn — Japanese Ane- 

 mones, Perennial Asters, Heleniums. 

 Vines for House and Porch. 



For the house— Self-fastening Vir- 

 ginian Creeper. 



For porch or verandah — Bitter 

 Sweet Vine, Dutchman's Pipe Vine. 



For trellis work or fence — Native or 

 Japanese Clematis. 



Annual Vines. 



Cup and Saucer Vine, Canary Bird 

 Vine, Eceremocarpus, also Sweet Peas, 

 Nasturtiums and Morning Glories. 



Annual Flowers. 



Low growing — Pansy, Verbena, 

 Drummond Phlox. 



Medium height — Snap-Dragons, Ten- 

 Week Stocks, China Asters. 



Medium height also, if room, Petu- 

 nias, Zinnias, Pin Cushion flower. 



Tall varieties — Cosmos, SalpiglossLs, 

 Everlasting Flowers. 

 Boses. 



Six useful garden varieties — Frau 

 Karl Druschki, (whitej, Madame Rav- 

 ary, (yellow), Mrs. John Laing, (pink), 

 Ulrich Brunner, (cherry red), Hugh 

 Dickson, (brilliant crimson), Etoile de 

 France, (velvety crimson). 



Pruning Shrubs 

 H. E. Thatcher 



The pruning of hardy shrubs is one 

 of the most important matters connect 

 ed with them, but it is very imperfectls 

 understood. We see far too often the 

 lamentable results accruing from a lack 

 of knowledge of their individual n- 

 quirements. All that is generally coi-- 

 sidered necessary is for an incompetent 

 woirkman to give tihe shrubs an annual 

 trimming with a pair of shears, witii 

 the result that when the work is finisli 

 ed the shrubs all have about the samt 

 rounded, stiff appearance ; much of the 

 old growth, which should have been re- 

 moved, is left and forms a mass of use- 

 less growth; and the young woo<i, 

 which should be carefully preserved 

 for future blossom, is cut away. 



It is not possible to lay down any 

 hard and fast rule, as shrubs differ si> 

 much in their individual requirements, 

 but it is better not to prune at all than 

 to prune indiscriminately. The large 

 majority of flowering shrubs produce 

 their blossoms during the spring anc! 

 summer months, and some of these, 

 such as the Philadelphus, Deutzias and 

 Forsythias, which produce their 

 flowers on wood of the previous sea- 

 son's growth, are improved by having 

 some of the flowering stems cut clear 

 out as soon as the blossoms have fallen. 

 This will help to strengthen the new- 

 growths sent out from the base and 

 give them a better opportunity of be- 

 coming we'll ripened before winter sets 

 in. 



The majority of hardy shrubs require 

 very little pruning beyond occasion- 

 ally removing the old growth so as to 

 keep them shapely and open to enable 

 them to receive the full benefit of the 

 sun and air. It is only by intelligent 

 study and actual practice that one can 

 become conversant with the require- 

 ments of different shrubs. 



The sections that are enabled to en- 

 joy bird life the most are those that 

 contain thickets of shrubs and trees. 

 Birds nest and live in these and pay 

 their rent bj catching injurious insects 

 and furnishing music. Many birds have 

 brilliant plumage, which adds color 

 and beauty to the thicket in which 

 they live. 



