242 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



October, 1913. 



View in the Garden of Mr. J. H. Bennett, Barrie, Ont. 



A description of this garden was published in the February issue of Tbe OajuuUan 



Horticulturifit. 



charming effects that have been pro- 

 duced by the expenditure of only a few 

 dollars. The pictures are two views of 

 the house and grounds of "Castle- 

 wraye," the residence of Mr. F. R. 

 Yokome, editor of the Examiner, and re- 

 present the work and time of fewer than 

 a dozen years and the expenditure of 

 only a little money. When the place 

 came into his possession, its unkempt, 

 neglected and weed-grown condition 

 made its purchase price a reasonable 

 one ; but its possibilities made it desir- 

 able. The grounds, half an acre in ex- 

 tent, have the house (with about 75 feet 

 of well shaded and ventilated verandah 

 on the south and east) placed in the 

 middle, so that the sun strikes every 

 window on all sides at some time of the 

 day, subdued in part by the splendid 

 and well-grown trees, chiefly elms, that 

 line the 120 feet of street frontage — by 

 the way the only straight lines about the 

 place^or stand at the margin of the 

 grounds on all the other sides. The 

 grounds are nearly all laid down to lawn, 

 which is not a dead level, but slopes ir- 

 regularly from east to west, and is dot- 

 ted with shrubs of varying kinds and 

 sizes. Along part of the front within the 

 enclosing fence — an unfenced lawn is a 

 "common" — and at both ends of the 

 grounfls, is planted practically a hedge 

 of undipped lonicera and philadelphus, 

 grandiflora, and coronaria — incorrectly 

 called syringa — both easily grown and 

 common, but very effective shrubs; and 

 two or three beautifully-shaped speci- 

 mens stand here and there. Other com- 

 mon but effectively grouped shrubs are 

 althea, wigelia, spiraea, berberry,' two 

 or three varieties of hydrangea, and three 

 or four trees of our most beautiful coni- 



fer, red cedar. Other features on the 

 west part of the lawn are perennial bor- 

 ders, and at the rear is a stationary trel- 

 lis for sweet peas, with a careless hedge 

 of lonicera, white lilac, and philadelphus 

 as a background. With the compara- 

 tive abundance of shrubs and trees, they 

 are as disposed and treated — the trees 

 trimmed high — that there is a good thick 

 turf, whose growing is almost the only 

 artificial and formal element in these 

 grounds. Considering the trifling cost, 

 these grounds, as may be judged by the 

 pictures, give a decidedly charming en- 

 semble, the chief charm of which is its 

 natural, impressionist beauty and home- 

 like, peaceful and reposeful effect, ex- 

 pressed by an appreciative neighbor in 

 the words: "It's an awful homey-look- 

 ing place"; and its adornment didn't 

 cost the price of a set of awnings for an 

 ordinary house. 



The Modern Peony 



J. H. Bennett, Barrie, Ont. 



There is probably no other plant with 

 such varied usefulness as the peony. 

 Its use in beds or clumps and for effec- 

 tive massing in landscape work is un- 

 equalled. There is no handsomer bor- 

 der than one of peonies and here it shows 

 to best advantage in clumps of two or 

 three plants. Other plants may be used 

 if continuity of bloom is desired. An 

 effective plan is to plant narcissus and 

 lily bulbs between the peonies. The nar- 

 cissus gives earlier bloom than the 

 peonies before the latter have finished 

 blooming, and their blossoms last for 

 some weeks after the peonies are done. 



.^n attractive use for the peony is as 

 a low ornamental hedging for a drive, 

 walk, or lawn, where defence is not re- 



quired. The dark, glossy, green foliage, 

 untouched by insects or disfigured by 

 disease, is exceedingly attractive throug! 

 the spring and hot summer months. 



A word of caution may here be given 

 with reference to the blooms of th' 

 peony. After being transplanted peonic 

 will not produce typical blooms the first 

 season, indeed not until they become 

 thoroughly established. Many fine double 

 varieties will throw single or semi-double 

 flowers in the first and second years. It 

 takes fully three years from the tim«- 

 the root is planted to produce normal 

 flowers. Blooms therefore should not 

 be finally judged the first or second sea 

 son, and making comparisons in a large 

 collection before the third season i.s 

 fraught with considerable risk and often 

 leads to disappointment. 



LIST OF VABIETIBB. 



I must of necessity refrain from an} 

 attempt to give a list of the best kinds 

 of peony, as this is to a great extent 

 a matter of opinion, taste, and fancy. 

 I will, however, try to give a list classi- 

 fied as early, mid-season, and late, with 

 a view to helping those amateurs who 

 desire to plant such varieties as will pro- 

 long the blooming season : 



Early white, Festiva Maxima; early 

 pale pink, Eugenie Verdier ; early deep 

 pink, Edulis Supera ; early red, Augustin 

 D'Hour. 



Mid-season white, Madame Crousse ; 

 mid-season pale pink, Albert Crousse ; 

 mid-season deep pink. Princess Beatrice ; 

 mid-season red, Felix Crousse. 



Late white, Mireille; late pale pink, 

 Grandeflora Rosea; late deep pink, 

 Madame Forel ; late red, Eugene Bigot. 



While refraining from giving a list 

 of what may be considered good or the 

 best peonies, there are no poor ones, yet 

 anyone who grows Festiva Maxima, 

 Edulis Sujjerba, Golden Harvest, Modele 

 de Perfection, Felix Crousse, and Eu- 

 genia Verdier will not be disappointed, 

 either in size, color, beauty, or fragrance 

 of the blooms. 



While the first cost of many varieties 

 may seem high, the jjeony is really the 

 most economical plant one can buy, from 

 the fact that it represents a permanent 

 investment and one which pays annual 

 dividends of increase of at least one hun- 

 dred per cent. 



Almost every family of even the most 

 moderate means spends annually quite 

 a good sum on geraniums, and other 

 bedding plants and at the end of the- 

 year has nothing left to show for it. 

 Plant the fjeony and it will last as long 

 as you do, and longer. 



Anyone who undertakes the cul- 

 ture of this most beautiful plant will be 

 amply repaid by the fragrance, beauty, 

 and abundance of bloom, with which hi» 

 garden will be filled. 



