1890. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



51 



latter are, perhaps, a little more delicate, or 

 rather lese vigorous, than the former. There 

 are several varieties, all of which are almost 

 equally desirable; there being both broad 

 and narrow leaved sorts of the plain section, 

 and of the variegated, gold and silver-edged, 

 and one that is described as tricolor. 



These will all grow in any soil that is 

 worth the name, and in either sun or shade. 

 To do well, their boxes should be fairly 

 drained, the shrubs supplied with plenty of. 

 water in dry, hot weather, and, when they 

 become established, a dressing of rotten 

 manure applied, as they are rather exhaust- 

 ing to the soil. No plants grow better in 

 pots or boxes, in which state they are very 

 useful lor window decoration in winter, but 

 otherwise they may be wintered with the 

 greatest ease in a cool, light celler or a pit. 



The Aucuba japoniea is another tub 

 plant too seldom seen in town gardens. 

 Almost precisely the same remarks on 

 cultivation given for the Euonymus apply 

 equally well to the Aucuba: there is also a 

 variegated form of it, which is very eflfective. 

 This and the foregoing can be obtained at 

 the green-houses usually. 



Among shrubs that are not evergreen the 

 Common Flowering Currants (i?iiic.s) which 

 attain a height of four or five feet are well 

 suited to town culture. They bear a pro- 

 fusion of blooms early in spring, and the 

 growth is very free and robust. A sunny 

 situation and loamy soil are most suitable, 

 but rich soil or manure is not needed. Ribes 

 sanguineum and speciosum are both good 

 forms. 



Lilacs of different kinds may be taken 

 next. Healthy plants that have been grown 

 hard, and on not too rich a soil, if well 

 planted, are sure to do well almost any- 

 where, though if the locality is very shady 

 or otherwise bad, much bloom must not be 

 expected. The Persian Lilac is usually 

 much more free-flowering than the common 

 kinds, as well as more dwarf in habit, 

 though it is rather more difficult to get es- 

 tablished. A sunny position is preferable, 

 but these will grow well in partial shade. 



The various members of the Rhus genus 

 are capital town shrubs. The common 

 Sumach (Rhua ijlabra), as well as its still 

 more beautiful congenor, R. glabra lacin- 



{Rhits rotimin) is an old favorite which is 

 prized for its handsome appearance at mid- 

 summer and later, when it is covered with 

 its large cloud-like, masses of "fringe." Any 

 good loamy soil and a warm, sunny position 

 suit these well. 



The Tree of the Gods {ARdntus (iliiudu- 

 liisii) may be taken as a companion to the 



These include the Flowering Almond, 

 Cherry (double), Catalpa, Paulownia, etc. 

 On the borders or outskirts of cities, or 

 wherever the air is comparatively pure and 

 fresh, many other trees and shrubs may 

 be added to the foregoing list. 



Frequent syringing, by some means or 

 other, is very important for the well-being 



Dr. WendUind's Solamim, Flowers soft slaty purple, chaiigino (o ijolc rosy-shaded purple. 



Ftg.\ A 



Convenient Qreenhouse as seen from the 

 Living Rnom. 



iata, are both desirable shrubs or small trees. 

 A strong plant, carefully put out, is sure to 

 do well, and the beautiful foliage, even of 

 the commoner variety, renders it an orna- 

 ment in any garden. The cut-leaved form 

 is still more desirable, and a well-grown 

 specimen yields to no plant that grows for 

 beauty. The Purple Fringe or Smoke Tree 



above, which it somewhat resembles in ap- 

 pearance and the treatment required. 



Forsythia viridissima and suspensa are 

 both very desirable free-flowering subjects, 

 which will do fairly well in most places if 

 carefully planted in proper soil and a warm 

 situation. 



A plant that has given me great satisfac- 

 tion growing on the north side of the house 

 is the Purple Bramble (Riibus 0(7ocotu.s), 

 also known as the Flowering Raspberry. It 

 grows wild in many places in this country, 

 and whether here or in the garden, forms a 

 clump of vigorous canes which produce 

 showy, fragrant flowers of a rich purple 

 color for a long time in summer. 



Wherever the Rhododendrons suc- 

 ceed, the robust growing sorts will 

 be found splendid things if well plant- 

 ed in proper soil, in not too confined a 

 space, and properly cared tor and kept 

 clean afterwards. The way to obtain 

 good results is to plant with great care, 

 in a well-drained position and good 

 peat soil, sturdy well-grown plants of 

 vigorous and robust sorts. 



The soil naust, of course, be made 

 very firm around the roots, abundance 

 of water must be given in the growing 

 season, and when the plants become 

 established — that is, the roots obtain a 

 good hold of the fresh soil — pretty fre- 

 quent doses of good manure water may 

 be given with advantage in any 

 weather, when the plants are in full 

 growth. But the most important point 

 is to keep the plants clean by the 

 almost constant use (except in wet 

 weather) of the hose or garden engine; 

 do not spare the water, but give it to 

 them from all sides, and as forcibly as 

 they will bear without injuring foliage. 

 A number of species and varieties 

 of the Dogwood, both with plain and 

 variegated foliage, thrive very well in close 

 quarters. The beautiful variegated-leaved 

 Cornelian Cherry of this class is all the finer 

 if grown in a little shade. 



In adddition to the above there are sev- 

 eral subjects which are really trees, but in 

 a small state may be.successfuUy employed 

 for the decoration of the town garden. 



of all kinds of trees and shrubs in close town 

 quarters, more particularly in the case of 

 those with large or glossy leaves. 



A New Ornamental Solanum. 



That very extensive genus Solanum, 

 which gives us the Potato, Tomato, Egg 

 Plant, etc., contains but few species of 

 value for ornamental purposes. Among 

 the latter the Solamum jasiminoides a de- 

 sirable greenhouse climber from South 

 America and Solanum Dulcamara a hardy 

 species of the north, rarely cultivated, are 

 the better known. 



It is a pleasure therefore to note a new 

 ornamental Solanum, Wendlandi, which 

 was received at Kew, England, from Costa 

 Rica in 188:2, and of which our English con- 

 temporaries speak in the highest terms. 

 According to the Gardener's Magazine (from 

 which we have re-engraved the annexed 

 illustration) the plant is a vigorous climber 

 which in its native home clambers over 

 trees. This habit it has retained at Kew 

 where it spreads freely in festoons from 

 rafter to rafter in the cool Water I^ily house, 

 presenting delightful garlands of green 

 leaves and purple flowers, and proclaiming 

 its fitness for universal cultivation, as a 

 first-class greenhouse climber. 



The writer further says without fear of 

 question, that in the past season at Kew it 

 has delighted all beholders. It flowered 

 continuously from June to October and the 

 effect it produced was both distinct and 

 gratifying. Our figure shows the flower 

 and leaves faithfully, but slightly reduced. 



The plant is entirely glabrous, with green 

 stem and branches armed with a few short 

 prickles ; the leaves variable, the uppermost 

 three lobed, all bright green with yellowish 

 midrib and veins. The flowers are in ter- 

 minal cymes, the corolla at first a beautiful 

 soft, slaty purple, which changes to delicate 

 pale rosy purple, shading to soft grey; the 

 anthers yellow. The fruit is described in 

 the Botanical Magazine, as globose, but the 

 Kew plants have not as yet produced fruits. 

 In a further stage of development the older 

 plants may prove fruitful, and a new attrac- 

 tion may be hoped for, the fruits of Sola- 

 nums are not unseUiom gaily colored. 



