130 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



April, 



The Double Bindweed or Calystegia. 



In the year 1844 there was brought from 

 China to Europe a certain twining plant 

 that produced very handsome, double pale- 

 rose flowers. It was found to be perfectly 

 handy, of rapid growth, especially in light 

 soils and being extremely beautiful, it was 

 gradually disseminated until it got a tooting 

 in many gardens. Later it appeared in this 

 country where it has become widely known 

 although there are yet many gardens in 

 which it is not to be found. 



The plant we refer to is the Double Bind- 

 weed Cdlystcrjia pubcsccnsfl. ))/. of which a 

 faithful engraving is shown annexed. The 

 plant is perfectly hardy and 

 when once it finds a place in a 

 garden we are sure it never will 

 die out. Indeed it has been urged 

 against the plant that it is too 

 tenacious of life, that it cannot 

 be gotten rid of as easily as might 

 be desirable, but after an ac- 

 quaintance with it extending 

 over more than a score ot years 

 we are not inclined to raise this 

 as a charge against the plant. We 

 think it a good point, that the 

 Calystegia adapts itself so readily 

 to common culture, for by this 

 means many people can have a 

 profusion of the charming sum- 

 mer flower, who otherwise, for 

 want of skill in cultivation, might 

 be without blossoms of equal 

 beauty. Still the Calystegia 

 should be used with discretion. 

 Plant it in the midst of a rich 

 garden in cultivated soil and it 

 might spread beyond desirable 

 limits. Its place is in the wild 

 garden or in any uncultivated 

 spot, where there can be no danger 

 of its crowding out more delicate 

 plants. 



One thing that may have led 

 some to look upon the Double 

 Bindweed as an undesirable 

 plant, observing its free growth 

 and very easy cultivation, is that 

 it is closely allied to a number of 

 our native weeds — a case of bad 

 relations. Among these are the 

 Wild Convolvuluses, the Rutland 

 Beauty, and other tlimbers pecu- 

 liar to our hedges and fence rows, 

 and which really must be classed 

 among objectionable plants to 

 the soil tiller. 



The subject of our illustration 

 is especially desirable for clothing 

 trellises, stumps, stone walls and 

 rustic work. It reaches a height 

 of five or six feet. It prefers a 

 light, rich soil and a warm aspect. 

 It is suited to culture in large 

 pots, tubs or boxes about the veranda or 

 court, or it may be grown to hide small 

 fences or to climb round posts. 



Plants of this vine may be purchased of 

 nearly all growers ot hardy garden flowers, 

 a single root need not cost over twenty-flve 

 cents. We see the plant is included in the 

 list of "A Few Hardy Flowers" which the 

 nursery firm of the B. A. Elliott Co., Pitts- 

 burgh, Pa., set forth in their unrivalled 

 catalogue of herbaceous plants. 



Seed may be sown in hot-bed or cold frame 

 in March or April, and when the seedlings 

 are large enough they should be trans- 

 planted into the border about twelve inches 

 apart each way. This treatment is undoubt- 

 edly better than to sow seed directly into 

 j open ground in May; for if the plant has 

 one fault, it is this, that it requires con- 

 siderable time from seed sowing to bloom- 

 ing. Perhaps this is the one reason why it 

 is notmore extensively employed as a border 

 annual in American gardens. It is a great 

 favorite as such in England, France and 

 Germany, and certainly deserves far more 

 attention here than It heretofore received. 



^*/?§.' 



A Talk About China Asters. 



Cultivation has put the annual (French, 

 German or China) Aster into the front rank 

 among the summer and fall-blooming 

 beauties of the garden. Few other annuals 

 rival it in delicacy of tints, in profuseness of 

 bloom, or in symmetry and elegance of 

 its growth. 



Asters require a rich, loamy soil. The 

 roots are produced near the surface, and 

 mulching will be found most beneficial. 



DOUBLE BINDWEED {Calystegia pubescens H. pi. 



In commenting on the annual Asters on 

 trial in the gardens of the Royal Horticul- 

 tural Society (England) at Chiswick, last 

 year. Gardening World mentioned the fol- 

 lowing varieties: 



One of the showiest, most floriferous, 

 and therefore most useful for decorative 

 purposes is the Victoria strain. The plants 

 mostly all attain the average height of one 

 foot, with ascending branches each termin- 

 ating in a large and solitary head. The 

 florets are regularly and closely imbricated 

 and horizontal, or slightly recurved. 



Next in importance, perhaps, are Truf- 

 taut's Paiony-flowered Perfection Asters. 

 The stems are erect, about twelve to fifteen 

 inches high, each branch bearing a smaller 

 head of flowers than in the case of the Vic- 

 toria Asters. The outer florets are inclined 

 to be spreading, while the inner ones are 

 more or less incurved, but the character 

 seems to vary in different varieties, and in 

 some the florets are distinctly recurved. 



The Dwarf Victoria Asters vary from four 

 to six inches in height, but are generally 

 considerably under the latter figure. Many 

 varieties are cultivated. Some of the kinds 

 are distinct and showy. They may be 

 planted sufficiently close to cover the 

 ground, or as edgings to beds, where they 

 would come immediately under the eye. 



The double German Crown Asters consti- 

 tute a distinct and pretty strain, the charac- 

 ters of which are that the florets are quilled 

 or partly so, and of whatever shade of color 

 the outer part of the head may be, the centre 

 is white. The plants are floriferous and 

 erect.except in more favorable seasons, when 

 the peduncles elongate greatly, 

 and become partly weighed down 

 by the weight of the head. At 

 present they vary from ejght to 

 fourteen Inches in height. 



The different varieties of dwarf 

 Chrysanthemum Asters vary 

 from six to ten inches in height, 

 and in many cases are extremely 

 floriferous with masses of large 

 heads. The florets are spreading 

 and recurved at the tip. Very 

 attractive and pretty are Light 

 Blue and Dark Violet, both of 

 which have the florets distinctly 

 edged with white. 



The new X,iliputian Aster is a 

 strain with small quilled flower 

 heads, which are rendered very 

 pretty on account of their large 

 number. The stem grows about 

 ten or twelve inches high, 

 branches freely, and like the 

 others, bears a single head on 

 each branch. A bed arranged 

 with the different varieties could 

 be made to appear exceedingly 

 attractive. 



The Dwarf Queen Aster is some- 

 thing in the way of the Dwarf 

 Chrysanthemum strain, and pro- 

 duces large showy heads on dwarf 

 stems. The strain includes a 

 number of distinct colors, such as 

 blue, rose, white, purple and dark 

 blue. The flower heads are solid 

 and regular, with flat florets re-, 

 curved at the tips. 



The Giant Emporer strain in- 

 cludes a considerable number of 

 kinds that are noticeable for the 

 sil^ size of their flower heads, which 

 are produced from four to six as 

 a rule on each plant. The latter 

 grows about a foot in height. 



The Comet Aster is generally 

 characterized by the florets of 

 whatever color being edged with 

 white, but this is not invariably 

 constant. The flower heads are 

 also of great size, and when in 

 their best condition and true to type are 

 very effective. They vary from six to ten 

 inches high. The Triumph Aster is a 

 dwarf strain, varying from three to six 

 inches high, and bearing few, relatively 

 large, deep crimson-red flower heads. 



The Vine Walk — Clematises on 

 Arches. 



Following on our last month's article re- 

 lating to Clematises, we present an excellent 

 idea on the use of this flower, as found re- 

 cently in Mr. Robinson's London Garden, 

 from which the annexed illustration is re- 

 engraved. 



The uses to which Clematises may be put 

 in addition to the common use of planting 

 them at verandah posts, are, as our con- 

 temporary suggests, exceedingly various. 

 They may be used for training over arches 

 (as in the illustration), for hiding an un- 

 sightly bank or slope.and for draping arbors, 

 old fences, boulders, stumps, and similar 



