POPULAR GARDENING 



FOR TOWN AND COUNTRY. 



"ACCUSE NOT NATURE, SHE HATH DONE HER PART; DO THOU BUT T/f/iY£."-MiLTON. 



Vol. 1. 



J^F:Ei,XXj, 1886. 



No. 7. 



Waterside Plants. 



The opportunities for waterside gardening 

 are not very common perhaps, but where 

 present, they are worth making the most of. 

 A rill, lakelet or larger body of water on 

 the grounds or bordering it, will afford the 

 situation; those plants natural to wet places. 



A BIT OF WATERSIDE GARDENING. 



the materials, for producing some of the 

 most charming garden effects obtainable. 



Once the brook plants are set out there 

 should be little more trouble with them. 

 The kinds suitable to the place, are chiefly 

 such as take care of themselves in grass or 

 in a wild state; moisture at the roots being 

 one of the great needs of their natures. 



Among plants suitable for the purpose, 

 we would include the Blue Flag, and other 

 native Irises, the .Japan Irises (I. Koemp- 

 feri and seedlings), and the German Iris, as 

 being among the most attractive ones. Our 

 illustration shows some of thera employed 

 in this way. In addition there might be 

 the pretty yellow-flowered Marsh Marigold 

 (Caltha palustris), the Marsh Calla (Calla pal- 

 ustris) with white flowers, the brilliant Car- 

 dinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis), the Blue 

 Cardinal Flower (Lobelia .syphilitica), the 

 Arrow Head (Sagittaria purpurea), the Cat- 

 tail or Reed Mace (T}-pha latifolia), the 

 Pitcher Plants (Sarracenias), the Fringed 

 Orchises (Habenarias), of different colors, 

 and so on. Some of these could be procured 

 in wild places along streams or in swamps, 

 with no cost whatever but the trouble of 

 gathering. Many of the Sedges and Ferns 

 which abound in such places are also decid- 

 edly attractive in this style of gardening. 



In fact, any wild plants of pleasing appear- 

 ance, but not too weedy in character, that 

 could be found in wet soil could be utilized. 

 Some of the regular hard}' plants of our 

 gardens, besides the few included above, 

 would answer very well at the water side, 

 provided they were set a little in from the 

 edge. We would 

 mention for this, .such 

 sorts as the Day Lilies 

 (Hemerocalli.s), Golden- 

 spurred Honeysuckle 

 (Aquilegia chrys- 

 antha), Canadense and 

 Superbum Lilies, Bell- 

 flowers (Campanulas), 

 Phloxes, Forget-me- 

 nots, Loosestrifes 

 (Lysimaehia.s), Spir;T?as 

 Anincus, Palmata, I'l- 

 maria fl., pi, Vcnusta, 

 Lythrums. Epilobiums, 

 AVood Lilies, etc. The 

 Great Reed (Arundo 

 Donax) and the Eula- 

 lias, among ornamental 

 Grasses are great lovers 

 of moisture, and when 

 planted where they can 

 enjoy unlimited 

 draughts of it at the 

 assume great proportions in stalks and 

 branches, jielding a most picturesque effect. 

 Where the soil, in places to be devoted to 

 waterside gardening, is fairly rich in black 

 vegetable matter, little preparation will be 

 needed to fit it up for any of these plants. 

 Often along streams it will be quite other- 

 wise, then we would recommend a course 

 of preparation to suit any other kind of plants, 

 on poor and shallow .soil, namely: working 

 in manure or rich garden loam, or both, to 

 a depth of a foot, in all parts. 



A Selection of Good Shrubs. 



For years we have been urging, as best we 

 could, the free use of flowering and other 

 hardy shrubs in planting both large and 

 small places. It has afforded us great pleas- 

 ure, therefore, to receive the inquiries of sev- 

 eral readers of Popular G.^rdexing for 

 lists of these, and to answer all such, by 

 appending the selection of good, easily grown 

 sorts, which follows below. 



The aim in making up this list was to 

 provide for a continuous display of beauty 

 throughout the year. The months follow- 

 ing each name indicate the time of flowering, 

 or of the greatest attractiveness otherwise: 



Mezereon Pink (Daphne mezereumi, April. 

 Golden Bell (Foi-sytbial. early May. 

 Japan Quince iPyrus Japonioa), May. 

 Double Flowering Plum iPrunus triloba i. May. 

 Flowering .\lmond (Piiinusi, Maj'. 

 Thunberg's Spirtea (Spirsea Thunbergii, May. 

 Plum-leaved Spirsea i Spiraea prunifoliai. May. 

 Lilacs (.Syringia), many sorts, May. 

 Tree Pa?ouy. Itay. 



Busb Honeysuckles (Lonicera), May. 

 Rough-leaved Viburnum iV. rugosura.i. May. 



Lantana-leaved Viburnum (V. lantanoides), Slay. 

 Garland Mock Orange (P. coronariust. June. 

 Double-tlowering Mock Orange. June. 

 Large-flowered Mock Orange ( P. grandiflorus). 

 Silver Bell Shrub iHalesia), June. 

 Lance-leaved Spiraea (S. lanceolata), June. 

 Roses, Summer, Hybrid Perpetual, etc.. June. 

 Dwarf Snowball (Viburnum plicatumi, June. 

 Graceful Deutzia (Deutzia gracilis). .Tune. 

 Double Deutzia. in several varieties. June. 

 Weigela Rose and varieties, June. 

 Red Branched Dogwood, June. 

 White Fringe (Chionanthusi. June. 

 Alder-leaved Cletbra ( C. alnif olia i. July. 

 BiUiard's Spiraea (S. Billardii. .luly. 

 Fortune's White Spirgea iS. callosa albal, July. 

 Fortune's Spiraea iS. Callosa i, July. 

 Japanese Spirgea iS. species Japonica). July. 

 Oak-leaved Hydrangea (H. quercifolia), August, 

 .althaeas Double and Single (Hibiscus*. September. 

 Large-panicled Hydrangea, September. 

 Purple Fringe (Rhus cotinus). July to October. 

 Moneywort -leaved Coteneaster, August and later. 

 Prunus Pissardi. dark red foliage, all season. 

 Purple-leaved Berberry, dark foliage all season. 

 Varieg'td Cornelian Cherry, white-blotched foliage 

 Silver-leaved Corchorus, white-edged foliage. 

 Holly-leaved Mahonia. evergreen. 

 Box. in different varieties, evergreen. 



Making Lawns by Seeding. 



Any but lawns of the smallest area, and in 

 unfavorable places, can be made in this way 

 for about one-third the expense of turfing. 

 To be sure, it requires waiting for several 

 months, before anything like a fair-looking 

 sward will appear (by good turfing a pre- 

 sentable lawn appears almost at once). But 

 then we are of the opinion that a good seeded 

 lawn, in the long run, is finer than one 

 made in any other way. 



The three essentials for securing a fine, 

 close sod, by seeding, are; Rich ground of 

 a suitable character, seed of good quality 

 thickh' sown, and frequent mowing. 



In preparing the soil for the sowing it 

 pays to be at a good deal of pains at the 

 start; results extending through years of 

 time will depend chiefly on this part. With 

 plow or spade, the surface should be worked 

 over to the depth of one foot at least; if it 

 could be three or six inches deeper yet, all 

 the better. Along with this process, some 

 fineh'-divided manure, say at the rate of a 

 good two-horse load to each four square 

 rods of land, should be worked into the soil. 



As the bed is finished, it ntust be seen to 

 that at least .six inches of good soil (that is, 

 not sterile subsoil,) is present in all such lawns 

 as are not to be kept watered in dry weather; 

 but this is quite as essential to those made 

 liy turfing as to any others. Wherever the 

 surface is broken l>y walks, drives, flower- 

 beds and the like, the edges next to these 

 should be made of sod to a width of six or 

 more inches. This will keep the sowed parts 

 from breaking away, as it would do if not 

 thus protected. All stones and roots lying 

 at or near the general surface must be cleaned 

 away, the area be made even and finn with 

 the proper implements, and the surface be 

 worked up fine by the use of a rake or light 

 harrow — the finer the better. Use good seed 

 and plenty of it, applying at the rate of one 



