POPULAR GARDENING 



FOR TOWN AND COUNTRY. 



"ACCUSE NOT NATURE, SHE HATH DONE HER PART; DO THOU BUT THINE."— J^UvToa. 



Vol. 1. 



JTJIsrE, 188S. 



No. 9. 



June. 



When the pathway that winds to the woods 



Is hidden in Flag flowers bhie. 

 And the airy Bircli has never a smirch 



On her silver^* gown, but dew : 

 When in Roses sweet and Honeysuckles, 



The breezes perfume their wings, 

 ■V\Tien Strawberries hide in the meadows wide. 



And Laxu'els wake by the springs; 

 When the blue skj- laughs the whole day long. 

 And the heart is light as the thi-ush's song, 



Oh, then it is merry Jime. 



— Susan Hurt ley. 



Plants for Winter Flowers. 



It is none loo early to lliink about getting 

 up the flowering plants that are to embellish 

 Ihc window or conservatory next winter. In 

 fact the difference between having plants at 

 that season that will be full of flowers or 

 else flowerless, will be owing largely to 

 whether or not some foresight is used in 

 preparing such during the present summer. 



Amateurs often wonder how the florists 

 get such large crops of flowers through the 

 winter while they succeed so poorly in rais- 

 ing the same kinds. It is not owing wholly 

 to the superior conveniences of the former, 

 but very largely to their knowing better how 

 to prepare plants for winter bloom. 



In the first place let us lay down .as a main 

 principle, the fact, that no plant can flower 

 profusely all through the summer and 

 amount to much for winter blooming. 



Walk through a florist's grounds in mid- 

 summer and many Carnation plants, for ex- 

 ample, m.ay be seen, but without a flower. 

 These are designed for winter use, and the 

 reason they have no flowers is only that all 

 flower buds have been kept down Ijy pinch- 

 ing. This is done to the plants until towards 

 fall, with the result of producing vigorous, 

 bushy stocks, which after that will throw 

 off, and are capable of maturing heav}- crops 

 of flowers, right through the winter. 



That which is true of managing Carnations 

 is also true of Geraniums, Bouvardias, Be- 

 gonias, Violets, Fuchsias, Heliotropes, and 

 some others. Every one of these kinds, to 

 be in the best shape for winter flowering, 

 must be deprived of their summer flower 

 buds, and the sooner after this date the pinch- 

 ing-back proce.ss is begun the better for the 

 winter's crop. 



Geraniums are justly great favorites as 

 window plants in the winter. None others 

 are easier to manage for having a tine show 

 of flowers from November on, than these. 

 Plants for this purpose may be grown dur- 

 ing the summer, either in pots or bedded out. 

 The former course calls for greater care in 

 the matter of watering and .shifting into 

 larger pots during the season, l>ut there is no 

 chance of the plants receiving a check from 

 being lifted from the ground and potted 

 later on, as is the case, in some degree, 

 through the other means. 



Such as are bedded for the purpose should 

 have ample space in the beds for develop- 

 ment, and should then be taken up and 



potted with great care during the first half 

 of the month of August. 



Of the plants named above, it may be said 

 that the Heliotrope does not lift as well as 

 most others, on which account, it is usual)}- 

 considered preferable, to bring the plants 

 through the summer in pots. 



While the growing of winter flowering 

 plants during the summer in pots is consid- 

 ered the most gardener-like way of manag- 

 ing them, still it may be said of the other 

 course, that there is a saving of perhaps one- 

 half the labor, while the results may be 

 nearlj' as satisfactory. 



Watch the Camellias Now. 



A Camellia plant, growing in a pol, Avill 

 suffer unto death from dryness, without .so 

 much as showing it by the leaves flagging. 



On this account we caution growers to 

 take particular pains, during the summer 

 especially, to see that the plants have all the 

 water they need, but not judging as to this 

 by the appearance of the leaves. One may 

 remove a branch of this plant, throwing it 

 into hot sunshine, and the leaves will retain 

 their color for da3's, whollj' tmlike those of 

 other plants under similar circumstances. 



A peculiarity of the Camellia, now also 

 to be considered, is that its flower buds ap- 

 pear six or more months before they open. 

 They may usually l)e seen as early as this 

 month, and continue to enlarge during the 

 summer and fall, flowering later on. 



Now it should be understood, that l)ad 

 summer watering of the Camellia has much 

 to do with the verj' common trouble, of the 

 flower buds dropping from the plant before 

 opening in the winter. Growing, as the buds 

 do, all through the warm season, should the 

 the plants become injuriously dr}' a few 

 times during this period, the former will re- 

 ceive injury in a way that will be almost 

 certain to cause them to drop before devel- 

 oping into flowers, and yet they will grow 

 on all the while. 



In the summer care of these plants, there- 

 fore, it must be made a rule to water them 

 enough each time they need it, so as to leave 

 no doubt but that the ball of earth in the pot 

 is soaked to its very center. This attended 

 to rightly and almost the only critical point 

 in their care at this season is overcome. 



A Rose-leaf Pillow. 



We do not refer to one which derives its 

 name from having Rose leaves embroidered 

 or otherwise worked upon the surface, but 

 to an easj' and sweet cushion for the sofa or 

 lounge, filled with dried Hose leaves, instead 

 of with hair or feathers. 



Such an one is easily made, and in .June, 

 the month of Roses, is the time to make it. 

 As to how this should be done we are briefly 

 told in a contribution from an esteemed 

 reader from the western part of this State, 

 who modestly signs herself " Sue." She says: 



"Gather all the Rose leaves yoti can — 

 those from fading Roses being just right. 

 Spread these lightly over paper to dry, after 

 which the}' may be stored in a paper bag as 

 they accumulate, until enough are saved. 

 One thing you will notice, and that is, that 

 a considerable quantity will be needed. 

 You will no doubt feel well repaid for all 

 the work, even should two or more years be 

 required to gather enough. Perhaps the 

 help of some of your friends, or better still, 

 of a neighboring florist, might be secured for 

 furnishing the delightful material. 



"Whether such a pillow contains any sooth- 

 ing or medicinal properties I am unprepared 

 to say, but the fragrance is, at the least, very 

 agreeable and strong enough to perfume an 

 entire room, if it be kept somewhat close. " 



Rose Culture in America. Why Not 

 More Successful. 



That the Rose, so far as beauty and fra- 

 grance are concerned, excels all other flow- 

 ers is universally acknowledged. Were 

 any proof as to this desired, none other 

 woidd be needed, than the fact that where 

 a business is made of the sale of cut 

 flowers, nearly as much money is realized 

 from the sale of Roses, as from all other 

 kinds of flowers taken together. Such is 

 especially the case in our large cities, where 

 the increased taste in the use of flowers lias 

 so greatl}' developed in recent years. 



But while this is true of Roses in the di- 

 rection referred to, we wish it could also be 

 said, that the extent of and success at their 

 culture by the people in general, was nearer 

 in proportion to the merits of this grandest 

 of all flowers. Such a statement could not, 

 in truth, well be made at the present time. 

 All amateurs who grow flowers may admit 

 the supreme worth of the Rose, but perhaps 

 not more than one in five of the number, 

 really pretend to grow Roses well and in fair 

 abundance in their collections of flowers. 

 Too often they have no faith whatever in 

 their ability to grow Roses. 



Is this because the Rose is not adapted to 

 our climate and soils, as our other garden 

 plants are ? In answer it is enough to say 

 that this flower, in some of its species, is 

 native to every section of our country. Go 

 where we will and thou, O Rose ! in some 

 of thy beautiful forms, art there before us. 

 Even so far north as Hudson Ba}' certain 

 species of Roses are at home. The fault is 

 not to be found in this. 



We believe that a fundamental cause of 

 failure in amateur Hose-culture, lies in the 

 matter of our cultivators ignoring too much 

 the many flue and thoroughly rclialde sorts, 

 and attempting, instead, to grow such deli- 

 cate ones as will (mly succeed by a course 

 of very delicate treatment. This no doubt 

 is often done through ignorance ; if so, we 

 .should learn wi.sdom. 



Let us Ijcar in mind that most of the mul- 

 titude of improved Ko.scs olfered in this 



