WILD GARDEN 



WILD GARDEN 



1977 



mak: 



plenty of land and to all persons vvlio deiight 

 nature-like pictures with the help of plants, 

 also be in keeping in many small and humble 

 The plants in a wild garden require less care than those 

 cultivated according to any oth 

 work is that of establishing the plants. If they are 

 right kind they will soon become colonies. All that 

 mains to do is to remove brambles, thistles and other 

 uncomfortable weeds and occasionally check the exu))er- 

 ance of the too vigorous species. On the other hand, 

 wild gardening demands the highest intelligence and 

 taste, close sympathy with nature, and that rare and 

 precious quality— enjoyment of common and every-day 

 things. 



There is no finer feature of autumn landscape in 

 America (so far as herbaceous growth is concerned) 

 than the roadside asters and goldenrods. Yet when 

 William Robinson conceived the idea of wild gardening, 

 these lovely flowers were banished from the English 

 hardy borders. In such an environment they waxed too 

 strong and crowded out many slender-habited plants 

 of delicate beauty. It seemed a pity to exclude these 

 American plants from English estates. The important 

 question was to find a proper environment for them. 

 In the wild garden such plants require less care than 

 in the hardy border, and they present nature-like 

 effects, and are in place. 



Asters and goldenrods are only two examples of the 

 class of plants for which the wild garden was created. 

 There are literally thousands of hardy plants from all 

 over the world that will take care of themsilves when 

 once established in wild gardens. M:iny of tlu'sc- plants 

 are unfit for intensive cultivation. 'I'li. v will mvir be- 

 come general garden favorites. S..iin- cf thiiii crowd 

 out weaker-growing plants. Many of tlj.iii h.-ivt- their 

 "dramatic moment" and then lapse iiitu the loinmon- 

 plaoe or unsightly. Others are too tall or rank or coarse 

 or weedy for conspicuous and orderly positions. Again, 

 many plants are insignificant as individuals but very 

 effective in masses. There are hundreds of interesting 

 plants that fail when measured by the conventional 

 standards. Their foliage may be ill-smelling, sticky o 

 prickly, but " 



3f bloom not long eno gl 



I a nst tl en all 



^ o r com non nat ve plants tl at 



The garden gate is 

 vel m the 



a host 

 Bounc 

 Joins 



I tre e nots 



flag 1 1 1 plants 



er marsh at d aquat c s b)e t w h h properly 

 belong to the mo «t or bog garden 

 „ tl ough tl at IS m rely a department 



of the wild garden. Then there are 

 _^ the vines; and what wonders can be 



an-diiiplished in a wild garden with 

 wild grape, clematis, Virginia 

 cri-epcr, perennial pea, trumpet 

 creeper and bitter-sweet! Think, 

 too, of all the spring flowers and 

 delicate woodsy things, — anemones, 

 columbines, moss pink, Jack-in-the- 

 pulpit, bloodroot.hepatica, Solomon's 

 seal, dutchnian's breeches, ferns, 

 trilliums and violets! Evidently 

 there is sufficient material for a wild 

 garden composed exclusively of 

 American plants, and naturally such 

 material is least expensive. But the 

 wild garden spirit is essentially cos- 



are bienpial, but they resow them- 

 selves. Finally there is a vast num- 

 ber of rare plants that are dear to 

 the heart of the collector, but their 

 names mean nothing to the uniniti- 

 ated. The native shrubs and trees 

 may also have their places in the 

 wild garden. 



