April, 1908 



THE CANADIAN II O R TI C U L T Ull I S T 



79 



i 



plant all down the side of the garden. 

 You wish it to hold herbaceous peren- 

 als in the background and in the mid- 

 le distance, while in the foreground you 

 ould like to plant in due season a se- 

 tion of hardy annuals. First, then, I 

 would caution you against placing in the 

 background any of the tall sunflower 

 tribe, and especially goldenglow. Put 

 these in clumps and odd spots amongst 

 shrubs , preferably well back in the gar- 

 den, where their ragged underlegs are 

 1 asily concealed. Goldenglow is a ter- 

 rible plant to sucker out in every direc- 

 tion to the harm of all its neighbors. 

 The best background plants are holly- 

 locks and the various tall larkspur*. 

 The latter with monkshood grow very 

 well in the neighborhood of trees. In 

 front of these you may grow perennial 



With regard to stocks and asters, while 

 they mix well with many other 

 plants, it is only fair to these splendid 

 flowers, and well within the best canons 

 of taste, to give them if possible the 

 main occupancy of separate beds. 



Sweet peas should be grown in separ- 

 ate beds in order to enjoy their beauty 

 and wonderful flowering capacity. Sweet 

 peas are grown in the best taste only 

 when they are grown on bush supports, 

 rather than on the more formal wire 

 netting. These brief hints will at least 

 give some indication as to the most satis- 

 tory stocking of a large bed. 



BLENDING OI" COLORS 



Our fourth, and last point, bears on 

 the disposal of color to the best advan- 

 tage, a most important question of taste. 



A Border oi Alyssum, Geraniums 



■ iilox in clumps, alternating with the 

 liger lily and the orange lily. Next, mix 

 in clumps, early and late irises, German, 

 ■Spanish or English, and not too many 

 peonies, because they need so much 

 room. No other spring flower is better 

 suited to our western protected gardens 

 ilian the peonies, whose blooms are more 

 magnificent than the rose, and smells as 

 s sweely, while its glossy leaves are 

 n ornament t6 the late fall. Now you 

 nay put in day lilies, late tulips, dwarf 

 irkspurs, Iceland poppies, sweet wil- 

 liams, pinks, coreopsis, and even an as- 

 ter or two, with here and there a stock ; 

 while to the front together with pansies 

 vou can plant such hardy annuals as the 

 dwarf nasturtiums, and snapdragons, 

 imdytuft; phlox, petunia or verbenas. 



and other Things easily Grown. 



because it must be clear to anyone that 

 to plant a pink geranium beside a red is 

 as much a mistake as it is satisfactory 

 to plant red and white geraniums side 

 by side. The blending of colors in your 

 garden is a fine exercise of imagination 

 and needs experience. Every summer I 

 try to imagine what next summer's gar- 

 den shall look like, something different 

 from the bed as it grows before me. You 

 have to keep in mind also the habit of a 

 plant, whether it will bloom early or late, 

 or you may find that your calculations 

 are upset. Njiture makes some marvel- 

 lous blends in very simple ways, to wit, 

 a mass of coneflowers is flung in a ruddy 

 brown sea of top grass, and the effect is 

 handsome. Again, in excellent taste, is 

 the effect of the burning cups of the 



orange lily amidst a mist of waxy 

 blooms of the zygadene.- So indeed 

 tulips glow rpore brilliantly when seen 

 poised amongst the spring greenery of a 

 perennial herbaceous border than when> 

 trimly packed in more or less formal 

 beds. A mass of Shirley poppies make a 

 wonderful blend of color that no effort of 

 yours can spoil, and only requiies a pure 

 green background to be seen at its best. 



SOME SUGGESTIONS 



For a protected garden only, pink or 

 white hollyhocks, pale yellow evening 

 primroses, pale blue globe thistles and 

 pink mallows will make a fine mass of 

 color. For a dwarf bed, plant centrally 

 some coreopsis, annual or biennial ; sur- 

 round these with white candytuft, and 

 early blue Phacelia campanularia ; and on 

 the outer edge add the dwarf empress 

 red nasturtium, alternating with dark 

 blue lobelia. The result will, I think, be 

 very pleasing, and in good taste. It 

 must always be remembered that if 

 planted in masses and with due regard 

 to size of plants, beds of our hardy an- 

 nuals are scarcely ever out of taste, so 

 that the most inexperienced beginner, if 

 he or she avoids crowding, which is in 

 the worst taste, will be able to have a 

 very beautiful and charming garden, 

 without troubling about the refinements 

 of gardening, until experience has edu- 

 cated the patient learner. 



The Hardy Clematis. 



Among the best of woody climbing 

 vines is the clematis. Two of the most 

 hardy and desirable of these are "Clem- 

 atis paniculata" and "C. Jackmani." 

 The former bears pure white, star flow- 

 ers and the latter, violet purple flowers, 

 measuring from four to six inches across. 

 The former will cling well to a chicken- 

 wire trellis ; the latter does better as a 

 pillar or porch climber. A white varie- 

 ty of the Jackmani type is "Clematis 

 Henryi." 



Probably the best soil for growing 

 the clematis is one that is deep, mellow, 

 rich and naturally moist. In dry soils 

 and seasons, water must be applied free- 

 ly for the large-flowered kinds. As soon 

 as young plants begin to run, provide a 

 support. 



Prune old clematis vines in early 

 spring. Cut the large flowered kinds 

 back to the ground each year. Unless 

 wanted for permanet bowers, the other 

 types may be treated similarly. They 

 will live, grow and increase in beauty 

 from year to year. 



The Canadian Horticulturist wants 

 photographs of lawns and gardens that 

 have been made or improved by ama- 

 teurs. Take a photograph or two of 

 them before work is started this spring, 

 and then others later. 



