lO 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



October, 



After Dreary Winter the Gay Tulip 

 and the Fragrant Hyacinth. 



Hardy bulbs must always remain one of 

 the chief resources of the manager of small 

 parks, open spaces and pleasure grounds in 

 and near large cities, so long as it is his de- 

 sire to make an early spring display to 

 please the eyes of the multitude. And to do 

 the latter should be one of his chief objects. 

 The winter is long and gloomy, and at its 

 end a flue display of color, agreeably con- 

 trasting with the first green 

 of the young grass just 

 starting, will always be a 

 pleasing thing and a great 

 attraction. 



The Tulip and Hyacinth 

 stand at the head of these 

 bulbs, and are largely used 

 for such purposes both here 

 and in Europe. Last spring 

 we noticed and admired 

 some fine beds of this kind 

 in the smaller parks of New 

 York City and elsewhere, 

 and there were few passers- 

 by who would not linger at 

 least a little while to en- 

 joy the sight. Our illustra- 

 tion, reduced fi'om Garden- 

 er's Magazine, shows a few 

 places in England where 

 Tulips and Hyacinths were 

 prominently displayed last 

 season. 



The great advantage of 

 spring bulbs is that they 

 can be planted after the 

 summer show of bedding 

 plants is over, and come off 

 in time to plant for another 

 summer display. Thus they 

 are not interfering with 

 anything else. The priv ite 

 gardener can also draw his 

 lessons from these displays 

 of Tulips and Hyacinths 

 To be effective they should 

 be planted in masses, m 

 solid blocks of color and 

 rather close. Varieties 

 that are at once cheap, dis 

 tinct and effective can here 

 be used with best advant- 

 age. Planting these bulbs 

 sparingly and far apart, will usually only 

 make a poor show. 



at least the Candidum and Auratum Lilies, 

 and a white, pink, and red P*onia. Though 

 their season of bloom is not long, their large 

 handsome flowers attract much attention, 

 and please the "men-folks" better than 

 anything else. 



If care can not be given to shrubbery, re- 

 strict yourself to Snowballs, and Lilacs, 

 which do not mmd neglect. For Roses, take 

 time to care for Mad. Charles Wood, (crim- 

 som), La France (pale pink), Gen Jacqemi- 



Flowers for Busy People. 



MRS. LOBA S. LA MANCE. 



For a number of flowers, obtained with 

 little trouble, nothing surpasses a bed of 

 herbaceous perennials and hardy bulbs. A 

 good long bed should be marked out, filled 

 rich mellow .soil, and planted in spring or 

 fall, placing the tallest growing plants at 

 the back or in the center. Most perennials 

 can be grown from seed, but busy people 

 had better buy plants instead, which are 

 much less trouble, and will bloom first sea- 

 son. Among the best sorts to plant are the 

 Perennial Phloxes, which bloom a long time 

 in immense panicles of white, rose and pur- 

 ple; the Delphiniums, in long spikes of blue; 

 the Hollyhocks, double as Roses, and the 

 new Helianthus, large as Dahlias, and yel- 

 low as gold. The more modest Achillea and 

 Feverfew, which area mass of white blooms 

 all summer, should not be forgotton, nor 

 the Bleeding Heart; coming at a time vihen 

 flowers are scarce. 



If to these are added Crocus, TuUps, and 

 Datt'odiUs, which will bloom as soon as frost 

 is out of the ground, and Chrysanthemums 

 for late blooming, a succession of flowers 

 will be had from early spring to late fall. 

 Only early varieties of Chrysanthemum 

 should be chosen for out-door display. In 

 addition, every perennial bed should have 



TULIPS AND HYACINTHS IN MASSES. 



not (dark red), and Washington (climbing 

 white). These are constant bloomers, har- 

 dy, and only need pruning and enriching in 

 the spring. Nothing is easier to care for in 

 the way of climbers, than the Honeysuckle 

 and Passion-vine. With these you will have 

 all the flowers needed at little expense and 

 trouble. The Perennial needs no care but 

 an occasional hoeing, and a dividing of 

 clumps of roots once in a while. 



Floral and Other Notes. 



E. P. FOWELL, ONEIDA CO.. N. T. 



I have recently seen in one of our best hor 

 ticultural journals all ornamental hedges 

 condehined. I cannot agree with this. The 

 Scarlet-flowering Quince makes a fine hedge; 

 the Lilac is also good, but best of all is the 

 Bush Honeysuckle. It does well in spite of 

 abuse, if given half a chance. If a busli gets 

 killed back, it is up again within two months, 

 and stout as ever at the close of the season. 

 The flowers are lovely, and the berries equal- 

 ly so. The robins eat the berries in prefer- 

 ence to Raspberries. 



The Japan Quince is superb in blossom. 

 These are white, red, and pink flowering. 

 So of the Tartarian Honeysuckles you will 

 be able to procure red, pink, and white flow- 

 ering ones. 



Another ground screen or hedge may be 

 made of Catalpas cut down and grown as 

 bushes. They will blossom superbly at three 

 or fo\ir feet high; and in .luly make a very 



beautiful display. Set them six feet apart. 

 The Ribes make pretty, small hedges show- 

 ing finely in early May. The list of good 

 shrubs for hedges is quite long. Of course, 

 these ornaments need care, and as a rule, (tU 

 hedges tend to become ugly if neglected. 



Some old-fashioned flowers give us a sen- 

 sation of comfort, and I am always glad to 

 rest my eye on them. Yesterday a bunchof 

 Batchellor's Buttons was handed me. It was 

 truly an elegant bunch of flowers. The 

 Grass Pink of our mothers' 

 gardens ought also to be re- 

 stored to favor. How fine- 

 ly it served to border beds. 

 Everywhere nowadays 

 Pinks of all sorts are neglec- 

 ted. Even the Heddewigs 

 have gone out of fashion. 

 There is no Pink, however, 

 in the world to cempare 

 with hardy Carnation or 

 Garden Carnation, or mere- 

 ly Pink as some growers 

 call them. I have always 

 known them as the Clove 

 Carnations. They are the 

 most exquisitely scented of 

 all Pinks, entirely hardy 

 and perennial. Theyshould 

 be renewed, however, about 

 like Sweet Williams, by 

 keeping fresh plantations 

 under way each year. Now 

 add the Sweet Williams to 

 the list and never say 

 enough. This is one of the 

 flowers In which I delight. 

 Cut ott the early flower 

 stems and get a full bloom. 

 To these join a plenty of 

 Nasturtiums. There are few 

 things more delicious and 

 wholesome. How well I 

 remember the pots of "Stur- 

 tion" pickles of forty years 

 ago. They were good, as 

 good as the higgledy-piggle- 

 dy messes that are now 

 chow-chowed. 



A good deal of quiet com- 

 fort comes also from an 

 herb garden. Sage should 

 once more be a favorite 

 in family use. I find it 

 very pleasant occasionally to lay aside choc- 

 olate and drink Sage tea with plenty of 

 cream; as for Chinese teas and coffee they 

 are not tolerated in my family. Summer 

 Savory is the best of herbs for soups and 

 meats. Pennyroyal and Carraway make 

 me think that I am once more walking with 

 the little mother who so delighted in them 

 half a century ago, and that is enough to 

 make me plant them. Should not our gar- 

 dens be useful to retain the past as well as 

 to suggest progress? 



The Hollyhock is my pride. I do not know 

 a finer plant, all in all, than this malvaceous 

 giant. It stands on my lawns in at least 

 fifty distinct shades of color — from black and 

 red to yellow and white. Everybody enjoys 

 them; and visitors drive ten miles to exam- 

 ine them, and asks for seeds. 



Our farm grounds should he rendered 

 more beautiful every way. Hollyhocks 

 should stand about our back lines and 

 fences; and Lilacs and other shrubs about 

 our barns and other buildings. Over all 

 sheds and barns should grow Grape-vines 

 and running Roses. The shame of our homes 

 is that we run lawn mowers in front and 

 keep Gehenna in the rear. Nothing can be 

 conceivably more vile than the average barn 

 surroundings of our American homes. A 

 new departure here is sorely needed. But 

 I am leaving my topic, and however tempted 

 must let the <iuestion of ornamentation as to 

 this subject drop for the present. 



