u 



The Weekly Florists^ Review^ 



Mabch 5, 1908. 



Phloxes at the Mount Desert Nurseries^ Bar Harbor, Me. 



everybody who likes to see florists' art 

 in its highest form. 



"The various trade journals, like our 

 own, devote themselves to the cause, only 

 at much greater length. Every florist 

 and grower for market can read prac- 

 tically word for word what has been said 

 at the conventions, whilst photographic 

 illustrations enable those not present to 

 become acquainted with every import- 

 ant item exhibited, together with the 

 various gentlemen who control the des- 

 tinies of the different societies. 



"From an outsider's point of view, 

 it would appear that there is a deal of 

 difference between horticultural England 

 and horticultural America. At home, the 

 amateur rules the roost; in America the 

 tradesman holds things in the palm of 

 his hand." 



BEDDING PLANTS. 



I have a nice lawn in front of my 

 greenhouses and would like to know what 

 flowers to plant to make a good showing 

 to the public, and how to arrange them. 

 I have Crimson and Baby Eambler roses, 

 yellow and red cannas, coleus of red and 

 yellow colors, white candytuft, periwin- 

 kle and dwarf cockscomb, and I wish 

 also to plant some scarlet sage. Now, 

 will you please tell me how to arrange 

 them when planting in groups? I have 

 round beds to plant in. Would you rec- 

 ommend any of the above varieties 

 planted in one bed? If so, please tell 

 me what to plant in the center of the 

 bed and what variety and color next, etc., 

 to the border of the bed. If you know 

 of any variety of flower that would be 

 better than those named, please give it. 



H. M. 



A ronnd bed of cannas of one solid 

 colot^ either red or yellow, looks well. A 

 band of yellow around red, or of red 

 around yellow, makes a little variation. 

 By using a dwarf variety, like Express, 

 Crimson Bedder or Queen Charlotte, as 

 an edging, there would be no need of any 

 other plants for bordering. We think a 

 solid bed of one color preferable to any 

 mixture. 



Geraniums cannot well be omitted from 

 any list of flowering bedding plants. 

 Jean Viaud, S. A. Nutt, Alphonse Ricard 

 and La Favorite are a few good sorts. 

 The variegated Mme. Salleroi makes a 



nice bordering if you care for such. 

 Cockscombs are stiff for bedding and 

 you would do much better by planting 

 groups or beds of such persistent bloom- 

 ing annuals as petunias, verbenas or even 

 nasturtiums. Scarlet salvia makes a bril- 

 liant show in clumps. Its high color 

 should be kept on the sides of the gar- 

 den you are to plant and not near the 

 center. 



For a large round bed try a musa or 

 castor oil plant in the center; then some 

 of the Italian cannas, such as King Hum- 

 bert or Mrs. Kate Gray, putting some of 

 the French cannas in front of them. A 

 row of Caladium esculentum is preferred 

 by some, but Pennisetum longistylum 

 looks well. If you want some dark-col- 

 ored foliage, use such cannas as Shenan- 

 doah or Robusta, growing six feet or 

 more in height, next to your centerpiece. 

 Vinca rosea and V. alba flower all sum- 

 mer and are very satisfactory bedders. 



Among roses, in addition to the Baby 

 Rambler, Clothilde Soupert, Hermosa, 

 Gruss an Teplitz and Maman Cochet are 

 all continuous bloomers. 



Such coleuses as Verschaffeltii and 

 Golden Bedder may be used as edgings 

 to canna beds or may be planted in sep- 

 arate beds, making an edging of one 

 color and the balance of the bed another 

 shade. You will not find candytuft a 

 continuous bloomer. The fibrous-rooted 

 begonias, such as Vernon and Erfordii; 

 lantanas, ageratums and heliotropes can 

 all be recommended. ' In planting, keep 

 the high colors by themselves and do not 

 make the mistake of using combinations 

 of pink and scarlet. As a rule, you will 

 find beds of one variety more effective 

 than mixtures. C. W. 



PHLOXES AT BAR HARBOR. 



Phlox paniculata has of late gained 

 wonderfully in public favor. It is 

 bound to continue doin^ so, as the 

 knowledge of cultural requirements in- 

 creases and the produce of that abun- 

 dance of large, erect-borne panicles, car- 

 ried on strong shoots, becomes the gen- 

 eral rule. There is no doubt that the 

 introduction of a considerable num- 

 ber of meritorious novelties, in desirable 

 colors and shades, has greatly stimu- 

 lated the demand for hardy phloxes. 

 For rich floral display on the herba- 

 ceous border they are unsurpassed. 



Phloxes can be advantageously grouped 

 together by themselves, to help in 

 brightening up the appearance of both 

 the small front lawn and the little back- 

 yard. -For gay, massive color effect 

 on the terraces of the most pretentious 

 formal garden, Phlox paniculata is to- 

 day almost indispensable. 



Ultimate satisfactory results in all 

 instances depend, however, to a large 

 extent on the preparation of the ground 

 and the proper care of the plants after 

 setting out. It is well to say that 

 phloxes, like many other hardy herba- 

 ceous plants, thrive in any ordinary 

 garden soil, but only under the condi- 

 tion that the garden owner, private 

 gardener, landscape architect, or who- 

 ever plants the stock, realizes that this 

 garden soil is to be , enriched first. 

 Phloxes are to remain in their places 

 undisturbed for from three to four 

 years, and as ultimate results the pur- 

 chaser invariably demands strong, ro- 

 bust growth, healthy foliage, large, well 

 built panicles, bright, clear colors and 

 good sized individual flowers. The pur- 

 chaser is nowhere more outspoken in his 

 desire for perfection than in our north- 

 eastern summer resorts. These are 

 urgent reasons for starting with a lib- 

 eral supply of nourishment, within easy 

 reach of the roots. 



To the great majority of cottage 

 dwellers the beautiful Maine summer 

 seems incomplete without the gay, 

 cheerful array of perennials and annu- 

 als near their homes, and the hardy 

 phlox is a very prominent factor in 

 those arrays. Along the cliff-bound, 

 woody northern Atlantic coast line, cul- 

 tivated garden soil is rather a scarce 

 article. What we have to depend on is 

 frequently the virgin soil of the native 

 woodland. Though mostly rough and 

 very stony, it is not necessarily aU 

 ways poor. For hardy perennials in 

 general, and phloxes especially, the raw 

 soil of the woods was nevertheless sel- 

 dom a means to success. Still, when such 

 soil has been properly enriched and cul- 

 tivated, conditions usually change at 

 once. Further experiences have shown 

 that the beneficent influences of the sea 

 were a great advantage. Nowhere with- 

 in this locality, at present, are the flori- 

 cultural possibilities more closely studied 

 than on Mount Desert Island. Bar Har- 

 bor, as a leading social rendezvous of a 



