16 



The Florists' Review 



AuauBT 20, jl*t4. 



TSB part of the Fenway used for 

 the convention garden is charm- 

 inglj located as regards environ- 

 ment. The setting of trees and majestic 

 buildings, which rise on two sides of 

 the garden, is splendid. The other 

 sides, while well screened with trees, 

 present a more secluded appearance. 

 The chain of ponds and lagoons, run- 

 ning irregularly the whole length of 

 the garden, crossed at either end by 

 picturesque stone bridges, adds to the 

 beauty of the scene. Possibly the only 

 criticism is that the land occupied by 

 the garden is somewhat monotonously 

 flat, not a solitary tree breaking up 

 the entire 10-acre stretch. 



The making of a convention garden 

 is no easy task. Had the S. A. P. to 

 provide the necessary funds for making 

 one, its treasury would be empty. The 

 city of Boston spent about $20,000 for 

 loam and manure for the garden. The 

 S. A. P. guaranteed $1,500 for the gar- 

 den's upkeep. Beceipts from those who 

 planted beds will aggregate about $1,- 

 000 over this amount, but the $1,500 

 would not begin to pay for the labor of 

 preparing, planting and caring for the 

 various exhibits. 



Weather Conditions a Hindrance. 



Owing to a change of administration, 

 necessary funds for pushing on the 

 garden work were much delayed. Then 

 a late and wet spring placed additional 

 handicaps, as did the lukewarmness of 

 many of the large exhibitors. It was 

 the middle of May before any planting 

 could be done, but, in spite of all draw- 

 backs, the garden is a reality and one 

 of which the society may well be proud. 

 The lack of sufficient grass is one of 

 the weak features; a few more humid 

 days would have remedied this defect. 

 The growth on nymphseas, cannas and 

 other heat-loving subjects was some- 

 what disappointing, owing to the low 

 temperatures prevailing in Boston prac- 

 tically all summer. 



Great praise is due James B. Shea, 

 superintendent of parks and of the con- 

 vention garden, for his achievements 

 under adverse conditions, Kenneth 

 Finlayson planted most of the beds, in 

 a first-class manner, and John F. Mur- 

 phy did a great deal of really hard 

 work. J. K. M. L. Farquhar and all 

 others connected with the garden de- 

 serve words of commendation. 



Coming to the individual exhibitors, 

 we find some names missing, but it is 

 encouraging to note that those who are 

 not represented are feeling now they 

 made a big blunder in underestimating 

 the importance of the Boston garden. 



Strong Canna Displays. 



Conard & Jones Co., West Grove, Pa., 

 had a fine showing of cannas, filling 

 half a dozen large beds. Noteworthy 

 among them were: Wyomingj Beacon, a 

 splendid scarlet; Miss Kate Deemer, a 

 fine yellow; Olympic; Mrs. W. P. Con- 

 ard, striking; Meteor, scarlet; Mr. 

 Saunders; Rosea Gigantea, the best rose 

 variety in, the garden; Panama, a splen- 

 did bedder, aad Wintzer's Colossal, a 

 robust grower with mammoth light red 



flowers. Thi*'%xhibit was an extremely 

 imposing one. 



A. T. Boddington, New York, had a 

 splendid bed of Hyacinthus (GfCltonia) 

 candicans, a large square bed of Gladi- 

 olus America, which will be at its best 

 a week after the convention, and a 

 superb bed of Canna Panama. A bed 

 of Germania montbretia was planted, 

 but the bulbs rotted, owing to th«*.wet 

 condition of the ground early in the 

 season. 



A. N. Fierson's Large Exhibit. 



A. N. Pierson, Inc., Cromwell, Conn., 

 was a large exhibitor. In one bed Paul 

 Crampel geranium showed itself to be a 

 fine single scarlet bedder. There were 

 two circular beds of dwarf polyantha 

 roses, such as Triomphe d 'Orleans, 

 Marie Pavie, white, and Ellen Poulson. 

 One large bed contained the best 

 grown lot of herbaceous perennials seen 

 in the garden, including stokesias, del- 

 phiniums, astilbes and many other va- 

 rieties. One large bed had acalyphas 

 in the center, followed by Abutilon 

 Savitzii, and bordered with Alternan- 

 thera Jewel. 



Knight & Struck Co., New York, had 

 a nicely flowered bed of Buddleia 

 variabilis grandiflora, and another con- 



taining the firm's HeatheVirome Iviiin 

 of midsummer cosmos, which had oisen 

 in flower since early in June, with 

 flowers equaling those of Lady Lenox 

 in size. 



W. A. Manda, South Orange, N. J.,, 

 was a large exhibitor, showing a wide 

 variety of stock. He had several dahlia 

 beds not much in flower, each edged 

 with Festuca glauca. Two beds were 

 devoted to boxes in a variety of shapes 

 and types. Choice conifers filled an- 

 other bed. In another I noted Begonia 

 Christmas Eed, and a border of Antheri- 

 cum Mandaianum. Boses, Cuphea 

 platycentra, hibiscus. Plumbago Capen- 

 sis, golden privet and many other plants 

 were noted in the dozen or more beds 

 planted by Mr. Manda. 



The Mount Desert Nurseries, Bar 

 Harbor, Me., showed a large bed of 

 coniferous evergreens and several beds 

 of hardy herbaceous perennials, amon<> 

 which Astilbe Davidii, Senecio clivorum 

 and aconitums were the most note- 

 worthy. 



Davenport Shows Euonymus. 



A. M. Davenport, Watertown, Mass., 

 filled two beds with green and varie- 

 gated shrubby evergreen euonymus, in 

 which he specializes. He also had a 



June* B. Shea. 



(Sttperintendent of the ConreDtion Oarden.) 



