250 



Garden and Forest. 



[May 21, 1890. 



one-sided raceme and hang downward, so as to be partly hid- 

 den by the leaves. ■ Although it is in some respects a more 

 interesting plant than the Andromeda, the general effect in 

 cultivation is less pleasing, not only because its Mowers are half 

 concealed, but because its foliage is not so bright. Before the 

 best bloom of these plants has passed away another evergreen 

 species, the so-called Water Andromeda (A. polifolia) opens 

 its blossoms. This little shrub grows a foot or more in 

 height, and in nature is commonly found in swampy situa- 

 tions ; but it is easily cultivated in any good, moist garden 

 soil, provided that it does not contain too much lime. The 

 leaves are narrow and dark green above and white beneath. 

 The Mowers, which are borne in clusters on the ends of the 

 branches, are nearly globular in shape and have a very small 

 opening at the mouth. The color varies on different plants 

 from white to a decided rose, but generally the color of the 

 Mowers is faintly rosy. This charming little plant usually 

 Mowers much later in its native haunts, but under the warmer 

 inHuences of garden cultivation the Mowers are developed in 

 early May and last for a considerable time. 



Spircea Thunbergii is fast becoming popular and more 

 widely disseminated. It deserves to be known to every one; 

 for, besides being the earliest of its genus to blossom in the 

 spring, its whole aspect is graceful and the delicate foliage 

 assumes very bright and attractive colors in the late autumn 

 and is persistent after many other shrubs have lost all of their 

 leaves. At Boston it usually begins to Mower in the latter 

 part of April, and is whitest with bloom about the end of the 

 Mrst week in May. Three weeks later the seed ripens and 

 falls to the ground, where, under favorable conditions, it at 

 once germinates, and strong little plants may be produced 

 before the end of the season. Many of the Mower buds and 

 some terminal shoots were killed during the past exceptional 

 winter, but enough buds remained to develop fully and give 

 the plants a very white and attractive appearance. 



Arnold Arboretum. J. G. Jack. 



Notes on Hardy Plants. 



ONE of the Mrst native Phloxes to Mower is the Ground or 

 Moss Pink (P. sitbulatd). Its natural home is on dry, 

 rocky hills and banks, but it can be grown in any light soil. 

 It is common in cultivation and forms dense mats of its 

 creeping stems, so that when established and in Mower it dis- 

 plays a solid mass of color. Its Mowers are rose-purple, half 

 an inch or more wide; the average height is about four inches. 

 It is surpassed in the size and brilliancy of its Mowers by Phlox 

 reptans, a species growing much in the same manner, but two 

 or three inches taller, and with reddish purple Mowers, often 

 an inch wide. This species is only a few days later than the 

 Moss Pink, and can be grown in shady corners. Its natural 

 home is in damp woods. In a moist, light soil it can be grown 

 in open sunlight. It spreads from creeping stems, and a few 

 plants set thinly soon form a dense bed. 



Too much cannot be said in favor of the white California 

 Trillium (T. sessile, van Calif or nicum), the beautiful dark 

 green leaves, the large, almost pure white petals, often two 

 inches long by three-fourths of an inch wide. The durability 

 of both Mowers and foliage and its perfect hardiness make it 

 second in value to T. grandiflorum alone. 



The Mrst to bloom of our Dentarias (Tooth-worts or Pepper 

 roots) is D. laci?iiata, a little plant six inches high, bearing a 

 small corymb of pale purple Mowers. This species grows in 

 moist, generally in loamy, soil, and in the shade. It lasts but 

 a few days, and its Mowers and foliage are quite pretty. 



The variety of the Bird-foot Violet ( V. pedata, var. bicolor) 

 is a smaller plant than the typical species, but its Mowers are 

 more strongly marked in color and it is one of our prettiest of 

 Violets. It needs shade, or a partly shaded location. 



CaltJia leptosephala is a species from Oregon and Washing- 

 ton, with white Mowers and roundish heart-shaped leaves, 

 much resembling our common Marsh Marigold (C. palus- 

 iris), except in color; but its white Mowers are a poor substitute 

 for the bright yellow ones in our species ; they are not as large, 

 nor are they produced in such profusion. It would be useful 

 to plant with the common species for variety, and it seems to 

 prefer moist or wet situations. I have not tested its hardi- 

 ness, but think it is probably hardy enough for New England. 



Dicentra formosa, an Oregon species, is now in bloom. Its 

 foliage is quite pretty, and the Mowers are half an inch or more 

 long by two-thirds as wide, and of a dull rose-purple color, 

 borne in small clusters on naked stems from the root, eight or 

 ten inches high. It is an attractive plant, but not nearly as valu- 

 able in any particular as our eastern D. exima. This species 

 is larger, with larger and more numerous Mowers of a brighter 



rose-purple color. It blooms from early spring until Septem- 

 ber. Its large clusters of showy Mowers are on long naked 

 stems from the root, and both leaves and Mowers would be 

 valuable in bouquets. It thrives in the shade, or, if in a light 

 loamy soil, it will do well in open sunlight. 



In many localities scattered over our meadows and pastures 

 at this season of the year, wherever it can Mnd a vacant spot 

 in which to take root, may be seen in Mower the charming 

 little Houstonia ccerulea, commonly called Bluets. The centre 

 of the Mower is usually yellow, but the outer portion varies 

 from nearly pure white to light blue or pale lilac. It grows 

 as commonly in places as a weed, yet it is never a pest. It is 

 such a low little plant — seldom four inches high — and Mowers 

 so early before the grass has attained any size that it seems to 

 be independent and harmless. It is a biennial, but it scatters 

 its seeds, so that when once planted it continues to grow from 

 year to year. 



In the autumn of 1887 we received, from a correspondent in 

 St. Petersburg, a few bulbs of Fritillaria pallidiflora. They 

 were planted out and have stood two Vermont winters with- 

 out protection. They have bloomed and borne seed each 

 year. Unlike some other plants of this genus, this Fritillaria 

 seems to propagate faster from seed than from scales. Its 

 height is about one foot, and it bears from three to six large 

 bell-shaped, pale yellow or straw colored Mowers, an inch and 

 a half long by an inch in diameter. These turn to a dull 

 rose-purple with age. It is an attractive plant, and sure to 

 become popular when more generally known. It thrives in 

 almost any garden soil. 



There is more than one form of the Silene Pennsylvanica 

 (Wild Pink). We get- from Pennsylvania a white-Mowered 

 variety which is not showy. But from other localities what 

 seems to be the true type has beautiful pink Mowers. It is 

 not so easy to grow as the Fire Pink {S. Virginica), but when 

 established will well repay the cultivator, and it comes into 

 Mower early. It needs to be set early the previous autumn in 

 order to become established for Mowering. Plants set in the 

 spring do not seem to get established so as to Mower the same 

 year. It likes a thin shade and a Mne loamy soil. 

 Southwick, Mass. F. H. Horsford. 



Hardy Plants for Cut Flowers. — -V. 



"C*EW of the Campanulas are useful for cutting, though all 

 -*- are good border plants, and most kinds are hardy. Cam- 

 panula persicifolia and its many forms, especially the double 

 white, are good for cutting. The double kind grows freely, 

 is easily propagated by division, and the Mowers last well when 

 cut. There is a native species, C. divaricata, that can be used 

 in the same way as Gypsophila pa7iiculata. The small blue 

 Mowers of the Campanula have a pretty effect, for they are 

 produced in the greatest profusion on much branched stems, 

 one to two feet high. 



Echinacea purpurea is a late summer composite, with large 

 purplish Mowers, which are very showy and durable. The 

 plant lasts in bloom fully two months, and we have known 

 Mowers to last for weeks in water after having been cut. This 

 plant is often sold as E. intermedia, which, with Rudbeckia 

 purpurea, are but diMerent names for the same plant. This 

 Echinacea is thoroughly hardy, a native of the western states, 

 and easily raised from seed, the seedling plants Mowering the 

 Mrst year. Much has been said in favor of Chrysanthemum 

 maximum for cutting purposes, and it certainly is a free 

 bloomer, but C. lacustre is by far the best plant of the two for 

 this purpose. It Mowers at intervals all summer, while C. 

 maximum gives but one crop of Mowers inferior to those of 

 C. lacustre, for these are larger, of good substance, on stems 

 two to three feet long, white, with yellow centre. Both of 

 these Chrysanthemums are easily propagated by division and 

 are thoroughly hardy. C. lacustre prefers a moist soil. 



We had been led to expect much from Heuchera sanguinea 

 as a plant for winter blooming under glass. Our plants were 

 strong clumps when lifted in fall, and were kept in a moder- 

 ately warm house, but they are only just commencing to 

 bloom on being planted in the open air. Judging from other 

 Heucheras, it is doubtful if H. sanguinea would Mower in the 

 open in summer if forced during winter, but this does not de- 

 tract from its value, as its hardiness is now fairly well proved. 

 The elegant little coral red Mowers, borne on long wiry stems, 

 are sure to be appreciated wherever they are given a trial. 



While on the subject of red Mowers one is reminded that 

 the old scarlet Lychnis is a good and useful plant that does not 

 easily lose its hold on the appreciative public. It is a good 

 perennial and very easy to propagate, as it seeds freely. The 

 double variety is the best of the two for those who do not 



