ORNAMENTING HOME GROUNDS. IOO. 



be attractive all summer. Among the earliest flowering - hardy 

 shrubs are Daphne mezereum and the Forsythias which bloom 

 before putting- forth leaves — usually about the first of May. 

 Following these shrubs are the Magnolias, the Red Bud or 

 Judas Tree, the Hawthorns, the apple and the cherry among 

 small trees. The magnolia will succeed only in the southern 

 counties. Some of the best second early shrubs are the 

 Azalias, Bush Honeysuckle, Japan Quince, Double Flowering 

 Plum, Flowering Almond, Lilacs in variety and the earlier 

 Spiraeas — especially Van Houteii, prunifolia and Thunbergii. 

 A little later come the Weigelas and Mock Orange (Philadel- 

 phus) and the Japanese Rosa rugosa. In late summer we have 

 the late Spiraeas — as Bumalda, Billardi, Callosa, etc., — the 

 "Smoke Bush" (Rhus cotinus) and, best of all for massing, the 

 hardy Hydrangea. 



The brightness produced by bulbs and hardy perennials will 

 well repay a small outlay in this direction. In earliest spring 

 we have the Christmas Rose (Helleborus niger), the Snowdrops 

 (Galanthus), Crocuses and Pansies. A little later Tulips and 

 Hyacinths appear, and these are followed by Columbines, Lily- 

 of-the-Valley, "Bleeding Heart" (Dicentra) and Peony. In 

 summer and early fall, the Japan Anemone, the Golden Colum- 

 bine (Aquilegia Chrysantha), the Foxglove, Hollyhock, Plan- 

 tain Lily (Fiinkia) and the numerous species and varieties of 

 true lilies are all very effective and are easy of culture. 



WHEN TO PLANT. 



But for the difficulty of obtaining well matured stock in the 

 fall, I should advocate setting most trees and shrubs in Sep- 

 tember and October; because of this difficulty, however, spring- 

 planting is usually advisable. All planting should be done just 

 as early in the spring as possible that the trees or shrubs may 

 become well established before the leaves are put forth. 



Hardy herbaceous perennials such as phlox, digitalis, holly- 

 hock, columbine, etc., should, as a rule, be planted in September. 

 The same is true of most bulbous plants, including the crocus, 

 hyacinths, lilies, tulips, etc. The gladiolus is usually set in 

 spring. 



