September, 19 14 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



41 



Butterfly weed {Asclepias tuber osa) is 

 somewhat similar in habit, thought very 

 much larger and coarser. In mid-summer 

 its brilliant orange panicles are something of 

 a color problem, but it deserves a place 

 somewhere. The old-fashioned hen and 

 chickens {Sempervivum tectorum) must not 

 be forgotten. Looking like a tiny squat 

 century plant, it never fails to interest. 



No more delicate yet easily grown plant 

 can be found for the wall than Dicentra ex- 

 imia, with flowers and lacy foliage all sum- 

 mer. The small veronicas, too, are worth 

 trying. V. rupestris and V. repens are 

 creeping plants with showy flowers, the first 

 blue, the second white, in May and June. 



Thrift is an old favorite, and is usually 

 advised for wall and rock gardens. Experi- 

 ence, however, shows that it dies in shabby 

 brown patches, rarely giving the expected 

 satisfaction. Armeria maritima, var. alba 

 is the best. Neat grass-leaved tufts, like 

 those of the thrift are occasionally desirable. 

 Where a somewhat coarser growth can be 

 used, try common garden chives. It is a 

 nice little plant, and in the flower garden 

 will attract pleased attention that ignorantly 

 scorns it in the vegetable border. 



Gypsophila repens is another creeper, with 

 white flowers in July. This reminds me of 

 another member of the family, Gypsophila 

 paniculata, known usually by the wretched 

 title of baby's breath. Here, at last, is 

 one plant which we prefer to think of by its 

 latin name, which is charming. Its other 

 popular title, chalk plant, is quite colorless 

 by comparison. It grows rather too large to 

 put in the wall. But planted at the foot its 

 cloud of white flowers makes a most inter- 

 esting foreground. Sea lavender (Statice 

 latifolia) should be used in the same way. 



Three plants that are exceedingly im- 

 portant for the spring time are gold dust 

 (Alyssum saxatile and its varieties) rock 

 cress (Arabis albida, A. alpina) and false 

 rock cress (Aubretia deltoidea). They are 

 stunning and may be used in quantities. 

 If closely pruned immediately after flower- 

 ing, gold dust will repay with a second, 

 though more scattered flowering in the early 

 Autumn. 



Several of the herbs make good wall gar- 

 den subjects. Pre-eminent stand the thymes. 

 They are easily grown, are neat and hand- 

 some, and have a strong agreeable frag- 

 rance. The smaller varieties are best for 

 the wall. Old-fashioned mother of thyme 

 (Thymus Serphyllum) is always satisfactory. 

 Rosemary delights by association as much 

 as because of sterling garden qualities. In 

 the North it would rather die than endure 

 our wretched winters, and needs coaxing to 

 pull through. Put it in a sheltered, well 

 drained place. Plant a few waldmeister 

 (Asperula). Try a sprig of it as the Ger- 

 mans do, instead of mint in a julep. 

 Calamint (Calamintha alpina) is worth 

 a trial. 



Be generous in your use of periwinkle 

 (Vinca minor). It is the best of evergreen 

 covers around rocks. Another good trailer 

 is moneywort (Lysimachia Nummularia). 



Many of the more loose growing plants 

 do nicely in the wall. Coral bells (Heuchera 

 sanguinia) is a constant pleasure all sum- 

 mer, as is the Carpathian harebell (Camp- 

 anula Carpatica) . If you have a moist spot, 

 forget-me-nots will do finely. The colum- 

 bines flourish, especially the common Ameri- 

 can red and yellow variety, which is about 

 the prettiest. Iceland poppy (Papaver 

 nudicaule) is a great favorite with the 



discerning and thrives between the rocks. 

 The various crane's bills should be included, 

 of which the common wild Geranium san^ 

 guineum is as good as any. Leadwort 

 (Plumbago Larpentce) succeeds in most 

 places, and is well worth a trial because of 

 the continuous blue flowers. The woolly 

 yarrow (Achillea tomentosa) with yellow 

 flowers in the summer, is useful and pretty. 



Occasionally put in a strawberry. You 

 will be delighted with the way it hangs 

 down the wall. The same is true of the 

 old-fashioned perennial sweet peas (Lathyrus 

 latifolius). Be sure to get a white or good 

 pink variety of the latter, as most of them 

 are just off color. 



In shady places many ferns and mosses 

 do finely. The most interesting way to 

 do is to collect them in the woods and try 

 them out. 



There is one shrub which must not be 

 omitted. Cotoneaster horizontalis, planted 

 at the top, will fall in long delicate sprays, 

 to form one of the most ornamental features 

 of the garden. 



It is important to build the garden at 

 the right time. The wall might succeed if 

 started in Autumn. But the chances are 

 that the unaccustomed plants would be 

 loosened by frost and wind without the 

 summer's growth in place, and many things 

 would probably winterkill next the cold 

 stones. The foundation should be started 

 as soon as the frost is out of the ground 

 in the spring. After that it is safe to 

 build and plant the upper part of the wall 

 as soon as convenient. It is better to have 

 everything in place before the new growth 

 is completed. Planted at that season, the 

 roots have ample time before winter to 

 get a firm foothold and to bind the loose soil. 



Build Yourself A Greenhouse — By F. F. Rockwell, 



Connec- 

 ticut 



A MISTAKEN idea as to the cost 

 keeps many persons from trying 

 to put up even a small house. 

 The ready-made patent framed 

 greenhouses, with all the latest devices and 

 niceties of construction, are worth what 

 they cost; but the man who cannot afford 

 one of them can put up a perfectly practical 

 house at a figure that he can afford if he 

 buys his own material and does his own 

 work. A small greenhouse will pay as good 

 dividends as the frames or the garden. 

 Now is the ideal time of year to build. 



SIMPLEST KIND OP HOUSE 



The simplest type of greenhouse is the 

 "lean-to." It is the cheapest and easiest 

 to put up. It may be constructed against 

 the south wall of the dwelling or some other 

 building. Or it may be built into the 

 veranda. It is often possible to heat a 

 house of this kind with the same heating 

 plant that is used for the home. We have 

 to supply a south wall, the two ends, and 

 the roof. Sometimes the south wall has 



a row of glass which is desirable, but not 

 necessary. 



The walls may be made of either concrete 

 or post-and-board construction. Which 

 would be best to use will depend largely 

 upon how difficult it is to get sand and 

 gravel in your locality. Once done, how- 

 ever, concrete will last "till the cows come 

 home." If concrete is used the wall should 

 be put down at least to the frost-line, and 

 be four inches or more thick above ground. 

 Use more cement in proportion to the sand 



Detached even-span house with pipe post and purlin 



and gravel than for ordinary walls. A 

 mixture of i to i^ parts cement, 2 of sand, 

 and 4 of gravel or broken stone will be 

 right. For the post-and-board construction 

 posts are put into the ground every four 

 or five feet apart, and the wall built on the 

 outside. Cedar is the best wood to use 

 for the posts, but chestnut or some other 

 local sort which does not rot quickly will 

 answer the purpose. The corner posts 

 must be square, and it is better to have the 

 others so. The posts are carefully "lined 

 up"; a layer of boards, preferably tongued 

 and grooved, is put on; over these a layer 

 or double layer of building paper; another 

 layer of boards; building paper; and then 

 shingles or siding. 



On top of the front wall is placed the 

 "eave-plate" or sash-sill which forms the 

 support for the lower ends of the sash 

 bars (the long narrow bars which support 

 the glass). At their upper ends the sash- 

 bars are held in place by the "ridge." 

 The ridge, in the case of a lean-to house, is 

 fastened securely to the wall of the house 



