68 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



September, 1905 



83. For formal effects on a driveway, H. hortensis, var., grown in tubs, can be held in reserve in the cellar 

 all winter, and after doing duty in summer removed into shelter when frost comes 



is reputed to be tender, but, strangely enough, 

 it seems to be hardy in western New York, in 

 the neighborhood of Rochester. 



At the end of July and all through August 

 the oak-leaved hydrangea (H. quercifolia) is 

 an exceedingly beautiful native shrub. In 

 native conditions in Florida it frequently 

 attains a height of from fifteen to eighteen 

 feet. The white fertile flowers which are 

 borne on panicles have large showy sterile 

 flowers scattered irregularly all over the clus- 

 ters. The attractive leaves are deeply lobed, 

 and are usually five and a half inches wide 

 and six and a half inches long, with pale 

 woolly growth beneath. They turn to a 

 beautiful plum color in the fall. Though it 

 requires protection in winter in the neighbor- 

 hood of Rochester, N. Y., it is well worth any 

 special care to enjoy its beauty. 



From July to September forms of the com- 

 mon H. paniculate lighten up our gardens. 

 The showy Japanese variety grandiflora is one 

 of the most popular of garden shrubs. The 

 typical plant is not often seen in gardens. It 

 has two forms, both with fertile and sterile 

 flowers intermixed, and blossoming from four 

 to six weeks apart. The early form (ff. pani- 

 cidata, var. prcecox) flowers about the middle 

 of July and the other (called II. p., var. tar- 

 diva, in gardens) a month or more later. 

 The flower clusters are pyramidal, and vary 

 much in size, from three or-four inches up to 

 a foot or more in depth, all depending upon 

 the cultural conditions under which the plants 

 are growing. It is the variety grandiflora that 

 is the commonly known late summer flowering 

 shrub of almost every garden. The huge 

 flower heads are entirely covered with large 

 sterile flowers, which give it such a showy 

 appearance. It usually comes into bloom 

 about August ist and remains in good 

 condition throughout the month, when the 

 clusters turn to a pinkish purple, and will 

 retain this color for a long time when cut. 



H. petiolqris (Syn. Hydrangea scandens) 

 is a most beautiful climbing species and is not 

 common in cultivation. It blooms from the 

 middle to the end of June. There are very 

 few good specimens of this plant, as there 

 seems to be some difficulty about making it ' 

 flower, yet if it has the full exposure to sun- 

 shine there need be no failure. Many people 



have tried it as a vine in more or less shade 

 and have been disappointed. Every once in 

 a while an old plant is found in some old 



>84. BacKed by the foliage of tall trees the hor- 

 tensia (H. hortensis) flowers show up conspicuously. 

 Grown from cuttings taken any time of the year 



neglected garden spot that abundantly proves 

 its real value. A good many years since 

 there was a fine specimen on the famous Dana 

 estate on Long Island. 



MANAGING THE TUB HYDRANGEAS 



There are numerous varieties of H. hor- 

 tensis, but they need winter protection north 

 of Philadelphia, although I have seen remark- 

 able success with some of the varieties in some 

 parts of Long Island without any protection 

 other than that afforded by the shelter of a 

 wall or a residence. The varieties Impera- 

 trice Eugenie, Thunbergi, Otaksa, Belzoni 

 and Thomas Hogg are a few of perhaps the 

 most distinctive kinds, all of which are de- 

 scribed in the dealers' catalogues. They can 

 be grown in tubs, and it only takes a few 

 years to grow them into large specimens. 

 Although tender, they give but little trouble 

 in winter. If they are stored away in a 

 cellar or any place where only a little frost 

 penetrates, and kept dry until early spring, 

 they survive and certainly are well worth 

 all the trouble. 



HOW TO RAISE PLANTS GALORE 



Some of the hydrangeas are easily raised 

 from seeds, which are very small. II. Bret- 

 schneideri, for example, if gathered as soon as 

 ripe and sown in a flat and placed in a cold- 

 frame, will germinate freely the following 

 spring, and, indeed, there is not much use in 

 trying any other method of increase; cuttings 

 are not at all easy to root. H. panicidata 

 and the variety grandiflora can be propagated 

 by cuttings of the green wood taken in 

 summer, and placed in sand in a hotbed 

 shaded from the sun by muslin screens 

 three or four feet above the frames. The 

 frames must be kept close, and frequently 

 syringed until the cuttings commence to 

 root. The oak-leaved hydrangea is difficult 

 to propagate from cuttings, and seeds 

 germinate slowly, but it can be layered suc- 

 cessfully and it is also propagated from 

 suckers. 



The hortensis hydrangeas are easily propa- 

 gated from cuttings of the green wood taken 

 at any time of the year. In ordinary prac- 

 tice, however, cuttings are usually taken 

 from strong wood about the end of February, 

 and placed in sand on the propagating bench 

 and potted off when they have rooted. 



85. The panicled hydrangea (H. particulate, var. grandiflora) grown in shrubbery and severely pruned. The 

 long slender shoots droop ove-r and need staKes. Compare with the fine isolated plant in Fig. 80 



