January, 1906 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



263 



A dozen old plants of standard hydrangeas (H. paniculata, var. grandiflora) from an old-time garden maKe a 

 hedge on one side and form the bacKground to the border of perennials 



through the post. At the base of the first 

 post are three everblooming honeysuckles 

 (Lonicera Heckrotti). The first year the 

 buds of this vine were a mass of little green 

 bugs which neither liquid nor powder would 

 kill. The following March the vine was 

 sprayed with kerosene soap, which seemed to 

 be a successful treatment, as there have been 

 no insects since that first attack. 



The second post was placed five feet from 

 a flower bed and an additional support set 

 in the bed; both were then connected by an 

 arch made of iron such as would be used for 

 wagon tires. The ends were fastened to the 

 posts by bolts, and crosspieces of light iron 

 riveted about eighteen inches apart, to support 

 chicken wire one foot wide. 



The remaining posts were made to form 

 a small pergola, and connected by irons as 

 before to posts in a parallel bed. In this case 

 the iron strips are supplemented by a bar of 

 angle-iron along the top, to prevent sagging 

 under the weight of the wooden crosspieces. 

 Japanese clematis {Clematis paniculata) 

 grows around all these posts, and I have found 

 it best to plant at least two roots at the base 

 of each, in February trimming one vine 

 back to the top of the post and cutting off the 

 other at the ground level. In this way the 

 taller plant starts, soon covers the top, and 

 the lower plant clothes the post where 

 the stalks 'of " the other are comparatively 

 bare. 



GRADUATED FROM ANNUALS TO PERENNIALS 



The transition from beds of temporary 

 annuals to borders of permanent perennials 

 was a great step of progress. Yet it arrived 

 slowly. Now, however, the border of hardy 

 perennials is practically continuous on three 

 sides of the back yard. The plan for this 

 is carefully studied and worked out on 

 paper. The whole space is plotted into 

 beds of about twenty feet in length, and 

 each space considered separately with ref- 

 erence to the color scheme and succession. 

 The general effect of the whole border is 

 that it is always in flower. Plants that 

 become unsightly after flowering are ar- 

 ranged so that others of later bloom will 

 hide them, as, for instance, a clump of 

 phlox in front of Oriental poppies. It is 

 always replanning and replanting here, for 



each season reveals possibilities of improve- 

 ment. Tree peonies did far better when 

 moved from the border to a bed along the 

 south side of the house; Japanese anemone 

 Queen Charlotte did not prove satisfactory 

 until planted in a bed well raised and under 

 an apple tree, where it was protected from 

 early frost ; Shasta daisies did not thrive until 

 moved for the third time, but last season gave 

 a tremendous bloom in the full sun, being 

 aided by liquid manure. 



German and Japanese irises were placed 

 in the same bed in partial shade. The former 

 did well, but the Japanese was a disappoint- 

 ment. Therefore a sunken bed was made 

 in a more open situation, spading in old 

 manure to a depth of about two feet, and the 

 plants have responded accordingly. This 

 bed is two inches lower than the lawn, and the 

 surrounding sod is raised about four inches. 

 We use the hose liberally here from April 

 through the blooming period, and give 

 applications of manure water about once 

 a week. 



Delphiniums it was found needed plenty 

 of sun and a well-raised bed. Only one plant 

 was lost by crown rot, for during the wet spells 

 in summer, when the plants begin to "damp 



off," we have been able to stop the disease 

 by soaking well with lime water and sprinkling 

 a little lime on the ground. 



A dozen standard hydrangeas (H. panicu- 

 lata, var. grandiflora), planted five feet apart 

 along the north fence, has formed an excellent 

 background for the north border. We were 

 fortunate in being able to secure them in large 

 plants from the breaking up of a famous old 

 garden elsewhere — a dozen of uniform size 

 and form — and they give a finished appear- 

 ance to the seven-year-old yard that makes 

 it the wonder and envy of gardening 

 visitors. 



NEW USES FOR SAND 



For bulbs in the mixed border white sand 

 has a very particular service, quite distinct 

 from its use to the young roots. It never cakes, 

 and when digging its color warns one if too 

 near a bulb. Its cost is infinitesimal, as a 

 sack can be had from the grocer for almost 

 nothing, and that quantity goes a long way. 

 We not only set all our lily and other bulbs 

 in this white sand, but in the fall a little of 

 the earth is removed from the crowns of such 

 plants as larkspur, foxglove, columbine and 

 hollyhocks and replaced with the sand. In 

 the spring the crowns are fresh and 

 clean, and the sand prevents trouble from 

 baked or saggy soil during the following 

 summer. 



In the spring the manure which has been 

 between the plants in winter is spread over 

 the surface as a mulch, being sprinkled with 

 wood ashes to insure against cut-worms. 

 We failed to do this one season, and during 

 a dry period in April the worms played havoc 

 with the young snoots in the phlox bed. 



Liquid manure, a really necessary part of 

 one's garden equipment, is sometimes omitted 

 from the amateur gardener's accessories 

 because it is thought bothersome to prepare 

 or its storage presents difficulties. I can 

 sympathize with my brothers, for have I not 

 been through the throes? At first we used 

 a small sunken barrel as a receptacle, but 

 later replaced it with a forty-five-gallon ash 



How success was attained in growing the wateMoving Japanese iris (/. laevigata, Kno 

 /. Katmpferi). A slightly sunken bed in a sunny position and plenty of water a 



wn to the trade as 

 summer 



