18 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



February, 1907 



encouraged to bloom vigorously, and this 

 will insure flowers from July until frost. 



Three other red annuals are of a special 

 merit: Satin flower (Oenothera Whiineyi, 

 known in the trade as Godelia gloriosa), in 

 cardinal red, the annual phlox (P. Drum- 

 mondi, var. grandiflora) , in deep blood red, 

 and the peony-flowered poppy in pure red. 

 The last is more showy than any geranium, 

 and a succession of plantings about three 

 weeks apart, beginning in April, secures 

 bloom from July until frost. 



During August, one of the best red flowers 

 in my garden is the Firefly snapdragon 

 (Antirrhinum majus, var.), which begins 

 to bloom in July, but is at its height in 

 August. From seed started in March plants 

 bloom in July of the same year, and given the 

 protection of a litter or hay covering in 

 winter, they will persist for years. There 

 are both tall and dwarf growing types in 

 many colors — yellow, pale pink, deep red, 

 white. The curiously lipped corolla, whence 

 the name snapdragon is derived, is always 

 a source of interest. The plant requires 

 rich soil and full sun. 



For a splendor of color in the late summer 

 and enduring until frost, there is nothing 

 to compare with the scarlet sage (Salvia 

 splendens). There are many varieties, but 

 the one I grow is Clara Bedman. It grows 

 two feet high, and bears huge quantities of 

 slender spikes of brilliant red flowers for 

 which the dark green foliage makes an excel- 

 lent background. The end of the spike droops 

 somewhat, thus relieving any suggestion 

 of stiffness. A tender perennial, the scarlet 

 sage is usually grown as an annual, and seeds 

 should be started in frames, or even in the 

 open. Toward fall the plants may be taken 

 up and potted as house plants for the winter. 

 If the plants are to be left in the garden to 

 bloom as long as possible, they should be 

 protected from the first light frosts of autumn, 

 for, if saved from these, there will be perfec- 

 tion of bloom during the long warm season 

 of the Indian summer which follows the first 

 cold nights of September. During the bloom- 

 ing season, give water freely, and by pinching 

 back the growing tips early in the season, to 

 induce branching, very bushy plants will result. 



With September the red-hot poker plant 

 (Kniphofia Pfi/zera, known in the trade as 

 Tritoma Pfitzeri) adds its brilliant spikes of 

 bloom to the garden. Its fleshy root is not 

 reliably hardy in all localities in the North, 

 so if you are not certain about the conditions, 

 it will be better to keep it packed in sand over 

 winter, and in a cool cellar; it can then be 

 planted out each spring. It bears long, 

 slender leaves, and many foot long spikes, 

 set with drooping scarlet flowers, each spike 

 being carried erect on a stout stem a yard 

 or more high. There are several other named 

 varieties, varying greatly in the intensity of 

 color, but most of them are later flowering 

 than the well-known Pfitzeri, which begins 

 to bloom in July or August, but is at its best 

 in September. 



No red border should be without our 

 native cardinal flower, (Lobelia cardinalis), 

 which is found in low lands, in the North, 

 but will also live and thrive in dry locations. 



Loves-lies-bleeding (Amarantus caudMus) must be care- 

 fully selected to the desired color; self sows 



It attains a height of three feet, and bears 

 quantities of large flowers of the purest 

 cardinal red, distributed on the upper part 

 of the spike. I transplanted four specimens 

 from a low marsh while they were in full 

 bloom, fearing lest I should not recognize 

 them later. My garden is on a dry hill-top 

 with full sun exposure, but I watered the 

 plants daily, shaded them from the sun for 

 several days, and then gave them no further 

 attention. The following spring each plant 

 had made several growths from the root, and 

 later, giant spikes of bloom, larger than 

 are commonly borne in the wild state, 

 were developed. They began to bloom 

 late in July and were one of the chief 

 features of my garden all through Septem- 

 ber. Plants may also be raised from seed, 

 which germinates within a week after 

 planting. 



No annuals appear in September; the latest 

 of them begin to bloom in August, but are at 

 their best in September. Among them is 

 Sander's hybrid tobacco (Nicoiiana San- 

 der oz). The brilliant red, original form is 

 especially recommended. Introduced within 

 the last two or three years, it is already widely 

 known, and is most favorably reported on in 

 New England. It is an ideal plant for its 

 color in shaded beds. It grows three feet 

 high, and bears quantities of large salver- 

 shaped flowers so closely resembling those of 

 the white, sweet-scented tobacco (N. alala), 

 that it may be regarded as a color variety 

 of it. It has fragrance, too. 



The feature for October, when all else is 

 failing, is the Japanese lantern plant (Phy- 

 salis Franchelti). Its coarse, weedy looking 

 leaves and inconspicuous white flowers are 

 not attractive through the summer, but at 

 this late time, when the husk enclosing the 

 small, tomato-like fruit brightens into a 

 glowing scarlet, it is distinctly attractive. 

 The showy husk is nearly two inches in 

 diameter. If cut after the leaves fall, the 

 shoots, still carrying the fruits, may be kept 

 all winter as a house decoration, or the 

 berry itself may be made into a preserve. . 

 Though a perennial (if given protection 

 in our climate), it is commonly grown as an 

 annual. 



A $10 Vegetable Garden on a Suburban Lot—By M. H.Northend, 



A PRACTICAL SOLUTION OF AN EVERY-DAY PROBLEM; GIVING PLENTY OF FRESH PRODUCE THROUGH- 

 OUT THE SEASON— AMPLE SPACE FOR CUT-FLOWERS AND THE USUAL BACKYARD CONVENIENCES 



Massa- 

 chusetts 



AST year I decided to attempt a vege- 

 ^ table garden, and for fear of failure, 

 determined to limit my outlay to ten dollars. 

 Throughout the season an account was kept 

 of the produce from it, at market prices, and 

 I found that it yielded nearly double the 

 amount of my outlay. 



The vacant land at the rear allowed a 

 garden plot forty-six by thirty feet. Early 

 in March a plan tiras made using the notes 

 taken in my neighbors' gardens and following 

 the more specific directions mi varieties and 

 spacing found in reliable talogues. 



As I could think of nothing more discouraging 

 than to weed rows over forty feet long, I 

 decided to cut them across the centre with a 

 path two feet wide, distinguishing this walk 

 by an edging of flowers. This made two 

 sections with rows twenty-two feet long, 

 running north and south. Beds there were 

 none, as with flowers I had learned that 

 rows were much more easily cared for. 



In the sunniest end of the garden early 

 peas, lettuce, radishes, cucumbers, and string 

 beans were planted. A few hills of musk- 

 melons, one dozen tomato plants, three rows 



of early corn, and one row of summer squash 

 were also to go in the southern half of the 

 garden. 



On the other side of the path (toward the 

 north) rows of Black Mexican corn, pumpkins 

 and Hubbard squash, parsnips and salsify, 

 and pole beans were planted. Being anxious 

 to have plenty of tomatoes for preserving, 

 twelve more plants were put here, also five 

 additional hills of melons, also one row of 

 bush peas to be my second crop. Turnips 

 and winter beets shared one row, carrots 

 and beet greens another. Next came 



