January, 1919 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



169 



supremely important things to consider, for 

 though we enjoy them most when they are in 

 bloom they must be "dressed for company" 

 from spring to frost, always presentable, though 

 not in flower. Remember that the soil is none 

 too good to start with, that nobody will care 

 for them, even to cut away dead leaves, that 

 daily sun will be but a few hours, and dust of 

 travel will settle on them. Of the host of herbs 

 that a big garden or a nursery catalogue may 

 contain, I check off" the following score or so as 

 eminently fitted for the position as assistants in 

 my city front yard and from each group but a 

 few can be elected, but with thousands of little 

 bulbs beneath them to crtiwd the idea of spring. 

 Bushy like a small shrub, and used as such: 



Blue Indigo (Baptisia australis) 3-4 ft., blue 

 flowers in June like a Lupine, but the 

 foliage stays. 

 Gas-plant (Dictamnus albus) 3 feet, white 

 better than rose, and shining permanent 

 foliage. 

 Garden Peony (Paeonia albiflora) 2-3 ft., 

 use the older sorts that are compact in habit. 

 Slender and used to fill out shrub groups: 



Great Turkey Flag (Iris pallida) 4 ft., best 

 "German" Iris, and foliage very enduring. 

 Siberian Iris (I. sibirica) 3 ft., the best narrow- 

 leaf Iris, all forms equally good, also I. 

 sanguinea. 

 June Lily (Lilium elegans) 2 ft., the flat- 

 clustered Lily in June, dark orange-red. 

 Stems soon wither. 



Tiger Lily (L. tigrinum) 3-6 ft., the most 

 enduring of garden Lilies, foliage scant, 

 so hide the stems through the shrubs. 



Henry's Orange Lily (L. Henryi) 3-6 ft., as 



enduring as Tiger Lily, of better color, and 



later. August. Foliage stays. 

 Late Lemon Lily (Hemerocallis Thunbergii) 



3 ft., forms true clumps, good companion 



for Siberian Iris. July. 

 Little bulbs to push up in early spring under shrubs 



and herbs {to be planted in fall): 

 Two-leaved Squill (Scilla bifolia); flowers in 



spike, deep blue, also white; March; earliest 



blue bulb. 

 Siberian Squill (S. sibirica); flowers fewer, 



larger and appear for longer season; bright 



blue, also white. 

 Garden Crocus (Crocus vernus); pure white 



and dark purple most effective. Other spring 



species also good. 

 Yellow Crocus (C. moesaicus) best yellow 



species, blooms with others. 

 Common Snowdrop (Galanthusnivalis). March. 



Other sorts have larger leaves and flowers, 



but this stands abuse. 

 Spring Meadow-saffron (Bulbocodium vernum). 



Rosy-purple in March, effect of Crocus, but 



close to the ground. 

 Autumn Crocus (Crocus speciosus, C. zonatus, 



C. sativus, etc.) for Crocus effect in October; 



plant in August and let alone. 

 Meadow-saffron (Colchicum autumnale) in 



variety, for Crocus effect in September; 



several similar species. 

 Dense and round, a solitary plant sufficient, as 



accent: 

 Thread-lily (Yucca filamentosa) leaves stiff 



and evergreen, just as well if it does not 



bloom. 

 White Day-lily (Hosta plantaginea, or Funkia 



subcordata) for clumps of broad green 



leaves; flowers white. July. 

 Siebold's Day-lily (H. Sieboldii, or F. Sieboldii) 



foliage like above, but blue-green; flowers 



pale blue, hidden. July. 

 Fortune's Day-lily (Hemerocallis Fortunei,) 



leaves like Siebold's, but narrower, and spikes 



of flowers well above foliage; light blue. 



July. 

 Blue Day-lily (H. caerulea or ovata) leaves 



smaller, broad, light green; commonest sort; 



flowers lilac. July. 

 Lance-leaf Day-lily (H. lancifolia) leaves 



narrow, flowers lilac. August and September; 



smallest species. 

 Low and used as edging to other plantings, or 



along edge of walk or fence: 

 Japanese Spurge (Pachysandra terminalis), 



for dark green foliage, no showy flowers but 



leaves evergreen. Ground cover. 

 Scotch Pink (Dianthus plumarius) for fragrant 



flowers and narrow evergreen bluish foliage. 



Get compact old-fashioned sorts. 

 Myrtle (Vinca minor) evergreen, as ground 



cover under all shrubs where grass refuses. 



A Little Artistry 



I MADE a little vegetable plot in my two 

 by twice back yard last season. It was, 

 according to plan to be one of those some- 

 what "different" affairs, a sort of mingling 

 of art and practicality. I was to furnish the 

 artistic touch and the vegetables were to come 

 strong on the practical side. To insure the 

 success of such a venture I figured that, if 

 flowers and grass patches were mingled, the 

 effect would be so novel and appealing that 

 the plebeian vegetables could be induced to do 

 their prettiest in the way of production of 

 quantity and quality. 



The sentiment was a pretty one and the more 

 I visualized the average vegetable garden the 

 more convinced did I become that I was contrib- 

 uting to the gaiety of nations by attempting my 

 floro-vegeto advance gardening stunt. Fine 

 business, thought I, and I went about to do the 

 deed. I first made paths ar;d I edged these with 

 carrots. This was for effect rather than for 

 the crop. In some places I sowed beets right 

 behind the carrots. Art again. Did you ever 

 see carrots and beets growing together ? Humph ! 

 The pole beans held forth at the back of the 

 lot and I gave them room enough to allow me to 



Eut a Tobacco plant between each two poles. 

 >on't sniff! If you ever saw Nicotiana affinis 

 doing business under favorable conditions you 

 would change your mind. 



Asters between the tomatoes! I did it by 

 treating the tomatoes to a stunt that I learned 

 from a very wise man. Says he to me — "When 

 you grow tomatoes slice off all the leaves but a 

 few sap lifters." And says I, "I'll do it." 

 And I did it. And by doing it found room to 

 place Asters between the plants. Art again. 

 White Asters only. 



And so we progressed. I positively ached 

 in my impatience — to speed the warm weather 

 I yearned. 



You know, that now that it's all over, I attri- 

 bute some of my disappointments to this over 

 yearning business I indulged in. Sentiment in 

 dealing with vegetables is fine stuff after you 



By Luke J. Doogue 



have gathered your crops. But to come through 

 strong, me for cutting out poetic flights in the 

 future. Whoa Bill! I've gathered my crops 

 before I planted them. 



Come back to the spring again and let's sow 

 more seed and put out more plants. I got as 

 far as the Asters among the tomats. On the 

 outskirts of the patch Castor Beans. By the 

 way did you know that the Government is willing 

 to buy all the castor oil beans that you can find? 

 Sure!! Nasturtiums — tall for the fence, low 

 growing where there was a chance. More art. 

 Some plants of Kochia (Burning Bush), Petunias, 

 Cosmos, Verbenas. Any vegetables? Why 

 sure. (Remember that while I have rattled off 

 this great list of flowering plants they were 

 used delicately; that's it, delicately.) Pole beans, 

 bush beans, tomatoes, carrots, beets, chard. 

 No rough neck stuff. No turnips, cabbage, 

 pumpkins, squash 



I said there was no squash but I want to cor- 

 rect that. . . There was squash, in fact there 

 was a lot of it. In fact — but that's another 

 tale, and a sorry one. 



I had just reached a state when I felt assured 

 that my idea of an artistic vegetable-flower 

 combination was what the world needed and as 

 I cast my eyes over the luxuriance bursting forth 

 and welling over I figuratively "blew up," 

 consumed by the thought of the glory in store 

 when the Autumn days were upon us. 



But joy killers, like flies, are always with us. 

 I know that the average boy lacks sentiment. 

 I went on a vacation and left one in charge of 

 my garden. I vacationed for three weeks. Like 

 the cat, I came back. 



"in a Little Garden 



When I looked at my garden did I smile? 

 Was I elated? 



/ was not! 



Squash! Here, there and everywhere! Plas- 

 tered over the landscape, luxurious in its golden 

 barbaric splendor. The boy was gone. Faded. 



While he lapsed in attention to duty through 

 some mysterious agency an evil hand had strewn 

 squash seeds into my vegetable patch and the 

 selfsame seeds waxed strong and throttled every- 

 thing in sight. 



"Punk" was what I said. I am really glad 

 that I wasn't in my normal condition for if so 

 possibilities were horrible to contemplate. But 

 that wasn't the whole story. Troubles, like 

 bananas, come in bunches. 



When I followed the trend of the vines I saw 

 they had gone over the fence and under the 

 fence into my neighbor's yard. He was away 

 and the process of obliteration was going on 

 gloriously. My grief was softened when I saw 

 this. 



The biblical injunction about loving every 

 man as your brother didn't apply here. There- 

 fore I rejoiced to see the myriads of golden 

 flowers that carpeted his flower garden in hun- 

 like destruction. Sure thing your sins find you 

 out! 



Having demonstrated the fact that flowers 

 and vegetables mix well, in a growing state, I 

 closed up shop and went into the country. 

 While there the mean thought of what the squash 

 was doing to my neighbor's garden added merri- 

 ment to my outing. 



The chill of autumn had come upon us and 

 the cider mills were working overtime when I 

 returned home. "Piffle" and "gadsooks" thrice 

 over. When I went into my garden I met a 

 sight that staggered me. That's why I said " Pif- 

 fle" and "gadsooks" — special anathemas for 

 desperate occasions. 



There stood my neighbor sneering at me in a 

 sidelong glance while his children helped him tote 

 into the house the total of eight large Hubbard 

 squashes. / got none. 



