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THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



June, 191 



Boltonia aste r oides. A single plant will give a 

 shower of bloom in September and October. Valu- 

 able in connection with shrubbery 



blue consorts will thank you for water in 

 plenty at blooming time. Take the pre- 

 caution to shake candidum bulbs in pow- 

 dered sulphur before planting in August, 

 and remember that this lily defies all lily 

 traditions by taking shallow planting; 

 three or four inches is enough. Once 

 planted, they are beauty for generations. 



The new hardy sunflowers resemble 

 dahlias, single and quilled, more than the 

 tin pan affair of old times. These modern 

 ones add a stately note much desired in 

 formal borders. Daniel Dewar is about 

 the first of the season. It has single yel- 

 low flowers in July. Plant the double 

 orange-yellow Meteor for August, Miss 

 Mellish with her single, curly-petalled 

 blossom for September and the cluster 

 blooming Maximilian for cutting in Octo- 



ber. All these grow five to six feet high, are 

 easily raised from seed, and require only 

 abundance of food. 



The question of backgrounds is a puzzling 

 one in small or new gardens and the wise 

 gardener will plant tall perennials to shut 

 out and shut in, to display lower growers 

 and to help make pictures while shrubs 

 and trees are growing. Golden glow is a 

 firm friend to the background painter. 

 Common, yes; but thrifty and willing, 

 handsome and clean. Set it in great ranks, 

 pile on the fertilizer spring and fall, and 

 that background is assured. 



Delphiniums grow bushy and their 

 handsome foliage displays shorter plants 

 well. Being blue, they can grow harmon- 

 iously with golden glow. Hibiscus or 

 hardy mallow is invaluable for backgrounds. 

 The variety militaris or "halbert-leaved" 

 I have seen as a veritable shrub holding 

 its wonderful pink chalices far above my 

 head. The photograph shows swamp rose 

 mallow and a hybrid, Crimson Eye. I 

 could not reach around the lovely pink 

 and pure white blossoms with both hands. 

 Hibiscus needs heavy soil and plenty of 

 water; not necessarily a low place, though 

 a swamp dweller by nature. 



Boltonia is a plant oddly unappreciated. 

 When I saw the one in the illustration 

 blooming away in gravelly sand last 

 September I thought of the Irishman who 

 laid one feather between his head and a 

 stone and said, "Begorra, if one feather 

 lays as hard as that what would a thousand 

 do?" If one untended boltonia plant 

 looks like that, a thousand — even a 

 hundred — would be a floral snowdrift. 

 There are two species of boltonia. Be 

 sure to get the white one, B. asteroides. 

 The more you have of the hateful magenta, 

 B. latisquama, the worse off you will be. 



Most of the hardy asters, valuable as 

 they are, grow too low for real backgrounds 



The hardy hibiscus, in June, gives large, saucer-like flowers and thrives on dry as well as on wet soils 



but there is one, Tataricus, that stands 

 between five and six feet with fine large 

 bluish violet blossoms. It blooms in late 

 September and October and is a treasure 

 among tall perennials. 



Chrysanthemum , or Pyrethrum uliginosum, 

 is splendid anywhere and especially in the 

 background. In poor soil it grows three 

 and a half feet; in rich soil nearly five. 

 Daisy shaped blossoms are universal 

 favorites and these plants are a riot of 

 daisies, their clusters of three to seven often 

 covering the plants. All pyrethrums are 

 great eaters. 



Pond banks, the edges of pools, bridge 

 approaches and brook sides need tall 

 perennials of a different class. Cat tails 

 are most appropriate and handsome; so 

 are the reeds. Eulalias, cousins to the old 

 time ribbon grass, only from four to six 

 feet high, are indispensable here. The 

 variegated form (Miscanthus Sinensis, var. 

 variegatus, called in catalogues Enlalia 

 Japonica) has its white or yellow stripes 

 running lengthwise and the showy variety, 

 zebrinus, has broad bars across its leaves. 

 Plant with these M. saccharifer for its 

 shining green growth and graceful frosty 

 looking plumes in summer. 



Wild parsley with its beautiful leaves 

 and great white corymbs belongs near the 

 wet places too; so does the tall native 

 Heleninm autumnale, var. superbum with 

 its cushiony yellow daisies in the fall. Two 

 of our goldenrods add brilliance here in 

 late summer; Solidago Canadensis, five 

 feet high in August and the giant 5. 

 altissima, ten feet, in late October. 



For thick screens to shut out the hideous 

 and shut in the happy, plant golden glow, 

 hardy asters, bocconia, hibiscus, hardy 

 sunflowers and hardy pampas grass, either 

 as separate lines or in a mixed hedge. A 

 mixed perennial hedge has unfailing charm. 

 With these can be used polygonum — giant 

 knot-weed — but be careful. It is like 

 the camel in the Arab's tent, fain to take 

 full possession — a most serious drawback 

 to its undeniable white beauty. 



Tall perennials make excellent accents 

 in the hardy border; to emphasize a curve, 

 to draw attention to some especial grouping 

 or to break the monotony of lower growers. 

 Set reeds against the big rock just where 

 the path bends sharply. Common holly- 

 hocks at regular intervals will accent your 

 straight bit of trim border as nothing else 

 can. Only delphiniums can "put over" 

 the whole beauty of that yellow corner. 

 A group of eulalias will separate roses from 

 lilies that must inhabit the same plot, 

 while boltonia, standing at the end of a 

 bed of pale asters, looks like a lovely girl in 

 a white gown watching over a flock of 

 little sisters. 



Borders of blossoming shrubbery should 

 be oftener lightened and brightened by tall 

 perennials planted among them. With 

 spring blooming shrubs they are especially 

 good, keeping the line bright all the season. 

 Bocconia can hold its own here and is a 

 distinct addition. So is Arundo, poly- 

 gonum, boltonia and the tall golden rod. 





