.1 I N K. I !) 1 * 



THE GARDEN MA (I A/INK 



:507 



woods from which we carried little 

 bunches, loving them for many days. 



Contrary to public opinion, I find that 

 trailing arbutus (Epigeea yepens) may be 

 safely transplanted from the mountains or 

 frame. Bear in mind that it must always 

 be lifted with its root system absolutely 

 undisturbed. Herein lies the secret of its 

 obstinacy. We take it up after a soaking 

 rain, with mud, stones, moss or whatever 

 surrounds it, and, as carefully as possible, 

 shift it to a sheltered place and cover it from 

 sun and wind for a whole season. A suc- 

 cessful method of transplanting a quantity 

 of arbutus sods may be carried out in the 

 same manner in which the gardener moves 

 his cucumbers from a frame: carefully lift 

 and tightly fit it into a paper pot, or straw- 

 berry box, so that its removal may not jar 

 the soil from the roots. Remove the box, 

 sod and all, until the final uncovering a year 

 later, when the visible remnant of the box 

 may be removed. In like manner it may 

 be shipped a long distance, if carefully 

 boxed, so that the plant may remain firm 

 in its position. 



Contrary to the common idea, colonies 

 of arbutus creep out into the open. These 

 are the most desirable for removal, as they 

 have become hardened by wind and 

 weather. When established, arbutus makes 

 a quick growth. Wintergreen (GaultJieria 

 procumbens) may be treated in the same 

 manner. 



The great laurel (Rhododendron) and 

 mountain laurel (Kalmia) are perhaps the 

 most popular evergreen shrubs in cultiva- 

 tion, and are largely planted in masses, 

 but instead of giving them a natural 

 ground cover of arbutus or wintergreen, 

 they are usually heaped together with an 

 unattractive mulch which detracts much 

 from their possible beauty. 



I have quite an area grown over with 

 common wood violets {Viola palmata, var. 

 ciicidata) . My soil is of a stiff, dry texture 

 — yet by an annual application of wood 

 ashes, the stems of the violets are unusually 

 long and the flowers large and handsome. 

 This effect may be seen in w-oodland which 

 has been burned over, and offers a sugges- 

 tion for the gardener. 



Fire pink {Silene Virginica) is a rock 

 plant of rare merit. Some years ago I 

 wanted a large quantity of it so I sum- 

 moned my crew, consisting of a rousta- 

 bout and two boys and went to a railroad 

 cut where I had seen some fine specimens. 

 After lunch on the rocks and an hour's work 

 we found we were in the animated region 

 of copperheads. Immediately my crew 

 deserted me to a man, and I was obliged to 

 finish the w T ork alone. What a glowing 

 picture those two thousand blooming fire 

 pinks make along the sunn}' hillside of the 

 city park to which they went ! I hope they 

 are overhung with huckleberry and laurel. 

 I have seen Silene Virginica light up a dark 

 laurel ridge like a thousand fires, and this 

 planting by nature I commend to those who 

 wish to grow T a glorious rock picture on a 

 grand scale. The culture of this plant is 



very simple, its only requirement being 



perfect drainage. Robinson tells us that 

 the best plants are grown from seed, but I 

 find that equally good plants come from 

 division. It responds so well to cultivation 

 that a small root will grow into a good clump 

 in one season. It will thrive upon a hot 

 rock, sending its long root down a crevice 

 to gather moisture and go on doing double 

 duty by growing a handsome tuft of ever- 

 green foliage. 



I have never been able to grow our lovely 

 dog tooth violet upon my dry hillside and 

 have never used it in my small rock garden, 



Its handsome leaves contrast well with 

 bleeding heart {Diclytra spectabilis) and 

 plants of tall, showy growth. Adversity 

 will not subdue it, when grown about 

 dwellings. It is good to plant along a 

 common path where one may brush against 

 it and sometimes tread upon its fragrant 

 roots. 



NURSERY VS. COLLECTED PLANTS 



There are several reasons why nursery 

 grown native plants should always be pre- 

 ferred to plants from the woods. First, 

 no pains should be spared to keep our wild 



The trailing arbutus, or mayflower (Epegaea repens) may be safely transplanted if the roots are not dis- 

 turbed. Better take pieces that have run into the open 



as I like it best where I find it — along 

 meadow brook or in their marshy woodland. 



There is a companion to this flower in its 

 moisture loving nature that must not be 

 overlooked — the Virginian cowslip or blue 

 bells {Mertensia Virginica). Gertrude 

 Jekyll has painted it in her woodland 

 pictures so exquisitely that I have asked her 

 kind permission to quote from "Wood and 

 Garden." "The Virginian cowslip is the 

 very embodiment of early spring. The 

 sheaf of young leafage comes almost black 

 out of the ground, but as the leaves develop, 

 their dull, lurid coloring changes to a full, 

 pale green of a curious texture, quite smooth 

 yet absolutely unreflecting." 



To me it is a pleasant surprise to come 

 suddenly upon the aromatic fragrance of 

 wild ginger (Asumm Canadense). The 

 plant is so modest in growth that it may 

 be quite overlooked in midsummer. It 

 seems to me best in groups among rocks 

 or as an edging to spring flowering borders. 



flowers where nature grows them; when we 

 copy her excellent methods of planting we 

 have no right to rob her gardens of valuable 

 treasures. In the second place, a nursery 

 grown plant, by reason of constant cul- 

 tivation, has developed a sturdy con- 

 stitution not likely to be disturbed by 

 removal. Again, it is cheaper to buy 

 plants than oft-times to travel many miles 

 and spend much time without finding a 

 single specimen, as I have done to my 

 disappointment. 



There is genuine pleasure in growing wild 

 flowers from seed, and in many instances 

 this is highly recommended, as stronger 

 plants are often grown from seed than by 

 division. 



Dealers in American flower plants offer 

 seed with directions for their culture, there- 

 fore, it is a simple matter to become familiar 

 with our native flowers, many of which 

 will soon be lost by the onward march of 

 civilization. 



