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THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



June, 1912 



of the woodland obtainable, are the showy 

 ladies'-slipper (Cypripedium regince) and 

 the snakeroot {Cimicifuga racemosa). The 

 former is not easy to grow and without 

 a good start, with a number of plants, it 

 is impossible to get it established. The 

 snakeroot, having spikes 3 to 4 feet tall, 

 is much more easily grown. Another 

 native plant, the harebell {Campanula 

 rotundifolia), with blue flower and slender 

 linear leaves, is useful. It will thrive best 

 among rocks or on rocky ledges. 



For the shaded corner few plants excel 

 Lyon's turtlehead (Chelone Lyoni), a 

 plant rarely more than a foot in height 

 with wonderful red or rose-purple flowers. 

 The variety speciosa with pink flowers is a 



pleasing form well worth cultivating. From 

 Europe we get the globe-flower {Trollins 

 Europeans), with delicate lemon -yellow 

 flowers and leaves not unlike our common 

 buttercup, to which it is related. The 

 globe-flower will be at home in most garden 

 soils, preferring somewhat moist situations 

 for choice. In similar situations and 

 responding to similar treatment, the Asiatic 

 woundwort (Stachys gr audi flora) will easily 

 thrive. Its large showy flowers of bright 

 violet will add a pleasing dash of color to 

 our shady nook. It frequently flowers 

 well into September and is the last of the 

 plants suited to these conditions to main- 

 tain color in our garden. 



By following the outline given above, 



with suitable grouping of species, such as 

 suggests itself to gardeners of taste and a 

 sense of harmonic values, one can easily 

 transform the conventional be-f erned shady 

 place into a real flower garden. 



If you are still wedded to the foliage 

 idea vary the monotony with the dark, 

 kidney-shaped leaves of the wild ginger 

 (Asamm Canadense) or the shining tiny 

 leaves of the periwinkle {Yinca minor). 

 If you live south of Philadelphia the galax 

 leaves {Galax aphylla) make a pleasant con- 

 trast with their copper-colored foliage. The 

 red berries and small leaves of the part- 

 ridge-berry (Mitchdla repens) will make an 

 interesting carpet underneath most of the 

 perennials mentioned above. 



Long-Lived Evergreens for Gardens — By wilhelm Miller, 



SOMETHING BETTER THAN THE CHEAP, SHOWY, QUICK-GROWING 

 KINDS WHICH ARE SO UNSATISFACTORY IN THE LONG RUN 





SIXCE evergreens cost more than other 

 plants it is well to consider them first. 

 The common way of selecting them is to 

 go to a nursery and pick the most attractive 

 specimens. Unfortunately the most at- 

 tractive evergreens in nurseries are, as a 

 class, short-lived. The evergreens which 

 appeal most to a beginner are those which 

 have the showiest colors and the most 

 unusual forms. To the first class belong 

 all the blue, golden and variegated ever- 

 greens, of which the most famous is the 

 blue Colorado spruce. To the latter class 

 belong all the pendulous dwarf and colum- 



nar evergreens, e. g. weeping hemlock, 

 dwarf spruce, red cedar; and all the ever- 

 greens of remarkable texture, especially 

 the Japan cypress, or retinisporas, which 

 imitate threads, fans, feathers, ferns, club- 

 moss, heaths, and other striking forms. 



Unhappily the popular choice means 

 bad economy. For the showiest evergreens 

 are so short-lived that we ought to think 

 of them as temporary bedding plants, 

 which may be satisfactory from five to 

 ten years. Even the wealthiest people 

 are wont to grow tired of renewing these 

 costly plants as soon as they become 



The most valuable dwarf evergreen, the Japanese yew. See also the illustration on page 313 



ragged. It is better economy to plant 

 long-lived evergreens. 



Moreover, the popular choice means bad 

 art. I grant you that these plants may 

 be perfectly beautiful in themselves, and 

 I have no quarrel with people who plant 

 them in a garden that is enclosed by a high 

 wall or hedge. For, these horticultural 

 varieties originated in the garden and there- 

 fore the most appropriate place for them is 

 the garden. But the great trouble is that 

 we Americans fill our yards with these 

 showy foreigners which make our homes 

 stand out in gaudy contrast with the 

 environment, whereas native American 

 evergreens would make our homes harmon- 

 ize with the landscape. 



Therefore, blue, golden, and variegated 

 evergreens should be confined to gardens. 

 But even there, longer-lived evergreens 

 are in better taste, because they cost less 

 to care for. The more temporary plants 

 we employ the more our garden will sug- 

 gest extravagance and waste. The most 

 artistic garden materials are those which 

 cost the least in the long run. 



The ideal way of selecting evergreens 

 is the landscape gardener's method, i. e. 

 to consider the various purposes for which 

 we need evergreens and select the best 

 kinds for each purpose. For example, we 

 should consider: first, whether our garden 

 needs a windbreak; second, how we shall 

 enclose it; third, how to get the finest views 

 from and in the garden; fourth, how to 

 make it attractive the year round; and fifth, 

 how to connect house and garden. 



EVERGREENS FOR WINDBREAKS 



Every garden needs a windbreak to 

 protect it from cutting winds and frost. 

 You can have vegetables a month or so 

 earlier in spring and sometimes two months 

 later than your neighbors in the autumn if 

 you are sheltered from the prevailing win- 

 ter winds. The ideal windbreak, usually, 

 is an eis;ht-foot wall of brick or stone, but 



