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  AMERICAN 
  HOMES 
  AND 
  GARDENS 
  

  

  April, 
  1907 
  

  

  Hollyhocks 
  

  

  opportunity 
  for 
  "effect" 
  on 
  small 
  grounds, 
  a 
  departure 
  from 
  

   straight 
  lines 
  can 
  always 
  be 
  made, 
  and 
  formality 
  and 
  prim- 
  

   ness 
  avoided 
  to 
  a 
  considerable 
  degree. 
  Let 
  the 
  boundary 
  

   curve, 
  as 
  shown 
  in 
  the 
  first 
  photograph, 
  and 
  the 
  result 
  will 
  be 
  

   a 
  hundredfold 
  more 
  pleasing 
  than 
  it 
  would 
  if 
  it 
  were 
  a 
  

   straight 
  line. 
  By 
  planting 
  low-growing 
  kinds 
  in 
  the 
  front 
  

   row, 
  and 
  using 
  taller 
  varieties 
  next 
  to 
  them, 
  with 
  the 
  tallest 
  

   one 
  in 
  the 
  rear, 
  the 
  effect 
  of 
  a 
  bank 
  of 
  flowers 
  and 
  foliage 
  

   can 
  be 
  secured. 
  This 
  the 
  illustration 
  also 
  shows 
  clearly. 
  

   Shrubbery 
  can 
  be 
  used 
  in 
  connection 
  with 
  perennials 
  with 
  

   fine 
  results, 
  if 
  bold 
  and 
  striking 
  effects 
  are 
  desired. 
  This, 
  as 
  

   the 
  reader 
  will 
  notice, 
  was 
  done 
  on 
  the 
  grounds 
  from 
  which 
  

   the 
  picture 
  was 
  taken. 
  Here 
  we 
  have 
  a 
  combination 
  which 
  

   can 
  not 
  fail 
  to 
  afford 
  pleasure 
  to 
  the 
  lover 
  of 
  the 
  picturesque. 
  

   It 
  shows 
  us 
  a 
  border 
  which 
  seems 
  to 
  have 
  planned 
  itself, 
  so 
  

   unstudied 
  and 
  informal 
  is 
  it 
  — 
  quite 
  like 
  the 
  evolution 
  of 
  one 
  

   of 
  Nature's 
  fence-corner 
  bits 
  of 
  gardening. 
  

  

  For 
  the 
  background 
  we 
  have 
  several 
  most 
  magnificent 
  

   plants. 
  The 
  delphinium 
  grows 
  to 
  a 
  height 
  of 
  six 
  and 
  eight 
  

   feet, 
  in 
  rich 
  soil, 
  sending 
  up 
  a 
  score 
  or 
  more 
  of 
  stout 
  stalks 
  

   from 
  each 
  strong 
  clump 
  of 
  roots. 
  Two 
  

   feet 
  or 
  more 
  of 
  the 
  upper 
  part 
  of 
  these 
  

   stalks 
  will 
  be 
  covered 
  with 
  flowers 
  of 
  the 
  

   richest 
  blue 
  known 
  in 
  the 
  floral 
  world. 
  

  

  "Golden 
  glow" 
  rudbeckia 
  is 
  quite 
  as 
  

   strong 
  a 
  grower 
  as 
  the 
  delphinium. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  

   more 
  prolific 
  bloomer. 
  Its 
  flowers 
  are 
  of 
  

   the 
  richest 
  golden-yellow, 
  resembling 
  the 
  

   decorative 
  type 
  of 
  dahlia. 
  This 
  plant 
  is 
  

   excellent 
  in 
  the 
  rear, 
  but 
  nowhere 
  else. 
  

  

  Hollyhocks 
  deserve 
  a 
  place 
  in 
  every 
  

   border. 
  Their 
  stately 
  habit, 
  their 
  pro- 
  

   fusion 
  of 
  bloom, 
  their 
  wonderful 
  range 
  and 
  

   richness 
  of 
  color, 
  make 
  them 
  favorites 
  

   everywhere. 
  The 
  illustration 
  shows 
  how 
  

   charmingly 
  effective 
  they 
  are 
  when 
  grown 
  

   in 
  clumps 
  or 
  masses. 
  If 
  their 
  flowers 
  are 
  

   picked 
  off 
  as 
  soon 
  as 
  they 
  fade, 
  and 
  seed 
  

   is 
  prevented 
  from 
  developing, 
  the 
  plants 
  

   will 
  bloom 
  throughout 
  the 
  entire 
  season. 
  

   In 
  the 
  illustration 
  only 
  single 
  kinds 
  are 
  

   shown. 
  The 
  double 
  kinds 
  are 
  showier, 
  be- 
  

   cause 
  their 
  flowers 
  are 
  so 
  thickly 
  set 
  along 
  

   the 
  stalk 
  that 
  a 
  stronger 
  color 
  effect 
  is 
  

   given, 
  but 
  they 
  are 
  really 
  no 
  finer 
  than 
  the 
  

   single 
  sorts, 
  for 
  in 
  the 
  latter 
  the 
  rich 
  and 
  

   peculiar 
  markings 
  of 
  the 
  individual 
  flowers 
  

   show 
  to 
  much 
  better 
  advantage 
  than 
  among 
  

  

  the 
  double 
  kinds, 
  whose 
  multiplicity 
  of 
  

   petals 
  hides 
  this 
  very 
  pleasing 
  variegation. 
  

   Coreopsis 
  lanceolata, 
  rich 
  yellow, 
  is 
  a 
  

   charming 
  plant 
  for 
  front 
  rows, 
  especially 
  if 
  

   placed 
  where 
  it 
  will 
  have 
  a 
  white 
  flower 
  

   for 
  contrast. 
  

  

  Phlox, 
  all 
  things 
  considered, 
  deserves 
  a 
  

   place 
  near 
  the 
  head 
  of 
  the 
  list. 
  It 
  is 
  so 
  

   hardy, 
  so 
  sturdy, 
  so 
  floriferous, 
  so 
  rich 
  in 
  

   color, 
  and 
  blooms 
  during 
  so 
  long 
  a 
  season, 
  

   that 
  it 
  comes 
  very 
  near 
  to 
  being 
  the 
  ideal 
  

   plant 
  for 
  the 
  border. 
  It 
  varies 
  greatly 
  in 
  

   habit 
  of 
  growth. 
  Some 
  varieties 
  attain 
  a 
  

   height 
  of 
  five 
  feet 
  or 
  more. 
  Others 
  are 
  low 
  

   growers 
  — 
  almost 
  dwarfs, 
  in 
  fact 
  — 
  there- 
  

   fore 
  well 
  adapted 
  for 
  places 
  in 
  the 
  front 
  

   row. 
  Some 
  varieties 
  have 
  lilac 
  and 
  mauve 
  

   flowers, 
  very 
  delicate 
  and 
  dainty 
  in 
  color- 
  

   ing, 
  but 
  so 
  out 
  of 
  harmony 
  with 
  the 
  rose 
  

   and 
  carmine 
  and 
  violet 
  kinds 
  that 
  they 
  spoil 
  

   everything 
  if 
  grown 
  near 
  them. 
  But 
  give 
  

   them 
  a 
  place 
  by 
  themselves, 
  with 
  white 
  

   varieties 
  to 
  afford 
  color 
  contrast, 
  and 
  serve 
  as 
  a 
  foil 
  to 
  their 
  

   peculiar 
  beauty, 
  and 
  the 
  chances 
  are 
  that 
  you 
  will 
  think 
  them 
  

   the 
  loveliest 
  of 
  the 
  lot. 
  No 
  other 
  perennial 
  can 
  give 
  such 
  

   solid 
  masses 
  of 
  color. 
  

  

  Peonies 
  are 
  superb 
  flowers. 
  They 
  are 
  to 
  the 
  border 
  what 
  

   the 
  rose 
  is 
  to 
  the 
  shrubbery. 
  Hardy, 
  wonderfully 
  prolific 
  of 
  

   bloom, 
  rich 
  and 
  varied 
  in 
  color, 
  delightfully 
  fragrant, 
  and 
  

   coming 
  early 
  in 
  the 
  season 
  — 
  what 
  more 
  in 
  the 
  way 
  of 
  argu- 
  

   ment 
  need 
  be 
  said 
  in 
  their 
  favor? 
  Give 
  them 
  a 
  rather 
  heavy 
  

   soil, 
  and 
  let 
  it 
  be 
  very 
  rich. 
  Disturb 
  their 
  roots 
  as 
  little 
  as 
  

   possible. 
  Keep 
  the 
  grass 
  away 
  from, 
  them. 
  They 
  will 
  re- 
  

   quire 
  no 
  other 
  care. 
  

  

  For 
  an 
  edging 
  plant, 
  I 
  know 
  of 
  nothing 
  finer 
  than 
  phlox 
  

   sublata. 
  It 
  forms 
  a 
  thick, 
  low, 
  cushiony 
  mass 
  of 
  pretty 
  green 
  

   foliage, 
  which 
  its 
  white 
  and 
  rose-colored 
  flowers 
  will 
  almost 
  

   completely 
  hide 
  after 
  a 
  little. 
  Its 
  decorative 
  qualities 
  and 
  

   possibilities 
  are 
  very 
  pronounced 
  and 
  always 
  charming. 
  

  

  Dicentra, 
  better 
  known 
  as 
  "Bleeding 
  Heart," 
  is 
  a 
  most 
  

   lovely 
  early 
  bloomer. 
  Its 
  long, 
  gracefully 
  arching 
  sprays 
  of 
  

   pink 
  and 
  white 
  pendant 
  flowers 
  are 
  exceedingly 
  attractive. 
  

  

  A 
  Group 
  of 
  Iris 
  

  

  