292 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



July, 1 9 10 



north but which may readily be secured of southern florists. 

 Among these one should make a choice of one or more of 

 the dark red varieties such as N. Atropurpureum pleum, or 

 N. DeBrun and with these combine the old-fashioned pink — 

 Splendens, Madam Peyre — a double creamy-yellow variety 

 with pink center, and Madona Grandiflora — the best double 

 white. There are also several good single varieties, and if 

 one chooses to make a collection of the various sorts it will 

 well repay the time and money expended. Oleanders are 

 easily propagated by rooting. Cuttings of the new wood in 

 water in a sunny position or in wet sand with bottom heat 

 and the plants make a quick growth. They may be win- 

 tered in a dry, light and warm cellar and brought up in the 

 spring in time to start into growth before they are to be 

 planted out late in May. Any good, well enriched garden 

 soil will grow them successfully and a hedge of them in full 

 bloom is a thing to rejoice and to be proud over. 



Less rare, but still highly ornamental, the lantanas have 

 a claim to consideration for their freedom of growth and 

 profusion of bloom. They make very symmetrical bushes, a 

 well developed specimen being as broad as tall and as they 

 may be grown from small spring set plants to bushes two 

 and three feet in diameter by midsummer, their availability 

 as an ornamental hedge-plant is obvious. The colors range 

 from orange and red to pink, lemon and pure white and the 

 individual flower, though small, is borne in large clusters 

 which completely cover the plant making it a most striking 

 and handsome object. They should be set far enough apart 

 in the row to assure perfect development and any good rich 

 soil will grow them well. They should be well watered, es- 

 pecially after coming into bud and at this time should have 

 liquid manure once or twice a week. 



Where a low hedge eighteen or twenty inches high is de- 

 sired the vincas are admirable. These plants make shapely, 

 compact bushes nearly as wide as high and the glossy green 

 leaves are as ornamental almost as the flowers which cover 

 the plants in great profusion. The flowers are waxy and 

 of good substance and occur in pure white, white with rose 

 eye and rose colored. The plants are easily moved and at 

 the approach of cold weather may be lifted and grown on in 

 the house if desired. They are easily grown from spring 

 sown seed which should be sown in the house or hot-bed 

 early in March to insure plants of a good size for bedding 

 out about the last of May. 



Any good garden soil, well enriched will grow the vinca 

 to perfection and it should be well watered throughout its 

 season of growth. 



The coleus may be used for low hedges and is always 

 popular. Plants are so easily and cheaply obtainable of the 

 florists that it hardly pays to bother to propagate them one- 

 self, but they are one of the easiest plants to raise from cut- 

 tings and may also be raised from seed. Leaf mold suits 

 the coleus very well, but any good garden soil will grow 

 them to perfection and the sunnier the exposure the richer 

 will be the color produced. 



Coleus should never be allowed to bloom, but the tips of 

 the branches should be kept nipped out and the plants be 

 encouraged to make a stocky growth. Left to themselves 

 they are a little inclined to grow straggly and the lower 

 leaves to droop. For this reason they must be continually 

 pruned and kept in subjection. If two or more tiers of 

 leaves are nipped out each time these may be thrust in the 

 ground about the base of the plant or around the edge of a 

 bed it is desired to border and they will quickly take root 

 and go on growing as though nothing had happened. 



Another atractive plant rarely seen at the north is the 

 crape myrtle. These are considered indispensable at the 

 south and may be grown in the open ground at the north by 

 lifting and storing them in a warm cellar in winter. They 

 are not as handsome in foliage as the preceding plants nor 

 do they make as symmetrical growth, but need to be trim- 

 med into shape, but the beautiful, crape-like flowers fully 

 compensate for all shortcomings of foilage and symmetry. 

 There are three colors — white, pink and crimson, and all 

 are well worth cultivating. No especial treatment is de- 

 manded; any soil which will grow good dahlias will grow 

 this plant satisfactorily. It should be supplied with suffici- 

 ent water for its needs and given, when in bloom, a little 

 manure water. 



The Bougainvillea is another fine plant which, when in 

 bloom, is a wonderful mass of rosy-crimson. The flowers, 

 themselves, are inconspicuous white tubes but each flower 

 is surrounded with large rosy bracts which have the effect 

 of flowers. The plants though straggly in growth are so 

 compact as to be easily kept in symmetrical shape. It is 

 rather inclined to trail and for that reason is an appropriate 

 plant for the top of walls or embankments. I like a mixture 

 of leaf mold or peat with warm sandy loam and old, well- 

 decayed manure for this plant. It is a hard wooded plant 

 and in planting or potting the soil should be made very firm 

 about the roots. It blooms from May to November, mak- 

 ing it very desirable for bedding out. It should be lifted 

 and stored in a warm cellar during winter. 



The tender hydrangeas are among the most available 

 plants for planting out in the summer. Unlike the hardy 

 hydrangeas, they show attractive shades of pink and rosy 

 red as well as white and one-Hortensis Mariesii changes 

 from the light pink of the newly opened flower to a pure 

 mauve — the blue hydrangea as it is sometimes called. 



Good garden culture is all this class of plants requires. 

 This means keeping the soil mellow and loose and not allow- 

 ing the plants to suffer at any time for water. 



The foilage of this class of plants is very handsome, being 

 quite a distinct departure from that of the hardy varieties. 

 They do somewhat better in partial shade, as too hot a sun 

 is apt to burn the beautiful large leaves. 



Then there are the Brugmansias, single and double, whose 

 beautiful, immense white flowers resembling fluted satin, 

 fill the evening air with perfume which reminds one some- 

 what of vanilla. 



