June, 1908 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



XVII 



will be occupied for more than a brief season 

 of the year, if at all. The village lot, the city 

 flat, or even a restricted apartment in a down- 

 town location, may serve for a home, but 

 there is no environment, however restricted, 

 that does not possess possibilities for flori- 

 culture if the desire and will is present to 

 make the most of one's surroundings. 



The one indispensable condition for out- 

 door culture is summer weather; given this 

 and a bit of land — or something to hold soil, 

 for gardening need not necessarily be on the 

 ground — and much is possible. 



It is taken for granted at the start that one 

 will not care to plant hardy shrubs, bulbs 

 and perennials in a garden that is to be held 

 but a season at most; not but what the crea- 

 tion of the nucleus of a permanent garden 

 which those who come after us may enjoy 

 is at all to be decried, but rather to be ap- 

 plauded, but the fact remains that we are not, 

 as a rule, altruistic enough to sow that an- 

 other may reap. 



However, the field of annual flowers and 

 vines and of summer flowering bulbs is so 

 large that a very satisfactory garden, indeed, 

 may be enjoyed by limiting our planting to 

 these alone. Many of the annuals come into 

 bloom very quickly from seed so that imme- 

 diate returns may be realized, others, as the 

 asters, are slower in maturing, but follow 

 close upon the footsteps of the earlier blooms 

 so that little, if any, hiatus in the garden's 

 bloom will be discernible. 



If one has but a narrow strip of land along 

 a division fence to devote to flowers one may 

 still make an effective planting, especially if 

 it is desired to mask the fence and adjacent 

 view with a screen of foliage and bloom. 

 In this case choice will wisely be made of the 

 taller growing ricinus for the mass of shrub- 

 bery, massing it well back against the rear 

 end of the fence and interspersing the plant- 

 ing with the tall growing cannas as it ap- 

 proaches the house. In this nearer planting 

 the caladium esculentum may be introduced 

 with excellent effect, and among the rear 

 plants the tall, tropical-looking nicotiana syl- 

 vestris may be used. This is one of the most 

 effective plants for sub-tropical planting I 

 know. Its flowers, which remain open all 

 day, are borne aloft on tall scapes, and the 

 plant is not injured by quite sharp frosts, so 

 if it is grown to fine proportions it will fill 

 up the gap caused by the loss of the ricinus, 

 which usually succumb to the first sharp frost, 

 and should be at once cut out, and so render 

 the garden attractive for some time to come. 



Scarlet salvias combine delightfully with 

 the nicotianas, and should be planted liberally. 

 Scarlet zinnias, dwarf nasturtiums, white 

 candytuft and purple ageratums, all make 

 attractive plantings, and the whole may be 

 bordered with a mixed border of Phlox 

 Drummondii, or only one or two colors may 

 be employed. Such a border in the rear of a 

 twelve-foot lot will give an abundance of 

 flowers both for effect and for cutting. 



But one need not confine their gardening 

 operations to the border alongside the fence ; 

 there is usually room about the foundations 

 of the house and outbuildings for beds of low 

 growing plants and vines, and there are many 

 bedders and annual vines which may be em- 

 ployed with excellent effect. Geraniums are 

 one of the most reliable bedders, being prac- 

 tically droughtproof, and bloom the more 

 freely the more they are neglected ; the only 

 imperative requirement being that the 

 withered flowered heads should be removed 

 and not allowed to seed. 



Of the vines which may be used to orna- 

 ment and hide there is none more attractive 

 and useful than the cobsea scandens with its 

 wealth of lovely flowers so ornamental on the 

 vine and so useful for cutting. This is a 



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