THE FLORAL IVORLT). 



T 



l)eing to renovate old grounds around 

 a new residence, the driveway only re- 

 maining in its former state. I have 

 not only trees, shrubs and flowers to 

 select, but, wishing natural effects, no 

 bare spaces of earth must be seen, so 

 ■vines and mosses must come to my 

 assistance. The trees of the driveway 

 are silver birch and mountain ash, 

 with evergreens as a background. Hol- 

 lyhocks and sunflowers peep out from 

 lower branches, underneath a carpet of 

 myrtle with crocuses, daffodils, narcis- 

 sus, hyacinth and tulips. A bed of 

 Madonna lilies will be carpeted with 

 blue forget-me-nots, also a bed of yel- 

 low tulips. My fall bulbs will have a 

 carpet of creeping nasturtiums, a bed 

 of mixed roses, a carpet of ramblers. 

 Ail other rose beds are carpeted with 

 pansies sown in July and transplanted 

 in October, each bed a separate color, 

 as white with laurette massing, yel- 

 low with safrano, purple with others. 

 Will Floral World readers please sug- 

 gest other combinations? 

 ISTew York. Mrs. E. M. Kean. 



AS TO ORDINARY MOSS. 



In early spring I gather ordinary 

 soft green moss from our country road- 

 side, wash, dry, and pack it away to 

 xise in all kinds of floral work. It is 

 just as useful as sphagum moss and 

 more decorative, as it retains its rich 

 color for months. As a top dressing 

 it adds to the appearance of potted 

 plants, while forming a good mulch 

 for the soil. 



Many plants thrive best in tin cans. 

 When in flower, such plants may be 

 set in a jardiniere, with paper stuffed 

 around the can, and then both the pa- 

 per and the mouth of the can con- 

 cealed by a layer of damp moss. 



For cut flowers this green moss is in- 

 dispensable. Try filling dishes with 

 damp moss heaped high in the center, 

 wnen arranging violets, pansies, 

 ferns, etc. 



I have a dainty hanging basket made 



of a pink sea shell. This I fill with 

 vines, using moss to keep them in. 

 place. The vines develop roots in the 

 damp moss and stay fresh for weeks. 

 When they decline, I wash my shell 

 and fill it with other vines and moss. 



Large hanging baskets of great 

 beauty may be made in this way to 

 decorate rooms for special occasions. 



Tennessee. Lizzie D. Abernathy. 



THE ZAMIA INTEGRIFOLIA. 



I have wondered more than once 

 why it is that, while other less attract- 

 ive plants are lauded to the skies, so 

 little mention is ever made of the 

 zamia integrifolia. It is a strikingly 

 beautiful decorative plant, closely re- 

 sembling the cycas revoluta, or sago 

 palm. It resembles both the palm and 

 the fern, but is neither. The leaves 

 are pinnate, quite thick, and retain 

 their beauty indefinitely. The blossom 

 is somewhat remarkable — in shape re- 

 sembling a pine cone, and of a rich, 

 velvety maroon color. It bursts open 

 when ripe and shows large seeds of 

 glossy yellow, changing later to a deep 

 red. It is as easily grown as a gera- 

 nium, is not particular as to location, 

 doing equally well in sunshine or 

 shade, and is not expensive. 



My experience with it was rather 

 unique. I bought a large plant in the 

 fall, and though it kept its beauty all 

 winter, in the spring the leaves turned 

 yellow, and, thinking it past resurrec- 

 tion, it was put out on the back lawn 

 for future removal. Some time after 

 one of the family chanced to look at 

 it, and found five shoots about four 

 inches long pushing up from the cen 

 ter. It was brought in and grew into 

 a handsome plant, with leaves thirty 

 and thirty-one inches long. For pi- 

 azza or window it is invaluable, and 

 well repays the slight care it re- 

 quires. It is mentioned in but one of 

 the catalogues I have seen this year, 

 but it can probably be gotten at the 

 greenhouses. 



New Jersey. "March Tenth." 



