AMONG THE FLOWERS WITH REXFORD 



285 



FEBEUAEY IX SO F THE EX GAEDENS 

 By Mrs. G. T. Drennan 



VIOLETS galore; violets sweet and 

 fresh mark well the borders of the 

 garden in February. From Wash- 

 ington City to the Gulf of Mexico the uni- 

 versal flower in the winter season is the 

 violet. Oiit-of -doors in southern gardens 

 it is the only true winter bloomer. The 

 requisitions are well drained borders, 

 made warm and rich with fertile soil. 

 Silver sand intermixed is the delight of 

 the violet, which sends out quantities of 

 surface-feeding roots. The sand prevents 

 obstructions when the roots penetrate and 

 feed upon the fertile soil. Warmly bed- 

 ded, and located where no water stands, 

 and the morning sun shines freely, ^larie 

 Louise, the Tzar, Lady Campbell and the 

 long-stemmed, large flowered English vio- 

 lets, will bloom from under the snow. 



For blooming in February, no matter 

 how cold the winter, the burning bush 

 (Achyranthes Japonica) , in brilliant red, 

 the double or single variety, equally gay, 

 the flowers densely covering the plant 

 from top to bottom before a green leaf ap- 

 pears; the spiraea prunifolia, locally the 

 "rose spiraea," which blooms in pure 

 white, double little flowers, miniature 

 roses, from one end to the other every 

 branch, the whole plant covered with a 

 sheet of snow; these two hardy shrubs 

 alone make a winter garden bright and 

 gay. They are not new plants. In fact, 

 both are as old as the hills, but in their 

 capacity to resist cold, live long and bloom 

 early and profusely, without fail, year 

 after year, nothing better has been intro- 

 duced. Large flowering shrubs, such as 

 these, should be relegated to some divid- 

 ing line, or position not marred by their 

 bulky forms through the gay, flowering 

 summer time. Such plants make very 

 handsom'e background for many of the 

 bright ever-blooming flowers, such as sal- 

 vias, coreopsis and perennial phlox. 



Toward the end of February, beds and 

 borders should be well prepared. Glad- 



ioli s for early flowering, and even tube- 

 rose bulbs may safely be trusted to mother 

 earth. Alwa3'S bed the first planting of 

 summer-flowering bulbs deeply in the soil. 

 Upheavals from cold may yet occur. 

 Deep planting is a safeguard. 



Sow seeds of hardy annuals. 



Plant hardy herbaceous feverfews, per- 

 ennial phloxes, and platycodons. 



Unless the greenhouse plants bloom 

 well during the latter part of winter and 

 in early spring for the demands of Easter, 

 they fail to meet the beautiful require- 

 ments and repay the expense and trouble 

 of hothouse culture. February is the cul- 

 minating season of bloom with hothouse 

 flowers. Given the requisite impetus, the 

 florescence will be full and complete for 

 Easter. The lilies that were potted for 

 Easter will now be in bud, and some of 

 the foremost in bloom. Begonias, abutil- 

 ons, Astilbe japonica, callas, lilies-of-the- 

 valley and geraniums now will require 

 liquid fertilizer about twice each week, 

 and all the sunlight possible. On balmy 

 daj^s, ventilate freely. White geraniums 

 are specially lovely for Easter. They 

 should be given every encouragement now 

 to keep them at a maximum. La Favor- 

 ite, Purity and Snowdrift are exquisite 

 white geraniums, forming large, long- 

 stemmed trusses of soft velvety texture. 



Eemember that Palm Sunday is the 

 sixth Sunday in Lent, and the first in 

 Holy Week, and have the palms all at 

 their best appearing. Beware of neglect- 

 ing palms, as they are very slow to recover 

 lost beauty. 



Chamerops excelsa and Cycas revoluta 

 aft'ord handsome branches, cut from the 

 palms as they stand in the garden, fully 

 exposed, from northern Louisiana to the 

 gulf coast of Florida. These two are the 

 hardiest of all palms. Chamerops excelsa 

 is elegant in fan -shaped leaves and of a 

 lighter shade of green than Cycas revoluta 

 in immense pinnate leaves. 



