August, 1916 
THE GARDE X M A G A Z I X E 
19 
I 
T IS difficult to get people to think of planting anything in August, 
but, all things considered, August is the best month of the year 
in which to get your evergreen planting done. Before setting out 
any trees, however, make a careful study of the kinds you want first; 
an evergreen is, or should be, an investment for life. 
The fanciest and most expensive varieties will not 
always give the most satisfaction. Tie to a few of 
the old standbys for most of your planting. If possible, make a 
personal selection of your trees: a small symmetrical tree is preferable 
to a tall, unshapely one. 
TV/TANY of the hardly lilies are best planted early in the fall. The 
Madonna lily, which is one of the best, should go in before the 
end of this month. If you are planning to put in any of the others, 
be sure to get the various types plainly fixed in mind before you order. 
, Midsummer transplanting of lots of things is in 
^ order. Any perennial that has flowered early 
an ar y 1 es Oriental Poppy has got to rest can be 
transplanted, because it is at rest. Apply the rule of reason to your 
gardening. 
ODDS AND ENDS 
FROM EVERYWHERE 
Transplanting Peonies in August 
CEPTEMBER and October, I believe, 
^ are usually considered the proper months 
for the transplanting of Peonies. But I 
was moving from the city to a new country 
home and wished to take some fine old Peonies 
with me. It was early in August and ex- 
ceeding hot and dry'. I had deep holes dug 
where I wanted the Peonies planted, and 
filled with water, which had seeped away by 
the time the plants were put in. Then the 
Peonies were carefully dug up, taking as 
much earth as possible with the roots. 
These were placed in the holes and partly 
filled with well rotted cow manure and rich 
earth, watered well and later more earth put 
in, filling up the holes. 
In being moved, the Peonies were not out 
of the ground more than three quarters of an 
hour. They were not protected from the 
sun, but were kept wet for several days. 
Some of the leaves drooped and turned brown, 
but most of them presented 
a good appearance. 1 his 
year the Peonies were just 
as vigorous as they ever had 
been and bloomed wonder- 
fully'. 
Mrs. B. C. Stevenson. 
Indianapolis, Ind. 
Ivy on Brick 
V\/^E LIVE in Savanna, 
' ’ 111., in a smoke-laden 
atmosphere where the sun 
glares on hot, smoky, brick 
houses. I have attempted 
to encourage the planting 
of shrubs and vines, but the 
leading citizens believe that 
“Ivy rots the bricks,” so 
that in many cases they 
have torn down and dug 
up vines that already had 
many seasons of luxuriant 
growth. Will you kindly The Oriental Poppy 
give me your judgment or 
refer me to experts on whose 
opinions I can depend to have weight with 
these men? It is beauty versus cold, hard 
business sense, as they see it. Of course, the 
ivy'-covered Eastern buildings are mostly of 
stone. Altha Haviland. 
[\\ e think it somewhat ov'erstating the 
case to say that Ivy' rots bricks. What 
actually' does happen is that when it will 
grow. Ivy acts as a shield to the wall and 
prev'ents the sun from striking directly on 
the brick and thus dry'ing out every' particle 
of moisture that it has. We assume that 
by “Ivy” you mean Ampelopsis and not the 
English Ivy which we should hardly expect 
to grow in your region because the air there 
is too dry for it. Ampelopsis will grow and, 
insomuch as it takes the shock of the sun, it 
has a tendency to make the interior of the 
house on which it grows somewhat cooler 
in the summer time. You need hardly be 
afraid that in one hundred years or even 
two hundred years the growth of Ampelopsis 
on brick would have the slightest appreciable 
effect other than keeping it somewhat moister 
and perhaps somewhat cooler. How could 
it rot the brick? The little suckers by which 
it climbs certainly do not eat holes and there 
is nothing else that is in actual contact with 
the brick, and even a densely clothed, per- 
pendicular wall in ordinary exposure can 
is one of the best of the large flowered perennials in strong colors. Modem varietie: 
range from white to salmon and flesh pink 
never be so wet in this country' as to be ap- 
preciably' damp. — E d.] 
Oriental Poppies From Seed 
'"PHE Oriental Poppy (Papaver orientale) 
^ is perfectly hardy, and produces early in 
May' brilliant red and pink blossoms. The 
red ones look particularly well with white 
Spirea. Princess Victoria Louise and Marie 
Studholme are two beautiful pink varieties. 
Mahonoy is a very dark, rich red, and 
Grand Mogul is especially large. [We would 
add by' all means, the really white with black 
spot, Perry'’s white. — Ed.] 
These splendid flowers can be raised from 
seed planted in August, in a carefully prepared 
well-drained seed bed, situated on the south 
side of a building and shaded with cheese- 
cloth, but not glass covered. I plant the 
seeds thinly', and water carefully. Wher. 
the seedlings are well up, thin out if necessary, 
and in October, they may be transplanted to 
a coldframe for the winter — but they' must be 
carefully handled. Take plenty of soil with 
the roots, and do not let the rootlets dry off. 
I had no coldframe or hotbed, so I did not 
transplant at all, but covered the seedlings 
lightly' with leaves, and left them until spring. 
In April, I put the little plants carefully in 
their permanent positions. 
-After they have blos- 
somed, the plants grow 
ragged looking, and then the 
leaves can be cut off, and 
annuals set in the bed. Red 
Zinnias — notmixed Zinnias, 
for the different colors of 
this annual quarrel dread- 
fully — fill in the space well 
and bloom until frost. -An- 
other good combination is 
hardy Phlox with the Pop- 
pies, in which case the 
unsightly stumps of the 
Poppies can be hidden with 
Asters. 
AIary T. Richardson. 
New Jersey. 
The “Gardenia” Narcissus 
T HEAR many complaints 
^ about Narcissus Poeticus 
Flora Bene not blooming, 
but I have hundreds now 
from a very small beginning. 
They are almost acjuatic and 
can endure wet feet better than any' bulbs I 
know, but I have some growing in very' dry soil, 
which show no difference, except length of 
stem. The moisture seems to make the bulb 
heavier. I think they are very sensitive to 
late frosts, and, if they' are caught with their 
buds a few inches above ground, they' are 
killed. I believe that is probably the cause 
