Notes from the English Garden with Comments 
Note: For more than half a century The English Garden, published at London, England, was the leading garden periodica? 
of Europe, an authority read by^all the prominent horticulturists of the world. 1 have bound volumes dating back from 
1886 to the time of the World War. Unfortunately, the editor, who wan superintendent of the Glasnevin Botanic 
Gardens, Ireland, and with whom I became well acquainted there, enlisted in the English army and was killed in 
battle. The publication was suspended and has never yet been revived. The notes here given were culled from 
my volumes, and I have added my own comments to them, all of which I trust will be of interest. Park. 
plants suit- 
none, perhaps, ex- 
A DONIS Vernalis. Among 
able for Spring gardening, 
cel the charming Spring Adonis Vernalis, represent¬ 
ed in the annexed illustration. Its habit, fine graceful 
foliage, and large clear amber-yellow flowers make 
it far more effective in Spring than Tulips of the same 
color; over the latter, too, it has many advantages. 
Xt flowers annually with increased vigor, and even 
if the beds in which it grows were to be used for 
Summer bedding, the foliage of the Adonis would 
add rather than detract from their beauty. There is, 
moreover, no reason why this plant should not be 
permanently established in our wild gardens. It is 
perfectly hardy, being found plentifully over a wide 
area of Europe. Editor. 
NOTE. This very beautiful hardy perennial, so 
common in Europe is but little known in America. 
This may be because the seeds start rather tardily 
and those who get f'*' 
them become impa- • 
tient and neglect • 
the seed-bed before ? 
the seeds have had ? 
sufficient time to £ 
germinate. The har- » 
diness and great • 
beauty of the firs f 
during the Spring ? 
months, however, 
fully justify the 
patience required in 4 
starting the seeds. _ 
My seeds are of the ? 
very latest crop and £ 
should yield the 
happiest results. 
ERINUS Alpinus. f 
This is a charming 8 
and distinct little 
plant, producing a 
profusion of violet- 
purple flowers over ? 
the tufts of abun- ? 
dant leaves. It will ? 
not endure 
in a wet low place, £ 
but will run riot • 
over old walls or ? 
ADONIS VERNALIS 
A Beautiful Spring Flower. See above notes, also page 55. 
LATHYRUS Latifolius. I sowed seeds of 
this in March, starting the plants in pots and setting 
them out early, and nearly all of them began bloom¬ 
ing in Autumn. They were of the white variety. The 
next year I got seeds of the red variety, treating them 
in the same way, and they bloomed in five months. 
At present our plants are very fine, having grown 
over eight feet high, while they are covered with 
flowers; many hundreds of the peduncles are from 
thirteen to fifteen-flowered, and this is but a repe¬ 
tition of the display last year, seventeen months from 
sowing the seed. J. C. Tallack. 
NOTE. Latliyrus Latifolius is one of our best hardy 
perennials. It blooms freely throughout tlie entire 
season, the flowers being of pleasing colors and larger 
than those of the common Sweet Pea, Give it a trellis 
and remove the clusters when they begin to fade to 
prevent seed formation. Once established, the plants 
will live for years 
» without any further 
? care. They thrive in 
? dry weather, wet 
£ weather, or cold 
£ weather and other 
£ conditions that will 
• ruin many other 
? perennials. They 
• are readilv started 
I from seeds. Don’t 
i fail to add this 
« grand perennial to 
? your order, 
t VIOLA, Tufted 
£ Pansies, do well in 
• loamy soil. If the 
• soil is sandy or very 
? free it will not grow 
T Pansies well until 
£ stiffened by the ad- 
£ diiion of loam. To 
• have the plants 
? bloom continuous- 
? ly throughout the 
• Summer, the bed 
£ should be where it 
£ will be shaded for 
• two or three hours 
? during the hottest 
ruins, and even on part of day. Plants 
stone steps, where it has made itself thoroughly at 
home, running into every nook in the steps and 
flowering with utmost profusion. It is only necessary 
to sow seeds in the chinks where there is some moss 
or earth to root into, and leave the rest to nature. 
The plant will even flower cn mere mossy stones 
and rocks without earth. Much beauty is lost to 
gardens by not sowing seed of such alpine gems as 
the Erinus. Editor. 
NOTE. To get this Erinus started the seeds should 
be skillfully sown as they are very fine, and plants 
should be well cared for, setting them where they 
are to grow and bloom. Once established, they will 
propagate from self-sown seeds and spread, covering 
up bare spots and beautifying unsightly places, with¬ 
out further attention. It must not be supposed, how¬ 
ever, that the seeds in a packet can be strewn over 
the soil carelessly if plants are expected to appear 
and flourish as above described. The seeds are expen¬ 
sive because they are difficult to get, and care must, 
be used in getting the plants started. See page 60. 
started in. September will begin to bloom in Autumn 
and in a mild climate will bloom during Winter, Ed. 
NOTE. Tufted Pansies will endure more heat and 
unfavorable conditions than the true Pansies under 
proper treatment. They are fine bedding plants and 
should have a place in every garden. See page 49. 
BOCCONIA- Cordata. This is at all times an inter¬ 
esting plant, handsome in foliage as well as flowers. 
Its tall stems are clothed with large, deeply-lobed, 
glaucous leaves, and terminated by panicles of 
creamy white firs, which fade to a peculiar snuff- 
brown shade. The plants we have are in fresh deep¬ 
ly trenched ground, and cover several square yards. 
They are a mass of vigorous growth, flower panicles 
on stems 9ft. hight. Some of the terminal panicles of 
flowers are nearly 1 yard long, and the shoots which 
produced them have thrown out laterals which have 
also flowered showing bloom among the rich foliage. 
NOTE. Bocconia Cordata is a showy plant as a 
single specimen or for the background. It should be 
used wherever the grounds are large enough to ac¬ 
commodate it with taste. Lasts many years. See p 57. 
10 
