.. jforetoort).. 
There is a fresh clear beauty about the first flowers of spring, bloom¬ 
ing in great profusion and in grateful response to the warm sunshine, that 
lends charm to any garden This may cause us to overlook the fact that it 
is necessary to use thought in selecting new plants which will assist us in 
retaining a colorful display throughout the summer months. For this we 
need a constantly changing array of harmonious, yet distinctive coloring, 
and it is with this thought in mind that I am giving a brief resume of what 
the catalogue has to offer in adding attractiveness and continuity to a 
garden. 
In the bearded irises, the bright and showy dwarfs are the first to 
flower, and are essential in our early gardens. The next are the inter¬ 
mediates, so called on account of their height and time of bloom, they are 
a sturdy race of varied hue, and are particularly effective in the foreground 
of the border. The crested and smaller species of irises are especially 
adapted to half shady places, and nooks in rock garden plantings, where 
they will give additional beauty after the glory of the smaller spring bulbs 
has vanished. 
Early June brings us the tall bearded irises, and I know of nothing 
better for pure beauty of form and harmonious coloring than the newer 
varieties. Recently, there has been great advancement in this type of iris, 
and each year they become more and more fascinating, with their large 
flowers, brilliancy of coloring, and sturdy growth, especially is this to be 
noted in the white, yellow, red, and pink varieties, which are so lovely with 
their jewel-like beauty and clarity of color that it is difficult to speak of 
them with any degree of moderation. 
Each year I visit the gardens of many prominent breeders, and make a 
careful selection of irises that I think are especially desirable, these as well 
as many others of outstanding merit from various hybridizers, are in my 
garden to be seen blooming at iris time. The choice of new irises for our 
gardens should be carried out with care and discrimination, and my advice 
is to choose carefully each year a few of these glorious new irises, gradu¬ 
ally replacing those of inferior qualities, until we have a floral display of 
true magnificence, and one that will be a glad remembrance throughout the 
season. 
Soon the Siberian irises and Oriental poppies are in their full glory, and 
a planting of these in combination with the lighter shades of bearded irises, 
blue lupines and delphiniums, will give a blending of lovely color elements. 
The newer creations in these poppies are exquisite with their charming 
open flowers of white, flesh, lavender, coral, pink, silken old rose, and ruby 
red, and so sparkling is their beauty that no garden should be without them. 0 
Those of lavender, old rose, and mahogany are best planted in half shade, 
away from the hot noonday sun. and the latter is singularly appealing when 
planted with the early pale yellow hemerocallis. In August, the Oriental 
poppies take their summer rest, and it is advisable to plant gypsophila and 
delphinium chinensis in front of them, so that their flowers and feathery 
foliage will conceal the sleeping of the poppies. 
After the wealth of iris bloom in early June, there would be a com¬ 
parative lull if it were not for the Washington hybrids of the Southern 
States species. Even the most particular gardener will be thrilled with 
these hybrids, for they have great diversity of color, with their real blues, 
ranging from sky-blue to deep velvety tones, palest pink to soft old rose, 
white, French gray, all shades of lavender, and some are almost orange in 
color, overcast with the soft velvety richness of copper. Their delicate and 
intangible quality of coloring is the more precious in that these tones are 
absent in most other flowers. 
They are especially adapted to planting around pools and in half shady 
places, where so few plants will thrive and bloom. For flower arrangement 
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