The Garden Magazine, May, 1923 
197 
dium height plants, selections may be made of Solomon’s Seal, 
and the more showy False Spikenard (Smilacina racemosa), with 
its terminal racemes of feathery white flowers during June and 
July, and we must not forget the Wake Robins (Trillium), as 
few plants are more interesting or effective. 
Valuable as much for its Maidenhair-Fern-like foliage, which 
lasts well when cut, as for its white flowers, is the Fern-leaved 
False Rue (Thalictrum adiantifolium). While the hardy Lo¬ 
belias, the scarlet L. cardinalis and the pale blue L. syphilitica, 
are at home in a sunny swamp, yet they will give satisfactory 
accounts of themselves in the shaded corner. Ferns are for the 
most part shade loving plants and the native species afford a 
large field for selection. 
Late Season Bloom 
L ATE in the season (during September and October, and 
_j sometimes into November) a shaded border can be made 
gay with Japanese Anemones and Monkshood. Some of the 
latter, however, bloom as early as June, the latest ones to flower 
FLOWERS ON THE SHADED BORDER 
Not everything will gladly show forth its blossoms when deprived' 
here we see Gold-banded Lily, Sweet-scented Tobacco, and Orange Day¬ 
being the native dwarf Aconitum Fischeri and the Chinese A. 
autumnale and Mesonii, the two latter reaching six feet in height. 
All these are blue, but the little known Yellow Monkshood, 
A. lycoctonum, shows up better in the shade than the others, 
but does not bloom so late as the two previously mentioned 
kinds. I am not aware that it can be obtained in America, but 
it is listed by British growers. 
Other autumn flowers will be given by some of the native 
Asters, and by the exotic Aster tataricus, which is the latest 
blooming of the genus. The improved forms developed from 
the New York and New England Asters, which are offered in 
the catalogues, are delightful indeed. At least one of the Golden- 
rods, Solidago odora, is at home in the shade, it being unique 
among that genus by reason of its pleasing scent. 
When Preparing to Plant 
W ITH a few exceptions these flowering plants are native 
and perennial and require planting but once. They will 
continue to greet us year after year if given ordinary care and 
attention. Their permanent na¬ 
ture indicates the necessity for 
thoroughly preparing the ground 
previously to setting out the 
plants, which preparation should 
consist in deep spading and the 
incorporation of plenty of rotted 
manure, bone meal, and leaf 
mould. 
Under or near trees the soil 
will be found to contain a greater 
or less mass of roots of all sizes, 
which should be cut off and re¬ 
moved, and if necessary fresh soil 
of good quality added. While 
Rhododendrons and their allies 
like a good supply of peat and 
leaf mould, no better results can 
be obtained than by supplying 
them with a depth of two or three 
feet of fibrous turf which has been 
composted and chopped up six 
months previously, with an ap¬ 
plication of rotted cow manure 
all over the surface after plant¬ 
ing. Leaf mould can be added 
every year by giving a mulch 
of leaves at the early part of 
every winter, which mulch should 
never he removed. 
No garden can contain every¬ 
thing, and while the mass plant¬ 
ing of shrubs as sketched out 
above gives a certain dignity to 
home surroundings when planted 
with a view to landscape effects; 
and a considerable amount of pic¬ 
turesque beauty in winter may 
be obtained by the use of broad¬ 
leaved evergreens, especially if 
combined with red-twigged and 
red-berried deciduous shrubs; yet 
at the same time there are 
many owners of small gardens 
who would rather suffer winter 
bareness in a shaded border than 
lose the pleasure of having flow¬ 
ers from March or April until 
October or November. Which 
shall be striven for is a matter 
for individual choice and deci¬ 
of abundant light, but 
■Lily in prominent glory 
sion. 
