HOUSE AND GARDEN 
Au 
GUST, 19 1 I 
97 
and throw up more and more stems 
of the pale yellow, gracefully droop¬ 
ing blossoms. The flowers seem to 
increase in size by cultivation and 
the plant becomes very ornamental. 
The cypripediums, or ladies’ slip¬ 
pers, make regal ornaments of the 
wild garden. C. spectabilc, the showy 
lady slipper with its large pink and 
white blossoms is the most beautiful 
of the family. It is most often found 
in swamps, but it also grows on 
sandy hillsides and it will flourish in 
the garden as well as in its natural 
habitat if watered enough to prevent 
the soil from drying on top. Cypri- 
pedinm pubescens, the large yellow 
lady slipper, also does well under 
cultivation, even without particular 
care, and clumps of C. parvidorum, 
the smaller-flowered species, increase 
in size as they become established. 
The blue flag, Iris versicolor, 
naturally grows in wet places, but it 
accommodates itself to circumstan¬ 
ces nobly and will flourish in the 
wild garden and bloom for a month, 
if it only has occasional watering. 
For vivid coloring no other wild 
Black-eyed Susans grow larger 
and more ornamental each 
year in the friendly situation 
of the home grounds 
Why import the Michaelmas daisy, which is only a 
variety of our wild aster cultivated abroad? 
All the violets will thrive in the 
moist places so hard to fill 
flower can compare with the cardinal 
flower, Lobelia cardinalis. It usually 
grows along streams, but it will flour¬ 
ish in the garden, especially if it be 
planted where a dash of water can be 
frequently given it. The cardinal 
flower begins to bloom in July, and 
the long spikes of brilliant blossoms 
will continue opening to the very tip, 
lasting until the latter part of August. 
Numerous side shoots spring out 
from the main stalk, thus lengthening 
the time of flowering. 
The various species of wild asters 
accommodate themselves to garden 
privileges with no reluctance what¬ 
ever ; many of them are very graceful 
and pretty and they adorn the waste 
places where nothing else will flourish. 
Coming as they do late in the fall, 
they lengthen the season of bloom in 
the garden and are useful for decora¬ 
tion. Under the name of Michaelmas 
daisies, many of our native asters are 
cultivated in England and are often 
imported from that country for our 
gardens. But many of the same spe¬ 
cies can be picked up along our coun¬ 
try roads without trouble and are 
quite as beautiful as their imported 
brethren. No prettier adornment can 
be found for the fall garden, and once 
introduced there they will take care of 
themselves. 
The goldenrods will flourish in the 
town garden, but, for some reason, 
they do not seem to fit in with their 
surroundings quite as well as many 
other wild flowers. Possibly they need 
the environment of green fields to 
show them ofif to advantage. If you 
like the goldenrods, however, there is 
no reason why you should not have a 
large collection of them, for they have 
no objection whatever to being culti¬ 
vated. 
Rudbcckia hirta, the purple cone- 
flower, perhaps more generally known 
as Black-eyed Susan, is one of the 
gayest ornaments of the field, a uni¬ 
versal favorite with old and young. 
Transplanted to the garden, it phil¬ 
osophically accepts the situation and 
responds to cultivation with cheerful¬ 
ness and an apparent desire to im¬ 
prove its opportunities. The leaves of 
the plant become smoother and a 
brighter shade of green and the blos¬ 
soms become larger. Once introduced 
into the garden it will perpetuate itself 
and become more plentiful and more 
ornamental every year. 
Most of the wild flowers will do 
well if taken up when in bloom. This 
is fortunate, for some of them die 
down after blooming and it is almost 
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