HOUSE AND GARDEN 
July, 
1912 
will need forest planting to create 
the desired conditions. The con¬ 
figuration of the land will affect 
the work also, and the most de¬ 
sirable site is of course a com¬ 
bination of the rugged arid the 
suave. Where such a combination 
does not naturally exist it is really 
impossible to create it, however, 
and we must therefore be content 
to a certain degree with things as 
they are. 
And though rocks are somehow 
always associated in our minds 
with wild gardens, we must, un¬ 
less we come by them as an in¬ 
heritance from the land itself 
where the garden is to be, put the 
thought of them away. There are 
quantities of wild flower? that 
grow in grassy dells as well as the 
flowers which haunt the rocks and 
deep woods, and whatever we 
may do in the way of creating illu¬ 
sions of wilderness by forestation, 
there is absolutely no chance of 
any illusion when it comes to an 
attempt to introduce rocks where 
rocks are foreign. 
The character of a wild garden 
therefore will be determined by Nature and the original character 
of the place, which she has supplied. It will be either woodsy; or 
wet — even boggy perhaps ; or rocky ; or possibly the combination 
of all three: or again it may be just a sweep of meadow with a 
stream bordering it, or a pond. Any one of these natural ten¬ 
dencies will—indeed must, govern the general scheme of it, and 
the flowers must be selected that will accord with that scheme. 
With them selected the question of establishing them confronts 
us. No trouble to get them to grow, once they are established; 
but sometimes this problem of establishment seems to be 
very like the salt on the bird’s tail which insures his being 
caught. Of course there is always a reason for failure, 
but very often it is so obscure and deeply 
hidden in the nature of the plant — what 
we may call so personal a reason, 
perhaps — that it does not get itself 
discovered, even by a sympathetic 
worker, for a long, long time. A 
little more or a little less shade or 
moisture at a certain time; or 
shelter from the sun for just the 
earth above the roots while the 
plant itself stands erect in full 
sun; or a thin crevice in a rock 
through which long roots may 
reach deep into cool black earth — 
these are a few of the things 
which may affect the success of a 
wild flower. Is it any wonder 
that one must have a love for them 
quite different from that fancy 
which admires an iris or a rose, in 
order to take the pains and to 
have the infinite patience and 
keenness of observation necessary 
to note all these things ? 
The choicest wild flowers to me 
are, in the approximate order of 
their blossoming—and this selec¬ 
tion is made to secure bloom all 
summer as well as for the beauty 
of the flowers themselves—hepati- 
cas, anemones, trilliums, violets, 
marsh marigolds, cranesbill or 
wild geranium, the wild iris or flag, bunchberry, wild lupine, the 
lilies, hawkweed, columbine, false Solomon’s seal, cardinal 
flower, bee balm or Oswego tea, milfoil or yarrow, Joe-Pye-weed, 
the wild asters, goldenrod, meadowsweet, hardback, black snake- 
root, gentians, the sedums, the speedwells and the meadow rue. 
Then there are ferns of many kinds and the wild orchids; and 
for trailers the partridge berry and arbutus, while Virginia 
creeper, bittersweet and wild grape supply vines in abundance. 
In planting and grouping, Nature’s methods must of course be 
followed. Certain flowers grow always in colonies, while 
others are not so neighborly, as mentioned before. Ob¬ 
serve the natural growth of the plants you purpose using, 
and plant them as nearly in the relation 
(Continued on page 53) 
Blue flag or wild iris will make a corner of brilliant color in a 
green field. Its natural habit of growth should be followed 
The moisture-loving skunk cabbage offers 
beautiful bronze and green shades in early 
spring 
Jack-in-the-pulpit, although so delicate in 
appearance, thrives very well and should 
find a place in your garden 
Cranesbill or wild geranium casts a pinkish 
veil over the corner of the garden, if 
planted in groups 
