VARIEGATED LEAVED SHRUBS AND YELLOW- 
FLOWERED BEDDING PLANTS 
As a subscriber to House and Garden I take the liberty of ask¬ 
ing a few questions to be answered through the columns of House 
and Garden. 
What are the best four or five variegated leaved shrubs ? Please 
name them in their order of merit. 
What are the best dozen or so of yellow and orange flowered 
bedding plants (annual or perennial) that will keep up a succession 
of bloom from frost to frost ? I want to plant my formal garden all 
in yellow and orange trees, said garden is about 75 x 75 feet. 
What should be the width and height of a pergola that is to be 100 
feet long ? 
Tell me how to make a thoroughly good gravel walk. 
What are the best dozen or fifteen small trees, suitable for my 
grounds which are 135 x 380 feet. Trees that are hardy in Neb¬ 
raska, and that flower or have bright autumnal tints. Will tufted 
pansies do as well in America as in Europe ? 
Am I privileged to ask these questions through the columns of 
your paper ? 
A. C. Z., Lincoln, Neb. 
Variegated leaved shrubs that would be hardy with you, are 
somewhat limited in species, and their order of merit depends upon 
individual taste. One variety that we might place second or 
third in the rank, might find your soil and conditions so favorable 
to its wants, that in its thriftiness it may outclass all others. The 
following should do well with you— Cornus sanguinea var. ele- 
gantissima variegata, leaves margined with white; Cornus Spae- 
tbn, leaves margined with pale yellow; Cornus Siberica, var. 
fohss alba marginatis; (silver margin-leaved Siberian dogwood); 
Diervilla var. Sieboldt alba marginata. 
I do not know of any yellow flowered plant that wil] bloom 
from “frost to frost.” You are more apt to obtain the nearest 
approach to a continuous bloom by using mainly annuals or per¬ 
ennials treated as annuals. The following might be used: Antir¬ 
rhinum majus, dwarf, “Golden Queen,” eight inches, July to frost; 
Calendula (marigolds), one foot, June to November; California 
poppy, one foot, June to November; Iceland poppy, one foot, April 
to October; Chrysanthemum multicaule, {•our inches, July to frost; 
Gatllardta picta, “Golden Gem,” two feet, ]une to frost; Gomph- 
rena, orange variety, one and a half feet, July to October; Helich- 
rysum, selected yellows, two feet, July to October; nasturtiums, 
dwarf, selected yellows, one foot, July to October; Salpiglossis, 
selected yellows, two feet, ]uly to October; Rudbeckias, selected 
yellows, two feet, July to October; Sanvitalia procumbens, fl. pi., 6 
inches, July to October; Thunbergia alata, yellow black eye; 
Thunbergia aurantiaca, orange black eye. The latter two are 
climbers, but if allowed to trail on the ground make a dense 
carpet above which they exhibit their dainty flowers. If started in a 
greenhouse in March, they will bloom from June to frost. Most 
all of the annuals listed above, should be started in the greenhouse 
or hotbed in order to have them in bloom early. 
As to a list of small trees possessing autumnal tints, it might be 
well to state that some, like the sassafras and the liquidamber, that 
generally color beautifully in the fall, in most sections, fail to do so 
in other locations. Sometimes, in a nursery row of hard maples, 
one or more will color finely, but I know of an instance where one 
chosen in an Eastern nursery when in color in the fall, for its bril¬ 
liancy and sent to me, has failed ever since to show any disposition 
to color. 
The following list should prove hardy with you, and pro¬ 
duce the effect you desire, either in flower effect or leaf coloring. 
Acer Tataricum var. ginnala , foliage colors in the fall; Sassafras 
officinale, foliage colors in the fall; Chionanthus Vnginica, white 
flowers; Syringa Japonica, cream-white flowers; Pyrus baccata, 
white flowers; Pyrus floribunda, rose colored flowers; Pyrus 
Toringo, (fink colored flowers; Pyrus Scheideckeri, deep red 
colored flowers; Pyrus Neidweitskiana, deep red colored flowers; 
Pyrus Spectabilis, deep red colored flowers; Pyrus Parkmanni, 
deep red colored flowers; Pyrus Ioensis Bechtelli, double rose-like 
flowers; Cerasus "Japonica rosea pendula, rose colored flowers. 
The English thorns might do well with you; if so, you would find 
some pleasing forms among them. In addition to the above there 
are some flowering shrubs which when grown to a standard make 
handsome small trees. The common snowball and Prunus triloba 
are examples. For hiding unsightly views and still occupying a 
comparatively narrow space, Prunus padus, the European bird 
cherry, is suitable. Its white flowers in June are pleasing, and the 
fruit is relished by the birds. 
So many considerations enter into the correct proportions to give 
to a pergola, that your question is a difficult one to answer speci¬ 
fically. 
Is the design to be a classic one, or one of Spanish feeling ? 
Perhaps rustic ? Is it to be located in the full blaze of sunshine, or 
is it to be built under spreading trees ? Are both sides to be open, 
or is one side against a wall or building ? All these things would in 
some measure affect the design as well as the proportions. Without 
more definite information would say to place the rows of columns 
about twelve feet apart, and about ten feet apart in the row, and not 
to exceed nine feet in the clear to soffit of beam which carries the 
cross timbers. 
To make a gravel walk where the natural soil is not of a decided 
sandy nature, the space used should be excavated to a depth of five 
to eight inches and be filled in with coarse cinders, broken stone or 
bricks, or very coarse gravel. Roll it well or tamp it. 1 his is to 
insure perfect drainage in wet weather. If broken brick is used, 
the pieces must be small or they are apt to be beaved up by the 
frost. Have a slight crown in the center; on top of this put 
about two inches of gravel, rolling it frequently, endeavoring to 
compact and solidify it as much as possible. Much depends upon 
the nature of the gravel. Some packs readily, while others roll 
under the feet. Sometimes an inch of gravel for the first year works 
better. Continuous travel finally makes a good walk. Paved 
gutters must be used where there is any stretch with a steep grad¬ 
ient. 
(Continued on page 10 , Advertising Section.) 
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