April. 1911 
HOUSE AND GARDEN 
253 
The scarlet Oriental poppy, 
possessing such striking dec¬ 
orative qualities, but so often 
ruining entire planting 
schemes because of clashing 
combinations, may be used 
with perfect safety if Valeri¬ 
ana officinalis —garden helio¬ 
trope—is massed in nearby 
profusion. The wealth of 
cool green leaves, and the tall, 
fleecy flower spikes yielded by 
this old-time June favorite, 
act as a foil for the startling 
brilliancy of the poppies, and 
rather enhance than detract 
from their glory. Valerian is 
also useful among peonies, in¬ 
clining towards the cerise col¬ 
oring. Another rare treasure 
for the June pageant is that 
grand early-flowering phlox— 
Miss Lingard. The wonder¬ 
ful trusses of bloom held high 
above dark foliage bring the 
exquisite purity of Miss Lin¬ 
gard always into conspicuous 
notice, and the most unruly 
colors offer no terrors when 
they are placed under the 
guardianship of this grand 
harmonizer. Two other 
hardy plants, adapted for 
practical help among the gay 
June blossoms, are the chaste 
Madonna lily—useful among 
the delphiniums and spider- 
wort—and the white foxglove 
—invaluable with plantings of 
Sweet William and for mak¬ 
ing harmonious background 
effects. 
July is the trying month in 
the hardy garden or border. 
Many of the perennials, hav¬ 
ing completed a rich harvest 
of bloom, are cut back to the 
ground in order that a second 
flowering period may be at¬ 
tained later. The plants com¬ 
ing into flower, too, are deep¬ 
er in coloring and more try¬ 
ing to place in harmonious re¬ 
lations ; the shades of orange, 
chrome, blue and cerise large¬ 
ly predominating. If real 
beauty is realized during this 
time, the key unlocking its 
success is the employment of 
white flowers; white flowers 
used not sparingly, however, 
but in quantities! Among the 
plants yielding white blooms 
for the July garden none are 
more decorative or desirable 
than the glorious white forms 
of the Japanese iris. Eclaire 
In August the starry white nicotiana comes to the rescue, together 
with the ever-useful sweet alyssum 
Eclaire and Gold Bound are white varieties of the glorious Japanese 
iris that will help to prevent discord in July 
No collection of plants will clash if Clematis paniculata masses its 
snowy bloom in the background 
Even the trying combinations that the Oriental poppy produces may 
be made welcome in combinations with Valeriana officinalis 
and Gold Bound are standard 
varieties that are hard to 
equal. The Shasta daisy pos¬ 
sesses a long and prolific flow¬ 
ering season and is very sat¬ 
isfactory for general massing 
effects among the conflicting 
colors of this time, and for 
group planting also, among 
the scarlet Lychnis, Lobelia- 
cardinalis, and the yellow co¬ 
reopsis and gaillardia. Gypso- 
phila paniculata, fairly smoth¬ 
ered under its harvest of tiny 
white flowers, adds, too, a de¬ 
cided charm to this midsum¬ 
mer display. Crowded in 
among the posies here, there 
and everywhere, an atmos¬ 
phere of soft coloring is dif¬ 
fused by this plant that is al¬ 
most ethereal in character. 
Achillea the pearl, and cam¬ 
pion are two other hardy va¬ 
rieties for this trying time, as 
also the two annuals, Empress 
candytuft and sweet alyssum. 
Perennial phlox is queen of 
the August clans. Jeanne 
d’Arc, Bridesmaid and White 
Lady are exquisite white 
types that cannot be too high¬ 
ly recommended. Pyrethrnm 
ulignosum, a rank grower per¬ 
fecting hundreds of large 
daisies, tones and softens the 
burning yellow hues of the 
Helianthus and golden mar¬ 
guerite, now in full flower. 
The annual nicotiana is a use¬ 
ful and happy plant for mass¬ 
ing wherever a place may be 
found for its starry blossoms. 
Princess Alice, and Madam 
Rivoire—white types of the 
ten-weeks-stock—the Queen 
Victoria snapdragon, and the 
many kinds of white asters, 
are annuals too, without which 
no August array of blossoms 
is complete. 
September brings a rich 
supply of white feathery 
hardy asters, and that charm¬ 
ing woodsy wild plant—the 
boneset; both being unusually 
graceful and delightful for 
mingling among the deep pur¬ 
ples and yellows borne by 
the flowers of early autumn. 
A fine harmonizer, as well, is 
the hardy vine. Clematis pani¬ 
culata. White verbenas, as¬ 
ters, Japanese anemones and 
chrysanthemums from now on 
also may be relied on to keep 
the peace. 
