60 
House & Garden 
■ ■ i ■ 
KOHLER 
IS AN IDEA 
Forty-five years ago the founder 
of this business was inspired by 
an idea—to build on quality alone. 
Today that aim is exemplified 
not only by a great manufactory 
given to the making of a world- 
famed product; it finds expres¬ 
sion also in a modern town 
whose interest is centered in 
developing and enhancing still 
further the Kohler idea. 
H ere that idea is a living fact. 
Through it Kohler has come to 
mean superiority in enameled 
plumbing ’ware. Headed by the 
famous Viceroy built-in bathtub, 
Kohler products have long won 
their way into the world’s finest 
homes and institutions. 
True to their ideals, the worthy 
architect and plumber are in full 
accord with your preference for 
so excellent a line. They know 
there can be nothing better. 
May we send you a really 
descriptive booklet with our 
compliments? 
KOHLER of KOHLER 
Kohler Co., Kohler, Wis. 
Shipping Point, Sheboygan, Wis. 
AND TWELVE AMERICAN BRANCHES 
MANUFACTURERS OF ENAMELED PLUMBING WARE 
Summer Thoughts in Winter 
(Continued from page 58) 
in the flowers of the newer Lonicera 
Heckrottii which fits it far better than 
the old favorite for a place against a 
warm house or garden wall of mellow 
brick. Why not use these charming 
opportunities for change and for the 
enlarging of our knowledge? 
Some New Flowers 
Two years ago Lythrum roseum, 
Perry’s variety, was placed in the gar¬ 
den on trial. Eight plants were set, in 
balanced fashion, with Phlox Mme. 
Paul Dutrie before them, two of the 
lythrums or loosestrifes about a foot 
apart in each group. With what eager¬ 
ness I watched the development of 
these new things, and what was my 
delight in finding them more beautiful, 
more valuable than anything thus 
tested for several years! If anything 
could be more satisfactory for intense 
heat, too, than this lythrum I have yet 
to see it. Under the hottest of suns it 
flourishes, a pillar of flower by day. In 
fact it is almost too flourishing, so vig¬ 
orous is its growth and so spreading 
its roots in one season. Five feet is 
its height in this garden; its brilliant 
mauve flowers, in slender spikes, come 
into bloom as delphiniums pass; the 
pale grayish-mauve buds are as charm¬ 
ing as the flowers and with the delphin¬ 
ium blues near make an original and 
delicate contrast in color. Another of 
its virtues is its beauty while fading. 
Until the last floret is gone from the 
stem—and that is, I should say, per¬ 
haps three weeks from the beginning 
of bloom—it is entirely lovely in color. 
If one should wish to reduce the height 
of the plant for a certain spot, the root 
can easily be divided in Autumn by 
chopping, exactly as one would with a 
hardy phlox or aster. In great heat, 
watering the lythrum is advisable, to 
prevent its lower leaves changing to 
scarlet and thus fatally affecting the 
appearance of this remarkable plant. 
Turning from a tall plant to a low- 
growing one, I mention Salvia virgata 
nemorosa as a most lovely addition to 
the list of deep purple flowers. I once 
thought no salvia could compete for 
beauty with S. jarinacea, but here is 
another quite as good in its way, and 
which with its violet flowers should 
make a very pretty companion for 5. 
farinacea’s pale lavender-blue. S. vir¬ 
gata nemorosa has about eighteen 
inches of height, and flings forth in 
July countless little spikes of purple 
bloom, very rich and arresting. Its per¬ 
fect hardiness in a severe climate and 
its interesting color add to its value. 
Purple and mauve in flowers have 
such beautiful garden possibilities. 
Better than in any picture I have seen 
are the uses of mauve shown in the 
color illustration “Leonardslee in June,” 
from that sumptuous new book, Rho¬ 
dodendrons, by Millais, recently pub¬ 
lished in England. It is by studying 
such arrangements that one gets fresh 
conceptions of what may be done with 
flowering shrubs. 
Some one—was it Eden Philpotts?— 
has said that it seems to be the general 
course of amateur gardening to turn in 
one’s middle age to the more permanent 
forms of vegetation, trees and shrubs. 
I confess to a feeling of regret that my 
earlier years were not devoted to study 
and experiment with these glorious 
subjects and would advise young ama¬ 
teurs to begin their decorative garden¬ 
ing with shrubs and trees. Thus they 
build upon a horticultural rock. The 
foundation is properly laid. A tree or 
shrub may be grown from seed, as 
Professor Sargent would always have 
us do it; the expense in any case is 
exceedingly slight, the care practically 
nil compared with that of flowers. If 
all young people interested in garden¬ 
ing, as happily so many are now, would 
first look into the principles of design, 
of planning of gardens, then inform 
themselves concerning the structural 
green of their garden, its trees and 
shrubs, and finally throw down their 
garlands of flowers, there would be 
beautiful because logical results. Most 
of us begin at the wrong end in this 
wonderful art. I confess this to be my 
own sorrowful experience, and would 
warn everyone away from such a course 
of errors as my own. 
A Swiss Chalet in an Illinois Ravine * 
(Continued from page 33) 
flags along the gully. Late in July the 
golden rod opens and then the fringed 
gentians, they last through September, 
and the wild sunflowers, of a deep yel¬ 
low that fits the season so well. 
“The golden rod and butter-and-eggs 
and fringed gentians meet the turk’s cap 
lilies and as they fade the wild purple 
asters prepare us for the almost too gor¬ 
geous autumn coloring of the oaks and 
maples. Yes, it is a beautiful setting.” 
“Do you find this one room—par¬ 
titioned—arrangement comfortable ?” 
“Oh, quite! Would you like to see the 
sleeping room?” 
As we turned to the sleeping room a 
panel of Russian drawn-work, fastened 
to the partition wall caught our eye. 
“What is this?” 
“That is the border of a Russian grand 
piano cover. It was used in the princi¬ 
pal opera house of Moscow for many 
years. A Russian merchant, here in 
America, bought it, hoping to sell it for a 
large price to some symphony orchestra; 
but his plan was not successful, so he cut 
off the border and sold it in pieces. We 
were very lucky to get it, weren’t we?” 
The cubby bed room is furnished with 
two white enamel beds and a plain 
painted bureau. The coloring of the 
walls, floor and curtains corresponds ex¬ 
actly with those of the living room. 
Simplicity extreme. 
As we turned to go I could not refrain 
from one impertinently direct question. 
“I should like a little house, some¬ 
thing similar to this. Could I ask, how 
great is the investment?” 
“Surely you may ask and I will gladly 
tell you. The land, the house and all the 
furnishings do not represent more than— 
oh, five or six thousand dollars.” 
“Really that is good news. Thank 
you so much. We have enjoyed a beau.- 
tiful afternoon. Good bye.” 
Madame smiled and bowed. In the 
hazy twilight the little chalet looked 
more than ever like a quaint, old world 
toy in a make believe setting. A 
Christmas tree ornament fallen from the 
tall evergreen at the top of the hill. 
