Spring, 1954 
Fraises des Bois: We’re as pleased as Punch with the 
introduction this year of two varieties (patent pending) 
of Fraises des Bois. These hybrids are still truly Wild 
French Strawberries, one of the world’s great delicacies. 
Gourmets eat them with clotted cream in silent rever- 
ence; just ordinary folks who have eaten only ordinary 
strawberries—well, ordinary strawberries never taste the 
same again. Yes, the plants are everbearing — heavily 
from July until frost. 
Either variety makes a charming edging plant — bushy 
little fellows about 8 inches high and perfectly round. 
The dainty white flowers dance on trusses above the 
soft green leaves, and when the trusses become heavy 
with berries they droop slightly. Plants should be spaced 
one foot apart as an edging to the perennial border 
or a walk, in soil that has been out of sod for at least 
two years. Sod soils contain quantities of cut worms or 
Jap beetle grubs which fatten enormously on the finely- 
drawn strawberry root—any strawberry root, French or 
otherwise. If you are in Jap beetle territory, grubproof 
the soil. 
You can plant these Fraises in full sun or partial shade 
but remember they must, like all strawberries, be kept 
damp. Spray them occasionally with any good vege- 
table insecticide and add nicotine sulphate to kill aphis 
which can be troublesome in very wet weather. Because 
these hybrids have all the vigor of the wild plant we 
do not believe they are susceptible to ordinary straw- 
berry virus diseases. 
Protect these plants over winter (as you do any kind 
of strawberry) with a light covering of hay or straw 
(never protect anything with leaves) after the ground is 
frozen hard. We estimate that 30 well-grown plants will 
give you six servings a week from July until frost. The 
more you pick these luscious things the more they bear. 
if you want to pick a quart of strawberries in ten 
Member, American Association of Nurserymen 
WHITE FLOWER FARM, LITCHFIELD, CONN. 
Marjorie Tonkin, Business Manager Twenty-five Cents 
Things ak Going On is, at 
minutes don’t buy Fraises des Bois. The fruit is small and 
picking takes a little time. (They are ready to pick when 
berries will pull away freely from the stems like rasp- 
berries.) A quart of Fraises will serve more people than 
two quarts of big berries — two tablespoons with heaviest 
cream is enough per person. Item: French strawberries 
are imported every summer by Bloomingdale’s, New 
York. Baskets, about a pint, sell for $3.00 each. Your 
mouth watering? If so, turn to page 8. 
The Strip Perennial Border: We believe you will find 
The Strip Perennial Border (opposite) a new concept. No 
background is necessary, the strip can follow a walk or 
a pool, it can be worked at from either side. It is a new 
way to use perennials effectively, an invention of ours. 
The Flowering Fence: We got so distressed with folks 
using Rosa Multiflora incorrectly — planting it on subur- 
ban or city lots (this rank rose grows 8 feet high, spreads 
8 feet, has dangerous thorns) — that we decided to do 
something about it. First, we stopped selling Rosa Multi- 
flora. Then we experimented with fast-growing flowering 
shrubs and found that a combination planting of Wei- 
gela, Forsythia, Vanhouttei Spirea and bush Honey- 
suckle was ideal for light fencing and screening. (Also, 
beautiful.) Then we worked out growing methods to 
produce these bushes economically. When we came up 
with 16 husky shrubs that would take care of 40 feet 
of property line at less than $1.00 per shrub we figured 
that was economical enough. Story on Page 20. 
Economical Evergreens: Householders who need Nee- 
dle-type Evergreens for foundation planting or for hedges, 
but who don’t want to go to the expense of buying speci- 
men plants, should turn to Page 18. There they will 
find Yews and Arborvitae that can be shipped economi- 
cally anywhere. 
Summer Bulbs and Tubers: Gladioli and Tuberous- 
rooted Begonias on Page 11; Amaryllis on Page 14. 
Miniatures are the most charming and useful of Glads 
and this year we have an excellent mixture of them. 
The Begonias (all Camellia types) are offered in rare 
named varieties, and unnamed hybrids which can be 
had by color. As you must know by now, White Flower 
Farm sells only the famed Dutch Warmenhoven Strain 
of Amaryllis. They are as easy to care for as Gladioli 
and are really sensational in the border. We are short 
on White, Apricot (this is a deep color) and the charming 
Rose (with white stripe). So get your order in early. 
The Perennial Border: On Page 21 you'll find some 
notes on planning and planting perennials in mass and 
depth. 
Books: Finest of the new garden reference books is 
Royal Horticultural Society’s DICTIONARY OF GARDEN- 
ING. (Page 5.) New, too, and excellent is Dorothy 
Childs Hogner’s HERBS. (Page 3.) Although a number of 
new U.S. garden books have appeared, none compares 
with AMERICA’S GARDEN BOOK, just revised. (Page 14.) 
You Choose, We Choose: That's our game, and a mighty 
profitable one for you to play with us. You Choose, We 
Choose Gardens and Selections are offered all through 
the catalogue. In playing it remember that you can 
choose yours plants regardless of price. You won’t find 
anything quite like it anywhere. 
Greenhouses: No, we don’t sell them, but there isn’t a 
better tool for a serious gardener. Best we've seen is an 
English importation, aluminum, so well engineered you 
can put it together yourself. First cost for a decent size 
one is remarkably low; hardly ever is more than a third 
the price of a Chevvie. No structural upkeep problems, 
either. Write Waldor Greenhouses, Salem 188, Mass. 
We've found them nice people to do business with, too. 
The Partners of White Flower Farm 
Pen & Ink Illustrations by Nils Hogner 
