ALBERT R. MANN LIBRARY AT CORNELL UNIVERSITY Cornell University Library SB 407.M42 The beautiful flower garden, Its treatmen 3 1924 003 417 544 I^^l \e\Viasl7 Cornell University Library The original of tliis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924003417544 , V '^ W £l\ I i VJ BY HVYLER MATHFWS* THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER GARDEN ITS TREATMENT WITH SPECIAL REGARD FOR THE PICTURESQUE Written and embellished with NUMEROUS illustrations BY F. SCHUYLER MATHEWS With notes on practical floriculture BY A. H. FEWKES PUBLISHED BY W. ATLEE BURPEE & CO. PHILADELPHIA 1894 Copyright. 1894. by W. Atlee Burpee & Co. WM. F. FELL & CO., ELECTROTVPERS AND PRINTEfi8, 1220-24 8ANS0M GTREETj PHILADELPHIA. PREFACE. iE all love flowers, and are ever searching for more knowledge regarding their pe- culiar characteristics and dainty habits ; we do not need to be convinced of their beauty ; on that point our knowledge is complete. That flower gardens, there- fore, are beautiful, goes without saying ; yet there are some which certainly are not quite as lovely as we think they oiight to be. Let us pass the reason why, and proceed to learn about those things which contribute toward the loveliness of an ideal garden. The chief beauty of the garden should lie in its flower colors and plant forms, and not in the symmetry of its beds and borders. If our ideas of a perfect garden include any rigid geometrical principles, we would better study Nature and let all ideals go ! Our ideals, at best, are extremely limited, while Nature's realism is immeasurable; she puts so much variety into her reality that she is more beautiful than we can imagine by sheer force of quantity ! Ten days for an artist in a mountain valley will give him ten views from the same point which will be entirely different each day. Yet one is apt to imagine a view always the same as he happened to have seen it on one particular oc- casion. After a ten days' acquaintance with Shirley pop- pies or El Dorado marigolds, the poppies and marigolds of our imagination dwindle into insignificance ! We may VI PREFACE. remember the beauty of the Auratum lily pretty well through the winter, but the following summer will bring us a new revelation of its loveliness. We should seek to display the whiteness and purity of the lily in the garden, and not trouble ourselves so much about the shape of the brown earth patch from which it grows. The dainty pink of the rose is not enhanced by the star shape of the garden bed beneath it, nor is the delicate blue of the forget-me-not any prettier when the little plants are jammed together in compact masses. Such methods for laying out a garden do not add to its beauty, in my opinion, nor, for that matter, do they detract from the beauty of the flowers ; but what is completely lost sight of, is the lesson which nature teaches by every wild flower in every sunny vale and woodland dingle ; that is, that light and shade, color and form, freedom and grace, and simplicity are the crowning elements of loveliness in Flora's world. There is but one way, I believe, for us to make our gar- den look truly beautiful ; we must choose the simplest and most natural methods for the display of its flowers. It is the aim of this little volume to cover that point completely ; that is, so far as the most available and simple artistic means will go.. I am sure of one thing regarding the extent of our flower gardens to-day ; they do not contain half enough flowers ! The crops are entirely too small. Let us have all the flowers we can possibly afford ; they are the veritable smiles of Nature. Many of the perennials and most of the annuals are easily grown ; some of them are profuse bloomers, and we have in Mr. Fewkes an excellent instructor in their culture and care. It is to him that we are directly indebted for the possession in this country of those two charming chrys- anthemums named the Mrs. Alpheus Hardy, and the Lilian PREFACE. VU B. Bird. I believe that Mr. Fewkes knows how to feed young plants and care for them just as a mother robin would her newly fledged offspring. Following his instruc- tions and suggestions, we may reasonably expect to raise a flourishing, healthy, and handsome number of families in the Beautiful Flower Garden, which will vie with each other in richness of color. But by all means, let us give each member of the different families the opportunity to be properly seen and appreciated. Packed together in geometrical spaces, flowers remind me of soldiers. Now soldiers represent law and order, and these are necessary for the preservation of peace ; but flowers are peaceful poets, not disciplined soldiers, and it is hard to understand why they should be drawn up into line. Whole phalanxes and platoons of hyacinths and tulips look to me as though they were arranged that way for a permanent review by some commanding officer. It is my idea that we should pay more attention to the flowers themselves, and less to the spaces in which they are planted ; then the studied arrangements of color and form will naturally make the garden a thing of beauty. F. Schuyler Mathews. El Fureidis, Campton, N. II , September, iSg^. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. PAGE Preparation, n CHAPTER n. Flower Seeds and Garden Plans, 17 CHAPTER III. Color Harmony, ^o CHAPTER IV. Some Japanese Elements, . 40 CHAPTER V. Garden Furnishing, 47 CHAPTER VI. Italian and English Gardens, Landscape Gardening, and Shrub- bery, 56 CHAPTER VII. Bulbous Plants, 68 CHAPTER VIII. Roses, Lilies, Carnations, Chrysanthemums, and Orchids, . . 80 CHAPTER IX. The Annuals — Ageratum, Alyssum, Amaranthus, Annual Chrys- anthemum, Aster, Bachelor's Button, 88 CHAPTER X. Balsam (Lady's-slipper), Calendula, Candytuft, Celosia, . . 99 ix X CONTENTS. CHAPTER XI. pj>GE Coreopsis, Cosmos, Dianthus, Eschscholtzia, Four-o'clock, Gaillardia, Linum, Lupin, Marigold, Mignonette, 105 CHAPTER Xn. Nasturtium (Tropseolum) , Nicotiana . 115 CHAPTER Xni. Pansy, Petunia, Phlox drummondii, 123 CHAPTER XIV. Poppy, Portulaca,Ricinus, 131 CHAPTER XV. Salpiglossis, Scabiosa, Stock, Sunflower, Zinnia, . . . . 139 CHAPTER XVI. The Wild Garden, The Rockery, Vines, and Aquatics, . 149 CHAPTER XVII. Perennial and Various Plants, . . . ••.... 159 CULTURAL NOTES. CHAPTER XVIII. Annuals, . . . 170 CHAPTER XIX. Perennials, Biennials, and Shrubs 175 CHAPTER XX. Roses, Chrysanthemums, and Garden Soils, igQ HALF-TONE FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS. Apple Tree and Seat, ... . ... ... Frontispiece Gladioli beside Piazza Newel, . Facing Title An Old Boat, . . . -55 Pincian Gardens, 5^ Bsirghese Fountain, 60 Rustic Gate, 74 JfJ*'-'^ Tli§ BEAUTIFUL fLOWER GARDEN. CHAPTER I. PREPARATION. HEN the last snow ofwinterisgone, and when the first notes of the returning robin are heard, then it is time for us to turn our attention to the garden. The first question which naturally arises is, when will the ground be ready for the seed ? Supposing that the garden beds are fully pre- pared, the seed can be sown whenever the sun begins to show its power. Two things we may be perfectly sure of: seed will germinate quickly in a temperature of 90° with a liberal amount of moisture, and when we cannot obtain this condition out-of-doors in early spring, the nearest approach to it indoors will insure equally satisfactory 9 An Old-fash- ioned Corner. High Tempera ture. 10 THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER GARDEN. results. 1 do not say by any means that 90° is exactly the temperature which is best ; my own experience has taught me that with this amount of heat I can do some pretty rapid gardening either in a tumbler of water or a small lump of mud ! Water, and a plentiful amount of it, too, is absolutely essential when the temperature is kept so high. But, under more natural conditions out-of-doors, 65° to 75° is sufficient warmth, when combined with moisture, to start the seed in a reasonable space of time. I have mentioned the fact that seed is sometimes soaked . in water ; it would be best to hear what Mr. Fewkes says about that and other methods for forcing the seed into rapid germination. Up in the cold mountain district of central New Hampshire, .a country where the spring comes very late, the farmers' wives, all of them, are extremely fond of flowers, and take the greatest care of their young and tender plants within the kitchen; they also force dahlia and gladiolus bulbs, as well as the seed of certain late-blooming annuals, in boxes of damp, rich loam, under or near the stove. ,, . We should not forget that plants as well Moisture. , , r as seeds need plenty of water, especially in the rather dry atmosphere of our rooms. I believe that more plants die from thirst than from any other reason. The humidity in the greenhouse is one of the open secrets of the success of a florist. Of course, there are certain plants which do not possess the water-absorbing quality to any degree of excess ; but to my mind they are all " hard drinkers ! " „ , „ ., The character of the soil, too, has a great Sandy Soil. , , 1 • , . , deal to do with our success m the garden. I hear people complain very often about the barren, sandy kind of earth they have to contend with, and wonder why. PREPARATION. under the same conditions, I have any success in my own modest flower plots. For excellent reasons, sandy soil is quite the best for many of the annuals ; all it needs is a good quantity of top dressing and the untiring devotion of the garden hose. Notice what Mr. Fewkes says about garden soils, and particularly about sand for raising little cuttings in. Manure. ' Chicken-yard manure contains the most complete mixture of the ingredients which constitute perfect plant food. This, with a judicious use of common farm phosphate, will give all the enrichment that our sandy soil needs. The sketch suggests the treatment of sandy soil about a young plant which has just_ been transplanted. For asters, 5an'dy-;'/:-- 'jj^^ fuchsias, and such flowers as may ■■^°f^'^/' require a firmer foundation than ' .,:;mud( sand will supply, one may obtain a'!'^^ rich, clayey loam, which can be found ' at the edge of the wood, in some damp'''"^H oio nmuRcj locality. '.ZdV'"'"'": The late arriving \['^l'-lf°Z7'-;' Late and Early ■ ■ ,u ■ '. ZrT^' Frost. spring is the prin- \ mixeb. , cipal difficulty ,„'"""""''' ^ -'A YouNO Plant with with which I have to contend in Good food. the management of my own garden. That means that there is danger of frost as late some- times as the 2oth of May. Then, too. Jack Frost not unfrequently turns up again as early as the loth of Sep- tember, when the garden is in the height of its bloom, and away go all the flowers, leaving nothing but wilted stalks to blacken and look ghastly through the rest of the month, when the mercury may never drop beneath THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER GARDEN. 60° and is as likely as not to hang around 80° for a week or so ! I would advise those who are as far northward as I am, and who have been unfortunate in a similar way, to adopt several plans to defeat the mischievous Jack, which seem to me simple and practical ; these methods have been put to the test, and they are certainly commendable. First, keep the regiment of flower beds together within a moderate space, so it is under complete control of its com- mander; then the fight is simplified, and there are. no Protection against Frost. Barriers against Jack Frost. outer wings to risk destruction. Next, use all the avail- able tubs and pots for such flowers as may promise the most for September blooming; these it will be possible to move indoors or to some sheltered corner. Then, an excellent way to protect those plants which cannot be moved is to cover them with newspapers or cloth. News- papers are warm, and like India-rubber they furnish no ventilation ; they are always available, and with the aid of clothes-pins and laths for support a formidable barrier can be constructed against Jack. Watch the thermometer, and if it falls to about 45° by 8 or 9 p. 11., prepare for the enemy ! Jack never comes, though, if there is any wind ; PREPARATION. 13 A Hay-cap. his work is done in the silent night and under a cloudless sky. I have also found the hay-cap a very useful cover for exposed positions in the flower beds; these are simple, light affairs made of wood pulp shaped like large, circular cockle shells, about three feet in diameter; half a dozen of them will go a great way toward protect- ing the garden. But we will suppose that there are only a Climat"" ^'^^ °^ '"'^ ^^° ^"-^ hampered by the disad- vantages of a northern climate. The others are fortunate in so far as they have less work to do to keep their gardens in flourishing condi- tion. The success and extent of my own garden I can truly say is not materially interfered with by its high latitude. The situation is in one of the southern valleys of the White Mountains, and the^ altitude is over 600 feet above tide- water ; yet my dahlias grow splen- %« didly whenever I start them in season, and all the annuals produce the largest and most perfect flowers ; indeed, I be- , lieve the possibilities of brilliant and large blooms are as great in central New ' Hampshire, if the proper methods of cul- tivation are pursued, as they are in any part of New Jersey ; but there is more work to do in New Hampshire, and a sharp eye must be kept on Jack Frost. Some Large Blooms. 14 THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER GARDEN. I have been told, "You cannot do this," and "You cannot do that," by those who are sup- I)[ffic™lties posed to know all about the climate ; but if one is willing to work, it is astonish- ing to find how quickly these so-called impossible things are accomplished. For this reason, we can afford to put advice aside now and then and push out on some doubtful venture with more than even chances of suc- cess. If we fail the first time with the Auratum lily, it is worth while to try it again three or four times before ac- knowledging ourselves defeated. We should plant more seeds and bulbs in the garden, and not be afraid of a few failures ; they are very often the stepping-stones to success. A failure now and then proves an excel- 1wois^tur° '^'■''' teacher. One of my flower beds facing eastward, and directly in front of the cottage, proved a miserable place for any kind of a plant. It was a failure in every respect, and after studying the case it became evident that the plants were starving for water. The bed is two feet above the level of the lawn. To-day it is a success by reason of a few sunken soap boxes ! There was no other way to make it retain the necessary amount of moisture. Furthermore, I have given up the attempt to grow anything in it but marigolds; these thrive better under the existing conditions than any other plants ; they are watered frequently, and they can stand the burn- ing heat of the morning hours. After one o'clock the bed is in complete shade. „. ^^ As for the hose, it is in constant use in The Hose. ., ,, the garden until well on in the summer, when the plants are sufficiently grown to shade the ground ; the evaporation then is not so great, and the plants have attained a strong growth capable of resisting the powerful rays of a merciless New England sun. PREPARATION. The soil in my garden is extremely light and sandy, and I have to use every precaution to prevent the water from run- ning away or evaporating; there are two old boats filled with sandy loam, and no less than three dozen tubs ^ made of barrels, besides several trim-looking green v^i^^boxes shaped like my sketch. The farmers say, up this way, that all the water and most of the top dressing goes through to China; and with a little experience in the flower garden, one is almost ^,, inclined to believe them ! To those who have this light soil to contend with, I have a word or two of advice. While the young plants are growing, keep the ground constantly moist. This ' is far-reaching advice which it will not be an easy thing to follow ;. but success ' in the flower garden which has light soil is, I believe, dependent upon the fol-__^^ lowing of this rule ; the seeds will cer- tainly not germinate in dry ground. For my own part, I water the ground constantly, especially on hot days, sun or no sun, taking the greatest care not to wet the young plants ; and I scarcely ever sow any seed without having pre- ^■^^f^^^^"^"^ viously soaked it at least four hours in tepid water. Use common unbleached white muslin to shade the ground where poppy seed has been sown, stretched on four sticks by four tacks as my sketch indicates ; this device prevents A Trim-looking Box. A Primitive Sunshade 1 6 THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER GARDEN. complete evaporation on days when tlie thermometer runs very high. We must remember what the seedsmen con- stantly tell us on nearly every packet of seed they sell — " Do not let the seed dry out." CHAPTER II. FLOWER SEEDS AND GARDEN PLANS. jF I had a very small amount of money to invest in the flower garden, my plan would be to put that amount almost entirely into an- nuals. For instance, let us see how far ^2.00 will go. My own choice would be about like this : — List of Seeds. Amaranthus, Aster, Victoria, blue, . . " Comet, while, . Balsam (best), white or pink, . Calendula, mixed, . Centaurea, blue, . . Eschscholtzia, mixed. Marigold, dwarf, yellow, . . " El Dorado, . . . Mignonette, Machet, . Nasturtium, dwarf. Pearl, " " Rose, " " King Theodore, . " King of Tom Thumbs, Petunia, mixed, . Phlox Drummondii, mixed. Poppy, Shirley, " Carnation fl., . . Stock, Ten- weeks, mixed, . . Sunflower, Globosus fistulosus, Sweet Pea, mixed, • • 2 17 . ^o.os 10 IS 10 s 5 5 5 S 10 5 5 5 5 10 S 10 s 10 s 5 1 8 THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER GARDEN. Morning Glory, . . . . . .. . . $0.05 Scarlet Runner, .... . . ... 5 Zinnia, dwarf mixed, or Lilliput, 10 Gladiolus, half dozen, . . ... 15 Tigridia, 2 Conchiflora, . . 10 Milla biflora, I, . . . , 10 ;^2.oo Some of the seed merchants offer $1.25 worth of seed for every dollar's worth ordered. In such a case I would add to my collection the following: — * Coreopsis Drummondii, . |!o.05 An. Chrysanthemum, Burridgeanum, . . 5 Candytuft, Boston Florist, 10 Scabiosa, black, 10 Canary Bird Vine, 5 Phlox Drummondi, salmon rose, 5 Hyacinthus Candicans, I, 10 — Jio.so All of these varieties are easy to take care of. Most of the seed germinates quickly, and the few bulbs I have mentioned flower continuously through the summer. It may be a difficult thing to believe, but Flowers." ^^ ^^ nevertheless a fact, that from this small outlay of money it is possible to raise an immense crop of flowers ! With attentive care and a good season, there should be hundreds of nasturtiums, marigolds, poppies, phloxes, and calendulas. I have picked over two thousand blossoms exclusively from the five varieties above mentioned in about three days' time ; and the total cost of the seed was only forty *W. Atlee Burpee & Co. advertise a splendid list of ten popular an- nuals for 25 cents. This is a great opportunity for those of limited resources, which should be taken advantage of regardless of any pre- ferred list. FLOWER SEEDS AND GARDEN PLANS. 19 cents, — about as much as we would pay for two roses during the winter months ! After careful planting and nurture, the dwarf nasturtium rewards one with an immense quantity of bloom. Twenty-five cents worth of seed will furnish plants enough to enable one to pick fully three hundred flowers a day for many days in succession ! If it is possible for us to extend our purse and lay out 55.00 on the garden, then add to the list already given the following : — Lily, Auratum ^0.25 " Candidum, 10 " Speciosum roseum, IS " " rubrum, 15 Bessera elegans, 2, .... IS Tigridia alba, 2, 10 Fuchsia, Black Prince, IS Geranium, 6, • • so Pansy, . .... 20 Lemon Verbena, . . . 10 Ricinus, mixed. s Gladiolus (scarlet), 6, • ■ IS Silene, ■ • • s Ciysanthemum, . . . 15 Canna, ... ■ • IS Dahlia, 4, . ... 60 If to this amount the seedsmen allow us to add 75 cents worth extra, better put all of it into roses y n OSes. ^^ ^^^ hardy hybrid perpetual order. I am very fond of the Magna Charta ; but, as tastes differ and all roses are beautiful, it \vould be best for me not to give any advice in this direction. It must be borne in mind that these lists I give are sub- ject to many changes according to the taste and discretion of each one of us. THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER GARDEN. In any case, I believe in investing at least 20 per cent, of our garden fund in roses, although my lists do not seem to point that way. But, as a matter of fact, we need the most information about the annuals ; their number can be cut down according to our individual ideas, substituting roses for such particular ones we think we do not care for. Although I do not believe in packages of mixed seed, it seemed best to Mixed Seed. put them in the list for economy's sake. After the first season it will be possible for us to select the specific varieties whose colors we fancy most ; but in all probability we will have quite a collection of seeds of our own raising, marked with special reference to colors. I tie the stem of the particular flower whose color I fancy with a bit of red, blue, or yellow rag, make a note of it, and wait for the seed-pod to ripen. We must remember, though, that in order to keep a plant in continuous bloom, the flowers should be picked as fast as they come out. The following varieties are distinguished by remarkably brilliant or else dainty coloring : — Lottie Eckford Sweet Pea. The Magna Charta. Fairy Blush Poppy. Eider Down " New Cardinal " Pure Gold Calendula. Mandarin Eschscholtzia. La Malmaison Balsam. Little Brownie Marigold. Prince of Wales Aster. Victoria Bachelor's Button. Yellow Phlox Drummondii. General Jacqueminot Zinnia. Edw. Otto Nasturtium, tall. Lemon African Marigold. Madame Crozy Canna. Beaten Gold Scabiosa. Passing now from the seeds which we have selected to the ground which we must plant them in, we should select FLOWER SEEDS AND GARDEN PLANS. Garden Plans. Seat Clothes Poles FiOWER BED CHASS situations most advantageous for certain plant forms as well as flower colors. This directs attention at once to some kind of a garden plan. The charac- ter of our garden must in a great measure de- pend upon the situa- tion. If we live in a city house, with brick walls about us and a back yard 20 x 45 feet square, it is evident that our plan must be limited to some rather severe arrangements. But I cannot help thinking that we could cut loose from the monotonous parallelogram if we chose ; this may inter- fere with certain laun- dry privileges, but it is possible to hang clothes out to dry more than one way. The post with radia- ting arms is one excel- lent means of keeping the clothes-drying pro- cess from completely monopolizing the yard ; and it is also possible to plant the ysual four posts in positions where they can be reached D D A PLAN A THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER GARDEN. easily from the walks, without necessitating the use of the central plot. I should put six posts in the positions marked on my planj rather than allow the central plot to The posts will be strung serve to Plan which the clothes-line. :arlet runners on. lows what may be done with a yard .- ilready laid out on the usual square "^^*-(* plan. I always like bench somewhere ii among the flowers. It is possi- iilVMfSfep^ ble one might ^^^ like to and en- joy the sweet-scented, bright-colored blooms for a while. The grass-plot may be cut to hold two beds reached by narrow gravel paths as I have indicated. At the back of the yard a screen may be constructed of chicken-yard wire FLOWER SEEDS AND GARDEN PLANS. 23 fencing, which will make a splendid show of color when tall nasturtiums, morning glories, or scarlet runners are in bloom. This wire fenc- ing will also be an ex- cellent support for sweet peas, and I should put it wherever there was a blank space which needed to be covered with vines. The glar- ing white fence I should take particular pains to hide in every possible way. Plan B shows what might be attempted with a yard which v,e could lay out ourselves, using brick walks with an edging of brick set up on end. Fine gravel walks are preferable, artistically considered, but they have some un- deniable disadvantages. The flagging and con- crete in common use in our cities seems to me one of the most ugly things imaginable. So far as the arrangement in detail of either of these back-yard gardens is concerned, I must leave that to the discretion of the owners. The ideas which I -- -- "/-«£' J t(»"e^V ■ ■ -- I SEAT SdRESH w,«e ^ * r '^, \J CRECHi ;i ° Tuas ' 1 / /°\ \ 1^ ' t / / \ \ * ) 1 / / \ \ "■ b 0^ t ^ ? o- P 7 \ /^ \ / - \ / '^ ; cf ; (».-■ n0WEH5 •) A PLAN B. 24 THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER GARDEN. rt>C? HITCH Ef^ CRASS PLOT. PLAN C. FLOWER SEEDS AND GARDEN PLANS. 25 j KITCHEN CARDAN PLAN D 26 THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER GARDEN. explain through succeeding chapters will apply in a great measure to all the needs of artistic gardening in the city yard. I need only add that we will find the limitations not so great as we supposed they were, if we will only forget what has been customary and adopt some freer methods of displaying our flowers. Plan C is intended for the grounds of a ^Garden. suburban house. It is so simple that explanation seems unnecessary. But it is my insistence on simplicity of arrangement which I mean shall distinguish this book from all others of its kind. We will have all we can do, by and by, to follow the sug- gestions given for displaying flowers so their colors and forms will show to the best advantage. Supposing, for instance, that anyone sits down on the seat at A ; my idea is, that they should see a picture like my sketch on page 22. Now, the plan of the grounds has much less to do with the prettiness of the picture than the fact that I have placed those gladioli directly in front of the dark cedar trees. In looking up the path from the gate, I should fancy the effect in perspective produced by the plants in boxes. Plan D is arranged for a country home Garden with grounds sufficiently ample to justify some attempts at landscape gardening. Notice that there is scarcely so much as a hint at a geometrical figure ; in fact, a circle or two or a paral- lelogram are all that can claim any relationship with symmetry ; yet I believe that this plan is capable of fur- nishing us with an endless variety of artistic effects. In proof of this, place the pencil at any point on one of the paths, choose some particular direction in which to look, and then read what lies on the plan in that line of vision. My sketch suggests such a vista, and I am sure it is only FLOWER SEEDS AND GARDEN PLANS. 27 one of a hundred which must prove equally attractive if our imagination will fill in the colors and forms. Since we always see across a garden The Way we , . , . 1 n j See a Garden, (sideways, so to speak), and never as a bird would look, plumb downward, it seems to me reasonable that the most pains should be taken with flowers, shrubs, and trees as they ,-' \| show one against another, ning a gar So, in plan- j" den it is advisable to ji dainty and delicate beyond descrip- tion ; so lovely is the combina- tion of these two colors that I '^'% wonder we do not endeavor to bring together oftener. Once in a while see a pretty girl in a pearly gray dress the sash and trimmings of which are a soft pink ; but it is a color combination rarely met with, although extremely artistic and dis- tinctively Japanese. a bit of pink and One of those charmingly irregu- lar specimens which I consider a valuable Taponica acquisition to the artistic flower garden, is a small tree called the Sophora japonica (a near relative of Sophora cladrastis), which has pretty bunches of white flowers drooping from the ends of its branches. From an artistic point of view, this dainty tree is exceedingly picturesque ; it is very beautiful on the edge of a lawn ; so also is the scarlet flowered Cydonia 42 THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER GARDEN. japonica (_familiarly known as Pyrus japonica) as well as the rosy blossomed Diervilla japonica i^Weigeld) either of which are charmingly irregular when allowed to grow naturally, but are prim and uninteresting when forced into the conventional lines of a hedge-row. There are beautiful specimens of both these shrubs in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, which have been allowed to grow in their own sweet, uncon- ventional way. The Sophora japonica holds a prominent place on the lawns of the Public Gardens in Boston. The _. wistaria grows luxuriantly in Japan. I have ^*, an interesting photograph of a very old vine with enor- mous clus- Wistaria. ters three feet long, of the purple flowers, which has been trained to climb over the posts of a charac- teristic Japanese tea house, whose balconies overhang a mirror-like little lake below. Ima- gine the enhanced form and color effect caused by the reflection in the water ! It is just such an advantageous position as this, seemingly unimportant when mentioned in passing, upon which the beautiful appearance of our flowers, trees, and shrubs de- pends. To many the wistaria may appear scraggly, and we will even grant that it is ; but I shall immediately add that scraggly things are essential to certain artistic effects. The accompanying sketch shows a Chinese wistaria forced into regular shape. I question whether anything artistic is gained by such a method of floriculture. The tree is a.t Dosoris, L. I. The mistake which florists are apt to make, Sophora Japonica. SOME JAPANESE ELEMENTS. 43 is that they consider all things imperfect which are not more or less symmetrical. Is nature ever perfectly sym- metrical ? Most emphatically, no ! Observe my sketch of the conventional looking horse-chestnut leaf; that is about as near as she cares to come to symmetry. If the florist created this kind of a leaf, or I may as well add the average American designer (who would have far less excuse for such a blunder than the florist), he would be very particular to .,--"-:- ^^^-»<«r_ _ ., make the Too Regular. This leaves which are opposite each other exactly of a size, is precisely what the Japanese artist would not do. Even partial precision is oftener suggested Irregularity. '-'3' Nature, than followed by her ; as a rule, she confines her regularities mostly to details ; when it comes to the horse-chestnut tree, she only suggests a roundness of figure. But where is there any symmetry in the apple tree? There is certainly none in bud, flower, leaf, or branch ; and the faintest suggestion of regularity in any of these is lost in the overpowering effect of picturesque irregularity, which is the abiding 44 THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER GARDEN. characteristic of the tree itself. It is this freedom from restraint which the Japanese admire and try to copy both in their ^ art and their floriculture ; it is unnecessary to add that they are entirely successful in the effort. Two other beautiful and unconven- tional specimens are Japanese Flow- ^, ^ , ering Trees. ^^^ Japanese cherry, and the Chinese double-flowering plum {Prumcs triloba^. Both are characterized by the dainty pink and gray color effect I have previously I think no spring garden can be perfect The double-flowering Japanese peach is Irregular Regularity. which will against a alluded to, and without them. a charming snowy blossomed little tree throw its whiteness into high relief dark background. I must mention, also, ■'^Honeysuckle, ^hat beautiful Japanese variety of the honey- suckle, Lonicera halleana, whose white, fragrant blossoms and dark foliage recom- mend it especially for the arbor with its romantic inmates — of course, an empty arbor lacks beauty as well as interest ! The Chinese Matrimony Vine is another beautiful climber which to me always savors somewhat of Japan ; there is a suggestion in both these charming vines of the trailing creepers we may see on almost any of the Japanese wall screens ; for that matter, I consider both the morning glory and the wistaria characteristically Oriental, simply because they are so often and so well depicted by Japanese artists. But it is not my intention to speak particularly either of SOME JAPANESE ELEMENTS. 45 Japanese varieties of flowers, or those which resemble them in certain effects ; I wish, rather, to call attention to the spirit of art which pervades all things Japanese. Japanese Ideas. ^^ "^'^^^ ^^'^^ ^^P^ ™any a Japanese idea by the commonest means at our dis- posal. A tub painted white with a rough spray of flowers drawn on it in strong gray-blue ; an old ginger jar filled with Thunbergiaor Virginia stock ; a stunted, but vigorous little Norway pine set out in a green-painted tub ; a rustic arbor embowered in wistaria, with a Japanesque table inside suggestively inviting one to sit by and call for a cup of tea; and perhaps a ^^,Vj curious dragon * sprawling over a terrace, with his back all gold and green in Lady Bird and Golden King nasturtiums, — these are the ele- ments which, more than actual Japan- ese plants, will give the garden an air of Oriental grace and beauty. I need hardly suggest that a flagstaff' of small dimensions is an essentially important , , , , A Norway Pine. accessory; a banneret adds much to the garden's cheer. Then, too, what an element of beauty the Japanese lantern will contribute to the garden if we will afford it opportunity ! At twilight nothing can pos- sibly be prettier than the effect of a few ruddy, glowing lanterns hung over a bed of white lilies ; Candidum, Harrisii, or Longiflorum. I speak of this because the flower garden is rarely seen under all possible conditions of its beauty, and one may imagine that when daylight * For its description and that of other garden accessories of a Japanese nature, see chapter entitled " Garden Furnishing.' ' 46 THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER GARDEN. is failing, it is losing its interest for us ; but there is many a flower which is beautiful at eventide and which does not throw out its fragrance until then — Nicotiana afi&nis and Milla biflora, for instance. Japanese elements which are desirable for the garden include many ® such artistic trifles as these I mention. A rockery s^n^ with a pedestal near it holding a fan- ciful cisely that no should wood and metal lantern is pre- a thing so beautiful in effect body can forget it. We remember that the word "impression," so care- lessly used, and so often carrying with it an idea ,, of superficiality, means truth a lasting mem- ory ; and when one pro- duces by artistic means the right impression at first, some one else is apt to carry the memory of it all through their life ! then it is that the saying comes true — " A thing of beauty is a joy forever." I think the Japanese try first to produce impressions in their art work, trusting that all good things will follow after. Pretty Lantern CHAPTER V. GARDEN FURNISHING. HE manufactured articles of common use in and about our houses to-day are not in any sense artistic. Art and manufacture, except in Japan, rarely go hand in hand ; nevertheless, the indus- trial arts of these times are far in ad- vance of the position vs'hich they held Manufactured * ^ jj i_ o- /-^i i Articles twenty odd years ago, when Sir Charles L. Eastlake began his crusade against the abominable shams which met our eyes in the best appointed households. Change and innovation, however, has not extended to outdoor objects. Architectural gardening is reserved for the broad estates of the wealthy, and nothing seems to be done for the garden of small proportions. One who wishes to furnish the tiny garden space with artistic but inexpensive objects will find it a rather difficult task. It is one thing to furnish a parlor or bedroom, it is quite another to at- tempt the furnishing of a small garden ! and the latter must contain at least a few of such things as tasteful vases, boxes, tubs, seats, benches, pedestals, fountains, statuary, lanterns, and flagstaffs. It is possible, though, that with a little money and good taste we may create many attractive small Tubs and Boxes. , . , ^ . i ■ v thmgs, and some extensive ones which will prove perfectly artistic. Common wooden pails (notice the initial above) painted cream color, with yellow on the iron hoops, may be had for a few cents, and 47 48 THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER GARDEN. these, furnished with brass or bronzed iron drawer pulls, are as pretty as they are useful for plants which we may wish ^, to retain potted. The common unglazed terra- cotta pot, like my sketch, is not without good form and color ; the little square box shows what can be done with a common, but strong soap-box, bound with metal hoops studded with brass-headed nails ; the legs are made of the ends of old wooden curtain poles. The box is painted cream color with yellow ochre trimmings. Two very sensible and neat tubs may be cut from a good sugar barrel just above the second row of hoops ; these tubs, painted terra-cotta green with the hoops black, and placed firmly on a section of Ackron drain pipe, furnish an excellent setting for dwarf nasturtiums, petunias, and phlox. The edges of flower beds are artistically satisfactorily bounded by pressed brick set up on end. Yellow (Dutch) brick are even better in color effect than red. This same yellow brick can be obtained with a moulded ,«, edge like my sketch, and it will furnish "Sk MMW!^ the material for a very pretty fountain edge. Unfortu- nately, statuary is an expen- sive luxury, which few of us can afford. Nearly every- thing modern, particularly in cast iron, is bad to a most un- qualified degree ; better nothing '""^ """"^^ ^ox. in our gardens than anything bad which pretends to be a work of art. The models of old Grecian sculpture, Yellow Brick work. GARDEN FURNISHING. 49 which may be had in plaster for moderate sums, are pecu- liarly appropriate in the garden belonging to a house of the colonial type ; these, when covered with the enamel paint-preparation now in use, of creamy white color, and tinged in the interstices of the modeling with rusty yellow, are proof against the ordinary storms of spring and summer. In autumn they should be removed to the shelter of some outhouse. Plaster casts of the Marble Faun, Narcissus, Venus de Milo, Eros, and the Dancing Faun may be obtained | in both New York and Boston ; these I are excellently modeled, and are particularly adapted to the embellishment of a garden. My sketch represents a Grecian style of pedestal, simple in pattern, inexpensive in cost, and made of wood and plaster material obtainable in <^\s^\\\\^^*S;:5^5Ssis^ SECTION Moulded Bricks. Pedestals, etc. either of the large cities mentioned. Nearly all the beautiful buildings at the World's Fair were covered with this plaster composi- tion ; it needs a thorough coat of oil, and then several coats of cream colored paint, and it is absolutely weather-proof. My drawings of a Grecian gar- den seat and a pedestal for a bust are designed for wooden construction with ornamental details in this stereo-relief mate- rial. The railing and newels are also constructed of wood painted cream color, and the shallow terrace steps (set in Pedestal for a Statue. 5° THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER GARDEN. cement) and the walk are laid in yellow brick. The effect of the cream and yellow colors, with the surrounding foliage and flowers, is quite refined and beautiful. This wood- work can all be constructed in sections and fastened by irons to the brickwork. If removed t- and 1 placed ^ under shelter dur- ^IS'sSasft. " ■• ^'^s^R^ ^^S the winter storms such seem- Garden Seat. ingly frail material tOi W will last for an indefinite period. My drawing of a garden lantern* is a copy, in part, of one of the bronze and stone affairs seen around the beautiful temples in Japan. The sides of the lantern are furnished with white cathedral glass, the top is made of tin painted dark green, and the sides and base are con- structed of wood painted dull yellow and white, to suit the colors of the house and its surround- ings. The lantern is fastened to the top of a tasteful newel-post, an ordinary glass kerosene lamp being placed inside. The effect of the lighted lantern in the evening among the '^ lilies and roses is charming. . „ A rather difficult object to A Dragon. ^ construct, but one which is delightfully novel and grotesque, is a '.% •^Q Pedestal for A Bust. * See also the sketch of a lantern in chapter on "Japanese Elements." GARDEN FURNISHING. SI space Japanese dragon arranged to sprawl gracefully over uneven ground near a rockery. The method for constructing this fantastic creat ^ ^ ure is this. Stake out the plan space he will ^^W/^ SSR '^!M^ cover, length nine feet, width about ten at the thickest; board up the like a square, tapering trough, n a i 1 } n g the boards to the stakes (this space is to be filled with good loam in .,^ _^ _ ^ which should be ""^•feju plant ^^ed yellow and Terrace steps. gold nasturtiums) ; then get a carpenter to cut about two dozen ribs (assorted sizes), nail these on either side of the trough as my sketch indicates, and per- fect the rounded form by nailing on length- wise common laths ; over these his skin may be stretched and tacked on, — com- mon white canvas will do ; this should be oiled afterward and painted like fanciful scales in several tones of green. For the legs, tail, and head, use wood and Port- land cement mixed with half its amount of fine sand. It will not be found a very hard task to model over sticks and broken bricks a sufficiently terrible looking head (alligator-like) and sprawling claws ; paint 52 THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER GARDEN. these parts like the rest of the body. In summer this flowery dragon filled with bright Golden King and Lady Bird nasturtiums is indeed a novel and pretty ^f;;"^ sight. The plants should be ^^ clipped to keep them in -^ with the dragon, quiet corner of furnished with a seat, suggests a simple, painted affair, which we can make ourselves. |/ Nothing is uglier or more uncomfortable than those cast-iron montrosities one frequently meets with in appointed parks. Little rustic or Japanese seats like those suggested by my sketches are very appropriate snuggled away in a sweet corner embowered with honeysuckles or morning glories. Those of us who are familiar with the tures of St. Mark's Square general conformity rounded figure of the An interesting and the garden should be My sketch green- A Japanese Golden Dragon. cemeteries and artificially Seats, etc. nice will remember the or tal flag-staffs which stand before the cathedral. The copied in Central Park, and in the beautiful Renais pic- in Ve- Frame of the Dragon. namen- immed lately idea has been New York, sance plaza opening o,n the lake are the same kind of flagstafifs, from which float pretty bannerettes. In a good-sized garden, where there is an open space, a GARDEN FURNISHING. S3 An Old Boat. flagstaff or two in pattern like my sketch will greatly en- hance the artistic effect. They need not be tall, and the bases can be simply constructed of stereo-relief and wood. The poles should be painted red and the iron tops gilded. In a country-house gar- den it is a pretty sight to see an old boat, no longer of use in the water, furnished with such cheerful occupants as ragged sailors, coreopsis, white gladioli, and white phlox drummondii ; but I question if there is anything worthy of notice in an iron pot suspended from three rustic sticks. A camp-fire does not associate it- self consistently with flowers, but a boatful of flowers, even on a lawn, is quite sensible and in good taste. As for rusuc work, we need more of it, and it should be revived with a new element of simplicity attached. The picture which forms the frontispiece, of a simple seat and fence beside the edge of ter raced grounds is suggestively free and simple in artistic arrange- ment. The sweeping lines of the old apple tree are full of , grace, and harmonize per- fectly with the straight ones of Japanesque seat. the fence and seat below. The little rustic bridge with its resting-place half-way over is a pretty affair for a garden which has a pond or streamlet ; if rustic work is employed in these Green-painted Seat. 0^ 54 THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER GARDEN. Rustic Work. directions it should be wisely introduced in all the appoint- ments of the grounds. Rustic work is not beautiful when a great number of perpendicular lines are introduced in the design. The charm of the rough and natural wood is best displayed when the lines are disposed in angles, and the spaces in superficial area are only a little in excess of the woodwork. In explanation of this fact, I need only draw atten lion to some of the best specimens of Moresque ornament, which will show that the designer was very careful not to allow his pattern to occupy any more room on the wall than the spaces between left untouched. My section of a fence will demonstrate the idea perfectly. The number of square inches in the spaces is about the same as that which the wood- work occupies. There is a great deal of pottery manufactured nowa the garden as well as house. ,^ Some of it is Majolica days for f3*A \ '"A® ,.,.,, „.„_ . „„, Rustic Bridge. very pretty, much is tasteless, and mostly all is expensive. ^ M 55 CHAPTER VI. ITALIAN AND ENGLISH GARDENS, LAND- SCAPE GARDENING, AND ,,„^ SHRUBBERY. ^ HE gardens connected with the old villas and palaces of Italy even in their present state of decay afford much that is interesting and instruc- tive to those who would learn about formal gar- dening, and gardening in that broader sense to which we apply the name " landscape." Landscape gardening, however, is almost beyond the compass of so small a volume as this, Ijard^^nine which has more directly to deal with the beautiful things of the flower garden it- self. But we must not forget that even in the smallest plot of ground devoted to the culture and display of flowers there is always present an element which ap- proaches the sweeping effect of Nature's arrangements of flowers, trees, hills, meadows, and stretches of water ; in fact, we can always find a bit of nature (sometimes not over four feet square) which contains points of beauty eligible for the carefully planned small garden. This kind of natural arrangement can hardly be found in the old Italian gardens ; their beauty is rather that of a studied, formal order, which only gives way in the backgrounds to anything approaching the freedom of nature ; but formality, whether it be Italian, English, or Colonial American, is quite a necessity of the small garden ; it only remains to point out what the nature of that formality should be. 56 LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 57 Artistic Plans. In walking through the elaborate gardens of the Villa Pallavacini, near Genoa, I could find nothing but childish artificiality, except in a few arrangements of some border flower beds. But these grounds are all decidedly modern, and they show how differently the Italian gardener works to-day from the way he did a hundred or two years ago. The grounds of the Borghese and the d'Este Villas tell quite a different paired by any mod- dilapidation story ; the old plans remain unim ern innovations, and only age and mar the beautiful effect of the whole. Perhaps for the artist this decay does not detract from the charm of the de- signs ; for the gai'- dener it certainly must, and we would do well to remember that the artistic part of these old Italian gardens belongs to their original plans. In the sketch which I have made of the square reservoirs be- low the terrace of the Villa d'Este (Tivoli) we will see the value of the formal lines in conjunction with the free ones of the overhanging foliage. I need not point to the charm of perspective added to the straight lines which bound the water. In the Pincian Gardens, in Rome, there A Vista. .^ ^ ^^^^ beautiful vista from the foun- tain which it is worth while to remember was not -^xo- Villa "d'Este Reservoirs. LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 59 Line Effects. duced accidentally, but by the design of the gardener, who knew that the little glimpse of St. Peter's Cathedral would greatly add to the attractions of his park. The advantage to be gained even in a very small garden by the intro- duction of foliage arranged so it will grow arch-like over some pretty little vista is certainly very great, and it is to such points as these that we must look for the art of the garden. The Villa Castello, near Florence,^ possesses per- haps the most interesting and beauti- ful one of all the Italian gardens of the Renaissance period ; there is less ruin here, more artistic order, and more flowers. I give one little view of a path with a fine row of cypress trees beyond, and in between a ^ beautiful arrange ^^ ment ^=0 of a close-clipped hedge, with the ^ statuary which shows above it. (^-. One does not expect to see anything quite ^VC so Italian in our own country, but * the wish involuntarily comes that we could produce effects in our American gardens as perfect in artis- tic beauty ! There is a peculiar charm in the contrast of the white marble statuary with the towering, sombre foliage beyond, and the horizontal lines of the terrace and hedge are in admirable contrast with the perpendicular ones that Villa Castello Gardens. LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 6i pervade the rest of the picture. Nature is replete with such effects, though they are not so formal. In the grounds of the Villa Borghese is a Simple ^ .^ , . , , , ^ ^ . Fountains. lountain which always struck me as being particularly lovely on account of its per- fect simplicity yet complete impressiveness. The margin is low and almost completely hidden by a border of little annuals not one of which is more than twelve inches high ; in the center, the large marble basin is sup- ported by four plunging horses, and the four jets of water fall in light, graceful curves, all the more noticeable by water overflow- tral column of design, and one ffi tains" (as contrast with the straight lines of the ing from the large basin. The cen water gives added strength to the forgets that in the " City of Foun Rome is freque (5>^(, ntly called) one of the "^ smallest and most unpre- tentious of them all ! It is hardly possible that a fountain will prove practicable in a very small garden, yet I believe we might readily possess one without incurring any great expense if we would adopt the proper methods of procedure. All the cast-iron affairs I have ever seen are monstrous and ugly ; perhaps a simple, shell-like basin is least objectionable, but even this is ugly when painted green ; it would be in better taste to give it the same color as the rest of the structure. It is a simple matter to build the fountain entirely of yellow brick, and use a vase-shaped piece of pottery for the water jet. Whatever there is of art which may be derived from the old Italian gardens we may be assured A Simple Fountain. 62 THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER GARDEN. will not be false to good principles. There is plenty of artistically colored brick manufactured nowadays, and I contend that such material is incomparably better than the falsity of cast-iron figures and forms which, alas, are too often seen in our American flower gardens. The formal English garden belongs to a Formalities period much later than that of the Italian Renaissance, indeed, scarcely more than a hundred years ago such a garden was in its prime. But the fact is, this formal English style of gardening drew all its inspiration from the methods that long years before had been practised by the Italians. One may see in the books illustrated by Kate • Greenaway and Ran- dolph Caldecott just this primness of garden arrangement which I allude to as being characteristically English. In- stead of stopping at the very formal "parterre" the English carried their conventionalities further and left no part of the garden which was not regularly laid out by a foot-rule ! English box hedges bounded everything, and trees and shrubs were cut and trimmed into the most fan- tastic shapes, much as the French poodle's wool is clipped and resetted ! At last came a reaction, and artists and poets preached a new gospel of informality and naturalism. Then paths became curved, parterres were obliterated, shrubs were no longer clipped, set flower beds were changed to irregular ones, and gardeners endeavored to bring every- thing back to "a state of nature." But it was only in Japan and China that such methods of gardening were brought to artistic perfection. To-day, what is most beautiful in English 'Garden"^ gardens may be found beside the pictur- esque little cottages so often painted by that master of English country life, Birket Foster. The perfect simplicity of the cottager's little flower garden LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 63 SO admirably arranged that it defies every principle of rigid formality is quite as beautiful to the artist as many a Japanese one. The influence of this unsophisticated way of growing a lot of pretty flowers in a small space, where they are allowed to develop in their own wild and wilful way, is already making itself felt in this ^ country. There is no exag 2^ geration in saying that Swinburne, Rosetti, Burne-Jones, Oscar Wild, and Millais drew much of their inspiration from such a himible source ; and the American gardener to - day might learn a good lesson if he should turn his attention in the same direc- tion. We may find our own artists in- 1 terested in the sub- ject, and it is curi- ous to note the beau- tiful bits picked up <^> here and there in the ' byway gardens of old England by Edwin Abbey and Alfred Parsons, whose charming pictures we are all familiar with through Harper s Magazine. But some one may ask, "Where is there any art in English gardens?" In a word, I may as well answer that where the artist finds some particular arrangement and material adapted to a English Cottage ,jC/f,i Garden. ^" c^ - ijta'ft 64 THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER GARDEN. picture, we may be sure that art already exists ; it does not really begin on his canvas, but at the point in nature which he selects as a subject for his picture. There is a most clever drawing (which I reproduce) from the pen of Alfred Parsons which illustrates this idea perfectly. There are two beautiful groups of sunflowers in the fore- ground, to the left is a bit of picket fence with a sugges- tion of some nasturtium vines below, in the center is a glimpse of the almost overgrown path, and beyond are two thatched cottages whose walls and sheds are covered with honeysuckles and climbing roses ; the sunflowers are in bold relief against the dark background which the climb- ing vines afford. Certainly this arrangement is perfectly artistic, and it is a suggestive one for the gardener who usually prefers to see the sunflower hold a back seat in the well-ordered garden ! Now, to make a practical application of the principles which these foreign gardens demonstrate, we should make a judicious selection of trees, shrubs, and flowers with par- ticular regard to form and color ; then the garden should be planned with these forms and colors ever in mind. There is not nearly room enough in this little volume to ex- plain how each tree, plant, or shrub should be artistically disposed of, but a hint in one or two cases may serve as a general guide. Shrubs "^'^^ snowball (I like the American variety best) needs a dark background, or a neighbor whose form is entirely contrastive with it, say, the Irish yew, or a well- formed common cedar. Such shrubs as the Syringa, Diervilla Japonica, Cydonia Japo- nica, Forsythia viridissima, Spirsea prunifolia (Bride's Wreath), Acacia, Althea, Silver Bell, Deutzia, and Spirsea splendens, all need either a woody background or some isolated position where the irregular or trailing charac- LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 6S ter of the bush may be fully displayed. The beauty of such shrubbery is lost when the specimens are crowded together in senseless confusion ; three or four of the bushes seem quite enough to cluster in one group. Especially is Lespedeza sieboldi injured by too close a contact with a miscellaneous lot of flowering neighbors. Robiniahispida, the common rose acacia, can only be seen to advantage when its delicate sprays of flowers are relieved, silhouette- like, against something dark. A most charming specimen which comes to us from Japan is the Styrax obassia, a near relative of the Silver Bell ; it is like the latter in pretty, bell-shaped flowers, but more beau- tiful and not so common in this country ; this is another shrub which de- serves a vantage point in the garden plan. As for the EvergTeens. evergreens, I think they are worthy of a very prominent posi- tion in the beau- tiful garden, not only because of their conventional forms, but for the reason that in winter we have the advantage of their greenness. What is more beautiful than the snow-laden boughs of a full formed hemlock ! I notice that Mr. Falconer, of the famous and beautiful Dosoris Gardens, has a most interesting col- lection of evergreens on the place, and I regret to say that one of the loveliest specimens, the Irish yew, he does not give us much encouragement to cultivate. He says it is not reliably hardy in the North ; but we are advised rather to try the Japanese variety (Taxus cuspidata), and also T. 5 Snowball. 66 THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER GARDEN. repanda and T. stricta. It will be seen at once, upon glancing over the sketches in this book, how much I value, ^^ for artistic reasons, the tall, conical shapes of such ;s as the Irish yew. It is not necessary to point the fact that in Italy and Normandy the great larm of the landscapes is directly due to the orce and contrast which is contributed by such lall perpendicular characters as the poplar, cy- s^J^^y press, and ilex. It is a pity that the Normandy (., ' \?'. _,■*, poplar does not thrive in our rugged New England '' " ^y-s climate ; there is no spot where it could possibly 'V look handsomer with the surroundings than in any one of the southern valleys of the White Mountains ; yet the few specimens I have seen thereabouts are struggling for bare existence. Other evergreens worthy of mention are, the Irish ew. Q^acow Juniper, Abies concolor, Abies nobilis, the golden Chinese arbor vitae, and Koempfer's Chinese larch. I also have a great fancy for the coarse, long- needled Norway pine (so-called) common in the , » northern parts of New Hampshire, and our common hemlock. One of the most beau- tiful and conventional evergreen specimens, which may be seen any time at a florist's in some one of our large cities, is the California laurel tree ; it is peculiarly adapted to terrace or piazza decoration. „ . Landscape gardening must really Consistency. , , !. . , depend for its success upon the exercise of common sense, which is another ex- pression for good taste ; one must not attach to a house of the Colonial pattern a garden of the ^ l''^u°™'* unconventional English cottage type ; and we do not expect to see in the wilds of a mountain district LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 67 either house or garden laid out on lines of classic sym- metry. What we should expect is consistency, no matter what style ofaarchitecture may be in vogue. A garden which boasts of any landscape element must fit exactly into its surroundings without having the appear- ance of labored attempt ! One great charm of the incom- parable design of Central Park, in New York, is the fact that one is unconscious of the sharp transition from formal- ity to informality in following its admirably laid out paths. The impressive, straight mall ending at the grand staircases leading to the plaza on the lake is in admirable contrast with the naturalistic arrangements on the path called " The Ramble." The work of William Law 01m- stead in this splendid park, and in the World's Fair grounds, is of a kind so matchless in excellence that we would do well to give it our closest attention. CHAPTER VII. BULBOUS PLANTS. EARLY all the flowers of spring which are brilliant in coloring and effective in form, proceed from bulbs. There are quite a number of summer blooming plants which are also bulbous, and to these we owe much of the strong color which gives the garden an effective appearance from a distance. Beginning with the snowdrop (a great Stately Flowers. ^ ® . ^. , , ^ , . j, favorite with the poet), there is an endless list of gorgeous flowers ending with the stately dahlia, all of which proceed from bulbs. Speaking of the dahlia reminds me of the following suggestive lines of Mrs. Sigourney. What a contrast the drooping, regal dahlia presents beside the white-souled, hardy little snowdrop ! " I have no stately dahlias, nor greenhouse flowers to weep, But I passed the rich man's garden and the mourning there was deep ; For the withering flowers all drooping hung amid the wasting sod, Like Boadiceabent with shame beneath the Roman rod.". The character of a flower must be taken into considera- tion when a particular position is allotted to it in the gar- den. I should never plant dahlias near sunflowers nor lilies beside either ; these, so to speak, are flower queens, and they require subjects for their surroundings ; not royal rivals ! There is no reason why the dignified dahlia should look mournful unless it is overcome by the haughty, unsym- pathetic company of some over-aristocratic neighbors, 68 BULBOUS PLANTS. 69 who, like itself, are suffering from the neglect of an owner who has more gold than love of flowers ! Here is a lesson we may all of us learn to our great advantage ; we invest in costly orchids, lilies, roses, and chrys- Humble , , , , Flowers. anthemums, and utterly neglect such humble things as snowdrops, crocuses, scilla, and daffodils. The garden in springtime is not beautiful without these charming little characters. The snowdrop and the pretty blue scilla should be planted in some irregular grass-plot, and sparingly on one edge of the lawn. Scilla siberica and campanulata seem to be perfectly hardy, and I have a great admiration for their blues as seen against the green grass. Daffodils and Narcissi. shaped single daf- '^ beautiful. Mr. i n h i s All the large trumpet- fodils are graceful and Fewkes cultural di rec- tions will tell us which varieties are best to culti- vate. I need not add that the messenger of spring. beside a pond or any small bit of water daffodils and narcissi are particularly charming. The Polyanthus varie- ties are so dainty and beautiful that they can be recom- mended without reservation for almost any position in- doors or in the garden ; they need careful covering, and with a little attention will prove quite hardy where the winters are not too severe. The color tone of the sweet little flowers is of a kind which does not conflict with either strong-colored or large-formed neigh- bors. Crocuses of all colors can be planted indiscrimi- nately together ; there is no want of harmony among them. When one may obtain no less than two hundred bulbs for about ^2.00 it seems as though there ought to be plenty of 70 THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER GARDEN. Mathematical Precision. these bright-cupped little things in the spring garden ! They belong in a natural position beside irregular walks, and beyond the environment of formal beds. I should plant jonquils in the same locations ; nothing is more tire- some than quantities of these spring flowers arranged with mathematical precision in geometrical flower beds. We need to learn that there is more than one way of display- ing flowers without making it perfectly apparent that they were arranged for inspection. It never seems to occur to the gardeners in whose care we place our public parks that a lilac or weigela bush can be companionable to a group of daffodils . ,^^ or tuHps ! On \W^M ^^^ contrary, a """'■7 background of beautifully col- lier e d , budding foliage is left to complete its own harmony of col- or, and the grassy lawn is mutilated to find a place for the gorgeous tulip with results which are, to say the least, violently inharmonious. The Due van Thol tulip, all the varieties of which flower simultaneously, is a hard character to manage in the di- rection of color harmony. I must refer to the chapter on _ . . this subject as the best means for guid- Tuhp Colors. .... ^ ,. f , ance in the laying out of tulip beds. I may incidentally mention several good combinations of certain varieties. The white Joost Van Vondel with Wouverman ; Due v. T. white with Pottebakker scarlet ; Viridiflora Praecox with purple crown ; Due V. T. white with yellow; Proserpine with Queen Victoria; and the Parrot tulip with any late flowering white one. A A Bed of Crocuses. BULBOUS PLANTS. 71 winding bed of variously colored tulips, with plenty of white ones as a harmonious medium, is in excellent taste; and in very formal flower gardens where there is a little raw green in the shape of a close-clipped lawn (which fur- nishes an undesirable background) the " parterres ' may be filled with these brilliant flowers with good effect, especially if the closest atten tion is given to color harmony. But I must deprecate the practice of filling such beds with regular arrange- ments of the narcissus, tulip and hyacinth ; this is bad taste for no than it brings many showy flow enough plain re method of work with that of cer designers, who gather with sense give the eye ho uneducated and not know the and bare, mono garden we must our ornamented in extremely other reason together too ers with not lief. Such a is about on a par tain ignorant artists and crowd ornamentation to- less extravagance, and thus peace or rest. It is only the unrefined designer who does artistic value of plain spaces, toned walls ! So in the flower be careful not to overload The Gallant spaces, nor forget the neces- TuLip Along the ^ ' ° sity of a restful Line. and undisturbed lawn. Hyacinthsmay be near tulips and daffodils, but I prefer to see them relieved against neighboring shrubs, or such low-toned green as that which the periwinkle will furnish. I like to see the variety which an occasional bit of partridge- berry vine contributes to the garden ; perhaps if we would properly estimate the value of such simple material, Hyacinths in Relief. 72 THE BEAUTIFaL FLOWER GARDEN. the artistic effects we desire would be forthcoming without the expenditure of so much elaborate effort. Among the summer-flowering bulbs there ^"ing^BuSs""""' ^""^ several which the garden can hardly dispense with. These are : Gladiolus, Milla biflora, Bessera elegans, Hyacinthus candicans, Zephyranthes, Tigridia, Tuberose, Canna, Dahlia, Crinum, Amaryllis, Anemone, and Spiraea Japonica. I have tried all of them in my own garden with resulting success, and not one will prove unworthy of any attention bestowed upon it. _, ,. ,. The gladiolus is too common a flower to Gladioli. , , . . , ^ , . need any description ; but a few hints about its position in the garden may be of aid to t-hose- who contetnplate using it in a broad way. The great advantage the gladiolus holds over other flowers is that it takes so little room ; the bulbs need be placed only four inches apart. I cannot find words strong enough to express the wonderful intensity Relief. and delicacy of its colors. Thecommonred variety, which can be bought for about fifteen cents per dozen, possesses a powerful and brilliant color close to scarlet, but having a greater depth ; the yellows are tender and delicate to a perfection unequaled by any other flower ; the lilac tones are like those in a sunset sky; the horticulturists would force the paler tints into an insipid white, and the remarkable pencilings in pearly colors remain unappreciated ; then, too, what the gladiolus can produce in pinks, salmon tints, and cherry reds is only equaled by that prince of all red and pink flowers, the carnation ! As for the other colors, I can only add that they are beautiful beyond description, whether pure or broken in tone. BULBOUS PLANTS. 73 One thing, however, must be borne in mind, and that is, that the orangy and broken pinks are no fit companions for the pure ones ; and I hardly consider the pale yellow colors harmonious with any of the pinks or reds. Perhaps the lilac tones are best suited to the yellow ones ; but on the whole it seems as though the gladiolus is especially adapted to the companionship of other flowers with whose forms and characters it presents a wide contrast. With an environment of gaillardias, white asters, pearl nasturtiums, or white candytuft, the straight, sword-like leaf with the spike of glorious flowers above is in charmingly good taste. Opposite we may see the pretty effect of some almost pure white gladioli combined with golden gaillardias and white balsams. Unfortunately, the pjhotograph does not give an adequate idea of the color effect ; but it does show how tasteful the position of the perpendicular spikes of flowers is beside a rough rustic gate. In another picture, facing title, we may see the pretty effect of the gladiolus beside a piazza newel-post. We must not be contented with only a dozen or so of these splendid flowers ; next to some of the free-blooming annuals the gladiolus wilt yield a very large number of handsome and showy flowers, and the best of it is, all the buds will expand to the topmost and last one when a spike is cut and placed in a vase of fresh water ! In the finer varieties several flower spikes proceed from one bulb, and the blossoms almost completely encircle the spike; whereas, in the common variety the flowers are smaller, and are on one side only of a single spike. Milla Biflora and ^'l^^ biflora is a remarkably sweet-scent- Bessera Ele- ed, star-shaped flower which I like &^"^- to see planted among such contrasting neighbors as pearl nasturtiums, salmon-rose-colored phlox, or blue gilias. It takes no room, and the two or three grass- 74 BULBOUS PLANTS. 75 like leaves which proceed from the bulb really need the support of a rounded, compact little plant close by. The same is true of the Bessera elegans, whose drooping flower- bells are whitish vermilion-orange in color. I cannot praise too highly this delicate orange-red tone of color, which is pumpkin-like, only not the least bit crude. For its neighbors I should choose dwarf white asters, pearl nasturtiums, white phlox, Victoria bachelor's buttons, or white candytuft. Hyacinthus candicans is an in- Hyacinthus * ^- ^ n • -.i ^i Candicans. terestmg, tall specimen with the character of a question mark ; most everyone asks what it is ! We should be sat- isfied with its pretty effect among beds of pur- candytuft or sweet alyssum, without asking for le perfume which we generally associate with the h3'acinth in spring. It is altogether differ- ent, and is remarkable for its long, green k leaves, its flower of drooping bell-shaped fig- ure, like the snowdrop, and its flower stalk, which sometimes attains the height of four feet. A half-dozen bulbs planted in the center of a small, circular bed, with a surrounding of dwarf magenta petunias, give a pleasing color effect. _ , . Zephyranthes rosea is a Zephyranthes. -^ . favorite with me, al- though I regret to say it adds but a penny's worth of color to the garden. Unfortu- nately, a few bulbs give a few flowers, and I can only recommend it for its pure pink color and lilylike form. The six bulbs I had last season gave me six dainty flowers which bloomed at various times through July. A pretty neighbor for the Hyacinthus Candicans •j6 THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER GARDEN. flower is the plumed Spirea japonica, whose foliage and flowers are excellent as a background for the rosy zephy- ranthes. The Tigridia is an incomparable beauty ! ign la- Perhaps that statement sweeps before it all remarks in detail about the flower, or, for that matter, the flower garden itself. Of course, the rose and the lily must be jealous of such praise given to a comparatively unknown new-comer — a presumptuous interloper ! but comparisons are not always just ; and, in >^truth, the tigridia ought not to be compared with any other characters in the garden. , There is a spottiness about the center of the flower which reminds one of an .orchid, but here the resemblance ends abruptly ; the general form suggests the iris, but where is the outline that the French artist saw in the I'ris which suggested his con- ventional "Fleur-de-lis"? and what flower ex- cept this possesses a translucent scarlet ? Not one that I know of. Scarlet is one of the most opaque of all colors. '\;' So, I must repeat that the tigridia is in- ^'^™osEA^"'^^ comparable. It is easily grown, and it never tires of sending out flower after flower all summer long. The white ones are particularly dainty, and one wishes the blossoms were more useful as cut flowers ; but even out-of-doors they do not last much after one o'clock when the sun is hot. However, this beautiful flower, which comes to us from Mexico, does well in the high altitude of my own northern garden, and it will thrive almost anywhere with little attention ; no garden should be without a goodly group of the bulbs, which may be planted four or five inches apart. By no means allow BULBOUS PLANTS. 77 any magenta or crimson flowers in the neighborhood of the conchiflora variety. The tuberose is a good companion for all varieties, and its intensely sweet perfume is quite in place in the open air and beside the odorless Mexican flower, but is oppressive in the house. Tuberoses need to be started in the greenhouse, other „ wise they will at all. like the Crozy and I have no new vari- lent, but colors Cannas. bloom very late or perhaps not I particularly Madame the Alphonse Bouvier Cannas. doubt but what there are many eties which are quite as excel for cannas, I like just the two which these especial varieties contribute to the garden. The particular charm of the Madame Crozy is its superb vermilion edged with a thread of golden-yellow. So far as t\\& foliage of the canna is concerned, the bronze-green color of some of the tall varieties, notably that called Robusta, is certainly much to be desired for effect in the back- ground of the garden. Unfortunately, both the hand- some Amaryllis and Crinum are a bit difficult to cultivate, and are expensive. They are magnificent to look at, both in the house and out-of- doors ; and if one can spend the time and money upon them they offer grand opportunities for artistic arrangements in large, showy jars intended for the terrace or the formal garden. Amaryllis Johnsonii and Formosisima TlORIDIAS. Amaryllis and Crinum. 78 THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER GARDEN. Anemones. are less expensive varieties which are adapted more to naturalistic arrangements. The variety named Belladonna major is so beautiful in rosy white color that it deserves a prominent position in a flower pot or jar where one can reach the flowers to inhale the delicate odor. All of these bulbs should be started in the green- house. Anemones are suited to some natural arrange- ment near a woody spot in the garden. I like the single varieties the best, Coro- naria being particularly delicate in charac- ter. Here again is an element of sim- plicity and natural beauty which the well- ordered garden ought to contain. So much might be said about the dahlia that adequate attention to it in this little volume is about impossible ; we may be really glad that the interest in this splendid old-fashioned-garden flower has re vived. Its foliage is thick and effective, and its flowers rival in glorious color the queen of all the late comers — the chrysanthemum. It does not make much difference what the character of the variety is. \Xs flower is beauti- ful. I hesitate to mention any one 0' i-n particular lest some beautiful, well- known specimen should seem neglect- ed ; but of the kinds most familiar The stately Dahua. to me I might (with confidence in their perfect beauty) mention Little Hermon, Rising Sun, Snow Cloud, Duke The Highly Orna MENTAL CRINUM. Dahlias. BULBOUS PLANTS. 79 of Connaiight, Rob Roy, Boabdil, La Phare, Isabel, and Little Leopold. Whether Pompon, Large double, or single flowered, the variety is of no consequence, as it is the individual flower which is really beautiful. In color the dahlia runs through every imaginable tint and hue, except blue and its tonic (if I may be allowed the musical term) associates. Strong, pure orange it avoids ; but pure yel- low and rich maroon it delights in. In arranging the position of the dahlia in the garden, I should take into account its bushy character of fohage ; this is so luxuriant that there is no danger of the flower colors clashing with each other. The flowers are apt to come so late that it is quite necessary to start the bulbs in the greenhouse ; they need lots of room out-of-doors, and they may be either planted in groups quite by themselves, or placed beside a cluster of tall, white flowers like gladioli or lilies, whose figures will be splendidly relieved against the sombre foliage. Among perfectly dark flowers, except the King Theo- dore nasturtium, the Black scabiosa, and the Black pansy, the dahlia will contribute the best of all rich color tones ; there is no chrysanthemum which can equal it in intensity. CHAPTER VIII. ROSES, LILIES, CARNATIONS, CHRYSANTHEMUMS, AND ORCHIDS. ' HERE is a popular notion that the rose and the lily are competitive for the highest esteem of flower lovers ! Whatever the comparative merits of the two queenly flowers are, we may justly concede the first place to the rose, at least in the American garden ; I think we may easily find twenty roses to one lily in our own homes. I hesitate about revealing certain artistic The avonte predilections for particular varieties of the rose, because they will not benefit the beautiful garden in any way. So we would better refer to Mr. Fewkes for practical advice about the flower. As for planting it in an artistic way, I have only to say that unless the habit of the particular variety receives close attention, something may be done which will spoil not only the rose-bush itself, but its appearance in the garden as well. Allow the climbing rose to climb in the direction chosen by its vigorous shoots, and subordinate its sur- roundings to the shape it takes; give the bushy foliaged rose breadth of space, and allow the slim, wiry-stemmed plant the support and relief which a garden fence will afford ; in this way the best effects are obtained, and the bush forms a natural part of the garden plan. I do not see any reason why different varieties should be grouped 80 ROSES. together; cultural facilities are not to be mentioned in the same breath with artistic considerations. If it is easy to take care of two bushes planted side by side, it is also possible that their proximity to each other will prove artistically undesirable. I think that the rose-bush pos- sesses a character which adapts it to companionship with plants of an entirely different nature. The beautiful little yellow Scotch rose, neighbor for the Rosa Rugosa ; but some white lilies it is quite in place. The Mary Washing- ton and Queen of the Prai- ries are both climbers, which most certainly ought to con- tribute to the contrasts for instance, is not a Jules Margottin, or beside good ordered so-called receive except it is Damask Roses, Semi-wild Roses. of form in the well garden ; and why a rose garden should any artistic consideration as an expedient, I am sure hard to say ! I rather like the semi-wild character of some of the less supercultivated roses; they contribute a large share of the interest which belongs to an artistic garden. The Rugosa rose is indeed a prize, with its charming single flower, and its extraordinary, luxurious foliage; the old-fashioned Damask rose, long since resigned to a half-wild condition on the edges of some of the farm-house gardens in New Hampshire, is to 6 82 THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER GARDEN. me quite as desirable as many a fashionable rose like the Meteor, or the American Beauty. My sketch will show something of its unconventional character ; but I must not slight the excellence and hardiness of several beau- tiful specimens which no half-wild rose will take the place of; I refer to my favorite, the Magna Charta, and to Jules Margottin, Baroness Rothschild, Malmaison, Hermosa, General Jacqueminot, Mrs. Degraw, and Alfred Colomb. As for the beauty of the charming tea scented roses which one may see at the large florists' stores nearly all Tea-scented ^^ , Roses. the year round, it makes one feel badly that they are not all hardy, and do not thrive beyond the shelter of the greenhouse. But such characters pos- sess an ineffable beauty in the presence of which we must acknowledge ourselves overwhelmed with admiration. Under the circumstances then, those of us who can do so should attempt the cultiva- tion of at least two or three speci- mens. I refer particularly to the varieties named Mermet, Waban, Bride, Cornelia Cook, La France, Marechal Niel, Madame de Watteville, and Madame Hoste. If the rose is to be considered first as the queen of the garden, then it seems as though the lily should be king, although such a term is not in consonance with tradition ; we think of iot/i flowers as queens ! But some of the later acquisitions of our gardens belonging to the lily family certainly have a masculine stateliness, as, for instance, Lilium Auratum, and Lilium Speciosum. It is sufficient to say that the regal beauty of all lilies A Tea-scented Rose. Relief for Lilies. LILIES. 83 entitles them to a foreground position, and the white varieties most certainly need a strong dark background. Even the little yellow lily, Hemerocallis Flava, deserves a position close to the garden path ; and the charming lily- of-the-valley never ought to be relegated to the insignifi- cant corner where I have most often seen it ! No garden should be without L. Candidum or the other less beautiful, though popular variety named L. Longi- florum ; it seems to me that a group of white lilies is espe- cially desirable in a shel- tered position where it may have a background of dark evergreens A handsome, or- derly hedge re- lieves the white flowers splendidly, and thick. Other ought not to be are old-fashioned, are, Tigri- popular tiger-lily of country wild Turk's Cap, Pardalinum, The Auratum and Speciosum lilies I like to see in hand- some vases or tubs beside the main path in the garden, where one may get the most good of them. Unfortunately, they are not strong in the bulb, and one can never tell whether, after the first year, they will produce any more flowers ; but, all things taken into consideration, I would rather purchase new bulbs but it must be tall lilies which the garden without, although some num Splendens, (the gardens), the common, and L. Tenuifolium. Lilium Auratum. 84 THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER GARDEN. White Lilies. every year of the Auratum variety and throw the old ones away, than pass a summer without this magnificent, sweet- smelling flower. Good, stocky bulbs produce big plants with a crown of immense blooms, each one of which, when fully expanded, will measure eight or nine inches across ! The splendidly colored carnation seems to be a distinctive greenhouse flower; no one expects to see any handsome specimens outside the flor- ist's window. But it is possible that with care and indoor nurture one may raise some of the hand- somest varieties ; as for color, the carna- tion stands first in rendering it absolutely brilliant and pure. Varieties which are par- ticularly beautiful are : — Portia, American Flag, Buttercup, Grace Wilder, Lizzie M'Gowan, Daybreak, and Anna Webb. Some newer ones are — Ada Byron, Helen Keller, Nicholson, and Ophelia. There are plenty of hardy garden carna- tions whose mixed colors are toler- ably harmonious ; the pure pink should be separated from pale yellows and shrimp pink tones. When we call to mind an exten- sive chrysanthe- mum show, the variety in hue and form among the flowers is Chrysanthemum Shows. Auratum CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 8S perfectly bewildering; so magnificent is the display of gorgeous and aesthetic color, that we do not know which kind is most preferable, or which individual bloom most brilliant, or whether any are adapt- ed to the amateur's needs ! And soon, alas, we learn that the most beautiful specimens are not garden products ! So the hothouse giants must pass without consideration here. Mr. Fewkes will tell us what varieties are best suited for the amateur's cultivation. Among the most beau- tiful of the white ones are : Ivory, Mrs. Alpheus Hardy, Domination, Niveus, Mrs. Jerome Jones, Moonlight, and Mount Whitney. Pink : Lilian B. Bird, Viviand Morel, Harry Balsley, and the pinkish white, Wm. Fal- coner. Magenta and Solferino : E. A. Wood, Louis Bcehmer, Mermaid, Ada H. Leroy, Roslyn, Olga, and Violet Rose. Yellow : President Hyde, Gloriosum, Kioto, W. H. Lincoln, M. B. Spalding, Jardin des Plantes, Golden Wedding, Fas- cination, Mrs. Hicks Arnold, and Mar- guerite Jeffords. Red : Cullingfordii, John Thorpe (magenta and red), Alice Comley, Joey Hill, and Mrs. G. W. Childs. Orange Flushed : Vesuvius, Harry May, Source d'Or, and Volcano. As all chrysanthemums should be protected from the A Beautiful Specimen. 86 THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER GARDEN. frost, I would keep them in pots and arrange them in the garden wherever they would show to the best advan- tage ; it is a fact though, that beyond the commonest hardy varieties, all will need the utmost care indoors. The little pompon varieties are particularly pleasing, and among these (the colors are aesthetic and soft to a most refined degree) I like the tiny button-sized old gold, the terra-cotta, the dull magenta-pink, and the very pale yellow. These are all hardy. As for the brilliant and reptiiian- like orchid, it is another flower, less of garden than of hothouse cultivation. But I have seen no prettier sight than that of a graceful little affair like my sketch shows poised in mid-air between the climbing vines of broad piazza, with the strange, pretty flowers hanging droopingly over the edge of the box, nor is there anything daintier than such a little rustic box attached to the side of a summer-house. Mr. Forsterman, who knows all about orchids, claims that the best ones for the amateur are : Cypripedium Spiceranum. " Insigne. " Harrisianum. " Lawrenceanum. The last named variety in contradistinction to the others Pompon chrys- anthemum. The Best Orchids. Cypripedium Insigne. ORCHIDS. 87 needs a warm temperature of say, 70°, and it will bloom twice a year. The other varieties require a temperature of not over 55", and they bloom during the winter months. The cypripediums need lots of air and moisture, and flourish best in sphagnum moss and perhaps a little peat or common garden loam. Artistically considered they are of inestimable value on account of their complete contrast both of form and color with other flowers. An exposure on mild days to the open air of the piazza is quite beneficial to the strange but beautiful flowers. CHAPTER IX. THE ANNUALS. HE greatest possibilities with color in the garden depend upon the annuals. A very green appearing flower-garden is not in the very nature of the thing a floral success. We want color, and all we can get of it too ; if the annuals promise us a grand aggregate of rain- bow tints, let us have them in plenty even at the expense of everything except good taste ; they are prolific bloomers. I do not need to amplify my statement. Bloomers ^^^ those of us who have any doubts of its truth try a summer with mari- golds, nasturtiums, phlox drummondii, poppies, calen- dulas, morning glories, sweet peas, and balsams in exclusive possession of the garden, and see what the resulting crop will be : any eight perennials we may think of, will not produce a third of the number of blossoms that these annuals will. The varieties which furnish the greatest show of color besides those already mentioned, are zinnias, asters, core- opsis, candytuft, celosia, portulaca, ten week stocks, sunflowers, and bachelor's buttons. As color factors, some others like ageratum, alyssum, brachycome, and silene, are not so important ; but even these throw a strong color-tone into the garden, and a large bed filled with any one of them is very effective. THE ANNUALS. 89 But I mention only a few annuals which seem to me particularly needed in the artistic garden. What about the others ? There are fully fifty varieties which are deserving of the amateur's attention ! Shall we pass the thirty which I have not particularly mentioned ? If we do, we will miss some of the most beautiful elements of a beautiful garden. Eschscholtzia, sweet sultan, salpi- glossis, linum, gilia, godetia, <^fev . scabiosa and tobacco {Nicotiana affinis), '^P \^mk as well as the shell flower {Moluccella we cannot do without ; and if we have not room enough to try them all in one sea- son, we should not neglect them the next. But we must consider each one of the an- nuals separately, and find what they have to offer us that is beautiful ; we should be true to that beauty also, and place it in a position where it may be seen under ad van tageous c i r - cumstances. So far as the culture of the annuals is concerned, that is mostly a simple matter, and a few hints from Mr. Fewkes will help us very materially toward a clear under- standing of their needs. I have also drawn sketches of each little seedling, where this seemed necessary for the recogni- tion of the tiny plant as it grows among the weeds. Many A Corner in Sunflowers. Seedlings. 90 THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER GARDEN. of US have had the experience of waiting impatiently for a miscellaneous lot of incipient weeds and plants to develop so we might be sure which was which ! Some of us have rashly weeded out garden beds and unwittingly sacrificed the plants with the weeds ; perhaps these little drawings may help us to discriminate more exactly one from the other. The best of the three color-tones is the bluest one in the dwarf variety. It is called blue, but the real color is pale violet ; a dilution of the AGERATUM. violet in my diagram on p. 31. Place a bit of this ageratum beside the bluest of the bachelor's buttons, and the latter, which is already a purplish blue looks much bluer than our agera- tum. This dainty, fuzzy little flower is excellent for producing color effects. HELIOTROPE AND AGERA TUM. Bit of Blue. The so-called blue variety (dwarf) is indispensable to the garden if we wish to strengthen our a bit of heliotrope forces in blue ; will not go half as far as a bit of ageratum. Of course it is customary to use the plant to define borders and certain figures ; but why not mix it up with things of a like character here and there, and let it work out its own blue, or white, or pink color influence ? I like to see the flower beside white alyssum, candytuft, or the pale yellow portulaca ; at any rate, I would use it among little things, never plant it around a bed as an edging, and give it a few pale yellow, cream-colored, or white neighbors. It is an easy plant to take care of, but must be started early ; see what Mr. Fewkes has to say on this. I have 7^ ALYSSUM THE ANNUALS. 9 1 no particular fancy for the white or pink varieties, but I have no doubt that they would appear effective in the filling up of many bare corners. SWEET T :• 1 1 1-1 .1. T> .u • ,- ALYSSUM particularly like the Benthami Compac- tum variety. It does not sprawl over everything near it, as some of the other kinds do. But there is nothing really beautiful about sweet alyssum ; it is rather useful, and gives some pretty effects when used judiciously among other larger flowers. Its white is grayish looking and alto- gether too fine and fussy for any color effect in masses. As for the yellow variety (Saxa- tile compactuni), a perennial, it is very lovely and well worth cultivating on account *'' of its profuse yellow bloom, and its permanence. See what Mr. Fewkes says about it. This is a plant which is especially valu- ^THUS ^^^^ ^°'' f°^^^g^ effects, and notwithstand- ing the fact that it has a coarse weedy nature, it is of greatest importance to the garden on account of its ornamental nature. The varieties which I consider most attractive from the artist's standpoint are : Caudatus (Love-Lies- Bleeding). Melancholicus Ruber. Salicifolius (Fountain Plant). Tricolor Splendens (Joseph's Coat). Superbus ("Fire Brand"). Caudatus is charmingly graceful when it is X arranged to hang drooping over some AMARANTHUS. g^ay Hchened rocks; in fact a rockery is incomplete without it. Some of the other varieties are as interesting in leaf-markings as many a coleus I have seen. The amaranthus grows so rapidly and spreads its 92 THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER GARDEN. leaves so broadly over a circle of from thirty to forty inches diameter, that it can be used indiscriminately in garden beds for effect and for the early shade it Rockery and affords the young growing plants ; it Bleeding. should be cut down as soon as it becomes an interference with the welfare of more important small seedlings. But the proper place for this striking annual, which originates from a tiny seed and develops into a It tree-like form with a stem 5 thick as one's vvrist, is a spot where it can enjoy plenty of room and sun- shine; a handsome speci- men here and there among the more important flower beds is always in good taste, but nothing should come nearer it than eighteen inches. The "Firebrand" will be found very effective in flower beds, or on the edge of a lawn ; one is impressed and delighted with the fresh color- ing of its coleus like leaf. This is a peculiarly artificial-looking flower, although na- ANNUAL ^^^^ ^^^ painted it in a most simple way. CHRYSAN- Perhaps it is the complicated appearance of the whole plant rather than its flowers which gives it this unnatural look of having been made up of one or more commonplace garden Love-Lies-Bleeding. THEMUM (Painted Daisy). THE ANNUALS. 93 flowers. The foliage is thick, coarse, and branched like thin coral. The varieties which help most in the artistic appearance of our garden are : Golden Feather. Burridgeanum. Eclipse. I notice also an immense quantity of the double chrys- anthemum (^Coronariuin) growing in the dooryards of the farm-houses in the vicinity of my own summer home, and although I have grown very few of this variety myself, as there are many other good yellow flowers, it can nevertheless be recom- mended as a profuse and con- tinual t\ //4 bloomer which will add unlimited gold to the store of wealth in a beautiful garden. The AN. CHRYSANTHEMUM, annual chrysanthemum needs a great deal of room, sandy soil with a moderate amount of phosphate, and unlimited sunshine. It is too coarse a plant to deserve a foreground position. The white double variety is quite as pretty as the yellow, and is charmingly creamy in color tones. This is a great September flower, one which is so delightfully varied and com- prehensive in hue that it does not seem just to speak of one variety without mentioning all. Here is a luxury of color : white,' pink, pale and deep blue-purple, violet in several Yellow-Colored Flowers. Burridgeanum. ASTER. 94 THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER GARDEN. tones, purple, crimson, bright red, and solferino. Perhaps the most satisfactory varieties in point of color are : Chrysanthemum Flowered, Comet, Victoria, Triumph, Truffaut's Perfection, Mignon, and Betteridge's Quilled. These varieties which follow are particularly beautiful. Boston Florist's Bright Rose ; a perfectly pure pink which we can only appreciate by actual comparison. ' Place be- side this aster, a bit of salmon rose Phlox Drummondii, or a specimen of salmon pink Ranunculus poppy, and the purity of the aster's pink will at once become apparent. „. , „ , Now place a Pink Color. ^ pink morning glory beside the same flower, and note the difference ; the aster's color is far more pure and brilliant. When the morning-glory is placed beside the phlox, the two kinds of pink speak for themselves, and the morning glory is at a dis- count. Next, there is the Prince of Wales Aster, magenta crimson ; a color nearly like the magenta petunia which I have referred to in previous pages ; then a Victoria (described as light blue), very pale violet or purple blue in color, and one pure purple in tone ; and finally the Triumph, rich, light crimson-red in tone, which florists are apt to call scarlet; but there is absolutely no scarlet blood in the aster family. The white Victoria is creamy in tone, and the white Comet is pure white of a translucent quality, less pronounced in charac- ter. The white Comet when tinged with pink, is especially delicate and beautiful. A Rosy Aster. THE ANNUALS. 95 The distinguishing beauty of the aster is its conventional form ; both flower and foliage are regular and precise in outline ; the primness is rather old-maidish, but none the less delightful as well as rest- ful to the eye. We forget sometimes that order carries with it a sense or impression of calm and rest. How often it is the case that we are distract- ed by the disorder and untidiness of a room in which we must read, write, or sew ! I cannot draw too much attention ^SjjMf to the fact that flowers are characterized by ''^^^8. certain qualities and appearances which act J^r directly upon our minds, and produce im- ■3^ pressions which we would do LAffweU. tore- Impressions. , r^, -r> I r n ^ member. TheKanun ill I cuius pop- py is slovenly and untidy in character Imfl of growth ; the marigold is prim, the lupin is grace •/ fully regu- lar, and the gladiolus is tall and stately. ^^^^ Upon these various qualities depends much which makes the garden really beau tiful in the hands of an intelli- gent gardener, t-. J^ Who would think of placing poppies anywhere near asters ? No two plant-forms are so opposite and unre- lated as these. But the graceful little Bessera ele- gans, or the Milla biflora are dainty companions for the aster, although they differ from the prim an- nual in every respect. There are various kinds of differences, and our object in the garden should be to Prim Specimens. 96 THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER GARDEN. is too or a terrace architect get the two right kinds together. The conventional aster derly to hide in an irregular garden bed ; or formal plot of ground near some ural details, is its proper envi- ronment. Unlike the other annuals, asters are not content with sandy soil, a teaspoonful of phosphate, and frequent draughts from the garden hose ! If we wish to have healthy flowers we must give the plants plenty of dark, rich loam from the cow-yard, and ammoniated food. We may learn from Mr. Fewkes what treatment the aster needs, and which are the better kinds for amateurs to cultivate. BACHELOR'S ^^'^ ^' ^ 'P^™*^''^ ^^"^^ BUTTON. bright-faced character, (Centaurea Cy- which is cheerful even anus). , , , under the most adverse circumstances. It will grow in the shade when other flowers will not ; it will stand the hot sun, wilt a little, and immediately regain its vigor with the first bit of shade and a drop of cool water. It hardly asks for more than sand to flourish in, and it is a persistent bloomer. If one would know how large the flowers can grow, they must be picked and placed in a vase of fresh water ; the increase in size two or three days afterward is very noticeable. But above all I value the Bachelor's button for the beauti- ful blue color it contributes to the garden ; a blue, if not Bessera Elegans and White Asters. CEINTAUREA. CYAN US. THE ANNUALS. 97 quite perfect, at least very nearly so, as it inclines only one or two points toward the ultramarine. Let us compare it with the bluest aster obtainable and note Blue in the Gar- -. , ^ „i den. ''^ superior color tone. Then, too, place it beside a bit of blue gilia, and value ! other charm- see how the latter loses all its color Besides blue there are also many ing colors which belong characteristic- ally to the bachelor's button — white with pale pink center, the same with blue and also purple center, pink, palest blue with an edging of deeper blue, deep violet, pale violet, purple, purple with an edging of white, and a number of vari- ations of these colors which are too numerous to describe. The variety called Victoria is dwarfed and compact in growth, of a bright blue color, and flourishes under the same simple conditions as the commoner sort; but artistically considered, it does not seem to possess any advantage over the tall blue variety certainly not in point of color. The smallness of the plant, however, recom- mends it for use in set borders, or formal flower beds. I think that bachelor's buttons are seen to the best advantage when they are sown broadcast in a large bed of irregular shape, following the bend of some path. Blue, or blue and white, look better if not mixed with the other colors. I do not wish to be understood to say that the mixed colors do not appear well together ; that is not the 7 The Kaiser's Favorite. Mixed Colors. 98 THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER GARDEN. case. The gradation of color in this flower from purplish- pink through purple and <^, j? _ violet to an almost pure blue, is consist ent with one of the most exact- ing principles of color har- mony. But we must bear in mind that the simplest combinations of color are the safest ; and a bed of blue or pink bachelor's buttons will look well in a certain situation where mixed varieties will produce a confused effect of color quite distracting to the eye. The double variety is not altogether satisfactory. It does not come true from the seed. For that matter I do not think that a double flower is invariably better than a single one ; certainly a great deal of character is lost in some flowers whose multiplicity of petals adds nothing either to color or form, and destroys symmetry. In the Bend of A Path. CHAPTER X. r^^^ i BALSAM (Lady's-slipper). Imperfections. HE old-fashioned Lady's-slipper is so greatly changed by supercultivation that it is scarcely recognizable to-day. The large, rose-like flowers measuring over two inches across are very unlike the single, slipper-shaped blossoms we picked in our grandmother's garden in childhood days. I know that many of us do not fancy the lady's-slipper because the flower is such an unsatisfactory one to pick; no stem! Well, that may be a great disadvantage in the balsam ; but if we condemn every shortcoming in a flower, we will soon find ourselves with empty gardens and despondent spirits ; it is better by far to shut one's eyes to defects, and open them to perfections. I do not think that I can name another annual which possesses such a perfectly lovely snow-white appearance as the white balsam. Even the charming white Victoria aster does not com- pare with it in effect. I do not mean to say that the balsam is snow-white ; it is really creamy in tone, with an appearance of snowy whiteness ; but the whiteness of an aster is cold and hard, and there is also the defect of the compromising central yellow boss which occurs in many specimens. There is but one road to success with balsams; they 99 BALSAM lOO THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER GARDEN. must be cultivated from the very choicest seed. I make this assertion after considerable practical experience. It is not worth while to waste one's time with either the single, or what I should call the semi-double varieties, the flowers of which are altogether too ephemeral in character ; „, . „ , it is best to confine one's efforts to the Choice Seeds. , . . r i i /- /= cultivation of only three or tour fine balsams of certain colors, and deliberately weed out all plants which produce single flowers as soon as these appear ; they are very apt to enter the best collections .of seed, and as balsams are quick and sure growers, we need not regret the destruction of unworthy specimens. White seems to be a most desirable color in this annual, but I must also draw attention to an extraordinary double and delicate salmon-pink variety which I have recently cultivated with great success. This is really an exceptionally fine balsam ; , the flowers are frequently two and a ' '^ ^RosE'''"'^ ^ ^^^^ inches across, and they look like perfect little pale pink roses, especially when in the half developed state. The name of the variety is Malmaison. ^ . Plenty of white is greatly needed in the garden which we are aiming to make artis- tic in color effect ; we certainly should employ the balsam to fill the requirement. White is needed more than we at first suppose ; indeed, I believe it is the perfect peacemaker among a host of colors, which without its presence would be absolutely hostile to each other. It is a great mistake to plant balsams near together ; they should be isolated in or- der to reach a perfect development. If we will give a single plant a fair show it will grow to an astonishingly symmetri- BALSAM. cal and broad size ; a circle two feet in diameter is not too much space for it to develop in ; surrounded with light and air the plant soon becomes a beautiful sight of clustering blossoms, and when one wishes to decorate a room or a dinner table, I do not think of any other annual which will contribute such a wealth of luxuriant white flowers. It is possible to create some charmingly artistic arrangements with the short-stemmed balsams. It may seem strange to pass the many varieties which are blotched and striped without alluding to their artistic value; but their importance in the garden is not ^ , so great as the two best colors in this ^"~"^ beautiful annual which I have dwelt upon so particularly. There are many other charming balsams which are remarkable for their colors ; viz. : white lilac tinted, purple white spotted, and scarlet * white spotted. Besides the beautiful pink Malmaison variety, there are two others which are lovely, named Bloodstone and Speckled Beauty. The cherry red which occurs in the balsam, is an especially pure color. Here is a great force in ''tpof^^^^^ golden yellow and orange. What a magnificent richness of color, extending all the way from a pale yellow-white to an intense orange, do we find in the unpretentious pot marigold ! * There is no scarlet color in any balsam ; scarlet implies the presence of yellow, and there is no yellow in the cultivated balsam. The balsam called scarlet is really a pure dilute red; nearer deep cherry red than scarlet. Symmetry. CaLENDULA. (Pot Marigold). THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER GARDEN. I find it difificult to determine upon the variety which seems artistically most valuable to the garden. My own personal preference lies with the Prince of ^ Orange, whose color certainly is a most ^&^ LV.„^ -> '~? princely orange. But if I should choose a variety that offered a color which c?,- is quite unique, it would be the r<'<^ Proust, or the nameless one with yellow-white petals and golden center. The combination of color to be obtained ^ from white asters and .vi. these delicate cal- ' ' endulas is simply charming. The varieties which may be particularly re- commended for extraordinary color are : Prince of Orange. Intense orange. Pure Gold. Brilliant lighter orange. A Bed of Gold. Meteor. Yellow-white edged with orange. Le Proust. Nankeen color, or huffish yellow. Sulphur. Strong yellow. Trianon. Bright yellow with brown center. Deep Yellow. Perhaps the variety named Pure Gold is quite as strong and beautiful as the Prince of Orange. There is really no lemon or sulphur yellow in the calendula; the whole family, it seems to me, insists upon presenting yellow in its deepest tones, BALSAM. 103 even if diluted with white. I wish all those who object to the herb-like smell of this beautiful flower, would learn to like it as I do. It is possible, I which will attract one in all things, such as yarrow tansy, tomato vines, and This is CANDYTUFT. annual confined to three or It is used mostly for and is displayed in certainly it is more sweet alyssum of treatment ; strength to it and more interesting. fer myself though, dytuft displayed in a way that might give it a ^l think, to find something these odd smelling marigolds, petunias, wild parsley. a pretty little of dwarf habit, four color tones. bedding purposes a mass of color ; satisfactory than ' with this method there is more color the plant form is , I should pre- to see can- chance to as- sert its own individu- ality. All the colors are good, but the white variety known as Rocket seems most useful and satisfactory. White is a very necessary element in the garden under any circum- stances, and white candytuft is an excellent neighbor for all colored flowers. A little group of this variety is particularly pleasing below a cluster of rich red gladioli, or snuggled beside a clump of love-lies-bleeding. A large Gladioli and Candytuft. I04 THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER GARDEN. White. CELOSIA. mass of the white is all very well in its way, but I make a practice of putting my candytuft all over my garden ; anywhere, in fact, that a bit low-down white color is desirable. This annual grows easily in sandy soil with little plant food and a liberal amount of I CANDYTUFT, jnoisture. This is an ornamental plant which can hardly be called a flowering one, as its compact masses of bloom either comb-shaped or spike- shaped are most interesting on account of their rather decorative form. So, whenever we plant ^"^ ~p the cockscomb it must be remembered ^vSw^^-^^^^^^^''^ that it will figure as a decorative feature of the garden and not as a beautiful character like the rose. The plant is conventional and prim enough to furnish splendid effects in color for set shapes and borders. It Conventional . ^- y ^ j ^ j Celosia. IS particularly adapted to the severe arrange- ments suited to a garden belonging to a Colonial type of house. The varieties which are most attractive A CocKScomB. are • CELOSIA. Triumph of the Exposition, plumed or spiked. Japonica, pyramidal, combs ruffled. Fire -feathered, branching. Glasgow Prize, dwarf. Pyramidalis Aurea, feathery spikes. Celosia should be planted early, and it needs plenty of plant food ; otherwise it will amount to very little, and we will be greatly disappointed. But with proper care the plant becomes a delightfully beautiful and symmetrical object of which the garden may be justly proud. CHARTER XI. COREOPSIS. OREOPSIS is a splendid, golden-rayed flower which does not attempt to clothe itself in primary yellow. It does not even approach yellow as near as does the sunflower ; to prove this, place a specimen of the Drum- mondii coreopsis beside a petal of the Globosus Fistulosus sunflower, and it will be seen that the latter has much less orange in its composition. calliop- effect The coreopsis (it is sometimes called sis) when red, is velvety and soft in its color as well as i n tense. Clothed Color either in gold or red, it is a cheerful, bright-faced little flower that blooms profusely all summer ; its red-maroon color beside the gold is powerful to a fault, so it is well to keep it away from all solferino and magenta petunias, crimson asters, and phloxes of any color. But beside white flowers, or blue bachelor's buttons it loses every trace of crudeness. The Drummondii coreopsis is bright, golden-yellow in color, and it often meas- ures fully two and a-half inches in diameter ; its brown center is small and set around with little dark-red spots. I should grow this variety quite by itself, and keep the others in another part of the garden. It is a pity to allow the tall, slender plants to sprawl 105 COREOPSIS Io6 THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER GARDEN. over the ground or their next neighbors ; this they will certainly do, after the first rain-storm, unless they are neatly fastened to slender green stakes. COSMOS. ^^ ^^^ ^^^"^^ dainty and ^,,^ y^f^ delicate in the garden, cer- tainly Cosmos may claim to be one of the first, and in grace it equals ^ ^ the lily-of-the-valley ^ / a^^^ which has only the "f I / M'^^lvM'fvirli^?.' additional ad- vantage of per- ^v ^/Vil^^ *21fffi'lB®^B^''ii^ fume; certainly the latter flower is admitted a lasting :M5V'V favorite, and it seems r^i,sraiWMP^PSf as though it possessed a higher claim for daintiness; be that ^ as it may, only those who are inti- mately acquainted with a broad patch of pink and "^S^ffi^^ "jSP'^ white cosmos, growing to a height „ of six feet or more Grace. in the fall time of BRIGHT-EYED COREOPSIS, the year will appreciate the exquisite daintiness and airiness of this late- blooming flower. I can only say that if the lily-of-the-valley is to be considered the crowning grace of late spring, then cosmos is the crowning grace of early autumn ! The flower has the general shape of Drummondii coreopsis, and COREOPSIS. 107 the white variety is in pleasing harmony with the golden color of the latter. I cannot grow cosmos ,.. ^^ myself, as the latitude and altitude of ^-^^ *T^ my garden will not permit. It is not difficult to grow, however, in a reasonably warm climate, as it originally came from Mexico. We should possess the flower in our gardens if it f^ is in any way possible ; the Pearl, a white, large flower- ^' ing variety, is considered the best. This is a chari either the China or tl Japan variety) which I consider an excel- lent substitute for the magni- ~ "~=i ficent carnation pink, and ^ Vcosnol'!^'' one which, almost limitless ■'■ in its variations, will please all who attempt its easy cultivation. The varieties I like best are : Chinese Double, mixed colors. Heddewigii, albus fl. pi. " atropurpureus fl. pi. " laciniatus fl. pi. " Mourning Cloak. These are all double ; the single varieties although prettier are not so effective. The white is exceedingly valuable when mixed with other colored flowers, and the dark red is quite a unique color in itself. The plants flourish well in sandy soil with a liberal amount of plant food. Of all rich yellows, orange yellows, and ESCHSCHOLT- orange tones which may be found among PooDvl ^ ' '•^^ flowers, certainly these colors on the petals of the beautiful eschscholtzia are the io8 THE BEAUTIFUL -FLOWER GARDEN. purest and best. A vase full of these golden flowers is a magnificent and unquestionable proof of the fact that na- ture's colors are far beyond the artist's pigments in both purity and brilliancy. The garden is incomplete without a good sized bed of this incomparably bright annual ; it does not need a neigh- borhood of anything else but green. It is not necessary to specify any particular variety, because all are equally hand- Golden Blooms. some, and white is a describe ESCHSCHOLTZIA. all look well intermixed. The so-called color extremely delicate, and I should it as yellowish cream. Eschscholtzia grows splendidly in sandy soil, must be planted where it is to remain, and needs little or no care, if below its roots there is a moder- ate supply of plant food, and over its head falls a little water in hot weather at eventide. This is a splendid plant for decora- tive effects, and it is easily grown, although it is very slow in coming to maturity. The bright coloring of the variety called Heterophylla is especially desirable for the neighborhood of any sober green foliage, plants or shrubbery. Also the variety named Variegata (Snow on the Mountain) will be found as lovely as it is useful in pro- ducing those effects of color and form which go a great way toward making the garden beautiful. Unless we exert ourselves to obtain such novel and beautiful elements for gar- den adornment we cannot avoid the commonplace ; and it is the commonplace which is farthest removed from the artistic. Euphorbia. White Dianthus. COREOPSIS. 109 Some old-fashioned flowers do not seem ^°Mfrv°'-^of'-°^^ *° grow into popularity again, Peru). and I fear this one is an in- stance of such modern in- difference. I can say nothing new about the pretty four-o'clock; everybody knows all that stands to its credit, but I have a sugges- tion to make regarding its use. Sup- ei;phorbia' pose that we employ it in the garden as we would a C?X' shrub ; it makes a pretty hedge, and HETEROPHYLLA. Shrub Effect. A Mine of Gold. in bare unused space it covers the ground well and quickly, besides furnishing quite a patch of color. I should plant the four-o'clock in just such a position as that intended for the rhodo- dendron ; give it plenty of room, a little plant food, all the sunlight possible, and MARVEL frequent sprinklings from the hose. GAILLARDIA. The gaillardia, single or double, is beau- THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER GARDEN. LINUM. tiful enough to merit a prominent position beside paths or in beds which lie directly beneath our eyes. I particularly ^■N like the variety named I^orenziana as it furnishes an ^ ■ VX ..-^excellent display of color, and the flowers are double; they lu . — ■= — ^ ^— remind me of GAlLLAROm, ^-Ok some chrysanthemums. The single varieties 6 are quite as pretty as the Lorenziana, but so different in appearance that they may be considered as separate things. The colors are toned and rich. The gaillardia flourishes in sandy soil. I can especially recom- mend the crimson va- riety. It is really a beautiful annual, not half as well known as it should be. The foliage is delicate and grace- ful, and the flowers are per- fectly crimson in color, satiny in sheen, of a shape and size similar to the grandiflora phlox, and pleasing enough to attract immediate attention. I should never place the linum anywhere near orange or yellow flowers like coreopsis, nasturti- ums, calendulas, or mari- golds. Neighbors clothed in magenta, purple, violet, and purple-blue, are kindred spirits. LUPIN. This is a symmetrical plant, admirably Euphorbia Hetero- PHYLLA. Gaillardia Lorenziana. Crimson Color. COREOPSIS. MARIGOLD (Tagetes). adapted to a position where its pretty leafage and bean- blossom shaped flowerets will show oif against a dark back- ground. The plant grows to a spreading size and its flowers are daintily tinged with pale lake, magenta, solferino, and blue-purple. The white is less interesting to me ; I prefer the Lupin in mixed variety, as its variations in color tone are all harmonious. It flourishes in sandy soil, and deserves LINUIi. ^ prominent place in the beautiful garden. This is an old garden favorite with which I think we should renew our acquaint- ance. Experience prompts me to say that the plants should be started very early to insure a good crop of flowers before the Sep- tember frosts threaten the garden beds. Un- der favorable condi- t i o n s no annual except the nas- turtium will yield the im- mense quantity of flowers that this stocky lit- tle plant will ! I refer par- ticularly to the Dwarf French ^variety. The African marigold is tall A FRENCH Dwarf. and large flowered, but it is not MARIGOLD.! THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER GARDEN. the prolific bloomer that the French Dwarf is ; among my own specimens of the latter variety is one of a perfectly symmetrical shape, spreading with luxuriant foliage over a space twenty inches in diameter, and bearing seventy-five blossoms in various stages of development, which, when full, will measure an inch and a half across ! There is nothing extraordinary in this for the dwarf marigold. But I cannot help making the comparison between marigolds as I know them, and the miserably slim, scrawny specimens which in early June I see for sale on the street corners, with per- haps two or three- -^^^^^^^^^^^Ss^^^^l^^^ sickly blossoms , a-^^^^^^^^^^^^S^^^^^^ by which ^^ one may iden- tify the plant. We must not judge of marigolds by any such ^ puny characters as these. Seed which I plant on the tenth of May, if the weather is very warm, germinates in a couple of days or so ; the plants grow in rich dark foliage all through June and July, and in the early part of August only three or four blossoms appear on each plant ; but by the last week in August the plants are blossoming with prodigal liberality, and through the first and second weeks of September it is hardly possible to collect all the flowers unless one makes a business of it ! It is a very common thing for me to pick a thousand blooms in one day, and this from plants which grew from ten cents worth of seed ! It must be borne in mind that my garden is in a cool mountain climate, where Jack Frost A Row OF Marigolds. COREOPSIS. 113 frequently takes possession of things as early some years as the fourth of September; this is not condu- cive to the proper development flower, much Starting Seed ^, , Early. the tardy blooming marigold. It is my custom to start the marigolds in doors, and transplant them ger of frost is past. In particular varieties the individual flowers which I prize most for their color quality are: Tall. El Dorado, those which are golden yellow, and light yellow. Lemon Queen, lemon yellow. Dwarf Grandiflora, those golden yellow, and bronze red. French Compact Gold Striped. French Double Dwarf Mixed, lighter yellow, ion of Honor, single, very dwarf, yellow with brown center. 'El Dorado." men- tioned variety is remark- ably small, growing only seven inches high ; but it has a charmingly conventional little flower which blooms early and continues vWfSV "-"itil late. The El Dorado variety I " has immense flowers fully three and sometimes nearly four inches in diameter; the golden 8 The last A Tiny Marigold. " Legion OF Honor.' 114 THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER GARDEN. yellow ones are beyond description brilliant and rich. If this giant variety of the marigold has time and warm weather enough to do its best in, it will bear scores of large, hand some flowers far more beautiful than any of the dwarf 4y variety. The plants do well in sandy A sweet little MIGNONETTE. , , . . annual this is, which we all love ; yet it does not amount to much as a ' color factor ; still, there is that delicate yellow-green effect of its foliage, and a rusty tip to its flowers, which are exceed- 'ingly valuable be solferino and ma- genta. I find the most satisfactory vari- ety in my own garden is Machet. It needs sandy soil, some rich miQnonette manure below, where the roots will pene- trate, an occasional drenching with the hose, and unremit- ting snips with the scissors ; otherwise we will have little mignonette for our rooms. side Pretty to F[ll in with. CHAPTER XII. NASTURTIUM (Tropaolum). HAT a glory of color there is in a large bed of nasturtiums ! It is the despair of the color-loving artist, whose palette never can hold such brilliant hues of gold, scarlet and intense red. The key- note of the Nasturtium's color is yellow, and in every member of the family, that jl^ color is present either with some modifica- tion or influence. In the Lady Bird the modification shows itself in a golden-yellow, and in the Edward Otto the influence is ap- parent in a purplish tone of such compromis- ing uncertainty that we do not exactly /"^ know how to name the color ; but a little \"-^/^) O"^— -) experiment with some water-colors will show \ ^iA^'^^^j/ us where the peculiarity lies — by mixing a pur- Jl-:.. pie with white and then adding a trifling NASTUF?TIUM. amount of yellow we may obtain exactly the color of the Edward Otto. It is very confusing to read the descrip- tions in catalogues, of the colors which characterize different types; there are really very few colors involved, yet the seedsmen multiply these by using so many adjectives that we can obtain no definite idea of the hue of a particular type until we actually hold the flower in our hand. I shall therefore describe the IIS Accurate Color Terms. ii6 THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER GARDEN. Rubies. appearance of certain varieties^, and use only those color- terms which I consider scientifically accurate. The word ruby-red means specifically nothing, so long as we can em- ploy a direct color-term like scarlet-lake, or carmine, or cherry-red. The Pigeon' s- blood and the Spinel rubies have each a distinct color of their own ; which of these colors do we mean when we say ruby- red? The following types of nasturtiums are perfectly distinct, and it is impossible to confuse them with one another: — * King Theodore, ... . Deep velvety-maroon. * Empress of India Intense velvety red, dark foliage. * King of Tom Thumbs, . . Intense scarlet. Flammulum Grandiflorum, Orange scarlet, (common), Striped gold and orange, five scarlet spots. . Golden yellow, five scarlet spots. f Golden yellovi' scarlet streaked, five scarlet l spots, dark foliage. . Peach-cheek flushed, five deep red spots. Golden yellovir. . Reddish, bronze, and golden streaked. . Deep pure red tinged with maroon. . Straw yellow, five red-maroon spots, f Salmon, suffused orange-buff and buffish- \ orange. f Straw yellow, deep scarlet-pink streaks, \ and whitish-scarlet spots, f Pale straw yellow, five red-scarlet spots, 1 sepals a dull very whitish red, dark foliage. . Pale straw yellow. . Deep scarlet-lake pink. . Chocolate brown. . Pale brownish-lilac. . Old gold, or deep ochre, f Yellowish brownish orange, five maroon I spots. Lady Bird, . . . * Fire-fly, * Peach Blow, . Golden King, . Chameleon, Ruby King, Crystal Palace Gem, Aurora, ... * Prince Henry, * Ruby Eyes, * Pearl, . * Rose, . . Heinemanni, * Edward Otto, * Bronze, . . (common) The varieties marked with an asterisk I consider especially beautiful. NASTURTIUM. 1 1 7 This list comprises about all the varieties of color in the dwarf, Lobbianum and major varieties of the nasturtium family. I do not recognize crimson in any variety ; what is „ „ , called such in the seedsmen's catalogues is True Red. „ , , t. , • , really a deep red. Pure red is a color between scarlet and crimson, and when it is intensified it is not very far from the hue of the second nasturtium on my list ; but there is still a presence of yellow in this variety which prevents me from calling it pure red in color. There are some beautiful combinations of color possible with the nasturtium family, and one has only to exercise a little good judg- Color Combina- . . j- j . , rp. tions. ment to find them. 1 here is Pearl and Edward Otto ; Prince Henry and Rose; Lady Bird or Golden King and Pearl ; in this last instance the Pearl is better than Crystal Palace Gem, because the maroon spots on the latter are too strong to stand beside the delicate scarlet spots on the Lady Bird. Then there is King The- odore and Empress of India — also the King » of Tom Thumbs if one fancies maroon and brilliant scarlet together. The Crystal Palace Gem and Bronze are good companions, as are also Aurora and Pearl, Golden King and Fire-fly, and Heinemanni and Aurora. The Rose, King Theodore, and Empress, are exceptionally beautiful when quite alone. The variety which (for the sake of indi- NewNastur- yidualizing it) I have named Peach- tiutns. ° ' blow, is charmingly like the velvety flushed cheek of a peach, and it is best seen alone ; any yellow beside it is ruinous to its daintiness. The palest possible maroon pink (or shall I call it crushed raspberry color ?) is suffused over the whole petal, and the five spots ii8 THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER GARDEN. are reddish maroon. I have also taken the liberty to indi- vidualize two other varieties by the names, Ruby Eyes and Fire-fly ; both are extremely beautiful and for the past two years I have succeeded in preserving the types. These two charming nasturtiums should be kept alone by themselves ; the Crystal Palace Gem is so nearly like the Bird like the one and the Lady other that they arate, otherwise flaming cheeks of. I fancy some cat eum blow; must be kept sep- the jewel eyes and will be lost sight the variety called in alogues Ceruleum Ros- must be like my Peach- but not having any ac- quaintance with it I can- not be sure ; at any rate, I consider it from an artistic standpoint in- comparably superior to the new Prince Henry, although not so delicate in color as the latter. For vividness of hue nothing can excel the King of Tom Thumbs : his fiery scarlet com- bined with deep blue-green foliage is a color combination beautiful. But by all means the surroundings for this va- riety, and choose for it a neighborhood of white flowers or else isolation on the border of a spreading green lawn. Dwarf Varieties. ^ ^row the dwarf varieties mostly in tubs, and here and there I allow one of the Lobbianums to trail down over the edges. When at once striking and we must consider NASTURTIUM. 119 the dwarfs are planted in beds, I find that not more than two varieties together produce the best results in color effect, and often I prefer to see the Pearl, Empress, King Theo- dore, Rose, and Golden King quite alone ; in the tubs they should always be alone. I should take care not to put any of the light yellow nasturtiums near marigolds ; the tones of yellow in the latter are purer (^ ■'Ch^ U- fei and likely, therefore, to injure such delicate charac- ters as Pearl, Crys- tal Palace Gem, and Aurora. Sulphur yellow is a very light pure yellow nearly approached by the lemon yel- U'i.'ife 1. low African marigold. There is not a trace of the color of sulphur in any variety of the nasturtium ; and the nearest approach to it as instanced by the Pearl and Crystal Palace Gem is miles away ! Straw yellow and sulphur yellow are conflicting companions ; separate them, and there is a greater likelihood that our color combinations in the garden will approach near perfection. |\ ^l A Pretty Corner in THE Fence. Sulphur Yellow. 120 THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER GARDEN. Other varieties of the nasturtium such as Coccineum, Roi des Noir, Spotted King and Beauty, I do not consider especially different from the types mentioned in my list so far as color-tone is concerned, and we may pass them there- fore as properly considered. My own preference, so far as the three kinds of nastur- tiums are concerned — dwarf, Lobbianum and major, is for the dwarfs. Through August I can gather fully three hun- dred blossoms a day from a not very extensive garden patch ! One could not do this with the two larger varieties, unless they had double the number of plants; still the Lobbianums give me some splendid great flowers, far ahead of the dwarfs in both symmetry and robustness : be- ""^ sides, the climbers are charmingly beautiful when trained over a rustic fence in the fashion that my sketch suggests. Nasturtiums planted on the 1 5 th of May will begin to bloom freely two months later. I have •planted seed (soaked) on the 20th A Barrel Tub in Full of May and have gathered the first flowers on the 8th of July ; this was under no favorable circumstances, as the weather was exceed- ingly dry. When the plants begin to bloom I remove every full-blown flower both in the early morn- Bloom, ^"g ^'^'i the evening hours, and by this means keep the plants in continuous bloom for over four weeks' time. In each of my barrel-tubs I leave (after the transplanting process) six plants ; from a dozen of these tubs, one may gather three hundred flowers (on the average) every day for twenty days in succession ! The plants do not want anything but sandy soil, sunny exposure, plenty of water, and a pair of scissors kept con- stantly busy lopping off flowers and superfluous leaves. NASTURTIUM. Under these conditions I estimate that a bed 6' x 20' will yield a thousand blossoms a day . when the plants are at their height of^^ J^ § flowering. In order to have some flow ers later in the season I plant a few seeds as late as the 15th of- June, and thus length- en the season of bloom. In conclusion, it is safe to say of the nasturtium, that no other annual will produce such a lavish profusion of flowers for so long a season with the same small outlay of time and labor ! I need say nothing about the variety of color this charming annual pos- sesses; it is only sufficient to testify to the fact that although there are only six distinct types of color to be found in the whole family, there are no less than fifty variations of these six types, each one of which represents a per- fectly typical flower, unlike any of its fel- lows ! NlCOTIANA AFFINIS 122 THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER GARDEN. »TT^^^T . »T • This is a beautiful annual and one which NICOTIANA. . „ . . r -.1. IS rapidly growing in favor with every- body. The garden cannot well dispense with its com- pany, no matter how limited the space may be. The variety named Afifinis for flowers, and that named Colossea for plant form are decidedly the best in the tobacco family. I have tried the Atropurpurea variety and I find it too insignificant to merit much attention. Not so with the Afifinis; this is perfectly beautiful in every respect, delightful in the house as a cut flower, and marvelously striking in the garden. Somebody, I remem- ber, says Afifinis is best adapted to a back seat in the well appointed flower garden ! But I do not agree with this at all. There is nothing common or coarse about this sweet-scented annual ; it is a broad, effective character, graceful, and bold in angular lines (something ' unusual in nature or art), tall, where we are surfeited with dwarf plants, and daintily tinted with green white, where we are in most need of white and delicate tints. Therefore, I like to see it in the immediate fore- ground. It grows easily and quickly in sandy soil with a small amount of plant food. The Colossea variety is a splendid plant for the background where broad effects are necessary. CHAPTER XIII. PANSY. and sown T^^LTHOUGH this popular flower is not an annual, it is a ready bloomer the first season from seed sown early in the spring. Besides, in order to have what might be called fully developed perfect flowers, seed should be each year. It must be remem- bered that in order to have fine large blooms the plants must not be allowed to grow scraggly and long; they should be compact, and have luxuriant dark green leaves. All sprouts which reach out beyond a certain limited space should be pinched back ; herein lies the secret of handsome, great flowers. My own special preference is confined to the French varieties, although the German ones will be found very satisfactory. The best pansies, I think, are found in the following - ^zy PANSY strains : — Bugnot's selected. Cassier's Odier, giant. Improved Trimardeau, giant. Imperial German. A beautiful bed of pansies, whether confined to two or three colors or mixed without reference to a particular harmony, is a very necessary adjunct to an artistic garden. There is no need of mixing them with other flowers ; the 123 124 THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER GARDEN. Daffodils and Pansies. mistake that many gardeners make, is in planting these sweet-faced little things all around and under larger plants which, to my mind, more or less interfere with the interest one has in the pansy itself. There is no harm in a group of neighboring yellow daffodils, nor is there any in the proximity of a mass of bright colored tulips ; but it is an unnecessary conventionality to see squares and circles made up of these three flowers exactly spaced, and bereft of all like- ness to the freedom of na- A Row OF Giants. ture. When pansies are ? treated in this way one is apt to for- get the individuality of the flower, and re- member the pains the gardener went to in order to make his geometrical figures appear perfect ! Pansies need rather rich earth to grow well in. Here we have an annual which revels in magenta, solferino, crimson pink. PETUNIA. PANSY. 125 '/ and purple. There are few other flowers which dare to dress themselves in colors which are so compromised by public opinion; indeed, beyond cinerarias, foxgloves, or- chids, and rhododendrons, there are none of our com- mon garden flowers which show any preference for colors ofthe magenta order. ^ ff/' purple-reds are not properly appreciated; but I do not see how appreciation is possible where there is a lack of understanding about color harmony. Separation of ^ • ■ 1 Different Reds. ^^ IS a pity that these ^^ i So long as we persist in placing plants which will pos- sibly produce scarlet or orange flowers beside petu- '^^ nias, just so long will ■^^ magenta prove itself re- pugnant to what we may A Corner Bed IN MAGENTA. choose to call "a delicate sense of color." If we find that we must surely have both scarlet and magenta in the garden at no great distance from each other, we should certainly arrange the beds so shrubbery, hedge, terrace or 126 THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER GARDEN. arbor will intervene. At any event, it is always possible to separate such conflicting colors by a generous patch or belt of white flowers, and white petunias are most efiicient helpers in this direction ; indeed, I consider them the greatest factor in white that the garden can boast of! The varieties which produce the greatest color effects PETUNIA. Pure white. Nana compacta Kermesina Splen Rosea, crimson pink, nearly solferino. dens, magenta. White, five magenta stripes. Red Star, magenta, five white stripes. Pink Mound, soft crimson pink, white throat. Then there is the Grandi- flora variety which far ex- ceeds in size if not in color mass the varieties mentioned above. The best of these Veined Single Petunia Defiance, Large-flowering, varie- gated. Venosa, veined, particularly the purple and pale lilac. Fimbriata, variegated, and exquisitely ruffled. I so much prefer these graceful large single varieties to the double ones, that I have nothing to say about the latter except that they retain all the magnificent color which is found in the single sorts. There is no more beautiful instance of mony°"^ ^^' '^^ harmony of analagous colors, than that which may be found in the large, single magenta petunia, the face of which is an in- PANSY. 127 tensely purple red, and the reverse side a steely purple blue. I need only say that few artists are successful in the combination of these two colors, and few presume to make any attempt at it ; but there is one who is more than successful ; — Mr. Burne-Jones. His pictures hold one entranced before coloring so bold in its uncommonness that the effect on the mind is something like that of a moral shock ; we do not know whether to admire or to be indignant ! But the shock once over, we are likely to becorne converts to a new way of thinking about color. When that new way of thinking arrives we will cast away all prejudice, and believe that scarlet is not the only beautiful red. This possibly may result in discarding scarlet geraniums as neighbors for petunias, and in select- ing purple, blue, and white bachelor's buttons to take their places. The petunia is a rank grower, and it °°™ °^ ^ "' should have plenty of room to develop in ; I find that sandy soil is quite to its taste, and common phosphate placed just below the roots will prove excellent food for the growing plants to thrive on. A teaspoonful of phosphate is quite enough for one plant. There are some annuals which certainly ^MONDII "possess a most marvelously varied char- acter, and this one is among the num- ber. The calendula and coreopsis adhere very closely to simple form, and refuse to depart from golden-yellow except to a qualifying degree. But poppies and pHL^X^RUMMONDll this annual phlox seem to delight in surprises both in form and color. Star phlox is a garden marvel, and yellow phlox must be regarded as a curiosity ! Phlox Drummondii is such a variegated character that. 128 THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER GARDEN. unless we have been long acquainted with it, we may reasonably expect to be surprised with some new color combination each year we put the seed in the ground. The pretty pink variety sometimes called Salmon Rose, is charmingly delicate and refined, and resembles in color the Blanche Ferry sweet pea ; but the latter is not nearly so color-pure as the phlox. Be sides this pink variety there are others with beau- tiful tones of crimson, crimson pink, scarlet ^^^^ lake, ^*'^^' deep pink, pure pink, solferino, and very pale salmon pink. I may say there is pure red to be found in this '^ extraordinarily variegated flower, but I must point to ^ the fact that it never presents scarlet to us. If we want to know what scarlet is we must look at the Madame Crozy canna, or the King of Tom Thumb nasturtium. The so-called Yellow phlox is only yellow in a general sense of the word ; the true color of it is pale cream-yel- low, a tone very much lighter than that of the Pearl nasturtium. It is a perfectly lovely tint, and valuable among the other colors in the garden. A Belt of Phlox. PANSY. 1 29 The greatest care should be taken to Conflicting Tints . n- ^- -^■^■^t- t in Phlox separate conflicting tints m this annual. I have before me a delicate pale purple star variety, and it is perfectly evident that nothing but white and yellow would look well with it. The salmon pink must be kept away from every other pink tint, pure or crimsonish. The blood red or scarlet lake color must be separated from deep lake pink, crimson, and magenta; and solferino colors (which look pretty beside the lake pink) should be removed from the vicinity of salmon pink tints. One can hardly be too careful about the color effects among the phloxes either in the garden, or indoors. I must make a very strong appeal again, as I have already done in the chapter on Color Harmony, in favor of magenta and solferino. These two colors are very pro- nounced among the phloxes, and unless they are carefully removed from all proximity with any other colors excepting white, pale yellow, crimson, and purple, the influence ex- erted upon them will surely be disastrous. But place the beautiful, toothed, purple phlox beside the Pearl nasturtium, and the solferino phlox beside the white aster, and we must see at once that the color harmonies thus produced are ex- tremely dainty and beautiful. I have a magenta phlox be- fore me whose color is identical with that of a petunia beside it, and as this petunia's rich purple-red color is familiar to everyone, it will be understood at once what the magenta phlox looks like. The varieties which are most valuable for their color strength are : Salmon Rose ; a six-pointed white star in center. Alba ; cream white. Stellata Splendens ; pure red, white star in center. Red Striped White ; streaked. Coccinea ; called scarlet, really a pure red. Blood Red ; deep red. 9 13° THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER GARDEN. These all belong to a strain which is called Grandiflora. The white is large and very beautiful ; the color is creamy and rather translucent in quality. Here again is a valuable white flower for the garden, whose delicacy and grace are its best qualities. „, . The Star and Fimbriata Star Phlox. phloxes do not contrib- N ute as much color strength to the garden as the Grandiflora variety does, but they make up for this deficiency by a most astonishingly beautiful mixture of color (^ tones arranged in tiny figures with five points, which remind one of snow-flake crystals dyed in every imaginable tint of pink, red, and purple ! The annual phlox, I find, thrives well in sandy soil which has had plenty of en- riching from the cow-yard, and when I plant it in tubs it seems to grow luxuriantly ; this is undoubtedly on account of the tubs holding moisture better than the PhIox. I f garden beds. Nothing is prettier than a lot of star phlox, which hangs in graceful disorder over the edges of a green tub. OPPIES are rank growers and early bloomers. They are so extremely delicate when young that it is better not to attempt any transplanting; the seed should be sown where the plants are to remain. A garden of poppies is almost complete in Differences in -^ ir o ^ • ^i ■ . r r Poppies. itself, bo great is the variety of form and color among the flowers, that it is difficult to believe that they all belong to one family. There are two types of the poppy, each of ^==^!g^QV^^ which has a distinct character of foliage ; ^'^^'^^ one is a plant of scraggly growth with hairy POPPY. stems, and rather narrow grass-green leaves, and the other is a tall conventional looking plant with sharp- pointed, or toothed leaves of a very light, cabbage-green color arranged around a smooth stem. From the artistic point of view these two divisions are all-sufficient; they furnish contrasts in color and form at once valuable in the arrangement of the garden. The actual divisions of the poppy family are three ; Ranunculus, Paeony, and Carna- tion ftowered. 131 132 THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER GARDEN. The following list includes, what to my mind, are the most beautiful types : — Ranunculus- Flowered (double). Shirley (single). Japanese Pompon (small double) . Iceland (double and single). Golden Gate (single and double). Every conceivable color known in Poppies. Mikado (double). White and deep pink mixed Now the more like New Cardinal (double). Cardinal red. Flag of Truce (single). White. Eider-Down (double). White. Umbrosum (single). Fairy Blush (double). White, deep pink tips. Empress of China (single) . White, red-edged. beautiful Empress of China is no the airy Mikado than coreopsis is like the calendula; one resembles a dainty, shell- like porcelain cup, and the other, a globe of deep-pink- tinged down. As for the Jap- anese Pompon, it looks like a all of dainty-colored China ilk. Again, if we will notice in the Ranunculus variety, a white flower with a strong, pink tinge at the base of the petals, another with a spreading of maroon and dull, pale crimson over the greater part of its white petal, and yet another, all salmon-pink, we will have before our eyes the prototypes of three pretty girls, robed, one in a fluffy white lawn dress, trimmed with a pink ribbon or two, and with plenty of ruffles; the next in a light airy gingham, white ruffled ; and the last in a soft, pink cr6pe de chine ! Fluffy Beauties I POPPY. ^33 nor purer. A White Type. ^"'' ^^^^ °^ poppies are generally pretty closely associated with the scarlet types ; but I think one of the most beautiful of all the varieties is the fairy-like white flower, semi-double, which we may find in the Ranunculus division. Its petals appear as though spun from the thinnest and finest white silk ; nothing can possibly be daintier, nothing lovelier. Ah ! it is indeed a difficult thing to choose the most beautiful of all beautiful objects. In the flower garden, justice is well- nigh impossible. Which is the beauty of all beauties, is it a rose, a lily, a chrysanthemum poppy, or a paeony ? We must remember that the individual flower must be considered, not the family to which it belongs. I will say, therefore, that this charming white poppy of which I speak, is far more lovely than many a white rose. It is my delight to grow a large bed of the daintiest white and deli- cate tinted poppies, from which every red-dressed character has been removed. Those individual poppies which seem to me perfectly beautiful (I mean just what I say — beauty without an imperfection) are these: — Ranunculus-flowered. — Salmon pink, white-edged ; pure pink, white-edged ; deep maroon pink, streaky, with a central cluster of sage-green stamens ; maroonish red and white (reminding one of gingham) ; pure pink ; pure white ; intense red. Japanese Pompon. — Deep salmon pink; pure scarlet; pure white. A Dainty Character. 134 THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER GARDEN. Shirley. — Pure pink; pink, white-edged ; white, pink- edged. Carnation-flowered. — Lilac, greatly toned down ; pinkish cherry ; white. But there is, besides, a score of magnificent flowers which are identified in the florist's cata- logue by significant names ; for instance, » Bride, Flag of Truce, Snowdrift, Eider- Down, and White Pjeony. These are all purely white ; the first two are single, and the others double. It is an intense relief to see these double white beau- ties, which ap- pear at a time when we are ' loaded down with golden flow- ers, such as yellow coreopsis, orange and yellow nasturtiums, yellow calendulas, orange and gold zinnias, and yellow cannas, but there is little or nothing that is large and white until the first double White Paeony, or Eider-Down poppy appears ; then an involuntary ex- clamation of pleasure passes our lips at first sight of it. Snowdrift. White P.«ONY. POPPY. 135 Single Poppies. '^^^ *^^° ^^"^^^ beauties probably will not prove favorites with everybody as they to paint a gloriously choose one of these pies. Possibly, we there is nothing plicity, but I are with me, but if I wished simple flower, I would single white pop may think that very glorious in sim believe there is, par- ticularly in moral character and in flow ers; we are heedless of both amid the complexities of life, and do not sit long enough by the quiet wayside to give them ^Ml proper consideration. If Robert ^^ Burns had not stayed his hand at "~^ the plough to pick up his " wee crim- ^' son-tipped flower," we would never have fully realized the beautiful sim- plicity of the common English daisy. But I have not com- pleted my list of the score of magnificent poppies. Be - sides the varieties already named are Chamois Rose, Silver Gray, White Paeony, White Striped Scarlet, Dane- borg, the yellow Nudicaule, and the white Snowdrift. These are among the Pasony-flowered, Iceland, and Car- nation-flowered varieties. The scarlet Iceland poppy, with a black cross in the center, is very dainty, but it is not distinctly different from other scarlet poppies ; its color is satin-like and wonderfully brilliant. I should always grow Fine Varieties. The Fairy Blush 136 THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER GARDEN. a lot of single scarlet poppies separate from those of any other color, except it be white ; all the dainty light colored ones will be injured by the proximity of red. The so-called Tulip poppy is rather a novelty than a beauty. The cup- shaped flower is certainly like a tulip, but there is little advantage in the resemblance of one flower to another ; the real attraction in the tulip poppy is in its gracefulness and color- strength ; certainly the latter is remarkable, and a large group of the intense red flowers is a beautiful accession to the gar- den. After all, the real beauty of a garden is quite dependent upon the individual beauty of its flowers. I do not care how charming the ar- rangement of the garden itself may be, when my eyes must rest on common- place and poor varieties of flowers. One may pass a host of common, single, scarlet poppies, but they must pause before a single speci- The Fairy Blush. ™''^ °^ '^^ ^^"^'3^ called "Fairy Blush." I have before my eyes, as I write, four transcendently beautiful poppies of this name ; and I wonder in the immediate presence of such loveliness, what a garden would be without the possession of it ! Well, that is a question. Beauty when it exists in a rose, is finite; we The Mikado. POPPY. 137 may grant that it is perfect, but perfection does not in- clude infinity, and the loveliness of the rose is not the loveliness of the Fairy Blush poppy. So, I think we must conclude, that the garden without this poppy lacks at least one essential type of beauty. It needs no enthusi- astic description to make one admire it, the sight is enough. I need only say that a flower four inches in diameter, whose basic color is creamy white, on which the most perfectly pure, strong pink is distributed in every possible degree of delicacy, is a thing of beauty which needs no recommenda- tion. I cannot say quite so much for the Mikado; it is altogether dainty, but different from the Fairy Blush, inas- much as it lacks the compact figure of the latter ; its petals are beautifully fringed and twisted, its color tone is identical with the Fairy Blush, and there is something in its character which reminds one of an old-fashioned bon-bon motto- paper ! But this poppy is none the less beautiful, and if a comparison of flowers is justifiable, it would not be amiss to mention the Mikado poppy with the Lilian B. Bird chrys- anthemum. The New Cardinal poppy is gloriously dinaf ^ ^^' P^^^ ^^'^ sweet in color ; it is precisely cherry-scarlet in color tone, and reminds one forcibly of the cardinal garments which the French artist, Vibert, delights to paint. My acquaintance with this poppy is slight ; but the remembrance of its beauty is so strong that iai future there shall be a corner of my garden which will revel in its charming color. No other flower can rival it in purity ; and beside a group of white poppies, one can conceive of nothing quite so refined when its brilliancy and strength are taken into considera- tion. It is usually the case, that as color increases in brightness it loses in refinement and delicacy ; but this does not seem to be true of the New Cardinal poppy. 138 THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER GARDEN. PORTULACA. PORTULACA I use this charming little annual to fill up broken and irregular spaces. Indeed, it will be found a gem for covering bare ground ! It has the happy faculty of growing under almost any conditions, and it furnishes color enough to please the most exacting flower lover. In spite of the fact that uncongenial crimson, scarlet, pink, and red are found among its blossoms, these colors seem to intermix with no discordant effect. I should plant the mixed seed, and afterward eradicate all colors which might prove inharmonious with the surroundings. This is a RICINUS (Cas- .^ tor Oil Bean), magnifi- cent trop- ical-appearing plant well worth our attention. I like all varieties without excep- tion. The red Cambogen- sis may take the fancy of most people, but I like the Ccerulescens quite as well. We will not err if we try all the vari- eties, and choose those which are our personal preference for a sec- ond season's growing. Borboni- ensis Arborea is immensely tall and befits a large garden with plenty of space ; Sanguineus is blood-red, and is handsomely relieved by light green or white ; Gibsonii is bronze-colored, and is interesting in the immediate fore- ground. The plants all grow rapidly, and like a common sandy soil. I find that they need lots of plant food where the roots will spread, and a heaping pailful of manure is not too much for them to feed upon during the summer months. A Tropical Bit. CHAPTER XV. SALPIGLOSSIS. HIS annual is not as commonly known as it should be. Of all aesthetic colored flowers it is the most perfect ; evidently the florists find some difficulty in describing its colors in their catalogues, as I notice that in the six books before me, salpiglossis has not a specific color term for a single variety ! This is not without reason, for it is well-nigh impossible to deter- mine what color the odd annual is partial to ! The general effect of the colors in two of the varieties is terra- cotta; perhaps one of these in- clines toward what is familiarly known as crushed raspberry. The veining of color is like that in both petunia and nasturtium ; in fact, the flower resembles the petunia in type, and the nasturtium in mixed color markings. But the individuality of salpiglossis is as marked as that of scabiosa, and it is idle to compare it with 139 Robed in Velvet. I40 THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER GARDEN. any other flower. The beauty of our garden must depend in a great measure upon such eccentric characters as these. What is the necessity of filling the beds aniums^" '^^^' ''''^^^ commonplace scarlet geraniums, sage-green dusty millers, and brown-red coleus? One grows tired of the repeated and persistent presentation of these three prosaic characters. We cannot know anything about the beautiful salpiglossis until we shut our eyes to our neighbors' gardens, take no advice and accept no arrangements of gardeners and florists, then shift for ourselves on new paths of discovery with the horticul- turist's catalogue in hand ! Salpiglossis is not a prolific bloomer, but it is a dainty, shy, retiring spirit, deserving a quiet corner and a few white- robed neighbors. It will not contribute much to color effect, but it will make up for this shortcoming by an sesthetic influence much to be desired in the garden where con- trast and variety must constitute a great proportion of what we call beauty. The flower cup itself is very pretty ; the throat is delicately tinged with golden yellow, and the five divisions of the velvety-looking corolla are marked with dull, pale maroon lines which spread over a subdued and whitish-red. This charming annual possesses a distinct SCABIOSA individuality: one which may not easily (Mourning . , . , , . , „ Bride). be confused with that of any other flower. Perhaps in general appearance it resem- bles a double bachelor's button ; but the like- ness is too slight to deserve any notice. On the whole, it may be considered quite an 5CAB10SA ^^■U^ original character, and as such it invites our close attention. If there were nothing else about it but colors which differed from those of other flowers, the colors alone would SALPIGLOSSIS. 141 be worth an artist's attention, because its black is pro- nounced, its yellow is extremely dainty, its purple-ma- roon is strikingly intense, and its are delicately toned and soft. The varieties which I particu- larly fancy are sold under the names : — Black, Royal Purple, Snowball, Beaten Gold. white and red Black Color. Perhaps the Black is the most beautiful because it is so unique. As a matter of course, the color is not black but dark, rich maroon, so intense in depth that the general appearance from a distance is actually m black. The flower, in A fact, is well named. A vase of black and white scabiosa is a re- markably beautiful sight, and, indeed, these same two colors growing together in the garden will attract the attention of the most unobserving. A close view of the black variety, with its rich dark color sprinkled over with dainty little lavender-white stamens, reminds one of a handsome circular bit of passementerie beadwork. The yellow variety Black Scabiosa. Harmony in Black and White. 142 THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER GARDEN. is distinguished by its paleness and consequent delicacy, and the white is valuable as a perfect and symmetrical little flower, toned in color, and furnishing a fine foil for all dark-colored neighbors. Scabiosa blooms rather late, but persistently, and when cut it keeps fresh in a vase for ten days or more ; it has a splendid long stem, and nods in the garden to every passing breeze in a truly graceful, pretty way. We should make up our minds that the garden is incomplete without this original little flower, and not put it aside for any other annual, no matter how additionally attrac- Old-fashioned ^. ^i i ^. Ti. ..i u Type Improved. ^'"^^ '"^ latter may seem. It is the old- fashioned favorite of old time gardens known as Mourning Bride, but times have changed and the flower has changed with them ; to-day the supercultivated scabiosa is scarcely recognizable as Mourning Bride, so greatly has it been improved. Some of the larger speci- mens will measure over two and a half inches across. The plants thrive well in sandy soil not too abundantly en- riched ; they grow to a height of thirty inches sometimes, and require very little lateral space. This is a favorite flower in English gar- STOCK (Gilli- , n ^ ■ ^ ■,. A \ u flower'). dens. Certainly it deserves to be a favorite in American gardens as well, although I am convinced that the particularly moist and equable climate of the old country is decidedly its natural requirement. Still, we can raise some beauti- ful and luxurious appearing stocks in our own climate, and it is worth while to take every pos- sible means to make them grow well. My own success with this flower is rather indifferent, but the northern situation of my garden, and the extremes of heat and cold, which are the peculiarities of a New England climate, all seem to work against the sensitive SALPIGLOSSIS. 143 stocks, and I do not obtain one-half of the sweet-scented blooms, that through patient care of the delicate plants, 1 think I deserve. Others, under more propitious circum- „ , . „ , stances, may find themselves more Esthetic Stocks. , Z, ., ^ , . , than successful with ,33 this beautiful, aesthetic, and sweet flower ; it amply <^-S repays one for all the labor and care bestowed ^-fclf^L upon it. The most beautiful colors are to /^(^^ be found in the following varieties :- Boston Florists' White, Cut and Come Again, Bright Rose, Canary Yellow, Blood Red, Coppery Brown. Chamois. .Esthetic and Strong Colors It must' be borne in mind that these colors are de- cidedly aesthetic in ' quality, and that not one of them is bright or strong in tone. Indeed, the very beauty of stocks consists in their sobriety of color j the green is soft and olive in tone, and the red and purple are subdued to the last de- gree. In consequence, it is scarcely necessary for me to warn all who wish to see this flower at its best in the A Pyramid op Sweets. 144 THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER GARDEN. garden not to place it near any gaudily attired characters. A scarlet gladiolus, an orange calendula, or a yellow nasturtium be ^.^2 side our aesthetic stocks will effec- tually spoil 4^\^ilM^ them. For the culture of R Ii^.'^^iT'^ ^'■) '•'^'^ delicate, but ^ beautiful flower, see what Mr. Fewkes w A Gateway Greeting. oTTi^TT^T r^^i^j-o.-^ ^'■- J°^" Thorpe, the horticulturist who SUNFLOWER ^ ^ ., . (Helianthus). '^ O""^ greatest authority on chrysan- themums and who first brought them to our notice, once said to me, referring to the sunflower, SALPIGLOSSIS. 145 "it ought to be known and painted more; there are so many varieties and these are so different that I am sure people would be astonish-ed and pleased to become ac- quainted with the remarkable beauty of the whole family ; it would be d, revelation." Since Mr. Thorpe made this statement, a closer observation and study of this queenly flower has convinced me that it suffers from unjust neglect. I need not say that to the artist the golden sunflower is a thing of more than ordinary beauty ; there is no object in the floral world which appeals more strongly to his decorative instinct. Yet, notwithstanding this fact, the sunflower is looked upon with some disdain, is counted as unworthy of association with the more aristocratic members of Flora's family, and is banished to a remote corner of the garden behind the vegetable patch. We do not do justice to this magnificent annual. It de- serves not only attention, but prominence in the garden which claims to be artistic. One of the English poets sings about — " The sweet doorway greeting of the rose and honeysuckle; " but I fancy that the cheerful, smiling faces of a group of golden sunflowers beside a rustic gateway, would be quite as welcome a greeting ! Perfume we may not expect from such a character, but a strong and effective beauty is its peculiar possession. The varieties which I would particularly recommend are : The Miniature, small, single, Oscar Wilde, tall, small, single, Primrose, single, light color, Argyrophyllus, silver-leaved, Globosus Fistulosus, large double, The Dahlia, large double. The miniature variety is very pretty, and has a low, 10 146 THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER GARDEN. bushy character, with small, golden-yellow flowers, brown .. ^ . centered, and with small, pointed, shiny, green leaves, somewhat like the foliage of the white birch. "The Dahlia," is a splendid, great flower, like a ball of gold ; it is extremely rich and hand- some when properly cultivated, and why it does not appear more often in the foreground, I am sure I cannot tell. A bush of yellow dahlias is frequently directly beside us in some prom ^ inent part of the garden, and its yield of gold is not nearly as great as that of the sunflower which is named for it ; yet dahhas usually come to the front and sunflowers are left in the rear ! The other four varieties I mention are so beautiful that they deserve particular attention ; but we must pass them with a suggestion only regarding their treatment. Give the sunflower plenty of room and water. ' It is especially decora- tive, and deserves a prominent position to the front of the garden, and near some point , where its tall form may be seen against a dark background. ZINNIA '^^'^ ^^ ^ flower which pos- sesses a most remarkable variety of brilliant and also Eesthetic colors, but attempts no pro- nounced variety in form. It is a pity that a certain rigidity of stem and foliage bring upon it an imputation of stiffness; this is certainly a fault in the plant, but one which is easily over- looked. The most astonishing thing about the zinnia is its success in sustaining a palette (thus we artists designate a range of color peculiar to a particular painter), ZINNIA. SAI.PIGLOSSIS. 1 47 of such comprehensive proportions, that I cannot think of any colors it does not possess except purple and blue ! And what is again remarkable in its colors is their purity ! The zinnia's scarlet, red, crimson, magenta, solferino, and pink, are absolutely pure. When the flower chooses to be brilliant it can give us besides, good light and golden g^^, yellows, white, orange, orange scarlet, and a salmon '^S;^ tint. Then there are lilac, flesh color, whitish orange, f^m whitish scarlet, pale magenta and reddish -^^^^cX^A maroon, all of which may be seen in vary- M^^l^^'^ ing strengths, constituting the so-called J,^ ■^^v&'^iCtjlL aesthetic colors. \^^^'^?^^^S?^ Those varieties of the zinnia jg:^j) 'M^v^^^P^^^^^ which may be considered as in- V vl^^^^'i^^i^^Ml^ dispensable to the beautiful i:n%^^Ptj-^^^^Cl^K\Sf!-# garden are : {S'HASlVs^''i^l^|«W /' Giant Mammoth, mixed, particu- ^^^uftS^'Xli-'iS^S&^S^/w larly the deep rich red, .=^-=a,<£^^^^^^^(8M^^|^^''\ i Vwy/ Jacqueminot in color, ^^^^^^^?^ii^^^m^^^^^^3 the foliage is lost. In the garden the zinnia needs plenty of room, and it deserves the complete posses- sion of a space which will allow the flower a distant but dis- tinct prominence ; and where the colors will stand against a full background of green. It does not seem advisable to mix this annual with other flowers, except where its bushy figure is needed to hold a vantage point. The plant seems to thrive in sandy soil when a good lump of old manure or some phosphate is placed directly beneath its roots. Water is essential to its growth, and a little trimming and snipping off of irregular branches is beneficial now and then. A Bowl of Red Ones. CHAPTER XVI. THE WILD GARDEN, THE ROCKERY, VINES, AND AQUATICS. J HEN we appropriate a small part of the garden for the support of a miscellane- ous and nondescript company to which we apply the term "Wild garden," we make a proper concession in the direc- tion of naturalism ! A well planned, unconventional division like this, is sometimes a very beautiful element, of greatest attraction to flower lovers. Besides the package of seed ..Jy} Minor Annuals. , , , , ,,,.,, ^ , ,. , SsTi^ ^~-~k labeled " Wild Garden" there ^^^ are other sources from which we may draw ma- {^Xl^'^^irxOiS terial for this "natural arrangement." There CLARKTaT are a great number of the minor annuals which are very beautiful and which will prove very useful in this direction. I have sketched a few, to show how they look at the start ; I allude to abro- rula. ^^^' 3-croclinium, alyssum, artemisia, globe ama- ranth, argemone, asperula, bartonia, brachycome, browallia, cacalia, clarkia, centau- rea suaveolens and mo.schata, convolvulus minor, datura, gilia, godetia, helichrysum, ice )MrJ plant, linum, mignonette, raolucca balm, nigella, rodanthe, sedum, silene, thunbergia, Virginia MOLUCCA BALM., , ' .' \t i r stock, and venidmm. Nearly every one of these I have grown in my own garden and found easy of cultivation. 149 15° THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER GARDEN. The wild garden, however, does not depend entirely for its attractive appearance upon the sowing of these seeds in a careless and unsystematic way. The plot of ground, in the first place, should be irregular in outline and surface, and in the proximity of a rockery; in a word, the very surroundings of Around the Wild .t. i ^ i, u Garden "^^ chosen spot should be natural and in a measure wild. I should expect to see a bush or two of black alder, and perhaps a good specimen of the witch hazel near at hand. The mountain ash would be a well chosen accessory, and with some ._^, eulalia grasses opposite, the effect would be quite pretty and harmonious. There ought to be rocks imbedded in the earth ?^-'' at irregular corners of the plot, and a bit of clematis or ampelopsis here and there would add the touches of variety and color which nature herself shows in any of her own free arrangements. I should not be content alone with seed sowing, but I should obtain a root or two of some hardy wild flowers like the golden-rod, aster, pink „ , yarrow, and yellow field Rockery. , ; r>v Illy. A rockery form- ing one part of this natural arrangement, should be filled with flowers of a similar character ; it is a mistake to pile too many stones together; there would better be large spaces between, holding nourishing earth, and may- be a good, strong, small specimen of wild flowering cherry, or a flowering almond. A dwarfed sugar maple would be quite an acquisition for the rockery, and I even like WILD GARDEN, ROCKERY, VINES, AND AQUATICS. 151 to see the canna hold a vantage point somewhere on high ground. The wild garden with the rockery, in a word, should look wild ! There is no sense whatever in allowing flowers to act discordantly one upon the other ; that is the reason why I prefer to buy A Rockery. alyssum. Discord to Avoid. separate packets of distinct varieties of seeds. Clarkia and argemone may be planted ARGEI^ONE. side by side, but silene and centaurea suaveo- lens should never come together. Cacalia is dainty and pretty, rising from a mass of sweet but gilia and convolvulus minor, both blue, would better be at extreme ends of the whole arrangement. The proper way of x ^r, working out a scheme for the wild garden, is \ to make one's eye familiar beforehand with