JiL Ml: CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY Coikge erf Ajehitactare i...urary Conwil U«iTersity BOUGHT WITH THE INCOME OF THE SAGE ENDOWMENT FUND GIVEN IN 183I BY HENRY WILLIAMS SAGE CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY 3 1924 061 782 615 'M Cornell University Library The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924061782615 THE GARDEN MONTH BY MONTH DESCRIBING the appearance, color, dates of bloom, height and cultivation of all desirable, HARDY HERBACEOUS PERENNIALS for the formal or wild garden, with addi- tional lists of aquatics, vines, ferns, etc. By MABEL CABOT SEDGWICK Assisted by ROBERT CAMERON Gardener of the Harvard Botanical Gardens With over two hundred half-tone engravings from photographs of growing plants, and a chart in colors. NEW YORK FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY PUBLISHERS h'^S\S^\ Copyright, tgaff BT Frederick A. Stokes Company Printed In tht United States of America TO W. C. C. AND E. R. C. ERRATA pp. 200 and 304, Leontopbdium alplnum or Edelweiss now under Yellows, should be under Whites. pp. 458 and 466, under Iris lavig&ta omit water during flower- ing season. PREFACE O Perpetui Fiori del Etema Letizia IT is prudent perhaps for many of us to have our pleasure gardens shaped for us by an expert wiser than we may hope to be. A trained eye, long study of old forms, and that knowledge which is born only of experience, make possible a beauty of outline and insure a perfection of detail In a project which in the minds of most of us Is a desire rather than a definite conception. Yet he who truly loves his garden will not relin- quish altogether the happy task of creating it. For him it is the centre of bright Imaginings. He dreams of it asleep and awake, until from among the multitude of his thoughts there flashes some happy vision finished In all things, like the completed picture which the painter sees on the white canvas before him. Quickly before It fades he rushes to his task. But to the amateur, garden catalogues are often a snare and most books a de- lusion. Search as he may, these helpers serve him little, and as he struggles to rind the appropriate flowers with which to paint his picture, the gay vision fades and confusion and discouragement ensue. It is for this gardener that I have made this book and offer it as a full palette, to enable him the more readily to paint the picture as he sees it, and save him the discouragement of looking in a thousand places for a thousand bits of Information. However small a part of the garden it may be that he himself plans, he will look upon that portion with a kindlier eye, and find more In It to love and enjoy than all the rest of the garden has to offer. With this book I wish my gardener joy of his experiments, and if he fails to make his garden altogether as he has imagined it, may he have a fancy quick to suggest new visions; for In the possibilities of change lies the im- perishable charm of gardens. Forever through past experience shine the bright alluring pictures of the future. vii PREFACE The plan of this book is simple. The plants are arranged in the order of the months in which they bloom, while for the reader's convenience a plant which flowers in more months than one is listed afresh in each appro- priate month, though the full description of its habit and the directions for its culture are given only where it makes its first appearance. In the great majority of cases, the dates of bloom are taken from personal observations in the vicinity of Boston. The season about New York is, generally speaking, about ten days earlier. A rough and ready calculation allows six days' diflference to every degree of latitude. Yet in this matter of the date of bloom the reader must understand that nothing like exactness is possible. All that can be claimed is the representation of a fair average. The season of bloom is very irregular, often varying as much as a fortnight in the spring. But though early dates may vary, by June first all irregularities seem to disappear, and the reader can be confident that whatever are the dates of bloom, the succession of bloom remains invariable. As the plants are divided according to the months in which they first bloom, so they are subdivided according to color. In each month's list of blooming plants there are nine color groups, including " parti-colored," /.f., those plants in which each blossom is variegated, and " various," i.e., those in which the color of the blossoms vary. Since color is the chief glory of a garden, much stress has been laid upon it throughout the preparation of the book. Almost every flower mentioned has been accurately compared with the appended color chart, and in the column devoted to that purpose it bears its appropriate color number, while above this in quotation marks is the color ascribed to it by some reliable authority. The reader must remember, however, that vnth. matters of color it is much as with matters of taste. One may call the wood violet purple and another insist that it is blue, while red fades so insensibly into pink, and yellow blends so imperceptibly into orange, that he is an artist indeed who can define the precise point where one becomes the other. It must also be borne in mind that the same flower may vary in color in different localities and the same plant may put forth blossoms of varying shades. And yet, though you may quarrel with the division lines, they are just in the main and are not further wrong than others might well be. A word or two is needed concerning the comprehensiveness of this viii PREFACE book. Annuals have not been included, as their dates depend altogether upon the time when their seed is sown. Of biennials but few are mentioned; but of hardy perennials it can fairly be said that all are included which de- serve a place in the garden proper, in the rock or wild garden, or which are worthy of naturalization; and of tender perennials a few that should find a place in every garden have been added. Large estates as well as small gar- dens are increasing so rapidly throughout the country and so many new and unfamiliar plants have come to enlarge the gardener's choice, that it has seemed best to make this book offer all which the most varied taste could wish for beautifying a great estate; but it is selection rather than variety which the small gardener needs, and for his sake such plants as are especially serviceable or exceptionally to be desired are marked with a single or double asterisk. The details of this book have been almost infinite in number, and my best thanks are due to all who have helped me: To Mr. Robert Cameron, of the Harvard Botanical Gardens, for revision of all facts mentioned in the book and for much valuable assistance; to Prof. Benjamin Watson, of Harvard, for advice and encouragement; to Mr. L. T. Ernst for observing many of the dates of flowering; to Miss Louisa B. Stevens and Miss Turner for the preparation of the color chart and, with the assistance of Miss Edith May, for the skilful comparison of colors; to Miss Rose Standish Nichols, who has conducted the book through the press; to Messrs. John L. Gardner, J. S. Lee and J. Woodward Manning for many admirable photo- graphs which I should have gone far to secure elsewhere; and to Miss Elizabeth Dean for much devoted work. To all of these I feel greatly in- debted for their real interest and assistance, and in a special sense I wish to record the gratitude with which I shall always remember the unselfish and unremitting assistance and encouragement given me by Miss Pauline Brigham. For the rest I only hope that this book may help to make more gardens lovely and more gardeners content. M. C. S., Brookline, Mass., Nov., 1906. ix CONTENTS Page PREFACE vii MARCH 3 APRIL II MAY 71 JUNE . , . i67 JULY 274 AUGUST 375 SEPTEMBER 416 THE BEST HERBACEOUS PLANTS . 446 A FEW WATER PLANTS OR AQUATICS 458 SOME BOG GARDEN OR MARSH PLANTS 466 SOME PLANTS CONSPICUOUS FOR THEIR FOLIAGE . . . . .472 A FEW SELECTED VINES AND CLIMBERS 479 A FEW OF THE BEST FERNS . 486 SUPPLEMENTARY LISTS 489 INDEX OF BOTANICAL AND ENGLISH NAMES 493 ILLUSTRATIONS (/or Engiiih Nantes of Flowers^ see Index) A GARDEN OF FLOWERS IK FULL BLOOM Frontispiece Paga EARLIEST SPRING FLOWERS: GALANTHUS NIVALIS AND ERANTHIS HYEMALIS . 2 Photograph by John L. Gardner A. GALANTHUS PLICATUS. B. GALANTHUS ELWESII 5 Photographs by John L. Gardner A. HELLEBORUS NIGER. B. CROCUS VARS 6 A. IRIS RETICULATA VAR. KRELAGL B. CHIONADOXA LUCILIJE. C. SCILLA SIBIRICA. Photographs by John L. Gardner 9 AN APRIL LANDSCAPE. Photograph by John L. Gardner 10 A. ANEMONE SYLVESTRIS. B. ARABIS ALBIDA. Photographs by John L. Gardner . 13 A. FRITILLARIA MELEAGRIS. VAR ALBA. B. DICENTRA CUCULLARIA . 14, Photographs by John L. Gardner LEUCOJUM VERNUM. ORIHTHOGALUM NUTANS. Photographs by John L. Gardner. 17 PHLOX SUBULATA VAR. ALBA 18 SANGUINARLA CANADENSIS 21 VIOLA CANADENSIS. Photograph by John L. Gardner 22 ALYSSUM SAXATILE. Photograph by John L. Gardner ...?.. 25 ERYTHRONIUM AMERICANUM. Photograph by John L. Gardner .26 NARCISSUS INCOMPARABILIS "SIR WATKIN". Photograph by John L. Gardner . 29 A. NARCISSUS LEEDSn. B. NARCISSUS JONQUILLA 30 Photographs by John L. Gardner NARCISSUS PSEUDO-NARCISSUS, DOUBLE VAR. Photograph by John L. Gardner . 33 A. PRIMULA OFFICINALIS. B. TROLLIUS ASIATICUS 34 Photograph by John L. Gardner AQUILEGIA CANADENSIS. Photograph by John L. Gardner ..... 37 TULIPA GREIGI. Photograph by John L. Gardner 38 BELLIS PERENNIS AND NARCISSUS POETICUS. Photograph by John L. Gardner . 41 ARMERIA ALPINA. Photograph by John L. Gardner 42 ERYTHRONIUM DENS-CANIS 45 PHLOX PROCUMBENS. Photograph by John L. Gardnw 46 SAXIFRAGA CORDIFOLIA. Photograph by John L. Gardner 49 MERTENSIA PULMONARIOIDES 50 xiii ILLUSTRATIONS Page MUSCARI BOTRYOIDES. Photograph by John L. Gardner 53 A. PHLOX STELLARIA. B, PDLMONARIA SACCHARATA 54 Photographs by John L. Gardner FRITILLARIA IMPERIALIS. Photograph by John L. Gardner 57 A. PRIMULA POLYANTHA. B. FRITILLARIA MELEAGRIS 58 Photographs by John L. Gardner SINGLE HYACINTHS. Photograph by John L. Gardner ...... 61 PRIMULA POLYANTHA, Photograph by John L. Gardner ...... 62 TULIPS. Photograph by John L. Gardner 65 TULIPA "YELLOW PRINCE", Photograph by John L. Gardner 66 SINGLE PARTI-COLORED TULIPS. Photograph by John L. Gardner ... 69 A MAY BORDER. Photograph by John L. Gardner 70 A, ANEMONE PENNSYLVANICA. B. ANEMONE NEMEROSA 73 Photographs by John L, Gardner CONVALLARIA MAJALIS 74 nUS FLORENTINA. NARCISSUS POETICUS. Photographs by J. W. Manning . . 79 LEUCOJUM .ffiSTIVUM AND TULIPA "WHITE SWAlf" .80 Photograph by John L. Gardner NARCISSUS PSEUDO-NARCISSUS VAR. MOSCHATUS. Photograph by John L. Gardner . 83 ORNITHOGALUM UMBELLATUM. TRADESCANTIA VIRGINICA VAR. ALBA . . 84 Photographs by J. W. Maoning PAPAVER ALPINUM. Photograph by John L. Gardner 87 SANGUINARIA CANADENSIS 88 A. STELLARIA HOLOSTEA. B. SHORTIA GALACIFOLIA 91 TRILLIUM GRANDIFLORUM. Photograph by John L. Gardner 92 CYPRIPEDIUM PUBESCENS, Photograph by John L. Gardner 97 CYPRIPEDIUM PUBESCENS. Photograph by John L. Gardner 98 HYPOXIS ERECTA. NARCISSUS INCOMPARABILIS STELLA 103 Photographs by J. W. Manning EUPHORBU MYRSINITES. Photograph by. John L, Gardner 104 RANUNCULUS FICARIA, Photograph by John L. Gardner . . . . . . 107 SPRING FLOWERS. Photograph by John L. Gardner 108 A. TULIPA SYLVESTRIS. B. TULIPA RETROFLEXA . . . . . . ni Photograph by John L. Gardner UVULARIA PERFOLIATA AND VIOLA BLANDA 112 TULIPA DIDIERI. Photograph by John L. Gardner 119 A, DIANTHUS DELTOIDES. B. DAPHNE CNEORUM 120 DICENTRA SPECTABILIS. Photograph by John L. Gardner 123 SCILLA HISPANICA VAR. ROSEA. Photograph by John L. Gardner . . . .124 xiv ILLUSTRATIONS Page ASTER ALPINUS 129 DODECATHEON MEADIA. Photograph by John L. Gardner 130 GERANIUM MACULATUM. ERIGERON BELLIDIFOLIUS 133 A. AHD B. IRIS VERSICOLOR. C. IRIS PDMILA 134 VIOLA CORNUTA VARS. AHD PHLOX PROCUMBENS 137 Photograph by John L. Gardner POLEMONIUM C^RULEUM. Photograph by John L. Gardner 138 AMSONIA TABERN^MONTAKA. Photograph by John L. Gardner . . .143 BAPTISLA AUSTRALIS 144 HOUSTOHIA C^RULEA 147 LINtTM PERENNE .148 MYOSOTIS PALUSTRIS VAR. SEMPERFLORENS. Photograph by John L. Gardner . 151 A. VERONICA GENTIANOIDES. B. POLEMONIUM REPTANS 152 Photographs by John L. Gardner mis GERMANICA 157 P^ONIA MOUTAN. Photograph by J. W. Manning , 158 LATE TULIPS. Photograph by John L. Gardner 161 TULIPA "DARWIN" AND MYOSOTIS ALPESTRIS. Photograph by John L. Gardner . 162 TULIPA GESNERIANA VAR. DRACONTIA. Photograph by John L. Gardner . . 165 A JUNE BORDER 166 ASTILBE JAPONICA. Photograph by James S. Lee 169 CAMPANULA PERSICIFOLIA VAR. ALBA. Photograph by James S. Lee . . .170 CORNUS CANADENSIS 175 DIGITALIS PURPUREA VARS. Photograph by James S. Lee 176 LILIUM CANDIDUM 181 LUPINUS POLYPHYLLUS VARS. Photograph by James S. Lee 182 MITCHELLA REPENS 185 POLYGONATUM MULTIFLORUM. Photograph by John L. Gardner . .186 A. SMILACINA RACEMOSA. B. VIOLA PEDATA VAR. ALBA. C. VIOLA CANADENSIS . 191 YUCCA FILAMENTOSA. Photograph by James S. Lee 192 HEMEROCALLIS FLAVA .201 LILIUM CANADENSE VAR. FLAVUM ... 202 PHLOMIS TUBEROSA. LYSIMACHIA PUNCTATA. Photographs by John L. Gardner . 205 A. (ENOTHERA FRUTICOSA. B. PAPAVER NUDICAULE 206 Photographs by John L. Gardner LILIUM ELEGANS. Photograph by James S. Lee . . . . . .215 LILIUM MACULATUM. Photograph by James S. Lee 216 PAPAVER ORIEWTALE. Photograph by James S. Lee 219 XV ILLUSTRATIONS Pase JUHE LANDSCAPE 220 DIAKTHUS PLUMARIUS VARS. 225 EREMURUS ROBUSTUS 226 CAMPANULA CARPATICA , . . . . 23S CAMPANULA GLOMERATA. Photograph by James S. Lee 236 IRIS GERMANICA 243 IRIS SIBIRICA .244 PRIMULA JAPONICA. Photograph by John L. Gardner 247 STACHYS BETOHICA 248 AQUXLEGIA C.ERULEA. Photograph by John L. Gardner 251 DELPHINIUM FORMOSUM 252 DELPHINIUM HYBRIDUM 255 IRIS XIPHIUM 256 MYOSOTIS SYLVATICA. Photograph by John L. Gardner 259 AQXHLEGIA FLABELLATA. Photograph by John L. Gardner 260 CAMPANULA MEDIUM 265 DIANTHUS BARBATUS. Photograph by James S. Lee 266 IRIS L^VIGATA. Photograph by James S. Lee 269 PJEONIA VARS 270 A MIDSUMMER GARDEN 275 ACHILLEA PTARMICA VAR. "THE PEARL" 276 CAMPANULA PUNCTATA 279 CIMICIFUGA RACEMOSA 280 LILIUM AURATUM 287 PLATYCODON GRANDIFLORUM VAR. ALBUM. LYCHNIS CHALCEDONICA VAR. ALBA 288 COREOPSIS GRANDIFLORA. Photograph by James S. Lee 297 COREOPSIS LANCEOLATA 298 HELUNTHUS MOLLIS 301 HYPERICUM MOSERIANUM 302 RANUNCULUS REPENS VAR. FLORE-PLENO. Photograph by John L. Gardner . 307 RUDBECKIA SPECIOSA 308 SOLIDAGO SEMPERVIRENS. Photograph by James S. Lee 311 THALICTRUM FLAVUM . , . . |. 312 VERBASCUM OLYMPICUM. Photograph by James S. Lee 315 ASCLEPIAS TUBEROSA . . i 316 HEMEROCALLIS FULVA AND PHLOX PANICULATA. Photograph by James S. Lee . 319 LILIUM TIGRINUM 32o xvi ILLUSTRATIONS Page TRITOmA CROCOSM^FLORA. Photograph by James S. Lee 327 COROHILLA VARIA 328 ACAUTHUS MOLLIS VAR. LATIFOLIUS 33S ACONITUM UNCINATUM 336 ECHINOPS RITRO. ERYNGIUM AMETHYSTINUM 349 PENTSTEMON GLABER 3S0 LILIUM BROWNI. Photograph by James S. Lee 355 ALTHJEA ROSEA 356 CACTUS DAHLIA 361 DECORATIVE DAHLIA. QUILLED DAHLIA 362 GLADIOLUS VARS 367 IRIS L^VIGATA. Photograph by James S. Lee 368 PHLOX PANICULATA 373 "A SHADY WALK IS PLEASANT IN AUGUST" 374 BOLTONIA ASTEROIDES .377 EUPATORIUM AGERATOIDES 378 SEDUM SPECTABILE. Photograph by James S. Lee 399 LILIUM SPECIOSUM VAR. RUBRUM 400 ASTER NOV^ ANGLIJE . . 405 STOKESLA CYANEA ... 406 AUTUMN 417 ANEMONE JAPONICA VAR. ALBA 418 A. HELIANTHUS GIGANTEUS. B. ASTER TURBINELLUS 423 HELIANTHUS ORGYALIS 424 KNIPHOFIA ALOIDES 429 ANEMONE JAPONICA 430 HEUCHERA SANGUINEA Photograph by James S. Lee 433 ASTER SOVM ANGLI.aS 434 GENTIANA CRINITA 441 SINGLE AND DOUBLE HARDY CHRYSANTHEMUMS 442 CALTHA PALUSTRIS 459 NELUMBIUM SPECIOSUM 460 SARRACENIA PURPUREA 467 LOBELIA CARDINALIS AND VARIOUS FERNS 468 JLEMATIS PANICULATA 477 yiSTARIA CHIWENSIS *'8 xvii 4L sH' *^ ■ iisilk ' -v ■ — -.Mi 1 0^\ 4 THE GARDEN MONTH BY MONTH 1 y aiir*~'-;j?;r J. "^te iip^^^i-— -i'ip s b-tiM'::^im ^^^ ^*\'^^^:w'. ^H^^^^^^^^^^H MARCH WHITE 1 Color English Name Botanical Name and Synonynu Description Height and Situation Time of Bloom "White" WHITE *Chionod6xa Pretty bulbous plant somewhat re- sembling the Squill. Ten or twelve 3-6 in. Mid. GLORY OF Lucflise Sun or Mar.to THE SHOW Tar. &lba flowers on each stem. Lance-shaped half early leaves. Plant in border or rock-gar- den. Prop, by seed and offsets. Well- shade May drained loam. Asia Minor. "White" CROCUS **CTdcusTars. See color "various," page 8. Mid. Mar.to late Apr. "White" GIAHT **Galfinthus Large handsome species; flowers 6-12 in. Mar., SHOWDROP Elwesii more globular than G. Nivalis. Bul- bous. Prop, by offsets in autumn. An^ ordinary garden soil. Mts. of Asia Minor. See Plate, page 5. Sun or half shade Apr. "White" COHHOK **Gal£nthus A charming plant with drooping 4-6 in. " SROWDROP niTlUis blossoms. Blooms whenever the snow leaves the ground. Plant in quantity on the lawn, in borders or under the shade of trees. Bulbous. Prop, by off- sets in autumn. Any garden soil. Pyr- enees to Caucasus. See Plate, page 2. Sun or half shade "WhitK" PLAITED **Galfiiithus Excellent Snowdrop, larger in all 4-8 in. Mar. to SNOWDROP plicktus its parts than 0. Nivalis and blos- soming later. Solitary bell-shaped flowers on long graceful stems. Good Sun or early shade May for rock-garden or border. Bulbous. Prop, by offsets in autumn. Any or- dinary garden soil. Crimea. "White" CHRISTMAS *Hell