plants as formerly, but the practice is a most pleasing one, and ought
not to be neglected. It is one of the phases of gardening that has been
allowed to fall into disuse, to a considerable extent, but there are
already signs that show it is coming back to its old popularity, along
with the old-fashioned flowers that are now more in favor than ever
before. This is as it should be.
A bed without a pretty border or edging always seems incomplete to me.
It is as if the owner of it ran short of material before it was
finished. The bit of lace or ribbon that is to add the last touch of
grace and beauty to the gown is lacking.
Especially is a border of flowering plants satisfactory if kinds are
selected which bloom throughout the greater part of the season. The
plants we make use of in the centre of the bed are not always attractive
before they come into bloom, neither are they that after they have
passed their prime, but a pretty edging of flowers draws attention from
their shortcomings, and always pleases.
One of our best flowering plants for edging purposes is Candytuft. It
comes into bloom early in the season, and blooms in great profusion
until the coming of frost. Keep it from developing seed and it will
literally cover itself with bloom. I would advise going over it twice a
week and clipping off every cluster of faded blossoms. This answers two
purposes--that of preventing the formation of seed, and of removing what
would be a disfigurement to the plant if it were allowed to remain.
There are two varieties of Candytuft in cultivation--one white, the
other a dull red. The white variety is the one most persons will select,
as it harmonizes with all other plants. But the red sort is very
pleasing when used with harmonious colors. I last year saw a bed of
Nasturtium bordered with it, and the effect was delightful. Its dull
color blended well with the richer, stronger tones of the Nasturtium
flowers, and gave them an emphasis that was suggestive of the effect of
dull, rich colors used in old rugs in heightening and bringing out, by
contrast, the brighter colors.
In using Candytuft for edging, set the plants about a foot apart. I
would advise two rows of them, placing the plants in such a manner that
they alternate in the rows. Do not attempt to train them. Let them do
that for themselves. One of their most attractive features is their lack
of formality when allowed to grow to suit themselves. Very pleasing
results are secured by using the white and red varieties together, the
colors alternating. If the centre of the bed is filled with "Golden
Feather" Pyrethrum and these two Candytufts are used as an edging, the
effect will be very fine as the dull red admirably supplements the
greenish-yellow color of the Pyrethrum, while the white relieves what,
without it, would be too sombre a color-scheme.
Sweet Alyssum is excellent for edging purposes. Its general effect is
quite similar to that of the white Candytuft, but it has greater
delicacy of both bloom and foliage, and the additional merit of a
delightful fragrance.
Ageratum is lovely for edging beds of pink Geraniums, its soft lavender
tones being in perfect harmony with their color. It is equally
satisfactory when used with pale rose Phlox Drummondi, or the soft
yellow shades of that flower. Combine the three colors in a bed and you
will have something unusually dainty and delightful. One of the
prettiest beds I saw last summer was filled with Sweet Alyssum, and
edged with Ageratum. If there was any unfavorable criticism to be made,
it was that a touch of some brighter, stronger color was needed to
relieve its white and lavender. A free-flowering rose-colored Geranium
in its centre, or a pink Verbena, would have added much to the general
effect, I fancy. As it was, it was suggestive of old blue-and-white
Delft, and the collector of that ware would have gone into raptures over
it.
For a permanent edging, for beds, paths, and the border, Bellis
_perennis_, whose popular name is English Daisy, is one of the best of
all plants. It is entirely hardy. It blooms early in the season. It is
wonderfully generous in its production of flowers. These are small, and
very double, some pink, some almost white, produced on short stems which
keep them close to the ground and prevent them from straggling. Its
thick, bright green foliage furnishes a charming background against
which the blossoms display themselves effectively. It is a plant that
does well everywhere, and is always on good terms with everything else
in the garden, as will be seen by the illustration that shows it in full
bloom, along with Pansies and Hyacinths. Because of its compact,
non-straggling habit it is especially useful for bordering paths and the
border, permitting the use of the lawn-mower or the rake with perfect
freedom. Plants should be set about eight inches apart. If you have but
few plants of it and desire more, pull the old plants apart in spring
and make a new one out of each bit that comes away with a piece of root
attached. By fall the young plants will have grown together and formed a
solid mass of foliage, with a great many "crowns" from which flowers
will be produced the following season. Florists can generally furnish
seedling plants in spring, from which immediate effects can be secured
by close planting.
[Illustration: A BORDER OF CREEPING PHLOX]
One of the best--if not _the_ best--plants for all-around use in edging
is Madame Salleroi Geranium. It is quite unlike any other Geranium of
which I have any knowledge, in general habit. It forms a bushy, compact
plant, and bears a solid mass of foliage. No attention whatever is
required in the way of pruning. The plant trains itself. The ordinary
flowering Geranium must be pinched back, and pruned constantly to
prevent it from becoming "leggy," but there is no trouble of this
kind with Madame Salleroi. Its branches, of which there will often be
fifty or more from a plant, are all sent up from the crown of the plant,
and seldom grow to be more than five or six inches in length. Each
branch may have a score of leaves, borne on stems about four inches
long. These leaves are smaller than those of any other Geranium. Their
ground color is a pale green, and every leaf is bordered with creamy
white. This combination of color makes the plant as attractive as a
flowering one. It is a favorite plant for house-culture in winter, and
those who have a specimen that has been carried over can pull it apart
in May and plant each bit of cutting in the ground where it is to grow
during summer, feeling sure that not one slip out of twenty will fail to
grow if its base is inserted about an inch deep in soil which should be
pinched firmly about it to hold it in place while roots are forming. Set
the cuttings about ten inches apart. By midsummer the young plants will
touch each other, and from that time on to the coming of frost your
border will be a thing of beauty, and one of the delightful things about
it will be--it will require no attention whatever from you. Never a
branch will have to be shortened to keep it within bounds. No support
will be needed. The plants will take care of themselves. I have never
had a plant that is easier to grow. It harmonizes with everything. Seen
against the green of the lawn it is charming. All things considered, it
is an ideal plant for edging. In combination with scarlet and yellow
Coleus it is exceedingly effective, because of its strong
color-contrast.
Most amateur gardeners are familiar with the various merits of Coleus,
Alternatheras, Achyranthes, "Golden Feather" Pyrethrum, and Centaurea
_maritima_, better known as "Dusty Miller" because of its gray foliage.
These are all good, when properly cared for, when used for edging beds
and borders. Especially so when used with Cannas, Caladiums, and other
plants of striking foliage, where their rich colors take the place of
flowers.
Phlox _decussata_, commonly known as "Moss Pink" because of its fine
foliage and bright pink flowers, is a most excellent plant for the hardy
border, because it stands our winters quite as well as the hardiest
perennials. Early in spring it will cover itself with charming blossoms
that are as cheerful to look at as the song of the robin or the blue
bird is to hear. It is a lovable little thing, and has but one rival
among early-flowering plants for edging, and that rival is the English
Daisy.
PLANNING THE GARDEN
The flower garden not being one of the necessities of life, in the usual
sense of the term, people are likely to consider the making of it of so
little importance that it is hardly worth while to give the matter much
consideration. Consequently they simply dig up a bed here and there, sow
whatever seed they happen to have, and call the thing done.
A haphazard garden of that sort is never satisfactory. In order to make
even the smallest garden what it ought to be it should be carefully
planned, and every detail of it well thought out before the opening of
the season.
To insure thoroughness in this part of the work I would advise the
garden-maker to make a diagram of it as he thinks he would like to have
it. Sketch it out, no matter how roughly. When you have a map of it on
paper you will be able to get a much clearer idea of it than you can
obtain from any merely mental plan.
After locating your beds, decide what kind of flower you will have in
each one. But before you locate your plants study your catalogue
carefully, and make yourself familiar with the heights and habits of
them. Quite likely this will lead to a revision of your mental diagram,
for you may find that you have proposed to put low-growing kinds in the
rear of tall-growing sorts, and tall-growing kinds where they would
seriously interfere with the general effect.
Bear in mind that there is always a proper place for each plant you make
use of--if you can find it. The making of a working diagram and the
study of the leading characteristics of the plants you propose to use
will help you to avoid mistakes that might seriously interfere with the
effectiveness of your garden.
Do not attempt more than you are sure of your ability to carry through
well. Many persons allow the enthusiasm of the spring season to get the
better of their judgment, and lead them into undertaking to do so much
that after a little the magnitude of the work discourages them, and, as
a natural result, the garden suffers seriously, and often proves a sad
failure. Bear in mind that a few really good plants will give a
hundredfold more pleasure than a great many mediocre ones. Therefore
concentrate your work, and aim at quality rather than quantity. Never
set out to have so large a garden that the amount of labor you have to
expend on it will be likely to prove a burden rather than a pleasurable
recreation.
[Illustration: IN SUMMER]
[Illustration: IN WINTER]
Do not attempt anything elaborate in a small garden. Leave fancy beds
and striking designs to those who have a sufficient amount of room at
their disposal to make them effective.
I would advise keeping each kind of plant by itself, as far as possible.
Beds in which all colors are mixed promiscuously are seldom pleasing
because there are sure to be colors there that are out of harmony with
others, and without color-harmony a garden of most expensive plants must
prove a failure to the person of good taste.
I would not, therefore, advise the purchase of "mixed" seed, in which
most persons invest, because it is cheaper than that in which each color
is by itself. This may cost more, but it is well worth the additional
expense. Take Phlox Drummondi as an illustration of the idea governing
this advice: If mixed seed is used, you will have red, pink, mauve,
scarlet, crimson, violet, and lilac in the same bed,--a jumble of colors
which can never be made to harmonize and the effect of which will be
very unpleasant. On the other hand, by planning your bed in advance of
making it, with color-harmony in mind, you can so select and arrange
your colors that they will not only harmonize, but afford a contrast
that will heighten the general effect greatly. For instance, you can use
rose-color, white and pale yellow varieties together, or scarlet and
white, or carmine and pale yellow, and these combinations will be in
excellent harmony, and give entire satisfaction. The mauves, lilacs, and
violets, to be satisfactory, should only be used in combination with
white varieties. I am speaking of the Phlox, but the rule which applies
to this plant applies with equal force to all plants in which similar
colors are to be found.
If there are unsightly places anywhere about the grounds aim to hide
them under a growth of pretty vines. An old fence can be made into a
thing of beauty when covered with Morning Glories or Nasturtiums. By the
use of a trellis covered with Sweet Peas, or a hedge of Zinnia, or of
Cosmos, we can shut off the view of objectionable features which may
exist in connection with the garden. Outhouses can be completely hidden
in midsummer by planting groups of Ricinus about them, and filling in
with Hollyhocks, and Delphinium, and Golden Glow, and other
tall-growing plants. In planning your garden, study how to bring about
these desirable results.
Keep in mind the fact that if you go about garden-making in a haphazard
way, and happen to get plants where they do not belong, as you are quite
likely to do unless you know them well, you have made a mistake which
cannot be rectified until another season. This being the case, guard
against such mistakes by making sure that you know just what plant to
use to produce the effect you have in mind.
Plan to have a selection of plants that will give flowers throughout the
entire season. The majority of annuals bloom most profusely in June and
July, but the prevention of seed-development will force them into bloom
during the later months.
Plan to have a few plants in reserve, to take the places of those which
may fail. Something is liable to happen to a plant, at any time, and
unless you have material at hand with which to make good the loss, there
will be a bare spot in your beds that will be an eye-sore all the rest
of the season.
Plan to have the lowest growers near the path, or under the sitting-room
windows where you can look down upon them.
Plan to have a back-yard garden in which to give the plants not needed
in the main garden a place. There will always be seedlings to thin out,
and these ought not to be thrown away. If planted in some out-of-the-way
place they will furnish you with plenty of material for cutting, and
this will leave the plants in the main garden undisturbed.
THE BACK-YARD GARDEN
A great deal is written about the flower-garden that fronts the street,
or is so located that it will attract the passer-by, but it is seldom
that we see any mention made of the garden in the back-yard. One would
naturally get the idea that the only garden worth having is the one that
will attract the attention of the stranger, or the casual visitor.
I believe in a flower-garden that will give more pleasure to the home
and its inmates than to anyone else, and where can such a garden be
located with better promise of pleasurable results than by the kitchen
door, where the busy housewife can blend the brightness of it with her
daily work, and breathe in the sweetness of it while about her indoor
tasks? It doesn't matter if its existence is unknown to the stranger
within the gates, or that the passer-by does not get a glimpse of it. It
works out its mission and ministry of cheer and brightness and beauty in
a way that makes it the one garden most worth having. Ask the busy
woman who catches fleeting glimpses of the beauty in it as she goes
about her work, and she will tell you that it is an inspiration to her,
and that the sight of it rests her when most weary, and that its
nearness makes it a companion that seems to enter into all her moods.
Last year I came across such a garden, and it pleased me so much that I
have often looked back to it with a delightful memory of its homeliness,
its utter lack of formality, and wished that it were possible for me to
let others see it as I saw it, for, were they to do so, I feel quite
sure every home would have one like it.
"I never take any pains with it," the woman of the home said to me, half
apologetically. "That is, I don't try to make it like other folks'
gardens. I don't believe I'd enjoy it so much if I were to. You see, it
hasn't anything of the company air about it. It's more like the neighbor
that 'just drops in' to sit a little while, and chat about neighborhood
happenings that we don't dare to speak about when some one comes to make
a formal call. I love flowers so much that it seemed as if I must have a
few where I could see them, while I was busy in the kitchen. You know, a
woman who does her own housework can't stop every time she'd like to to
run out to the front-yard garden. So I began to plant hardy things here,
and I've kept on ever since, till I've quite a collection, as you see.
Just odds and ends of the plants that seem most like folks, you know. It
doesn't amount to much as a garden, I suppose most folks would think,
but you've no idea of the pleasure I get out of it. Sometimes when I get
all fagged out over housework I go out and pull weeds in it, and hoe a
little, and train up the vines, and the first I know I'm ready to go
back to work, with the tired feeling all gone. And do you know--the
plants seem to enjoy it as much as I do? They seem to grow better here
than I could ever coax them to do in the front yard. But that's probably
because they get the slops from the kitchen, and the soap-suds, every
wash-day. It doesn't seem as if I worked among them at all. It's just
play. The fresh air of outdoors does me more good, I'm sure, than all
the doctors' tonics. And I'm not the only one in the family that enjoys
them. The children take a good deal of pride in 'mother's garden,' and
my husband took time, one day, in the busiest part of the season, to put
up that frame by the door, to train Morning Glories over."
In this ideal home-garden were old-fashioned Madonna Lilies, such as I
had not seen for years, and Bouncing Bets, ragged and saucy as ever, and
Southernwood, that gave off spicy odors every time one touched it, and
Aquilegias in blue and white and red, Life Everlasting, and Moss Pink,
and that most delicious of all old-fashioned garden flowers, the Spice
Pink, with its fringed petals marked with maroon, as if some wayside
artist had touched each one with a brush dipped in that color for the
simple mischief of the thing, and Hollyhocks, Rockets--almost all the
old "stand-bys." There was not one "new" flower there. If it had been,
it would have seemed out of place. The Morning Glories were just getting
well under way, and were only half-way up the door-frame, but I could
see, with my mind's eye, what a beautiful awning they would make a
little later. I could imagine them peering into the kitchen, like saucy,
fun-loving children, and laughing good-morning to the woman who "loved
flowers so well she couldn't get along without a few."
You see, she was successful with them because she loved them. Because of
that, the labor she bestowed upon them was play, not work. They were
friends of hers, and friendship never begrudges anything that gives
proof of its existence in a practical way. And the flowers, grateful for
the friendship which manifested itself in so many helpful ways, repaid
her generously in beauty and brightness and cheer by making themselves a
part of her daily life.
By all means, have a back-yard garden.
THE WILD GARDEN
A PLEA FOR OUR NATIVE PLANTS
Many persons, I find, are under the impression that we have few, if any,
native flowering plants and shrubs that are worthy a place in the
home-garden. They have been accustomed to consider them as "wild
things," and "weeds," forgetting or overlooking the fact that all plants
are wild things and weeds somewhere. So unfamiliar are they with many of
our commonest plants that they fail to recognize them when they meet
them outside their native haunts. Some years ago I transplanted a
Solidago,--better known as a "Golden Rod,"--from a fence-corner of the
pasture, and gave it a place in the home-garden. There it grew
luxuriantly, and soon became a great plant that sent up scores of stalks
each season as high as a man's head, every one of them crowned with a
plume of brilliant yellow flowers. The effect was simply magnificent.
One day an old neighbor came along, and stopped to chat with me as I
worked among my plants.
"That's a beauty," he said as he leaned across the fence near the Golden
Rod. "I don't know's I ever saw anything like it before. I reckon, now,
you paid a good deal of money for that plant."
"How much do you think it cost me?" I asked.
"Oh, I don't know," he answered, looking at the plant admiringly, and
then at some of foreign origin, near-by. He knew something about the
value of these, as he had one of them growing in his garden. He seemed
to be making a mental calculation, based on the relative beauty of the
plants, and presently he said:
"I ain't much of a judge of such things, but I wouldn't wonder if you
paid as much as three--mebby four--an' like's not five dollars for it."
"The plant cost me nothing but the labor of bringing it from the
pasture," I answered. "Don't you know what it is? There's any quantity
of it back of your barn, I notice."
"You don't mean to say that's yaller-weed," exclaimed the old gentleman,
with a disgusted look on his face. "I wouldn't have it in _my_ yard.
We've got weeds enough 'thout settin' 'em out". He went away with a
look on his face that made me think he felt as if he had been imposed
on.
While it is true, in many instances, that "familiarity breeds contempt,"
it is equally true that familiarity without prejudice would open our
eyes to the fact that beauty exists all about us--in lane, and field,
and roadside, and forest. We are not aware of the prevalence of it until
we go in search of it. When we go out with "the seeing eye," we find it
everywhere. Nothing is so plentiful or so cheap as beauty to the lover
of the beautiful. It may be had for the taking. We have fallen into the
habit of looking to foreign lands for plants with which to beautify our
gardens, thus neglecting and ignoring the beauty at our own doors. A
shrub with a long name and a good big price attached will win our
admiration, while a native plant, vastly more desirable, will be wholly
overlooked. It ought not to be so. "Home first, the world afterward" is
the motto of many patriotic men and women, and it ought to be the motto
of the lover of the beautiful in plant-life when he is seeking for
something with which to ornament the home-grounds.
Many persons have, however, become greatly interested in our native
plants, and it is apparent that the interest of the masses in whatever
is beautiful is steadily increasing. The people are being educated to a
keener appreciation of beauty than ever before. It is encouraging to
know that a demand has sprung up for shrubs and plants of American
origin--a demand so large, already, that many nurserymen advertise
collections of native plants, some of them quite extensive. Appreciation
of true beauty is putting a value into things which have heretofore had
no idea of value connected with them.
The dominant idea I had in mind, when this chapter was planned, was that
of enlisting the boys and girls in the work of making a collection of
native plants. I would have them make what might properly be called a
wild garden. But I would not confine the undertaking to the boys and
girls. I would interest the man or woman who has a home to make
beautiful in the material that is to be found on every hand, waiting to
be utilized. Such a garden can be made of great educational value, and,
at the same time, quite as ornamental as the garden that contains
nothing but foreign plants. It can be made to assist in the development
of patriotic as well as aesthetic ideas. It can be made to stimulate a
healthy rivalry among the boys and girls, as well as the "children of a
larger growth," as to whose collection shall be most complete. In the
care and culture of these plants a skill and knowledge may be attained
that will be of much benefit to them in the future, and possibly to the
world. Who knows? We may have among us a young Linnaeus, or a Humboldt,
and the making of a wild garden may tend to the discovery and
development of a talent which coming years may make us proud to do honor
to the possessor of.