GARDEN PLANTS
Not only does the plant world furnish us with all the multitudinous
products that we have already noticed, but it makes possible the
beautifying of our homes and parks. For with plant materials, anyone
with the knowledge and taste necessary for work of this kind may paint
living landscape pictures that grow in beauty as their individual units
reach maturity.
It lies outside the scope of this book to tell you the principles of
design upon which such landscape pictures must be based to be really
effective--that is the function of the landscape architect. But every
one of us knows when a house looks and is bare of vegetation about it,
and consequently has the earmarks of being merely a house, but not a
home. A walk through any suburb of a large city or through most of our
American villages would convince the lover of gardening that we are
still miles behind England and many other countries in the love and
appreciation of that kind of beauty in our home surroundings which plant
life alone can furnish. How unnecessary this is anyone can see by
visiting certain distinguished exceptions to the general indifference to
plant life about our homes. Such suburbs as Brookline near Boston,
Garden City and Morristown near New York, Guilford at Baltimore,
Germantown near Philadelphia and many places on the Pacific Coast show
what can be done to transform an otherwise indifferent landscape into a
beauty spot. While these are on the whole the homes of the wealthy,
money is not what has made them, for thousands of cottage gardens in
England are just as beautiful and have been made by people who live a
busy industrial life, but whose desire for beautiful surroundings makes
them spend their brief leisure in tending their flowers.
While large garden schemes demand somewhat expert advice as to their
planning and arrangement, it is perfectly simple for anyone to begin
planting his own home grounds if he has in his mind’s eye the ultimate
picture which he wishes his house and garden to become. But the habits
of plants, their growth requirements, their stature, and particularly
their colors are so various that, with the best will in the world, a
garden enthusiast without some knowledge of these things will get a
wholly disappointing result. Certain plants will grow in some sections
of the country, but fail in others; some flower in the south, but will
not do so in the north, and a few set seeds in certain places, but never
do in less favored regions. In the different sections of this chapter a
few good garden plants will be noted according to the regions to which
they are suited, but it must not be forgotten that some are suited also
to other regions than the one in which they are listed.
Those who have read the earlier chapters already know the difference
between annuals, biennials, and perennials which comprise all the
herbaceous plants upon which we depend mostly for cut flowers and in
large measure for giving color to the garden. The woody plants are the
ones upon which most garden pictures depend for their permanent
value--trees, shrubs and vines of infinite shape and foliage character.
In the case of trees, there are two major classes, those that drop their
leaves in fall and are therefore deciduous, and of value chiefly during
the growing season; and the evergreens, which retain their foliage all
the year and make winter landscapes of great beauty. The garden
enthusiast will very soon learn that evergreen plantings, while in many
ways the most beautiful, are much the most expensive and are never
suited to regions near big cities, for they will not stand smoke and
other fumes as many deciduous trees will do. Nor will they stand violent
winds, small rainfall, and great summer heat such as characterize the
central parts of the country. Their best development is therefore found
east of the Mississippi and west of the Rockies, and generally speaking,
their use in the garden should be confined to this region.
PLANT MATERIALS FOR THE GARDEN
TREES
So much of what makes landscapes permanently beautiful depends upon
trees that first place must always be given to them in any scheme of
planting. The location and ultimate spread of these trees will
infallibly make or mar any garden picture so that great care should be
used in selecting and planting them. The actual planting details such as
preparation of the soil and all the after care of plants cannot be dealt
with here, but many nursery catalogues give accurate directions and
there are hosts of books on the practice of gardening which give the
necessary information. In listing the different trees, symbols will be
put before the names, indicating in which region they are likely to grow
best, as follows:
* Suited to the region east of the Mississippi and north of the
frostless region of the Gulf States, but not all hardy in the
northern part of United States and adjacent Canada.
** Suited to the same general region, but most at home in the
northern part of the area.
Those that have no symbol before the name are understood to be,
generally speaking, hardy throughout the country, with, of course,
exceptions such as the desert and alkali regions of the country.
EVERGREENS
* White Pine, _Pinus Strobus_.
* Austrian Pine, _Pinus Austriaca_.
* Scotch Pine, _Pinus sylvestris_.
* Pitch Pine, _Pinus rigida_.
** Red Pine, _Pinus resinosa_.
* Umbrella Pine, _Sciadopitys verticillata_.
* White Fir, _Abies concolor_.
** Fraser’s Fir, _Abies Fraseri_.
* Nordman’s Fir, _Abies Nordmanniana_.
* Norway Spruce, _Picea excelsa_.
** White Spruce, _Picea alba_.
** Red Spruce, _Picea rubens_.
* Koster’s Blue Spruce, _Picea pungens glauca_.
* Engelmann’s Spruce, _Picea Engelmannii_.
* Juniper. Different species of the genus _Juniperus_,
mostly low growing and suitable for ground covers.
* Japanese Cypress, _Retinospora obtusa_. There are many
garden varieties.
* Southern Cypress, _Taxodium distichum_. Not hardy in
the northern part of the area. Best in wet places.
* Lawson’s Cypress, _Chamæcyparis Lawsoniana_.
* English Yew, _Taxus baccata_.
** American Yew, _Taxus canadensis_.
* Hemlock, _Tsuga canadensis_.
Of these the Austrian pine, hemlock, and the firs have the densest
foliage and should be used for such effects. Almost nothing will grow
under the evergreen trees, so close is their foliage. Lack of light and
the acid leached out of their bark by rains, stop the growth of nearly
all herbs underneath them.
DECIDUOUS TREES
Planted mostly for their foliage masses, but a few bear showy flowers
and such will be noted. The same symbols apply.
* American Beech, _Fagus ferruginea_.
* European Beech, _Fagus sylvatica_.
* White Oak, _Quercus alba_.
* Red Oak, _Quercus rubra_, the most rapid grower of all
the oaks.
* Scarlet Oak, _Quercus coccinea_.
Horsechestnut, _Aesculus Hippocastanum_.
* Norway Maple, _Acer platanoides_.
* Red Maple, _Acer rubrum_. Prefers moist places.
Sugar Maple, _Acer saccharum_.
* Silver Maple, _Acer saccharinum_. Fine tree with interesting
branching, but brittle.
* Tulip Tree, _Liriodendron tulipifera_. Showy orange-green
flowers.
* American Plane Tree, _Platanus occidentalis_. A native
tree, but not so satisfactory as
* Oriental Plane Tree, _Platanus orientalis_.
* Sweet Gum, _Liquidambar styraciflua_.
White-leaved Poplar, _Populus alba_.
Balsam Poplar, _Populus balsamifera_.
* Flowering Plum, _Prunus Pissardi_ and many other varieties
and species of the genus _Prunus_ such as Japanese
Flowering Cherries and Plums.
* American Elm, _Ulmus americana_.
* English Elm, _Ulmus campestris_.
* Maidenhair Tree, _Ginkgo biloba_. Not hardy in the northern
part of the area.
Black Locust, _Robinia Pseudacacia_. Showy pink flowers.
European White Birch, _Betula alba_.
Black Alder, _Alnus glutinosa_.
Ash, _Fraxinus americana_.
* Dogwood, _Cornus florida_. Showy white bloom. Tree will
not grow well unless in partial shade.
* Cornelian Cherry, _Cornus Mas_. Covered with yellow
flowers before the leaves come out in early spring.
* European Hornbeam, _Carpinus Betulus_.
Weeping Willow, _Salix Babylonica_.
Box Elder, _Acer Negundo_.
* Magnolias. Different trees and some shrubs of the genus
_Magnolia_ all with showy flowers. Rather tender and
cannot be grown without considerable care, especially
when young.
Honey Locust, _Gleditsia triacanthos_.
Catalpa, _Catalpa speciosa_. Showy flowers.
* _Paulownia imperialis._ Showy flowers, but not hardy in
northern part of the area.
There are many other deciduous and evergreen trees that might be listed
and which will be found in the nursery catalogues of dealers in
different parts of the country. Some of these require special conditions
of soil and climate and should not be planted unless these conditions
are understood. In the frostless region of the country many plants can
be grown that are of tropical or near-tropical origin, but no list of
them will be included here. Some of them are hardy as far north as
Washington, D. C., and are worth trying by anyone living in this region,
as they give us effects not possible with the trees noted.
SHRUBS
While trees make the major feature of any garden, shrubs are chiefly
used to fill in between them, or in small gardens the only woody plants
that can be used are often shrubs. Within the last two or three years
the Government has prohibited the importation of plants from abroad,
upon the ground that various insect pests and fungous diseases were
likely to be carried into the country upon such plants. For this reason
American gardeners will have to propagate their own plants and we shall
have to use more native plants than European and Asiatic species, which
made up the bulk of our gardening material in the past.
There are excellent reasons for using native shrubs upon quite other
grounds than the difficulty or danger of importing foreign ones. Native
plants fit into the natural landscape better than introduced sorts, and
very often the garden enthusiast can go out into the country and dig out
small specimens instead of buying them.
In the list of native American shrubs given below, there are directions
of where to use them, their heights, their flower color and other
information about them that will help the amateur gardener to select his
shrubs for definite effects. All of the shrubs listed can be gown in
most parts of the country, and from the list nearly every wish of the
garden planner may be gratified. This list is a practical one and has
been used by landscape architects and others. It was written by the
author for “The Garden Magazine” whose publishers, Doubleday, Page &
Company, have kindly allowed its use here.
It will be noted that under each month group the names are arranged in
botanical sequence so that allied plants are brought together. All the
ninety-four species are offered for sale in American nurseries. Those in
the column “Remarks and Notes” as well as about twenty others not
included, must be collected in the wild.
A word now as to cultivation and care. Most of the shrubs, except those
so noted, can either be planted in the spring or fall, as this is a
matter that should be determined by the planter’s convenience. In
digging the holes make them twice as wide and deep as the size of the
roots apparently demand. Note carefully the column “Preferred Habitat,”
so that the shrubs may find congenial surroundings. Pack the soil well
around the roots, water thoroughly, and frequently if the weather is dry
and windy. The first winter or two a heavy mulch of leaves, or leaves
and manure mixed, to be dug in the following spring, will well repay the
expense and trouble.
It will be noted that some of the shrubs are marked with an asterisk
(*). These all belong to the heath family and require special treatment.
A soil composed of rotten sods and leafmold, about half and half, is
most essential for the successful cultivation of these plants. They
require peculiar acid soil conditions well approximated by the above
mixture, and a mulch, preferably of red-oak leaves, or the leaves of the
mountain laurel if available. Never disturb the roots of these plants by
digging in the mulch, which is better left on indefinitely. Soils with
much lime in them must also be avoided when growing these heath-family
plants.
It is often somewhat difficult in arranging a shrubbery planting to
group the plants according to the color of their flowers. For the
greater ease in using the larger table, and so that one can arrive at
the relative frequency of the various colors desirable for use in the
scheme, the following table is appended. The numbers refer, of course,
to those in the table below. The figures given in parentheses are the
total of plants in each division.
_By color of flowers._ Yellow-green (10): 1, 8, 9, 10, 30, 31, 36,
44, 49, 86. Brown-green (10): 2, 3, 4, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 27, 39.
Yellow (5): 5, 25, 41, 84, 92. Pink-purple (4): 7, 74, 75, 83.
White (35): 6, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 28, 29, 32, 40, 42, 43,
45, 46, 47, 51, 55, 57, 58, 59, 69, 70, 71, 72, 76, 78, 79, 80, 81,
82, 88, 89, 90. Green-white (11): 16, 23, 33, 50, 52, 63, 64, 65,
66, 87, 94. Pinkish-white (10): 26, 37, 38, 54, 56, 61, 67, 73, 77,
93. Pink (5): 34, 60, 62, 85, 91. Lilac (1): 35. Violet-purple (2):
48, 68. Orange-red (1): 53.
It often happens, too, that we have some definite spot, such as a small
stream or swamp, a dry hill-side, or a shaded wood, that we wish to
beautify. Therefore:
_By preferred habitat of shrubs._ Moist places (19): 1, 2, 4, 9,
15, 17, 30, 36, 42, 50, 75, 78, 82, 83, 84, 85, 87, 88, 89.
Indifferent (32): 3, 5, 6, 7, 12, 14, 24, 29, 32, 35, 37, 38, 41,
43, 45, 47, 48, 51, 52, 59, 60, 61, 62, 68, 70, 71, 72, 79, 80, 81,
90, 91. Shaded woods (13): 8, 16, 23, 25, 26, 27, 31, 63, 65, 67,
69, 74, 92. Dry places (19): 10, 13, 18, 20, 21, 22, 34, 39, 46,
49, 53, 54, 56, 58, 64, 77, 86, 93, 94. Swamps (6): 11, 40, 55, 66,
73, 76. Thickets (1): 19. Cool woods (4): 28, 33, 44, 57.
In planning a screen for an unsightly fence or building, or to cover up
some small landscape importunity, it is often essential to know, _en
masse_, the heights of shrubs for such purposes. The following table
gives the dimensions of the shrubs, normal individuals averaging about
midway of the extreme heights given.
_By height of shrubs._ One to four feet (13): 2, 6, 21, 27, 34, 56,
62, 75, 77, 83, 84, 91, 93. Two to five (24): 10, 11, 13, 16, 22,
25, 31, 36, 37, 42, 44, 53, 57, 60, 61, 65, 67, 69, 73, 81, 82, 85,
90, 94. Three to nine (29): 3, 4, 8, 12, 14, 15, 17, 20, 26, 28,
32, 33, 35, 38, 39, 41, 43, 45, 48, 54, 58, 59, 70, 72, 74, 78, 80,
86, 88. Six to fifteen (21): 1, 5, 7, 18, 19, 29, 40, 46, 47, 49,
50, 52, 55, 64, 68, 71, 76, 79, 87, 89, 92. Ten to eighteen (7): 9,
23, 24, 30, 51, 63, 66.
PLANTING TABLE FOR OUR NATIVE SHRUBS[3]
--------------------+------+---------+--------------+-----------------------------------------------
Common and Latin |Height| Color of| Preferred | Remarks and Notes
Names |(feet)| Flowers | Habitat |
--------------------+------+---------+--------------+-----------------------------------------------
Flowering in | | | |
MARCH-APRIL | | | |
| | | |
1. Pussy willow | 7-12 |Yellow- | Moist |Flowers before the leaves come out. _S. cordata_,
(Salix discolor) | | green| places | a larger bush, with broad leaves is worth
| | | | cultivating. Not in the catalogues.
| | | |
2. Dwarf willow | 1-4 |Brown- | Moist |Useful in masses. Can be made to grow in all
(Salix tristis) | | green| places | sorts of places. One of the very earliest
| | | | flowering shrubs.
| | | |
3. Hazelnut (Corylus| 3-6 |Brownish-|Indifferent[4]|Nuts edible much gathered by the squirrels,
americana) | | green| | The catkins out before the leaves. European
| | | | hazelnut is a better plant.
| | | |
4. Alder | 5-9 |Brownish-| Moist |Will grow in other situations. The fruits, not
(Alnus rugosa) | | green| places | very strong, will stay on all winter. Useful
| | | | in masses along brooks.
| | | |
5. Spice bush | 6-15 |Yellow | Indifferent |Flowers much before the leaves, very fragrant,
(Benzoin | | | | Near N. Y. usually not over 10 feet, larger
odoriferum) | | | | southward.
| | | |
6. Red chokeberry | 2-4 |White | Indifferent |Common from N. Y. southward. _A. atropurpurea_,
(Aronia| | | | | with black fruit is worth while.
arbutifolia) | | | | _A. arbutifolia_ has red fruit.
--------------------+------+---------+--------------+-----------------------------------------------
--------------------+------+-----------+-----------+-------------------------------------------------
Common and Latin |Height| Color of | Preferred | Remarks and Notes
Names |(feet)| Flowers | Habitat |
--------------------+------+-----------+-----------+-------------------------------------------------
7. Red bud (Cercis | 4-15 |Pink-purple|Indifferent|Magnificent masses of color before the leaves
canadensis) | | | | appear. Sometimes almost a tree. Rare as
| | | | a wild plant, but easily cultivated.
| | | |
8. Fragrant sumac | 3-8 |Yellowish | Rocky |Will grow in unlikely places and an excellent
(Rhus canadensis | | green| woods| shrub for wild effect. Flowers half hidden
aromatica) | | | | by compound leaves.
| | | |
APRIL-MAY | | | |
| | | |
9. Shiny willow |10-18 |Yellow- | Low places|Will grow almost anywhere. _S. myrtilloides_ a
(Salix lucida) | | green| | shrub 3½ feet, not in the trade, is handsome
| | | | with yellow catkins.
| | | |
10. Prairie willow | 3-6 |Yellow- | Dry places|Will grow almost anywhere. Flowers out much
(Salix humilis) | | green| | before the leaves. Useful only in mass effects.
| | | |
11. Sweet gale | 3-6 |Incons- |Swamps |Ash colored fruits effective all winter. Will
(Myrica Gale) | | picuous| and bogs| grow in many other situations besides the
| | | | preferred one.
| | | |
12. Bayberry (Myrica| 3-8 | Not showy |Indifferent|Grows equally well in sand loam, or swampy
carolinensis) | | | | places. Leaves shining green, long persistent.
| | | | Fruits whitish; all winter.
| | | |
13. Sweet fern | 3-5 |Golden- |Dry |Golden catkins very showy before the leaves.
(Comptonia | | brown| hillsides| Whole plant very fragrant. Can be grown
asplenifolia) | | | | almost anywhere.
--------------------+------+-----------+-----------+-------------------------------------------------
---------------------------+------+-----------+-----------+--------------------------------------------------
Common and Latin |Height| Color of | Preferred | Remarks and Notes
Names |(feet)| Flowers | Habitat |
---------------------------+------+-----------+-----------+--------------------------------------------------
14. Beaked hazelnut | 3-6 |Brown- |Indifferent|Along streams it makes effective screens and
(Corylus rostrata) | | yellow| | borders. The long beak quite distinct from
| | | | No. 3. Occasionally 8 feet.
| | | |
15. Hoary elder | 4-9 |Greenish- |Moist |Leaves pale green beneath. With Nos. 3, 4, 14
(Alnus incana) | | brown| places| and 89, it can be used effectively along shores
| | | | of streams and ponds.
| | | |
16. American black | 3-5 |Green- |Shaded |_R. lacustre_ and _R. rubrum_, the latter with reddish
currant (Ribes | | white| woods| purple flowers are very fine. Neither
americana) | | | | in the trade.
| | | |
17. Juneberry | 5-12 | White |Moist |As individual plants very shapely, but rather
(Amelanchier Botryapium)| | | places| ungainly in close formation. _A. spicata_ (1-4
| | | | ft.) good, but not in the trade.
| | | |
18. English hawthorn | 5-15 | White |Dry |The May. Much cultivated and now run wild.
(Cratægus Oxyacantha) | | | hillsides| The American _C. rotundifolia_ common on L.
| | | | I. and N. J., but not for sale.
| | | |
19. Scarlet thorn (Cratægus| 5-15 | White |Thickets |The closely related _C. Mollis_, with scarlet fruits
coccinea) | | | | is effective in autumn. Not in the catalogues.
| | | |
20. Dwarf thorn | 2-8 | White |Dry sandy |Quite indifferent as to locality when cultivated.
(Cratægus uniflora) | | | place| _C. macracantha_ with long spines is often
| | | | 10 to 15 feet. Not in the trade.
| | | |
21 Beach plum (Prunus | 1-4 | White |Sandy |Fruit makes excellent jelly. Very successful
maritima) | | | places| near the sea. _P. cuneata_ better grown near
| | | | moist rocks.
---------------------------+------+-----------+-----------+--------------------------------------------------
--------------------------+------+-----------+-----------+----------------------------------------------------
Common and Latin |Height| Color of | Preferred | Remarks and Notes
Names |(feet)| Flowers | Habitat |
--------------------------+------+-----------+-----------+----------------------------------------------------
22. Sand cherry | 3-6 | White |Dry places |Splendid in masses or small hillocks. Will
(Prunus pumila) | | | | grow in almost pure sand. _P. Gravessii_ not
| | | | in the trade.
| | | |
23. Prickly ash | 6-18 | Green |Shaded | Will also grow in ordinary garden soil. The
(Xanthoxylum | | | places| large compound leaves give splendid foliage
americium) | | | | effects.
| | | |
24. Bladder nut (Staphylea| 6-20 | White |Indifferent|Usually about 10 feet in our latitude. The
trifolia) | | | | showy pods stay on most of the winter.
| | | | Flowers not showy.
| | | |
25. Leatherwood | 2-5 | Yellowish |Shaded |In masses under trees or along shaded walks
(Dirca palustris) | | | places| it is most welcome. Useful in a shaded
| | | | rockery.
| | | |
26. Pinkster flower | 2-7 |Pinkish- |Shaded |A blaze of color when planted in masses with
(Azalea nudiflora) | | white| wood[5]| other Azaleas. Can also be grown successfully
| | | | in the open.
| | | |
27. Deerberry (Vaccinium | 1-4 |Purple- |Dry |Flowers not showy, but purple fruits are attractive.
stamineum) | | green| woods[5]| Best not disturbed or transplanted
| | | | after setting out.
| | | |
28. Red-berried elder | 3-10 | White |Cool |Easily grown in the garden but most successfully
(Sambucus pubens) | | | woods| under trees or along the north side of
| | | | the house.
| | | |
29. Black haw (Viburnum | 5-18 | White |Indifferent|After becoming a small tree. A magnificent
prunifolium) | | | | snowy shrub in the spring. Fruits black.
--------------------------+------+-----------+-----------+---------------------------------------------------
--------------------------+------+-----------+-----------+-------------------------------------------------
Common and Latin |Height| Color of | Preferred | Remarks and Notes
Names |(feet)| Flowers | Habitat |
--------------------------+------+-----------+-----------+-------------------------------------------------
MAY | | | |
| | | |
30. Silky willow | 6-15 |Yellow- |Moist |With the other willows useful for filling in
(Salix sericea) | | green| places| low moist places. Leaves ashy beneath. Catkins
| | | | showy.
| | | |
31. Wild gooseberry | 3-5 |Greenish- |Rocky |Better grown in the shade and in rich soil.
(Ribes Cynosbati) | | yellow| woods| The bristly fruits are odd persistent features
| | | | of this shrub.
| | | |
32. Black chokeberry | 3-8 | White |Indifferent|Shiny black fruit stays on until December or
(Aronia nigra) | | | | January. Somewhat scraggy, except in
| | | | masses.
| | | |
33. Mountain holly | 4-10 |Greenish- |Cool shade |Flowers not showy but the red fruits showy
(Ilex monticola) | | white| | all the autumn. Do not attempt to grow in
| | | | hot, dry places.
| | | |
34. Blue huckleberry | 1-4 | Pink |Dry soil[5]|The profusion of tiny bell-like flowers appearing
(Vaccinium vaccillans)| | | | with the leaves makes this attractive.
| | | | Fruits purple-black.
| | | |
35. Common lilac | 4-10 | Lilac |Ordinary |Cultivated everywhere and sometimes escaped
(Syringa vulgaris) | | |garden soil| from gardens. There are scores of attractive
| | | | hybrids and forms.
| | | |
36. American fly | 2-4 |Greenish- |Moist |Easily grown in ordinary garden soil, but prefers
honeysuckle (Lonicera | | yellow| woods| shade. Best planted along shaded walks.
ciliata) | | | |
--------------------------+------+-----------+-----------+-------------------------------------------------
-------------------------+------+-----------+-----------+--------------------------------------------------
Common and Latin |Height| Color of | Preferred | Remarks and Notes
Names |(feet)| Flowers | Habitat |
-------------------------+------+-----------+-----------+--------------------------------------------------
37. Fly honeysuckle | 2-6 |Pinkish- |Indifferent|Sometimes an escape from cultivation. The
(Lonicera Xylosteum) | | white| | scarlet berries are showy in the early fall.
| | | |
38. Tartarian bush | 3-8 |Pinkish- |Indifferent|_L. oblongifolia_ with purplish-yellow flowers in
honeysuckle (Lonicera| | white| | May and June is attractive. Not in the
Tatarica) | | | | catalogue.
| | | |
MAY-JUNE | | | |
| | | |
39. Chinquapin (Castanea | 5-8 |Brownish- |Dry soil |Apt to be affected with the chestnut blight.
pumila) | | green| | The long catkins and fruit are interesting
| | | | but not showy.
| | | |
40. Magnolia (Magnolia | 4-10 | White |Swamps |Can also be grown very well on dry ground
glauca) | | | and bogs| and in any garden soil. Fruits rose red.
| | | |
41. Common barberry | 3-8 | Yellow |Common |Often an escape from cultivation. The well-known
(Berberis vulgaris) | | |garden soil| scarlet berries showy in autumn.
| | | |
42. Virginian willow | 2-4 | White |Moist |When massed either alone or with _Clethra alnifolia_
(Itea virginica) | | | places| it makes attractive patches of white.
| | | |
43. Syringa (Philadelphus| 4-10 |Cream- |Indifferent|Many horticultural forms of this are in the
coronarius) | | white| | trade. All are useful. Fruits brownish.
| | | |
44. Fetid currant | 3-6 |Greenish- |Cool moist |Not easily grown as it grows naturally on the
(Ribes prostratum) | | yellow| places| cool mountain slopes. Fruits red.
-------------------------+------+-----------+-----------+--------------------------------------------------
------------------------+------+-----------+-----------+------------------------------------------------
Common and Latin |Height| Color of | Preferred | Remarks and Notes
Names |(feet)| Flowers | Habitat |
------------------------+------+-----------+-----------+------------------------------------------------
45. Opulaster (Spiræa | 3-9 | White |Indifferent|Splendid masses of flowers, as it is a profuse
opulifolia) | | | | bloomer. Often from 3-6 feet wide and very
| | | | bushy.
| | | |
46. Cockspur thorn | 6-14 | White |Dry soil |One of the most commonly cultivated of our
(Cratægus Crusgalli)| | | | native shrubs. Very thorny and a good hedge
| | | | plant.
| | | |
47. Pear haw (Cratægus | 4-12 | White |Indifferent|The dull red fruits cling on most of the winter.
tomentosa) | | | | A profusely flowering shrub.
| | | |
48. Bastard indigo | 4-10 |Violet- |Rich soil |A gorgeous flowering shrub, which in masses
(Amorpha fruticosa) | | purple| | is unrivaled. Repays good cultivation and
| | | | care.
| | | |
49. Staghorn sumac | 6-15 | Green |Dry places |Autumnal coloring magnificent. On a low hill
(Rhus typhina) | | | | very effective in large masses.
| | | |
50. American holly | 6-15 |Greenish- |Moist |Best transplanted in the spring, when all the
(Ilex opaca) | | white| woods| evergreen leaves should be knocked or
| | | | clipped off.
| | | |
51. Buckthorn | 8-16 | White |Indifferent|This and No. 52 both European shrubs that
(Rhamnus cathartica)| | | | have run wild in this country. Neither
| | | | is showy in flower.
| | | |
52. Alder buckthorn | 4-11 |Greenish- |Indifferent|Its natural home is in swamps and bogs, but
(Rhamnus Frangula) | | white| | generations of garden culture has made it at
| | | | home.
------------------------+------+-----------+-----------+------------------------------------------------
--------------------------+------+-----------+------------+-----------------------------------------------------
Common and Latin |Height| Color of | Preferred | Remarks and Notes
Names |(feet)| Flowers | Habitat |
--------------------------+------+-----------+------------+-----------------------------------------------------
53. Flame azalea | 2-7 |Orange- |Dry woods[5]|The showiest of all our native shrubs. Not
(Azalea calendulacea) | | yellow| | very common in the wild state.
| | Red | |
| | | |
54. Mountain laurel | 4-10 |Pinkish- |Dry woods[5]|In masses under the shade of trees a wonderfully
(Kalmia latifolia) | | white| | effective shrub. Prefers rich soil.
| | | |
55. Swamp huckleberry | 6-15 | White |Swamps |Flowers not very showy, but the fruits are
(Vaccinium corymbosum)| | | and wet | the finest of the tribe. Will not tolerate
| | | woods[5]| dry places.
| | | |
56. Low blueberry | 1-4 |Pinkish- |Dry or sandy|Often grows in almost pure sand in the pine-barrens.
(Vaccinicum | | white| soil[5] | Neither flower nor fruit showy.
Pennsylvanicum) | | | |
| | | |
57. Hobble bush | 3-6 | White |Cool, moist |The outer circle of flowers in each cluster very
(Viburnum alnifolium) | | | shade| much larger than the inner. Does not like
| | | | hot places.
| | | |
58. Dockmackie | 3-8 | White |Dry woods |Looks like a small maple tree. Useful as it
(Viburnum acerifolium)| | | | will grow almost anywhere. Fruits black.
| | | |
JUNE-JULY | | | |
| | | |
59. Hydrangea | 4-9 | White |Indifferent |Thoroughly hardy and often easier grown than
(Hydrangea arborescens)| | | | the more showy exotic species.
--------------------------+------+-----------+------------+-----------------------------------------------------
-------------------------+------+-----------+-----------+---------------------------------------------------
Common and Latin |Height| Color of | Preferred | Remarks and Notes
Names |(feet)| Flowers | Habitat |
-------------------------+------+-----------+-----------+---------------------------------------------------
60. Meadow rose | 2-4 | Pink |Indifferent|Along paths and roadsides it scrambles everywhere
(Rosa virginiana | | | | with apparent cultural indifference
blanda) | | | |
| | | |
61. Sweetbrier | 3-6 |Pinkish- |Indifferent|Well repays good treatment when it often becomes
(Rosa rubiginosa) | | white| | a bushy shrub 4 to 5 feet in diameter.
| | | |
62. Pasture rose | 1-3 | Pink |Indifferent|The beautiful large petals very evanescent. It
(Rosa humilis) | | | | can be best grown in a moist place. Showy.
| | | |
63. Water ash | 6-18 |Greenish- |Shade |Flowers inconspicuous but the compound
(Ptelea trifoliata) | | white| | leaves make it a good foliage plant. Wood
| | | | very brittle.
| | | |
64. Black sumac | 5-15 |Greenish- |Dry places |The large compound leaves a beautiful scarlet
(Rhus Copallina) | | white| | in the autumn. Profuse bloomer and fruits
| | | | persistent.
| | | |
65. Inkberry | 3-6 |Greenish- |Moist |The more rare _I. mucronata_ of swamps is interesting
(Ilex glabra) | | white| woods| botanically but must be collected
| | | | from the wild.
| | | |
66. Winterberry | 6-18 |Greenish- |Swamps |Splendid scarlet fruits cling on in large clusters
(Ilex verticillata) | | white| | most of the winter. Often easily grown in
| | | | the garden.
| | | |
67. Strawberry bush | 3-7 |Greenish- |Low woods |Flowers small and inconspicuous but followed
(Euonymus americanus)| | pink| | by red fruits that last until December. A
| | | | slender plant.
-------------------------+------+-----------+-----------+-----------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------+------+-------------+------------+---------------------------------------------------
Common and Latin |Height| Color of | Preferred | Remarks and Notes
Names |(feet)| Flowers | Habitat |
-----------------------------+------+-------------+------------+---------------------------------------------------
68. Burning bush | 8-15 | Purple | Indifferent| European shrub much cultivated and now widely
(Euonymus atropurpureus) | | | | established as a wild plant. Fruits red
| | | | and showy.
| | | |
69. New Jersey tea | 2-6 | White | Shade | Effective as massed plantings. The leaves the
(Ceanothus americanus) | | | | source of tea in Revolutionary times. A
| | | | profuse bloomer.
| | | |
70. Kinnikinik (Cornus | 3-10 | White | Indifferent| Purple twigs effective in winter. The reddish-twigged
Amomum) | | | | C. asperifolia effective but not on
| | | | sale.
| | | |
71. Red osier dogwood | 3-12 | White | Indifferent| Twigs reddish-purple; and fine in masses for
(miscalled kinnikinik) | | | | its winter color harmonies. Easily grown
(Cornus | | | | from cuttings.
stolonifera) | | | |
| | | |
72. Cornel (Cornus | 3-10 | White | Indifferent| The bright green twigs which keep their color
alternifolia) | | | | all winter make it attractive grouped with
| | | | Nos. 70 and 71.
| | | |
73. Swamp honeysuckle | 3-6 | Pink and | Swamps[5] | Rather shy of dry places but easily replaced in
(Azalea viscosa) | | white | | such places by the A. canescens, which must
| | | | be collected.
| | | |
74. Rhododendron | 4-18 | Rose-white- | Woods[5] | Old plants, almost treelike, should never be disturbed.
(Rhododendron | | purple | | Be careful to nip all fruits as soon as
maximum) | | | | they appear.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------+------+-----------+-----------+---------------------------------------------------
Common and Latin |Height| Color of | Preferred | Remarks and Notes
Names |(feet)| Flowers | Habitat |
--------------------------+------+-----------+-----------+---------------------------------------------------
75. Sheep laurel (Kalmia | 1-3 |Purple- |Low, moist |The rare _K. glauca_, not in the trade, is very
angustifolia) | | crimson| places[5]| much worth while. Neither is happy in open
| | | | dry places.
| | | |
76. Leucothoe (Leucothoe | 5-12 |Cream- |Swamps[5] |The glossy practically evergreen leaves make an
racemosa) | | white| | effective winter showing. Can be grouped with
| | | | Nos. 74, 77 and 78.
| | | |
77. Staggerbush | 1-4 |Pinkish- |Sandy |Isolated plants are apt to be sprawling, but
(Pieris Mariana) | | white| soil[5]| when massed the delicate flowers make attractive
| | | | patches of color.
| | | |
78. Privet andromeda | 4-9 | White |Moist |Leaves partially evergreen, and dark glossy
(Xolisma ligustrina) | | | places[5]| green in color. A profuse bloomer with persistent
| | | | fruits.
| | | |
79. Elderberry (Sambucus | 5-15 | White |Indifferent|In large clusters most effective as a screen.
canadensis) | | | | Will grow very well along a stream or pond.
| | | | Fruits “mussy.”
| | | |
80. Cranberry bush | 3-12 | White |Indifferent|Profuse masses of flowers and large clusters of
(Viburnum Opulus) | | | | scarlet berries make it most useful all the
| | | | year.
| | | |
81. Withe rod (Viburnum | 2-8 | White |Indifferent|The _C. pubescens_ of rocky woods equally good
nudum) | | | | but not offered for sale. Fruits blue-black.
| | | |
82. Appalachian tea | 2-8 | White |Moist |_V. Lentago_ with black fruits useful, but must
(Viburnum cassinoides)| | | places| be collected. Leaves of _V. cassinoides_ glossy
| | | | and dark green.
--------------------------+------+-----------+-----------+---------------------------------------------------
--------------------------+------+-----------+-----------+------------------------------------------------
Common and Latin |Height| Color of | Preferred | Remarks and Notes
Names |(feet)| Flowers | Habitat |
--------------------------+------+-----------+-----------+------------------------------------------------
JULY-AUGUST | | | |
| | | |
83. Hard hack (Spiræa | 1-4 |Pink- |Low |The ashy underside of the leaves, contrasted
tomentosa) | | purple| ground| with the pinkish-purple flowers is a novel
| | | | combination.
| | | |
84. Shrubby cinquefoil | 2-4 | Yellow |Moist |One of the yellow-flowered shrubs that are used.
(Potentilla fruticosa)| | | places| Sometimes winter-kills near New York.
| | | |
85. Swamp rose | 4-7 |Rose- |Moist |Can also be successfully grown in ordinary
(Rosa Carolina) | | colored | places| garden soil, well manured. Flowers soon
| | | | withering in open sunlight.
| | | |
86. Smooth sumac | 3-12 | Greenish |Dry places |Grouped with Nos. 49 and 64, it gives a wild
(Rhus glabra) | | | | touch to the landscape. Autumn color gorgeous.
| | | |
87. Hercules’s club | 6-15 | White |Low |Large compound leaves 3 to 4 feet long, make
(Aralia spinosa) | | | ground| this the foliage plant _par excellence_. Flowers
| | | | inconspicuous.
| | | |
88. Sweet pepper bush | 3-8 |Cream- |Low |Fragrant flowers followed by persistent fruits,
(Clethra alnifolia) | | white| ground| a sturdy habit and bushy outline make this
| | | | a favorite.
| | | |
89. Buttonbush | 5-15 |Cream- |Moist |Best not attempted much away from water,
(Cephalanthus | | white| places| and in such situations often becoming almost
occidentalis) | | | | treelike. Flowers fragrant.
--------------------------+------+-----------+-----------+------------------------------------------------
--------------------------+------+-----------+-----------+-----------------------------------------------------
Common and Latin |Height| Color of | Preferred | Remarks and Notes
Names |(feet)| Flowers | Habitat |
--------------------------+------+-----------+-----------+-----------------------------------------------------
90. Snowberry | 2-6 | White |Indifferent|The flowers are not showy but the conspicuous
(Symphoricarpos | | | | white berries stay on all winter, thus valuable
racemosus) | | | | for winter effect.
| | | |
91. Coralberry | 1-4 | Pink |Indifferent|Much like the preceding but the red fruits are
(Symphoricarpos | | | | not so persistent. Forms a wide-spreading
vulgaris) | | | | bush.
| | | |
SEPT.-DEC. | | | |
| | | |
92. Witch hazel | 5-15 | Yellow |Moist |Flowers later than any other native shrub,
(Hamamelis virginiana)| | | shade| often after all the leaves have fallen off,
| | | | and the first frost arrives.
| | | |
93. Heather | 1-2 |Pinkish- |Sandy |Rather shy in its few American localities. Near
(Calluna vulgaris) | | white| places| the coast from Massachusetts to southern
| | | | New Jersey it should do well.
| | | |
94. Groundsel tree | 2-5 |Whitish- |Dry soil |Best transplanted in the spring as its late flowering
(Baccharis | | green| | makes autumnal activity too great for
halimifolia) | | | | easy transplanting then.
--------------------------+------+-----------+-----------+-----------------------------------------------------
Rhododendrons and azaleas, hundreds of varieties of which are known and
admired by all garden lovers, are mostly derived from Asiatic species,
and under the new law have become rare and expensive in this country. A
few American nurserymen are able to propagate them so that we can still
get plants of these showiest of all shrubs. They should not be used in
regions where there is scant rainfall, very hot summers, high winds or
extreme winters. Their use is practically confined to the region east of
the Alleghenies.
GARDEN HERBS
The foregoing lists of shrubs and trees give sufficient information so
that all garden enthusiasts can at least make the broad outlines of a
garden picture. It must never be forgotten that these woody plants are
the only really permanent things in the scheme and should therefore be
placed with more care and thought than the herbs, which can be moved at
will. In selecting herbs, two chief divisions of them should be kept in
mind; annuals which are planted for quick effects and which die down at
the end of the year, and perennials which live year after year and
produce flowers usually after the second year. It is from perennials
that the great bulk of our fine garden plants are derived. Planted in
beds or better yet among shrubbery or on shrub-backed borders they are
the most beautiful and most satisfactory of all herbaceous plants.
Most of them may be started from seed in August of any year and grown
along through the balance of that growing season, after which they
should be covered up with straw or manure. The following season at least
three-quarters of them will flower and by their third season all of them
will do so.
COLOR, SEASON, AND HEIGHT OF HARDY PERENNIALS
A study of the following list will show any garden amateur how he may
group his perennials in borders or beds and how he can get different
color effects at different seasons and in plants of different heights.
This admirable list of perennial plants was prepared by Charles Downing
Lay, a landscape architect, and published by “Landscape Architecture.”
The editors of that publication and Mr. Lay have kindly consented to
having the list reprinted here.