The Flower Garden

Part 1

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THE FLOWER GARDEN

The Country Home Library

THE FLOWER GARDEN

IDA D. BENNETT

New York McClure, Phillips & Co. MCMV

Copyright, 1903, by McClure, Phillips & Co.

Published, May, 1903, N

Second Impression

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CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I. THE LOCATION AND ARRANGEMENT OF THE GARDEN 3

II. SOILS 17

III. FERTILISERS 23

IV. THE HOTBED, COLD-FRAME AND SAND-BOX 30

V. PURCHASING OF SEEDS 41

VI. STARTING SEEDS IN FLATS 48

VII. TRANSPLANTING AND REPOTTING 53

VIII. HOUSE-PLANTS FROM SEEDS 62

IX. OUTSIDE WINDOW-BOXES 88

X. VARIOUS ANNUALS FROM SEED 98

XI. VINES 128

XII. ORNAMENTAL FOLIAGE PLANTS FROM SEED 141

XIII. BULBOUS AND TUBEROUS-ROOTED PLANTS 147

Part 2

XIV. AQUATICS 165

XV. THE CARE OF THE SUMMER ROSE-BED 173

XVI. THE HARDY LILY-BED 179

XVII. THE CARE OF CANNAS, CALADIUMS, DAHLIAS, AND OTHER BULBS DURING WINTER 185

XVIII. HARDY SHRUBS AND PLANTS FOR FALL PLANTING 196

XIX. WINTER PROTECTION 203

XX. THE CARE OF HOUSE-PLANTS IN WINTER 208

XXI. COMMON AND ENGLISH NAMES OF FLOWERS 217

XXII. BLOOMING SEASON OF VARIOUS TREES, SHRUBS, AND PLANTS 234

XXIII. A CHAPTER OF ODDS AND ENDS 245

XXIV. A CHAPTER OF DON’TS 253

INDEX 259

ILLUSTRATIONS

Sweet Alyssum and Golden Saxatile are Desirable for Rockwork Frontispiece

FACING PAGE

Ornamental Grasses and Foliage Plants 8

Manure Water is a good Way to apply Animal Fertiliser 26

When Plants Appear too Thickly in Rows, Transplant 32

A Well constructed Hotbed 32

Starting Seeds in Flats 50

Sifting Loam through a Sieve 56

Repotting 60

When Two or Three Inches High—Transplant Carnations into Pots 72

An Easily made Carnation Support 72

Injured or Faded Leaves should be Removed at once 86

Outside Window-boxes 90

Boxes in which Scythes are Packed make very good Window-boxes 94

Hanging-baskets for Windows 94

Part 3

Small Water Gardens 104

Cool, Moist Spots between Stones 108

Dusting with Sulphur 114

Spraying with Bordeaux Mixture 114

Sow Poppies in the Perennial Border among the late Flowering Plants 116

A Dead Tree Draped with Vines 132

Furnish Support for Vines to Run on 134

Vine-covered Shed 134

Clematis Paniculata Blooms when most Others have Ceased 138

Shift into larger Pots as Required 144

Should Bulb Outgrow its Quarters Shift into Pot two Sizes larger 160

Wild Water Flowers for Edging Lily-pond 166

Water-lilies with Background of Bamboo and Native Grasses 168

A Full blown Cat-tail 170

Native Plants Edging a Natural Water Garden 172

Training a Climbing Rose 176

A Rose covered Building 178

A Portion of the Grounds Protected by Shrubbery is the Place for the Lily-bed 182

Turn out Ball of Earth to Ascertain if Pot is filled with Roots 192

A Good Background for Low Shrubs 200

Plants for Late Winter Blooming should be brought into the House before Fall 210

Fences may be Made Attractive with Vines or Plants 250

PLATES

FACING PAGE

I. Height and Season of Bloom of the Different Perennials 10

II. Plan for a Hardy Border 12

III. Plan for Rose-garden and Foliage-bed 14

THE FLOWER GARDEN

Part 4

Chapter ONE The Location and Arrangement of the Garden

A south slope is the ideal situation for a garden, since it insures good drainage and the greatest amount of sunlight. The garden should also be open to the east and west, if possible; that it may have the benefit of the morning and evening sun. Shelter on the north is desirable, as north winds are disastrous to Roses and tender perennials. Partial shelter on the west should be given in localities where the prevailing winds of winter are from that quarter.

The south side of a building, or even of a high fence, with trees and tall shrubs at a little distance to the west, is best; though any site that receives abundant sunshine through the morning and early afternoon may be made satisfactory by planting trees and shrubs on the north and west.

The garden should always be at the rear or side of the dwelling, never in front or along the street. The reasons for this are obvious. The garden proper is intended to furnish cut flowers, to provide a place of experiment with new varieties, and to grow hardy perennials which have certain seasons of bloom and cannot be depended upon, at all times, for ornamental effect. One should feel free to work there unobserved of the passer-by, and this is impossible in a garden close to the street.

Again, while the permanent garden is beautiful in itself, it is not suitable for the lawn and greatly mars the effect of the grounds. Beds of ornamental foliage plants—Cannas, Ricinus, Coleus, and the like—appropriately placed, add much to the beauty of a well-kept lawn, but should be carefully considered in relation to its size and the trees and shrubbery already there.

On a small city lawn not more than one such bed should be allowed. On a large lawn three will give a better effect than a great number, especially if care is taken to have them all visible from different points on the lawn and from the house, never isolating them by so placing that clumps of trees or shrubbery intervene, but using these rather as a background for the beds.

It is from the hammock that the amateur gardener will most enjoy the results of her labour. It is there she will find leisure to watch the growth of plants, to compare the effect of different varieties, to note where she may improve the vista by a different arrangement next year, to observe the effects of locality, of the afternoon and morning sun and all the peculiarities of plant growth that escape her when busy with trowel and watering-pot, so that the view from it should be first consideration.

A very good arrangement is to put a large bed of Ricinus on the most remote space of the lawn—four plants in the centre of a twelve-foot bed—surrounded with a row of Salvia splendens edged with Little Gem Sweet Alyssum. Nearer, an eight-foot bed of the large-flowered Cannas may be introduced and edged with Coleus or the second size of Caladiums, while a six-foot bed of ornamental grasses—Arundo Donax, Erianthus Ravennæ, Eulalia gracillima univittata—will make a satisfactory third. Such beds are rich in tropical effects and give more distinction to a lawn than any other class of plants.

Where there is an ample water-supply these beds may be elevated a few inches above the lawn to make them more conspicuous; but where the seasons are hot and dry and water must be carried it is better to set them slightly lower than the lawn, so that all the available moisture may be utilised. A few inches of margin must be allowed around the edges of beds on the lawn so that the mower may run close to the beds without injuring the plants, though even then it will be best to use the lawn-shears. Such beds call for carefully trimmed lawns. Unless the grass can be properly cared for, it is better to exclude flowers from this part of the grounds entirely, as it is time thrown away to plant flowers which will presently be hidden by tall grass and weeds. A neglected lawn involves an amount of labour in the semi-annual cleaning of spring and fall out of all proportion to the results, while a lawn well cut and raked is more easily cared for with each recurring year, the grass growing clean and straight, and the rake and mower passing freely and easily through it.

The scheme for a permanent garden must be decided by the size and shape of the plot of ground at command, an irregular plot sometimes lending itself to more graceful arrangement than a symmetrical one. The operation of laying out the beds will be the same, whatever the shape. Having decided the boundaries of the garden it will be best to mark the outlines by a cord attached to pegs driven into the ground. The sod should then be removed from the entire area by cutting just below the crown of the grass. Desirable arrangements of beds are shown in accompanying illustrations. Two and one-half or three feet should first be allowed for walks. The beds may be placed to advantage by finding the centre of the plot and driving there a stake to which a cord is loosely attached. Mark off on this cord half the diameter of the bed desired, for centre of plot, four, five or six feet—fasten to the cord at this point a sharp stick and describe the circle on the ground. In this way the garden walks may be outlined and the inner and outer circles of the round beds. The oval beds must be measured off and defined by stakes driven into the ground. The width of the beds should be not more than can be easily reached across for weeding and cultivating. Where the soil has not been previously cultivated it must be spaded at least two feet deep, and thoroughly pulverised. All roots and stones should be removed. If the soil is clayey or gravelly it will be best to remove it entirely and to fill in with soil better adapted to the growth of flowers. Or the surface may be removed for several inches and laid aside. Then the poorer subsoil should be dug out and removed and the surface-soil replaced in the bottom of the bed with a liberal quantity of old, well-rotted manure. The bed should then be filled to its original level with leaf-mould or muck. If all the original soil is to be retained, remove the top-soil for top-dressing. Spade the manure into the subsoil and replace the surface-soil. In ground which has not been cultivated this surface-soil is rich in humus or leaf-mould, which furnishes food in its most available form for the young plant, and should, therefore, be left where the plant can use it and not be turned under as is usually done. Nature never turns the soil upside down; nor will the wise gardener, except when a richer and better soil is to be added or when it is necessary to work in manure.

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