Cornflower Blue May to 2 ft. Full flower. Resows itself Sept.

Cosmos White July to 4 ft. Overrich soil retards Pink Sept. bloom. Crimson

Gaillardia Red July to 3 ft. Good cut flower. Blossoms Yellow Oct. freely.

Marigold, Yellow July to 3 ft. Blooms profusely; stiff African Frost flower head.

Nasturtium Yellow June to 1-5 ft. Both dwarf and tall varieties Scarlet Oct. are rapid growers and free bloomers.

Rose moss White June 1/2-3/4 ft. Portulaca grandiflora. Magenta Aug. Plant in position direct sunshine.

Verbena Various July to 2 ft. Start inside for early Sept. bloom.

Wallflower Orange June 1-1/2 ft. Sown in Sept. blooms in July May. ————————————————————————————————————

———————————————————————————————————— ANNUALS FOR ROCKY PLACES ———————————————————————————————————— NAME COLOUR TIME HEIGHT SPECIAL POINTS ———————————————————————————————————— Phlox Red June to 1-1-1/2 ft. Variety Phlox Drumondii White Oct. Duration of bloom depends on richness of soil.

Candytuft Red May 1/2-1-1/2 ft. Plant in the fall and cover White Frost for early spring bloom.

Clarkia Purple June 1-1/2 ft. Use Clarkia elegans. Red Oct. Thrives in both sun and White partial shade.

Nasturtium Reds June 1 ft. Tropoeolum minor; blooms (Dwarf) Yellows Oct. very early. ————————————————————————————————————

———————————————————————————————————— FRAGRANT PERENNIALS ———————————————————————————————————— NAME COLOUR TIME HEIGHT SPECIAL POINTS ———————————————————————————————————— Winter Lilac Dec. 1 ft. Blooms outdoors in winter. Heliotrope Feb. Flowers small.

Russian Violet March 1/2 ft. Double flowers. Hardy. Violets

Lily-of- White May 3/4 ft. Plant by middle of March the-Valley for that season's bloom. Needs part shade. Spreads.

Valerian Pinkish June 3 ft. Finely cut foliage. Easy to grow.

Lemon Lily Yellow June 2 ft. Flowers 4 in. long. Tubers which multiply rapidly.

Fringed Pink Lilac July 1 ft. Blooms until autumn if prevented from seeding.

Bee Balm Scarlet July 2 ft. Odour of mint. Good for Aug. mass effects.

White Day White Aug. 2 ft. Lilies 4-6 in. long. Fine, Lily Sept. broad-leaved foliage. ————————————————————————————————————

———————————————————————————————————— PERENNIALS FOR CUT FLOWERS ———————————————————————————————————— NAME COLOUR TIME HEIGHT SPECIAL POINTS ———————————————————————————————————— Christmas Rose White Nov. 1/2 ft. Blooms outdoors in the Feb. snow. No fragrance. Charming in masses.

California Violet March 1/2 ft. Large flowers but single. Violets Fragrant.

Foxglove Purple June 3-4 ft. Large flowers, long stems. Oriental Blue June 2-3 ft. Beautiful colour, long Larkspur White stems. Let no flowers go to seed.

Japan Iris Variety July 3-4 ft. Short lived when cut. of Fine blooms.

Japan Anemone Pink Sept. 3 ft. Finest September flower. White Plant in spring. Plant for afternoon sun. ————————————————————————————————————

———————————————————————————————————— TALL PERENNIALS ———————————————————————————————————— NAME COLOUR TIME HEIGHT SPECIAL POINTS ———————————————————————————————————— Hollyhock Variety July 6 ft. Single varieties are the of hardier; double varieties last longer.

Plume Poppy Pinkish July 6 ft. Spreads rapidly. Fine for massing and screening. Do not plant on the west as it shuts off sun.

Golden Glow Yellow Aug. 6 ft. Multiplies rapidly. Fine bloomer. Liable to pest lice. Spray with soap solution.

Double Yellow Aug. 5 ft. Largest double flower of Sunflower any perennial. Likely to run out unless divided

Late Yellow Sept. 10-12 ft. Tallest of perennials; Sunflower blooms till October. ————————————————————————————————————

———————————————————————————————————— LOW GROWING PERENNIALS ———————————————————————————————————— NAME COLOUR TIME HEIGHT SPECIAL POINTS ———————————————————————————————————— Crested Blue April 9 in. Earliest of iris. Good for Dwarf Iris edgings. Plant the middle of March.

Dwarf Flag Purple April 9 in. Increases rapidly. Large flowers. Good colouring

English Pink April 6 in. Good for spring budding Daisy White purposes.

Tufted Blue June 6 in. More but smaller flowers Pansies or Yellow than pansies. After Violets White July cut back, manure and they will bloom again in September.

Carpathian Blue July 8 in. Bloom for 6 weeks. Easy Harebell to grow.

Coral Bells Red Aug. 12 in. Grow in sandy, well-drained soil. Coral red flowers.

Popp-mallow Crimson Sept. 9 in. Blooms nearly 12 weeks. Colour does not harmonize with others. ————————————————————————————————————

———————————————————————————————————— PERENNIALS OF MEDIUM HEIGHT ———————————————————————————————————— NAME COLOUR TIME HEIGHT SPECIAL POINTS ———————————————————————————————————— Bleeding Pink May 1-1/2 ft. Long lived and long of Heart bloom. Graceful.

European Crimson May 3 ft. Earliest of peonies. Poor Peony White appearance in the fall.

Sweet Red June 12 in. Self sows. Flowers at their William Pink best the second year. White

Chinese Crimson June 2-1/2 ft. Long-lived. Very Peony Pink satisfactory. Plant White in September.

Foxglove Purple June 3-3-1/4 ft. Spire-like cluster White of flowers.

Oriental Blue June 2-3 ft. Best blue perennial. Cut Larkspur flower spikes as soon as they fade.

Oriental Red June 3 ft. Self sows. Flowers 6 in. Poppy across.

Gaillardia Red June 1 ft. Flowers more freely than Yellow Nov. any other perennial. Cover plants after ground freezes.

Late Phlox All best Aug. 1-1/2 ft. Fragrant in the evening. Blue Sept. Many colours of bloom. and Yellow

Hardy Blue Sept. 3ft. Long season of bloom. Chrysanthemum Scarlet Nov. Deep rich soil and sunny exposure for best results. ————————————————————————————————————



XI

THE WILD-FLOWER GARDEN

"A wild-flower garden has a most attractive sound. One thinks of long tramps in the woods, collecting material, and then of the fun in fixing up a real for sure wild garden.

"If the wild garden is to be a school affair, then I certainly should plant the different kinds of flowers together. The north corner near the building is a suitable place. But if the garden is to be at home—your own private little garden—I am inclined to think it would be better to plant the wild flowers here and there among the cultivated ones.

"A wild-flower garden is a joy each year, because up it comes without constant replanting of seed. It is a hardy garden. As Nature often covers her wood-flowers over with leaves preparatory to winter, so you might copy her and do the same.

"Many people say they have no luck at all with such a garden. It is not a question of luck, but a question of understanding, for wild flowers are like people and each has its personality. What a plant has been accustomed to in Nature it desires always. In fact, when removed from its own sort of living conditions, it sickens and dies. That is enough to tell us that we should copy Nature herself. Suppose you are hunting wild flowers. As you choose certain flowers from the woods, notice the soil they are in, the place, conditions, the surroundings, and the neighbours.

"Suppose you find dog-tooth violets and wind-flowers growing near together. Then place them so in your own new garden. Suppose you find a certain violet enjoying an open situation; then it should always have the same. You see the point, do you not? If you wish wild flowers to grow in a tame garden make them feel at home. Cheat them into almost believing that they are still in their native haunts.

"Wild flowers ought to be transplanted after blossoming time is over. Take a trowel and a basket into the woods with you. As you take up a few, a columbine, or a hepatica, be sure to take with the roots some of the plant's own soil, which must be packed about it when replanted.

"The bed into which these plants are to go should be prepared carefully before this trip of yours. Surely you do not wish to bring those plants back to wait over a day or night before planting. They should go into new quarters at once. The bed needs soil from the woods, deep and rich and full of leaf mold. The under drainage system should be excellent. Then plants are not to go into water-logged ground. Some people think that all wood plants should have a soil saturated with water. But the woods themselves are not water-logged. It may be that you will need to dig your garden up very deeply and put some stone in the bottom. Over this the top soil should go. And on top, where the top soil once was, put a new layer of the rich soil you brought from the woods.

"Before planting water the soil well. Then as you make places for the plants put into each hole some of the soil which belongs to the plant which is to be put there.

"I think it would be a rather nice plan to have a wild-flower garden giving a succession of bloom from early spring to late fall; so let us start off with March, the hepatica, spring beauty and saxifrage. Then comes April bearing in its arms the beautiful columbine, the tiny bluets and wild geranium. For May there are the dog-tooth violet and the wood anemone, false Solomon's seal, Jack-in-the-pulpit, wake robin, bloodroot and violets. June will give the bellflower, mullein, bee balm and foxglove. I would choose the gay butterfly weed for July. Let turtle head, aster, Joe Pye weed, and Queen Anne's lace make the rest of the season brilliant until frost.

"Let us have a bit about the likes and dislikes of these plants. After you are once started you'll keep on adding to this wild-flower list.

"There is no one who doesn't love the hepatica. Before the spring has really decided to come, this little flower pokes its head up and puts all else to shame. Tucked under a covering of dry leaves the blossoms wait for a ray of warm sunshine to bring them out. The last year's leaves stay on through the winter brooding over the little fresh sprouts. These embryo flowers are further protected by a fuzzy covering. This reminds one of a similar protective covering which new fern leaves have. In the spring a hepatica plant wastes no time on getting a new suit of leaves. It makes its old ones do until the blossom has had its day. Then the new leaves, started to be sure before this, have a chance. These delayed, are ready to help out next season. You will find hepaticas growing in clusters, sort of family groups. They are likely to be found in rather open places in the woods. The soil is found to be rich and loose. So these should go only in partly shaded places and under good soil conditions. If planted with other woods specimens give them the benefit of a rather exposed position, that they may catch the early spring sunshine. I should cover hepaticas over with a light litter of leaves in the fall. During the last days of February, unless the weather is extreme take this leaf covering away. You'll find the hepatica blossoms all ready to poke up their heads.

"The spring beauty hardly allows the hepatica to get ahead of her. With a white flower which has dainty tracings of pink, a thin, wiry stem, and narrow, grass-like leaves, this spring flower cannot be mistaken. You will find spring beauties growing in great patches in rather open places. Plant a number of the roots and allow the sun good opportunity to get at them. For this plant loves the sun.

"The other March flower mentioned is the saxifrage. This belongs in quite a different sort of environment. It is a plant which grows in dry and rocky places. Often one will find it in chinks of rock. There is an old tale to the effect that the saxifrage roots twine about rocks and work their way into them so that the rock itself splits. Anyway, it is a rock garden plant. I have found it in dry, sandy places right on the borders of a big rock. It has white flower clusters borne on hairy stems.

"The columbine is another plant that is quite likely to be found in rocky places. Standing below a ledge and looking up, one sees nestled here and there in rocky crevices one plant or more of columbine. The nodding red heads bob on wiry, slender stems. The roots do not strike deeply into the soil; in fact, often the soil hardly covers them. Now, just because the columbine has little soil, it does not signify that it is indifferent to the soil conditions. For it always has lived, and always should live, under good drainage conditions. I wonder if it has struck you, how really hygienic plants are? Plenty of fresh air, proper drainage, and good food are fundamentals with plants.

"It is evident from study of these plants how easy it is to find out what plants like. After studying their feelings, then do not make the mistake of huddling them all together under poor drainage conditions.

"I always have a feeling of personal affection for the bluets. When they come I always feel that now things are beginning to settle down outdoors. They start with rich, lovely, little delicate blue blossoms. As June gets hotter and hotter their colour fades a bit, until at times they look quite worn and white. Some people call them Quaker ladies, others innocence. Under any name they are charming. They grow in colonies, sometimes in sunny fields, sometimes by the road-side. From this we learn that they are more particular about the open sunlight than about the soil.

"If you desire a flower to pick and use for bouquets, then the wild geranium is not your flower. It droops very quickly after picking and almost immediately drops its petals. But the purplish flowers are showy, and the leaves, while rather coarse, are deeply cut. This latter effect gives a certain boldness to the plant that is rather attractive. The plant is found in rather moist, partly shaded portions of the woods. I like this plant in the garden. It adds good colour and permanent colour as long as blooming time lasts, since there is no object in picking it.

"I suppose little children would not have a perfect spring without the dog's tooth violet. The leaves are attractive and almost make the beauty of a bouquet. It is sometimes called trout lily. The mottled effect of the leaves accounts for the trout part of the name, and as for lily, it is a lily, and never belonged to the violet family at all. Dig the plant up, and the bulbous root tells the story. It really does belong to the lily family. The nodding yellow flower is pretty, too. These, when picked, last a long time in water. They like to grow in the neighbourhood of the brook. A moist, half-shaded half-open piece of land is their delight, and therefore in many gardens the trout lily might have to be left out.

"There is a sweet little flower called the wood anemone, or wind-flower. It is another modest little flower, white in colour. The constant nodding of the petals stirred by even a breath of wind gives it the name of wind-flower. These also grow in colonies. Have you noticed how social, but clannish, our wild flowers are? Especially is this true of the real woods flowers, rather than of the wayside flowers. The anemone grows in open places by the woods or the hillside. They are a sort of border plant evidently trying to leave the woods, but still bound to it.

"If in your yard there happens to be a big old fatherly tree or a decaying stump, plant wind-flowers all about it. You may make the flowers feel that they are on the edge of the woods.

"While I have numbered bloodroot among May flowers, it often does appear in April, and before the wood anemone. The silvery, white blossom pushes its head above the leaves in a fine fashion. They are sensitive flowers, closing partly in cloudy weather, and actually dropping to pieces in a rainstorm or under severe winds. The leaves are large, rather coarse, but pretty with their light under surfaces. The stems have tinges of red on them, a dark red sap in the roots. These roots bleed when disturbed. The Indians used to stain their faces with this orange sap-blood. You will find bloodroot growing in rich soil either in open woods or on rocky slopes.

"In a nice, rich, moist place put a few Jack-in-the pulpits. This flower is much like a child's jack-in-the-box. It is so different from most of our plants that it has the effect of the joker in a pack of cards. Push back the flap over Jack's face and you will see a club like a policeman's billy. Along this club the inconspicuous flowers are borne. Later, in the fall, the fruit forms, and inside, instead of rather uninteresting flowers, are bright red berries. So Jack jokes again.

"There is always a great feeling of joy when the first trilliums, or wake robins, appear. Walking in the deep, moist woods suddenly one sees a mass of big leaves and white flowers. The same irresistably lovely trilliums have come again. Three big leaves, then a flower stalk shooting up from the centre of this whorl of leaves, and on top the crowning glory—the three-petaled trillium flower. A fragrant white or pink form is called the nodding wake robin. These in a glance tell their wishes. The plant sometimes is nearly two feet high. So a clump of these could easily go toward the back of the wild-flower garden in shade and moist soil.

"Another wild flower of striking beauty is the May apple or mandrake. It comes very early in May, often in April. This plant grows to about the same height as the trillium. Only the big spreading leaves of the mandrake are visible at first sight. Beneath these, and daintily hung in the junction of the leaf stalks, is the lovely, waxy, white blossom. Late after the fading of the blossom the fruit appears. So its name of May apple comes from this fruit, which has a sickly sweet taste. The leaf and stalk part of the May apple are of a poisonous nature. This flower, too, likes rather low, moist, shaded places.

"The false Solomon's seal is found in woods where moisture is. During June and July this plant is in blossom. After the white flowers the fruit, or berry, appears. The berry changes from green, to white, to red. There is a two-leaved Solomon's seal called the false lily-of-the-valley which is found at this same time. It has usually two little lily-like leaves and a blossom stalk running up from these. Tiny fragrant flowers are borne on this stalk. These plants grow in moist woods, also. One might plant these two near together in the garden, for the soil conditions are the same for both.

"Who would wish a wild-flower garden without violets? The little sweet wood ones, the big horse shoes, the rare white, and more rare yellow—any and all are worth our while! Violets, at least the most of them, prefer not to be huddled away. I wonder why, when people think of transplanting violets, a dull, dark, moist spot immediately comes to mind? Violets like the sun, like good soil, and plenty of air. Some violets are found in the swamps, but did you happen to notice what long stems they have? Why? The reason is to raise the lovely flowers into the light. Nothing could be sweeter or more satisfactory than a violet bed. I rather like violets bedded by themselves. They fill in corners beautifully. They grow gladly about trees. They adorn borders. You may cover them, in the fall or not as you like. They are not fussy. Take a north corner at school, a corner not wholly shaded by any means—fill that in solid with violet plants in the fall. That corner always will be a thing of real beauty.

"The bellflower coming in May blooms on until September. The flower is blue, purple or violet. It is a flower found in dry places, on grassy slopes, along hillsides, and is common to most localities.

"I have a sneaking fondness for mullein. One or two stalks of it give a charming effect in the garden. Its yellow flowers, its tall flower stalk, the thick, hairy leaves—all these are its charms. It is said that these same hairy leaves were used as wicks by the ancients. Anyway, the flowers themselves on the tall stalks that often reach to seven feet, look like gleaming lights on a torch. The mullein has a simple dignity. It grows in the dry fields and along roadsides. So you see it is by no means particular about its habitat, its place of abode.

"Another tall plant is the foxglove. The flowers are gathered together in a sort of spike at the end of the stalk, are large and yellow and really lovely. The plant grows to about four feet in height. It has a bad habit, this downy false foxglove, of absorbing some of its nourishment from the roots of plants near which it stands. This plant, too, is fond of dry places.

"A very gay flower, intensely red, is the bee balm. It is an herb, and a perennial. It is often called Oswego tea, because the Indians are supposed to have used it for tea. Then, again, you will hear it called Indian's plume. This name seems most suitable. I can just imagine a chief strutting around with this gay plume on his head. It likes a somewhat secluded, moist, shady, cool place. I think it would be possible for some of you to make it grow at home. For colour it would be invaluable. The cardinal flower is the only flower more gaudy in red than this bee balm.

"When one comes to orange colour the butterfly weed takes the prize. This flower has a variety of names: it is called pleurisy root, and wind root, and orange root. Would you think that this gay little beggar was a member of the milkweed family? It is. When seed time comes it produces a seed pod like unto the milkweed pod only more slender than this. All summer long the insects hover about it. It is just like a signal to them. "Come over here to me!" it calls to them all. It is found in dry places, in the fields and pastures, along the dusty road sides, and by the sooty railroad track it flashes its signal. You can make this plant feel at home surely. And think of the butterflies that will visit your garden all summer long.

"Then later comes old Joe Pye weed. Joe Pye was an Indian doctor but that doesn't seem to have anything to do with his weed. Yes, it has its connection. For when old Joe Pye went out on a case of typhoid fever he carried this plant along; hence, its name. The plant sometimes grows to ten feet in height. Really the swamp is its home. So if you are to use it at all remember that it must have this condition of great moisture, even to swampiness. The flower clusters are of a charming colour, a beautiful dull pink.

"Another inhabitant of wet places is the turtle head. The flower resembles in shape a turtle's or a snake's head, and so receives both names.

"When it comes to Queen Anne's lace, you say that is a troublesome weed. Yes, it is. But it is truly beautiful with its lacy flower head. A great bouquet of these on the porch, the dining table, or the school piano is a real picture. A clump of these in the garden, if held in check, is simply stunning. How can they be held down? The only way is to let no flower heads go to seed. The little, clinging, persistent, numerous seeds are seeds of trouble. This lovely bother grows in any sort of soil.

"There are numbers and numbers of wild flowers I might have suggested. These I have mentioned were not given for the purpose of a flower guide, but with just one end in view—your understanding of how to study soil conditions for the work of starting a wild-flower garden.

"If you fear results, take but one or two flowers and study just what you select. Having mastered, or better, become acquainted with a few, add more another year to your garden. I think you will love your wild garden best of all before you are through with it. It is a real study, you see."



XII

LANDSCAPE GARDENING

The subject to-night is a very pretentious one, for no one would expect boys and girls to be landscape gardeners. But many boys and girls have excellent taste and taste is the foundation stone of landscape gardening. This work has often been likened to the painting of a picture. Your art-work teacher has doubtless told you that a good picture should have a point of chief interest, and the rest of the points simply go to make more beautiful the central idea, or to form a fine setting for it. Look at that picture over Miriam's head. See that lone pine, the beautiful curve of the hillside, the scrub undergrowth about the tree, the bit of sky beyond! As soon as one looks at that picture one's eye rests on the pine, and the other features seem to appear afterward.

"So in landscape gardening there must be in the gardener's mind a picture of what he desires the whole to be when he completes his work. Take, for example, your school grounds. You did a bit of landscape work there, although we never called it that before. The little schoolhouse itself was our centre of interest. How could we fix up the grounds so that the little building should have a really attractive setting? That, I believe, was the thought in each of your heads, although no one of you ever put this into words.

"Notice now with me the good points about that work, and from this study we shall be able to work out a little theory of landscape gardening.

"First there is a good extent of lawn about the building, the path to the door is slightly curved and pleasingly so, a fine little maple stands out rather interestingly on the side lawn, the flower garden has a good mass effect, the screen of poplar trees at the back acts as a stately rear guard, and the vines over the outbuilding hide what was once a blemish.

"Let us go back to the lawn. A good extent of open lawn space is always beautiful. It is restful. It adds a feeling of space to even small grounds. So we might generalize and say that it is well to keep open lawn spaces. If one covers his lawn space with many trees, with little flower beds here and there, the general effect is choppy and fussy. It is a bit like an over-dressed person. One's grounds lose all individuality thus treated. A single tree or a small group is not a bad arrangement on the lawn. Do not centre the tree or trees. Let them drop a bit into the background. Make a pleasing side feature of them. In choosing trees one must keep in mind a number of things. You should not choose an overpowering tree; the tree should be one of good shape, with something interesting about its bark, leaves, flowers or fruit. While the poplar is a rapid grower, it sheds its leaves early and so is left standing, bare and ugly, before the fall is old. Mind you, there are places where a row or double row of Lombardy poplars is very effective. But I think you'll agree with me that one lone poplar is not. The catalpa is quite lovely by itself. Its leaves are broad, its flowers attractive, the seed pods which cling to the tree until away into the winter, add a bit of picturesqueness. The bright berries of the ash, the brilliant foliage of the sugar maple, the blossoms of the tulip tree, the bark of the white birch, and the leaves of the copper beech—all these are beauty points to consider.

"Place makes a difference in the selection of a tree. Suppose the lower portion of the grounds is a bit low and moist, then the spot is ideal for a willow. Don't group trees together which look awkward. I never should have Peter and Myron march together in school. Why? Because they look wretchedly together. Myron makes Peter look short and Peter causes Myron to look overgrown. So it is with trees. A long-looking poplar does not go with a nice rather rounded little tulip tree. A juniper, so neat and prim, would look silly beside a spreading chestnut. One must keep proportion and suitability in mind.

"I'd never advise the planting of a group of evergreens close to a house, and in the front yard. The effect is very gloomy indeed. Houses thus surrounded are overcapped by such trees and are not only gloomy to live in, but truly unhealthful. The chief requisite inside a house is sunlight and plenty of it.

"There are no shrubs on the school grounds. You had spoken of doing that but bulbs took up the attention of the girls this fall. And as for you boys—you were attending to your own crops. Shrubbery is very pleasing if properly placed. It is just the thing to fill in corners near buildings, to help define the turns in walks, and to use as hedges. Usually one shrub standing by itself is not nearly so pleasing as one tree by itself. It has a squatty and isolated appearance. There is a corner close by the school building where shrubs should go. Why? Because the place looks bare and staring, and the building is very ugly at that point; the shrubs would fill in the space, and make the building look much better.

"As trees are chosen because of certain good points, so shrubs should be. In a clump I should wish some which bloomed early, some which bloomed late, some for the beauty of their fall foliage, some for the colour of their bark and others for the fruit. Some spireas and the forsythia bloom early. The red bark of the dogwood makes a bit of colour all winter, and the red berries of the barberry cling to the shrub well into the winter. This list of shrubs which Philip has made out will be a help to you in this work.

PHILIP'S SHRUB TABLE ——————————————————————————————————- COMMON NAME BOTANICAL NAME HEIGHT COLOUR SPECIAL POINTS ——————————————————————————————————- _March_ Spice Bush _Benzoin_ 6-15 ft. Yellow Flowers appear _odoriferum_ before leaves. Crimson fruit in fall. Aromatic odour. Daphne _Daphne Mezereum_ 4 ft. Purple The only hardy deciduous daphne. Plant in light soil and in shade. _April_ Barberry _Berberis- 2-4 ft. Yellow Prefers dry soil. Berries _Thunbergii_ all winter.

Golden Bell Forsythia 5-8 ft. Yellow Flowers appear before suspensa leaves. Hardy; free from insects.

May Red-osier Cornus 4-8 ft. White Red branched. Plant Dogwood stolonifera in moist soil.

Japanese Snow Deutzia 1-3 ft. White Very beautiful when Flower gracilis flowering. Needs well drained soil.

Japanese Viburnum 8 ft. White Not as likely to have Snowball plicatum lice as common snowball. Larger balls.

Lilac Syringa 15 ft. Purple Very fragrant. Will vulgaris grow anywhere even in some shade.

June Deutzia Deutzia 1-3 ft. White Hardy; flowers showy. Lemoinei

Weigela Diervilla 6 ft. Pink May have white or red Florida White flowers. Flowers under Red trees. Lives where other shrubs die.

Spirea Spiraea 4 ft. White Most showy of spireas. Van Houttei Grows anywhere.

Mock Orange Philadelphus 10 ft. Varieties Fragrant; Coronarius of different makes good screen. colours.

Smoke Bush Rhus cotinus 4-10 ft. Purplish Hardy. Beautiful all summer. Purple colour changes to smoke colour. July Spirea Spirea 3 ft. White Flowers run from white Bumalda, to deep pink. Late var.Anthony flowering. Hardy. Waterer

Sweet Pepper Clethra 3-10 ft. White Moist soil or sandy. Bush alnifolia Late blooming; fragrant flowers.

August Althea, Rose Hibiscus 12 ft. White to Very hardy. Plant in of Sharon Syriacus purple any good garden soil.

September Hardy Hydrangea 8 ft. White to A showy shrub. Flowers Hydrangea paniculata pink remain on all winter.

October Witch Hazel Hamamelis 6-20 ft. Yellow Grows anywhere. Likes Virginiana moisture. Fruit "explodes."

"Certain shrubs are good to use for hedge purposes. A hedge is rather prettier usually than a fence. The Californian privet is excellent for this purpose. Osage orange, Japan barberry, buckthorn, Japan quince, and Van Houtte's spirea are other shrubs which make good hedges.

"You have to remember that not only should grounds look well to the passerby but they should look equally well from the inside of the building. As your mother is working in the kitchen during the hot summer or sewing during a long dull winter afternoon, would it not be a joy to her to look out at a syringa sweet with blossom or a barberry with nodding red berries? Landscape gardening is not only for the purpose of adding beauty to the earth's surface, but also for the putting joy into the heart of a person as well.

"I forgot to say that in tree and shrub selection it is usually better to choose those of the locality one lives in. Unusual and foreign plants do less well, and often harmonize but poorly with their new setting.

"I spoke of the path to the schoolhouse with its slight curve. Landscape gardening may follow along very formal lines or along informal lines. The first would have straight paths, straight rows in stiff beds, everything, as the name tells, perfectly formal. The other method is, of course, the exact opposite. There are danger points in each.

"The formal arrangement is likely to look too stiff; the informal, too fussy, too wiggly. As far as paths go, keep this in mind, that a path should always lead somewhere. That is its business—to direct one to a definite place. Now, straight, even paths are not unpleasing if the effect is to be that of a formal garden. The danger in the curved path is an abrupt curve, a whirligig effect. It is far better for you to stick to straight paths unless you can make a really beautiful curve. No one can tell you how to do this.

"Garden paths may be of gravel, of dirt, or of grass. One sees grass paths in some very lovely gardens. I doubt, however, if they would serve as well in your small gardens. Your garden areas are so limited that they should be re-spaded each season, and the grass paths are a great bother in this work. Of course, a gravel path makes a fine appearance, but again you may not have gravel at your command. It is possible for any of you to dig out the path for two feet. Then put in six inches of stone or clinker. Over this, pack in the dirt, rounding it slightly toward the centre of the path. There should never be depressions through the central part of paths, since these form convenient places for water to stand. The under layer of stone makes a natural drainage system.

"A building often needs the help of vines or flowers or both to tie it to the grounds in such a way as to form a harmonious whole. Vines lend themselves well to this work. It is better to plant a perennial vine, and so let it form a permanent part of your landscape scheme. The Virginia creeper, wistaria, honeysuckle, a climbing rose, the clematis and trumpet vine are all most satisfactory.

"Just close your eyes and picture a house of natural colour, that mellow gray of the weathered shingles. Now add to this old house a purple wistaria. Can you see the beauty of it? I shall not forget soon a rather ugly corner of my childhood home, where the dining room and kitchen met. Just there climbing over, and falling over a trellis was a trumpet vine. It made beautiful an awkward angle, an ugly bit of carpenter work.

"Of course, the morning-glory is an annual vine, as is the moon-vine and wild cucumber. Now, these have their special function. For often, especially in school work, it is necessary to cover an ugly thing for just a time, until the better things and better times come. The annual is 'the chap' for this work.

"Along an old fence a hop vine is a thing of beauty. One might try to rival the woods' landscape work. For often one sees festooned from one rotted tree to another the ampelopsis vine.

"Flowers may well go along the side of the building, or bordering a walk. In general, though, keep the front lawn space open and unbroken by beds. What lovelier in early spring than a bed of daffodils close to the house? Hyacinths and tulips, too, form a blaze of glory. These are little or no bother, and start the spring aright. One may make of some bulbs an exception to the rule of unbroken front lawn. Snowdrops and crocuses planted through the lawn are beautiful. They do not disturb the general effect, but just blend with the whole. One expert bulb gardener says to take a basketful of bulbs in the fall, walk about your grounds, and just drop bulbs out here and there. Wherever the bulbs drop, plant them. Such small bulbs as those we plant in lawns should be in groups of four to six. Daffodils may be thus planted, too. You all remember the grape hyacinths that grow all through Katharine's side yard.

"The place for a flower garden is generally at the side or rear of the house. The backyard garden is a lovely idea, is it not? Who wishes to leave a beautiful looking front yard, turn the corner of a house, and find a dump heap? Not I. The flower garden may be laid out formally in neat little beds, or it may be more of a careless, hit-or-miss sort. Both have their good points. Great masses of bloom are attractive.

"You should have in mind some notion of the blending of colour. Nature appears not to consider this at all, and still gets wondrous effects. This is because of the tremendous amount of her perfect background of green, and the limitlessness of her space, while we are confined at the best to relatively small areas. So we should endeavour not to blind people's eyes with clashes of colours which do not at close range blend well. In order to break up extremes of colours you can always use masses of white flowers, or something like mignonette, which is in effect green.

"The old-fashioned flowers are lovely—sweet William, phlox, old-fashioned pinks, petunia, verbena, zinnia, marigold, mignonette, and poppy are always dear and sweet. Hollyhocks are charming. They represent a kind of guard for the garden. Stand this hollyhock phalanx up against a wall like naughty boys, close to the house, or by an old fence. They are so tall that they must be in the background. They grace it. Otherwise they would overtop and shadow the other garden plants. If there is an old ash pile, an old dump or anything else unsightly, plant something tall before it. Hollyhocks would not do for this, since their foliage is too scanty. Castor beans are just the thing, however; and sunflowers, the old giant ones, are good, too. A screen is for screening, so that the foliage is of first consideration.

"A wild-flower garden is a good scheme, too. What is lovelier? Bank in a north corner full of these. Hepatica, columbines, anenome, bellflower, butterfly weed, turtle head and aster represent wild flowers which bloom from March through October. I can see that north corner now. Miriam has planned to have one, and has really done the work this fall.

"The water garden is another good thing to try with just the right setting. A place at the end of a slope of land, near some drooping trees, a bit shaded would be right. The garden Philip made is a pattern for you all to follow.

"Finally, let us sum up our landscape lesson. The grounds are a setting for the house or buildings. Open, free lawn spaces, a tree or a proper group well placed, flowers which do not clutter up the front yard, groups of shrubbery—these are points to be remembered. The paths should lead somewhere, and be either straight or well curved. If one starts with a formal garden, one should not mix the informal with it before the work is done.

"At one time we said a little about poor taste in garden furnishings. Painted kettles, old drain pipes, whitewashed bricks, and edgings of shells seemed to us then a bit fussy and crude. So, too, is a summer house stuck out on the front lawn, a rustic seat all by itself in an open spot, an archway which forms an arch over nothing. The summer house should be placed in the side yard, or in the rear in a spot where trees lend it a background. If its use is that of a resting spot for your mother, she certainly would not wish it right out on the front lawn. If the house is for children to play in, then again it is not for the front of the house. An appropriate place is near the garden where it makes a cool place to rest after labour, a spot from which to view the beauties of the garden, and a charming place to serve afternoon tea.

"A good general plan to follow in this landscape work is to see what natural charms your place has, and then try to increase and help these. 'Help Nature' is a good watchword. Even though the garden plan is to be a formal one, the natural resources and setting of your place should be kept in mind. The little we did last year on the school grounds was a bit of landscape garden work. I did not call it that to you then, for if I had you would have been scared off. Philip's work in his backyard was of the same nature. The girls' flower garden was a bit of formal work. I guess, too, the outdoor bulb planting which Albert scorned might come under the same head. So you see you have been landscape gardeners without knowing it. To continue to be, all we have to do is to go on somewhat along the general lines I have spoken of to-night. Different committees have prepared a number of tables which should help you much in matters of selection."

GARDEN OF CONSTANT BLOOM BY MONTHS ——————————————————————————————— NAME COLOUR HEIGHT SPECIAL POINTS ——————————————————————————————— March

Columbine Red 1 ft. Grows on rocky places. Graceful flower.

Hepatica White 6 in. Early spring flower. Ready to blossom Blue under the snow. Last year's Pink leaves shelter flower.

Saxifrage White 8 in. Grows in rocky, sandy places. ——————————————————————————————————- April

Bluebell Blue 16 in. Likes rock soil and sun.

Dwarf Iris Blue 1 ft. A good border plant. Does not require any special soil. Spreads.

Moss Pink Pink 6 in. Likes full sun. Spreads rapidly.

Violet Blue 6 in. Good soil. Plant in either sun or shade. ——————————————————————————————————- May

Lily-of- White 9 in. Grows under trees, spreads rapidly. the-Valley Flowers fragrant. Cut flower effect.

German Iris Different 2 ft. The best of flags for general planting purposes. Forget- Blue low Thrives on moist soil. Planted with me-not tulips follows them in bloom.

Chinese Different 4 ft. The earliest of peonies. Good in Peony borders.

Myrtle Blue low Grows even in shade and poorly drained soils. Spreads rapidly. ——————————————————————————————————- June

Bleeding Pink 2 ft. A hardy plant. Needs moist, good Heart soil. Good border plant.

Foxglove Purple 4 ft. Perennial which self sows. Effective in backgrounds. Likes shade.

Garden Peony Crimson 3 ft. The real old-fashioned peony. Good border plant. Large blossoms.

Larkspur Blue 4 ft. Good for borders and backgrounds. The finest of blue flowers.

Sweet Different 2 ft. A self sewing perennial. Bright William colours. Good for massing. Sweet and constant bloomer. ——————————————————————————————————- July

Baby's White 3 ft. Grows in rocky soil. Use for formal Breath bouquets.

Butterfly Orange 2 ft. Likes full sunlight and dry soil. Fine Weed colour effect.

Perennial Different 2-5 ft. Good for borders and cut flowers. Phlox Spiked Pink 3 ft. Belongs in wet swamp lands. Will Loosestrife grow in borders.

Hollyhock Different 6 ft. Use for backgrounds and borders.

——————————————————————————————————- August

Aster, New Blue 4 ft. Grows in any soil. The best of tall England asters.

Golden Glow Yellow 6 ft. Grows in any soil and spreads rapidly. Good background.

Japanese White Climber Rapid flowering vine. Use on trellis. Clematis Sweet flowers.

Sunflower Yellow 6 ft. Fine for backgrounds and screens. Any dry soil.

Turtle Head Rose 2 ft. Flowers on spikes. Any soil, but wet Purple preferred.

——————————————————————————————————- September

Hardy White 6 ft. Blooms till frost. Blossom heads Hydrangea effective.

Japanese Carmine 3 ft. Good border plant. Blossoms last Anemone till frost. ——————————————————————————————————-

——————————————————————————————————- WATER AND BOG PLANTS ——————————————————————————————————- COMMON NAME SCIENTIFIC NAME SPECIAL POINTS ——————————————————————————————————- Arrowhead Sagittaria latifolia One of the most popular water plants. Spreads badly.

Arum (water) Calla palustris Popular water plant. Grows less than 1 ft. high. Blooms in June.

Blue Flag Iris versicolor Grows from 2-3 ft. high. Grows in bogs and gardens.

Cat-tail Typha latifolia Grows to 8 ft. or more. Spreads rapidly.

Floating Heart Limnanthemum Grows less than 1 ft. high. nymphoides Good plant for a pond. Spreads readily.

Forget-me-not Myosotis Palustris Grows less than 1 ft. high. Prefers half-shady places.

Lotus, American Nelumbo lutea Good for a pond.

Marsh Marigold Caltha palustris Grows 1-1/2 ft. high. Blooms in May.

Pickerel Weed Pontederia Grows 3-4 ft. high. Blooms in cordata July.

Pitcher Plant Darlingtonia Grows less than 1 ft. Good for Californica bog planting.

Sweet Flag Acorus Calamus Height is 2 ft. Flowers in early summer.

Water-lily Nymphaea odorata Sweet-scented, most popular water-lily.

Water Mint Mentha Aquatica One of the popular mint family. Low growing.

——————————————————————————————————- FOUR WATER-LILIES FOR BEGINNERS ——————————————————————————————————- NAME COLOUR SPECIAL POINTS ——————————————————————————————————- Nymphaea Gladstoniana White This is a hardy variety " Marliacea Yellow " " " " " dentata White Tender, night blooming plant " Zanzibariensis Blue Tender, day blooming plant.

- WATER-LILIES FOR SMALL PONDS - NAME COLOUR REQUIRED DEPTH OF WATER - Nymphoea alba (hardy) White More than 2 ft. " tuberosa (hardy) White " " " " Marliacea rosea (hardy) Pink " " " " odorata, var. minor White Less than 1 ft. (hardy) " tetragona (hardy) Yellow " " " " Laydekeri, var. Pink " " " rosea (hardy) " Zanzibariensis (tender) White " " " - NOTE: Any of these forms may be grown in from 1 to 2 ft. of water.

- TREE TABLE - NAME HEIGHT SPECIAL POINTS - Carolina Poplar 100 ft. Grows in a dry soil. Fastest growing street tree. Its dropping fruit is a nuisance. Sheds leaves early.

Catalpa 50ft. Lovely white blossoms in June. Seed pods stay on into winter. Quick growing. Good lawn tree.

English Hawthorn 30ft. Flowers in June. Red berries. Grows on dry soils. Slow grower. Sharp thorns.

Linden 90ft. Easy to grow. Fragrant flowers. Rapid grower. European species smaller than American.

Live Oak 100 ft. Not hardy in the North. Grows south of Virginia. Beautiful evergreen oak. Likes moist soil.

Locust 80ft. Fragrant flowers in May and June. Rapid grower. Seeds in pods. Thorny bark.

Lombardy Poplar 90ft. Quick grower. Stiff, straight and tall. Dignified but melancholy tree. Fine for pathway effect.

Norway Maple 100 ft. Tall, well rounded tree. Yellow foliage in the fall.

Pin Oak 100 ft. Fastest grower among oaks. You cannot grow plants under it.

Red Maple 100 ft. Earliest flowering maple. Good for lowlands. Bright red foliage in the fall.

Sugar Maple 100 ft. Moist soil. Bright foliage in the fall. Best street tree among maples.

Horse Chestnut 60 ft. Fine white flowers in June. Attractive buds and leaves. Foliage grows very dense. -



XIII

HOW BOYS AND GIRLS CAN MAKE MONEY FROM THEIR GARDENS

Naturally, we are all interested in ways and means of earning money. It is not a bad thing at all for a boy or girl to wish to turn work into cash. Not always is it possible for one to find a market next door for products. No, it is rarely as easy a matter as that. One has to really work a bit.

"Let me tell you one boy's story. This lad, let us call him Newton, had a nice vegetable and flower garden. He had worked so hard over it, it did seem to him as if he ought to be able to sell some of his produce. One day he loaded a little cart with vegetables and went down the street to a corner market. I imagine he went in a half-hearted sort of way. The market-man was busy and he spoke a bit roughly to the boy. But Newton went on to another store. He received the same sort of treatment there. This time he gave up discouraged and went home. His mother was not discouraged. She showed him how he should have made his vegetables, wagon and all, look more attractive.

"So Newton went to work again. He scrubbed his radishes and new carrots until they shone. He bunched them up into neat little bundles. Then the lettuce came in for its washing and cleaning. Thus he treated all the vegetables. Then he printed a sign 'Fresh Vegetables For Sale' and started off again. This time he went to the largest hotel in the little city in which he lived. There he was sent to the cook. This big, good-natured fellow said that he would look at his stuff. 'Looks good to me,' said the cook, 'it really looks like home-grown things,' Straightway he bought a good part of what Newton had and there and then made arrangements for daily deliveries of certain vegetables.

"The lesson from Newton's experience is this: in order to sell, you must put your wares in attractive shape. Who wishes to buy dirty radishes or droopy looking lettuce? No one is willing to pay decent prices. Putting materials in such condition that all the good points speak loudly at first, is one way to attract notice and sell later. If you find you can sell by shipping your goods the same points hold true.

"Another way to make money is to raise young plants for sale. Jack did this with his aster plants. Lots of people wish their garden plants partly started. They either do not have the interest, or else they have not the time for initial work. Asters, stock, tomatoes, lettuce, cabbage, pepper, celery—all of these may be started for market purposes.

"Suppose you have planted tomato seed. You are bound to have more young plants than you wish. Why not sell them? Suppose Mrs. Jones always buys hers. Then go to her and ask if she will not buy of you. She may not believe you can be a very good gardener, so she hesitates. Well, then just ask her if you cannot bring your little plants around for her to see when the time comes. Get to work in your best style. Transplant in little paper cups or strawberry baskets. Then the setting out of the plants will be very easy and quite a scientific performance. I think you will sell to Mrs. Jones all right.

"If you really intend to go into this early market side then you should certainly have a coldframe. You could not blame your mother if she refused to have the kitchen littered up with old tin cans and boxes all the spring. Do not be a nuisance at home just to make money.



"I know a little girl who raised aster and stock plants, also young vegetable plants. She had a coldframe. In the spring, when people were starting their gardens and wondering where they should go for plants, she fixed up an attractive basket filled with her plants. She asked no exorbitant price, but a fair one for a little girl's good work. One year she bought herself a dressing table from her garden earnings. I think that well worth while. Don't you?

"Another way to make money from your garden is to sell your seed. I do not think any of you will be at all likely to try to rival the seed houses. But I am sure that you can supply certain seeds for your own fathers and mothers.

"Such seed as those of radish, lettuce and turnip you would not save. It is better to buy them. But surely you can make some pretty good selections for seed corn. I believe you can manage beans, peas, melons, pumpkins, potatoes and squash. Then we have, I believe, learned from the school flower garden how to select seed. Nasturtium seed may always be saved, dried and put into its own envelope. This will be found to be true, that seeds saved from our own flower garden often do not give satisfactory results as time goes on. The plants and flowers after a few seasons seem to spindle out. In the large seed gardens the varieties of flowers raised are either many or cross-pollination is carried on.

"In putting up your seeds in envelopes give a few cultural directions on them; that is, tell how to plant the special seed. Also, put on when to plant and the proper soil conditions under which planting should go on. If the seeds are those of flowers add information concerning height, colour of blossom, and time of blossoming. Someone might like to know also if the seed was that of an annual, biennial or perennial plant. Think out a neat, attractive way to fix these envelopes. If you do not wish to sell them, they will serve as nice Christmas gifts.

"Among the garden trappings which we made last winter are things you could easily sell. Such a plant stand as Jack made for his own room is certainly marketable. Make samples of your wares and then take orders for them. Again, these represent Christmas gifts, too.

"Rustic seats, a woven mat of corn husks to kneel on when weeding, a bit of nice trellis work, a little tool house are all possible pieces of work.

"I saw once what a boy called his handy boxes. These were wooden boxes, with hinged covers and handles, so that they might be carried about. One was for seeds. This box had partitions inside, and all the different envelopes of seeds were arranged in the different cubby holes. Another box had garden accessories. The word sounds interesting. It means all the little extras needed in the work. Labels, small stakes, a garden reel, measure, knife, cord, note book, pencil—all were in the box, all were things which the boy often used. You can make variations on these. But a box which may be carried about has advantages over one that is screwed up in the tool house.

"I believe the flower-gathering basket would sell well. It is not that it is a rather picturesque sort of Englishy custom to go out and pick flowers with a pretty basket tucked under one's arm, but it is very inconvenient, very hot work, and very mussy, to have to hold bunches of flowers in the hand as one gathers.

"In some places where there are summer colonies it is possible to sell bunches of flowers. I knew of a case where big bunches of sweet peas were brought to the hotel every morning. These sold for ten and fifteen cents the bunch and went like hot cakes.

"The girls may think of all sorts of wicker mats and trays that would make the garden tea more attractive. One ought to think of the aesthetic side.

"I have not mentioned working for others. Hire yourself out. Let it be known that you can and will weed, mow lawns, plant and transplant for so much per hour. Someone may be going off for a few weeks; see to it that you are the boy or girl to be employed. Prove yourself faithful.

"In the winter make garden utensils and also attend to the bulb end of it. At Christmas time you could do a big business.

"Someone might make and bottle kerosene emulsion. Paste on each bottle directions for using. Print very neatly, so it will look well.

"There are doubtless many other ways of making money. But, above all, do not neglect the other side; give away some things from your garden and some of your labour, too. If all you think of is the making of money the soul and heart of you all will get as small and shrivelled as a dry pea. Who wants to be stingy? Better never to make money than to grow like that. Don't let people pay you for everything you do. Do certain things for mother and father for nothing. The home garden is as much theirs as yours. Wouldn't it be ludicrous if your mother said, 'No, Katharine, you cannot have those flowers to carry to school unless you pay ten cents for them,' How cross you would be! Just as absurd, is it not, for you to suggest that you cannot work on that same garden unless you receive ten cents an hour? No, that is all wrong. And if any one of you feels that way do one of two things—either sit down and be ashamed for a good, long time and think of all the things done freely for you; or else go take all the money in your own little bank at home, buy something your mother wants, and give it, being glad, so glad you can get rid of what you have been so stingy about.

"Give flowers to the poor, the sick at home and the sick in hospitals, the church, the people you love, the people you think you don't love, and the people who seem lonely and forlorn.

"Once upon a time there was made a wondrous garden. It was called the earth. The flowers, the trees, the plants which afterwards became through man's skill our staple products—all these were free, absolutely free.

"If this is a true story, how can we be so small as always to make money from this garden? Let us pay our debt to it freely and gladly.

"This is our last talk. Some of you already have started your early vegetables and flowers. Instead of one coldframe we have four in our family and one belongs to a girl.

"It is going to be a better year of gardening than before. Leston is with us now. Another season there will be others. The school grounds look well, and if you have noticed the entire village looks a little better than ever before.

"We will shake hands all around. In a few weeks we shall have hands quite dirty with good old garden soil. You may take your stools and benches off with you, or leave them all here."

"We shall leave them," said Eloise; "for I am coming back often to sit on my little cricket right on your hearth."

"I am a little large for a cricket," went on Albert; "but I'd not quit this hearthstone, so my stool stays."

"And mine, too," each one added.

Off they trooped again, some down the country road, some up the road, others across the fields, and George, as usual, on his old horse. They shouted until out of sight.

"The best things in the world," the man murmured as he stepped out into the open and drew into his lungs deep breaths of the fresh spring air.

THE END