Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1886-03-10
The FlOWer Garden.

Next in Importance to a good vegetable
garden among the surroundings of coun-
try home, is a tastefnlly arranged flower
garden Many deprive themselves f the
pleasure and satisfaction to be derived from
this source because of an idea that fl .wers
call for more time and trouble for their care
and culture than can be spared. This
would be true, no doubt, if an effort was
made to grow the more rare and delicate
kinds. But there are enough hardy plants
and shrubs quite as fragrant and beautiful
as any to make garden that will be a per
petual delight. The following from the
London Journal Of HorticuHure gives
glimpse of the wealth of hardy plants in
store for effective planting. A few of the
plants here mentioned are not suitable for
some localities in this country, but there
are many Others to take their places, aud
the half is not here told. 1t is surprising
to what extent garden Of small dimen-
sion- may be made beautiful by the ex r.
else of intelligence and good taste. L. is
not the thousands of plants employed but
the way in which they are selected and dis
posed, that makes the most effective dis
play. We make trees and shrubs play an
important part N combination with hardy
flowers in the decoration of the flower gar
den-that is to say, no fl wering plants are
placed in any part except in com mbination
with trees and shrubs. Every b rder of
hardy Towering plants has a suitable back
ground of trees and shrubs, and these are
planted in such form AS to create suitable
hooks and crannles, for the growth of val
liable Lilies aud other choice hardy plants.
Thus, in one part we have an irreguarly
formed bed of RhOdndendrons and Giant
Azaleas, the latter planted amongst the
former, aud around the margin is border
varying in width fOm two to eight feet. At
the back of one of the widest of these curves
is a group Of Holyhocks; little on The
right a strong group of Chry rysanthemum
maximum; ON the left a group of Delphini-
ums; standing out boldly is a group of Lii.
ium Candidum. double purple and white
Rockets Campanulas, Gladiolus, Tigridias,
and other hardy plants, whilst the fore
ground is filled with masses of Z'nnias,
Stocks, Asters. Petunias, Virginian Stocks,
Marigolds, Verbenas, etc. In another nook
will be a fine, well-established group of Lii
ium auratum in the background, with sim
gle Dahlias and Pentstemons. Another
group will have q Portugal Laurel and
Conf ers for background, with groups of
Lilies, single Dahlas, Pentstemons, Fox
gloves, hardy Fuchsias, and Hibiscus,
Gladiolus, Carnations, with Stocks, Asters,
and other ANIMALS in the foreground
LIVESTOCK IN MARCH.-The neglect of
stock in the spring, entails heavy loss all
through the summer; especially is this true
with horses that have to carry he burden of
spring work. Without making supe fluous
flesh, they should be gradually fed up and
kept at work sufficient to harden them, so
that when plowing has to be done, they will
be in good working order. You nust not
stint the supply of food to the COWS that are
fresh, or they will lose so much flesh that
the milk yield will be materially cut down
all through the summer, f,r the COW will
look after her own flesh before she will de-
vote herself to the milk pain. Give the
calves and young things generally that gen.
erous care that surely starts them on a sue
cessfnl career. Neglect of the young is the
first step toward shiftless farming. The
cold rains and north winds of this month.
are much more trying on all kinds of live
stock, than colder aud drier weather. For
this reason keep all stock housed that Can
be. D"not allow warm days to dec-ivayou
into ke eeping the animals eut at night when
they az likely 20 become painfully chilled.
Americas Agricultnrist for March.