Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-04-04


cottage cluster as it is often called, with its
dropping panicles of dainty lavender flowers.
Like the lilac, 1t t,kes long time before 1t
becomes thoroughly established, but after
that, as with all hardy plants, it grows more
beautiful year after year.
Beware of the Virginia creeper, for it is
entirely too hospitable to insects. L took
care of one for three years, but had to re-
move il, as did not appreciate the shower
of black caterpillars it sent down on me as
sat in the shade.
1 have, of course, not exhausted the list
of hardy shrubs and climbers, but those l
have mentioned have been tried and not
found wanting, and will be sufficient in
number to stock any city yard.
How to Start Annuals.
If you wish to raise ANIMALS they can be
sown in shallow boxes in the house, but this
| is a method with which amateurs seldom
| have much success. A better plan is to
wait until the ground is warm enough
ABOUT the middle of May-and SOW them in
the border, marking each variety with
stick on which the name has been written
for future identification.
If the seeds are quite large SOW them di-
rectly in. the open ground, rake over the
soil, sprinkle the seeds where they are to
grow, cover them with a very little earth
and press it down firmly. This is one great
essential in sowing and planting. The very
fine seeds had best be sown in shallow
boxes, which can be placed in a sunny situ-
alton. When the plants come up and are
an inch or two high they can be transplanted
to where they are to bloom.
One of the prettiest edgings 1 know Of
for flower beds is the golden feather, or
dwarf feyerfew. When once Sown it comes
up every spring from self-sown seed, and
can be transplanted when not an inch high.
Only a few plants should be allowed to bloom
for seed. The rest should be kept neatly
trimmed at an even height.
A Grass Plot Flower Bed.
A pretty arrangement for flower bed in
the middle of a grass plot would be to have
a Gamma 90 ricinus castor oil plant) for the
center, row of scarlet geraniums around
this, then row OF blue ageratums, and
lastly an edging of golden feather. The
geraniums and ageratums can be procured
of florist at so much per dozen, but the
ricin US and golden feather should be sown
before the other plants are set out. This
bed will be bright and beautiful all summer
long if you are careful to pick off all
flowers as soon as they begin to fade and do
not allow the geraniums to run too much to
wood or become leggy, and do not neglect to
water it every day if you wish to keep it at
its best.
The following list of flowers will give
succession of bloom all through the summer
and can be easily raised from seed: Zn-
MAS, an old fashioned flower, but IN UGH I'M
proved of late years. 1t will bloom until
late in the fall. Marvel OF Peru, or four
o'clocks, make handsome bushy plants, like
immense bouquets, of yellow. red or white
flowers Petunias are easy to raise and
generally come up again from self-sown
seed. A white variety with greenish yellow
throat is particularly handsome and very
fragrant at night.
Facts About Different Varieties
Petunias are apt to sport, and where a
red and a white variety are standing together
the latter is likely to change color. some
times assuming most beautiful shade OF
pink. The cheerful marigold must not be
forgotten. 1 received almost more pleasure
from half dozen of these plants last sum-
mer than from anything else that I had in
the garden. No matter how dark and dreary
the day they always smiled at me from the
back Of the yard and even when the cold
winds OF autumn began to blow they still |
were there. |
In flower lore the marIgold represents care |
and sorrow, but think it is symbolical of |
faith and constancy. Other plants with |
which you cannot fail to be successful are |
the sweet alyssun, coreopsis, aster. balsam, |
aquilegia or columblne, nasturtiums, dusty |
miller, larkspur and portulacca.
Every garden should contain clump of |
the lily of the valley, which will grow in
any situation and asks for no care but
little thinning out now and then, the day |
lily, Iris or flag lily. and the bleeding heart |
that brave little flower which is almost |
the first one to peep through the cold, |
black earth in spring.
Flowers for the Fall. |
For fall blooming get salvias, chrysanthe- |
NUNS and dahlias. The madura vine, the |
balloon vine-very delicate ana pretty-the |
balsam pear aud the passion flower are a |
few of the tender climbers that will grow in |
almost any situation.
am aware that this is a very ordinary |
collection of common plants. but 1 wish to |
indicate those that can always be depended |
on in our city yards. BY ali means get one
or two novelties every season to experiment |
with, but do not stock your yard with lot
of plants you know nothing about or you
will be pretty certain to come to grief with |
them.
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