Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-04-05
FADS. In FLOWERS.
Colors and Crazy Quilt Patterns the
Craze for This Year.
THE OLD PLANTS COMING BACK.
Directions for Carpet-Bedding and Arrang.
ing the Designs.
TRIMMING THE TREES AND SHRUBS
fwRITrEN FOR THE DIsPArcH.1

WRITTEN FOR THE DIsPArcH1
The changes from season to season in horti-
cultural methods and fashions are not all
ways for the better, although we are apt to
think that the conceits of other days display
less appreciation OF art and taste than the
prevalent forms of our day and generation.
The evolution of horticultural and fori-
cultural art has been an interesting one,
and many of the grotesque and artificial
forms through which it has passed have e1-
hibited few elements of genuine taste or ap.
probation Of art in nature.
Gardens, parks, lawns and green houses
have all responded to the dictates OF the
prevailing fashions, and their external
beauties have been marred or enhanced by
the popular "fads." If one is to anticipate
the popular methods of the coming season in
horticultural and Horticultural art he has
but to consult the florists catalogues. It
must be assumed that they pretty accurately
reflect the average taste, and in sense
create demand for certain plants and
flowers. They are the only guides which
the public has at present, and the current
publications and exhibitions of the florists
nearly always determine the forthcoming
fashions in flowers and methods in decora-
ton of gardens parks and rooms.
. A Season of Colors.
1t is we'll then to consult the catalogues.
which are now piled upon the desks by the
scores. The popularity of the flowers may
be attested to by these numerous catalogues,
issued by as many different seed houses in
every State and increasing in number each
successive season. To a connoisseur in
flowers the published lists of seeds offered,
and the remarkable concensus OF ideas
among the different editors of the publica-
tions, these catalogues speak volumes. The
coming year is to be a blaze of colors in
fowers-a dazzling mixture of all the floral
hues that can be collected together-and
some of them are monstrosities. Bright,
dazzling colors are to dominate everything
else in the gardens, if these guides can be
trusted, and there will be such blaze Of
glory that will shame the brightness of the
sun and rival the beauty OF the rainbow.
Only one or two catalogues are satisfied
with plain plates. Most of them have such
glowing eolored pictures of flowers that
truly refined taste is displeased. The bright
flowers for carpet bedding occupy prominent
positions in the catalogues, and one is forced
to the conviction that this method of decorat-
ing the gardens will be more rampant this
season than ever. This carpet-bedding admits
of the greatest variety of cOlors possible, and
the patterns are like many of the rich ex-
hibting scroll work, figures and conventional
embroidery. The florists seem to have devoted
their time to gathering together all of the
colored flowers possible in order to push this
method of gardening to its extreme. 1t viii
then probably reach the height Of its popu.
larity and die natural death.
Some OId-Tim Friends.
This fashion in flowers will revive many Of
our old-time friends. especially those who
come back to us with fashionable dresses and
colors of rich hue. Now that the foreign
plants are found to be no better than the native
ones. the return to our common homo ones will
be inevitable. The foundation OF our eollee-
tion for the garden should be liberal assort-
ment of shrubs heroaceous perennials and
bulbs, and then the ANNALS may come in as
later additions. AnnualS are always pretty,
and they will constitute largely the flowers for
carpet bedding. Among these Old-time annu.
ais which will be popular for decoration this
year are the well,knoWn sweet peas, ,mlgnonette;
annual chrysanthemums. verbenas, Japan and
China pinks, asters, nasturtiums, pansies,
Phlox DrummoDdi, eandytufr, sweet alyssun
and petunas These are all known to the
amateur lovers of flowers, and they can be
grown easily in great varieties. They are
indispensable for border decorations and for
forming beds and floral designs in the parks
and gardens.
Many of them open their modest buds be.
fore the April showers have gone, but as rule
they should be given start indoors and not
put in the cold ground until spring Is well here,
They should be planted in cigar boxes IN good
soil, and then transplanted to the garden later.
It is no more difficult then to form designs and
figures with them than to plant them in q hap
hazard way Mark the design out beforehand.
and make the holes for the plants with trowel,
and the result will be very effective when the
plants attain their full growth and begin to
flower. The plants should be transplan ted Just
before a rain and placed about foot apart,
with the exception of the very small ones. A
few tender climbers should also be cultivated
and of these one may with propriety select one
or all from the following list: Cypress vine,
tall nasturtium, thunbergia or morning glory.
These need to be furnished with trellis-wOrk to
get the best results from them, and in one
season they make a wonderful growth. The
plants that have been In pots all winter should
also be attended to early in the spring, and tbIs
should not be neglected after they begin to
show evident signs of making new growth.
Among the Trees and Shrubs.
Tn. hardy trees and shrubs begin to push
their leaf buds out in the latter part of March.
The bright leaves of the naples are the first to
burst their buds. and these are quickly fol-
lowed by the oaks. elms birches and hickoues,
until all nature is alive with the mantle of
green. 1t is in the spring of the year that the
art of the landscape gardener is brought to a
severe test III the selection and arrangement
OF his shrubs and trees produce harmony, then
they will stand the test at all other seasons OF
the year. The rich luxuriant foliage of the
shrubs and trees are likely TO give feeling of
overcrowding, and too much foliage gives
otfense to the eyes. 1t is only by a judcious
and selection that the proper
effect can be given, pleasing in detail, and
effective as a whole.
But to do this properly the pruning knife and
clipping shears will have to be brought into
play. No large branch should be cut of at this
season of the year, but the general shape of the
trees and shrubs can sometimes be altered in
the spring SO as,to produce better effect. The
pruning proper should have taken place last
FALL but spring supplementary clipping may
now be judiciously performed There are many
shrubs which will change their shape and
character completely when the leaves burst
out, and 1t may be necessary to pinch back
many of them and clip small branches oil. This
can be done without injuring either tree or
shrub; but no Wholesale cutting back or pIun-
ing should be thought of for a moment. The
fault with many gardens Is trying TO crowd too
MANY shrubs and trees in a small place.