Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-05-02
OUT TN THE GARDEN
Where the Early Blossoms
Rear Their Heads
IoklsS The GENTLE sPRINeMR
And Fill the World with Fragrance and
Beauty-Some Of the Pretty Posies.
Garden Making Time at Hand


blowing, . robin with feathers ruined
slightly aliGhtsd on the outer window
ledge of . city homo and psered in-
quisitively within. Then he made an
effort 10 peck the flowers which grew
IN profusion behind the shsitering
glass. Frightened at the invisible i'm
pediment be few away over the lava
and ensconsed himself under the pro-
tectien Of an evergreen branch.
The advent of the robin was the first
herald of spring, and though he Was
apparently trifie chilly and evidently
very hungry he piped . sweet song
when the sun went down. For several
days he fingered near and WAS then
joined by . number Of his feathered
relatives, all of whom seemed TO be in
the best Of spirits. The first DAYS Of
spring can scarcely be called enjoyable.
Ii is only when q faint green begins to
tinge the lawn, when the gaudy crocus
thrusts his head through the sod and
opens his bright expausive eyes and
when warm breath Of the coming sea-
son softens the Air that spring can re-
ally be said to be pleasant. Previous
to this time the season 10 mongrel in
asmuch ~ il 10 neither winter or
spring, but an undesirable combination
of both without the snowy purity of
the earlier and colder time when all
hard and unlovsly lines are softly
covered over.
Earliest OF All Flowers.
The very earliest of all flowers is the
crocus and it is Of great variety OF
beauty. Some of the blossens are pur-
pie, but the very first to open are the
yellow flowers. which seem more hardy
than the others. Then there are rose
coiored blossoms and pure white, some
with petals plain colored and some
gaily striped. All the colors inter-
mingle and form beautiful varieties.
When the blossoms appear no leaves
are visible, the bud shooting right up
from the bulb. For thia reason the
effect 10 prettier when tho plants are
scattered over the lawn, the bulbs be-
ing sunk in the sod, the fresh green
grass forming an effective background
for the colors which are vivid. This 10
q favorite way of planting them in the
gardens of the old world. The traveller
about the city will discover that this
method has not become universal here.
In many gardens the crocus is massed
in beds or used for bordering tho latter.
When planted in beds half the 6ne
effect 10 lost because of the entire ab-
sence Of green background to set of
each color and shade Of color clear and
distinct. Used as q border there 10
little to commend the flower, except
the beauty of.the individual hlessom.
Bettsx the carllest bioonacr . border Of
these flowers outlines only q mass Of
inert. dirt unadcfned by leaf. bud or
blossom.
HyAeinths Appear.
Before the last belated crocus awak-
ems the hyacinth uncloses its many col
ored spikes. Liketthe crecus. it claims
many and brilliant celors. There are
purples verging upon deep indigo and
purples merging into pae shades of
lilac and lavender. There ere count
less grades of pink and roee color from
q rosy white to dark shade Of red.
There are blues aud pale yelIows.
anowy white and cream yhits. In all
these colors hyscinshs bloom in both
single and double shapes. Tie bva-
cinth ia addition to being beautiful
flower Is one of the most fragrant,
every rich truss being endowed with
delicious cdor. This flower il at i.s.
best now, and Lrighsens nearly every
city gsrdans together with the dwarf
varieties of the tulip, also an early
bloemer. Then there il the po!yaBts rs,
also prodigal in varieties and vivid IN
color. though insignificant of blossom
compared with other early spring fiow-
ers already mentioned. II is q salts
factory flower, however. ~ it 10 sure 10
hloem in profusion, and'should find
place IN every garden.
The da.fodil il also an early bloomer,
and its dazzling yellow blossoms are
popular for personal adornment aud
table decoration. There 10 . pretty
single variety of the flower. pale vel
low in color and IN shape resembling
the old-fsshioned scant skirt with
pepulum. There are early violets and
bansies, the latter needing only few
days OF sunshine TO start and perfect
the buds. OF all garden flowers the
pansy is the hardest and most ire
pressible. The plant may be well ad-
vaneed and covered with . profusion.
OF bods apd blossoms. A sudden
change 10 the weather and . heavy
ffott NAV como and envelope evaryl
petal, leaf and stem. yet wheh the sun
comes out anH NETS the ffcst the
pretty b,oRonas lift their delicate.
afrpeat human, faces4 10 che sun4ight
entirety usAb5nel. Evan . severe
freexe does not &uft then IN Che Ttash
Qssss efEariy nseewers.
All f3owess which bl6om in early
springtsme are welcomed slaGiy, buf
the queen of the early blcomibg' time.
is the tulip. NA.osher nswer enbracss'
. wider raHes Of coler ard fern or
blooms IN greater prefusion. An early
variety of dwarf fern sends up semi-
cIoscd cup ehsped flowers Of bfilhant
csler. the stem heins abeut SIX inches
high. The later vsriet6ee grow from
tvslve to eighteen inches high. bearing
at the apex Of the smooth, ssrene etopa
q geYkeous cup, bell shaped or Aenbfs
petaled flower 81 TIE most vi~is shades
of red yellow, pssk and rsse or white.
or sn intrTminxiing of two ceiers. A
curieus fern of tlsse fs~er is the par-
rot tulip, the HsNer combs ninr pale
yelacw, green and red IN q queerly dir
forted shape. somewhat RESEMBLING
bird o{ gsy plunsgs. hence the
name. parret ustuhsa .-e valued fer
The stsgnes b<puty of toe klsssenas.
The mixta kesssxss are or great
bssaty, sso bes e the vsrsess kinds
forsss dazrinz sigh. Perhaps the
f3n~et bod OF fniirs N t@wn sdsrns the
lavn n fscnt of Mrs n. v. Alsrsohss
home en Cherry strert. OF the ynsnv
& sst.vs cf hvseiushs The vyest stirling
- oirrrias hen on the Fuller greubds
en Fakcn street
sessss essssss d. soss.