New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-04-06
"OLD-FASHIONED FLOWERS."
WORTHY ABOVE ALL OTHERS. OF PLACE IN
EVERY GARDEN.

TO the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: The least expensive luxury In beautiful flowers
and plants Is collection OF hardy Eerbaccous plants
and there Is no home so humble that 1t cannot af-
ford them. There Is no garden so large so small
that these flowers cannot make beautiful. II was
Henry Ward Beecher who wrote: AS for mcr2olds,
peoples. hollyhocks and valorous sunnowcrs We VIII
never have II garden without them" But the day
came when they forgotten and their places
taken 10y gaudy beds OF flaming foliage plants. and
the lunches OF "pines, chiny Astcrs, and daiy
down dill!es" became only sweet memories. But The
world has swung around again and tie cd fashioned
hower-bcd blooms and grows In sturdy pride. New
riches have been brought forth, new ideas In ar
rangement have developed. and the cost IS no
greater than In those days when householder
would have soon been without front door AS a
flower garden.
With these plants, TO which ffu changes OF weather
make little difference succession Of flowers can be
had from early spring until late In the fall. There
are the old favores-pconies. In all Their coors
and shades from pure white TO maroon and crimson !,
the phloxcs, growing either low or tall, with their
varying flowers the dainty colnmhine, white, DUO
yellow and red: the stately holly running the
whole camut OF color new kinds OF the iris, In their
rich and vcyety coiors, rivallihg many OF the or
chds; lilies. OF which thcre are ;ifty OF the cholccst
TO choose from gaillardas, the most satisac
tory OF all plants IN that they bloom continually
new dwarf Chinese larks Iurs. which have been pu'
lately Introduced into this country, and when nave
a beauty too exquisite too describe. pyre'hriums
which are as fine rs chrysanthcmums; the sweet
scented boIdcr pink: the nodding harebclis, the
larkspurs, white shy blue or purplchlue; ana Tie
sweet bams, with which mass OF colors can be
produced II IS not the beauty OF thcSe plants alone
which commonds tlem but their pcrmancncy: when
they are planted they come up every year IN
stronger and larger clumps 50 that In time the
uaarA fltgm
his neIghbors. beauty thus reproducing ana pr2,sy
ting beauty. And the cost j. so Nery small. All %.
the plants which have been mentioned can oe tonp'
for from fifteen cents 90 twenty i've CENTS per root
Tho hest time for planting hardy pcrcnnlnls Is rom
March To May In september and October. as o re-
CARDS selection for different purposes II mass OF con
tnua bloom is desired the best plants for such Pur
poses ARE the double white Achllaea the large now
cred Coriopss, the Gaillarda, the spanish Plnk or
the Dicentra ENmea. For edges In the way OF ever,
green plants either the box or '1S stec wh Tr or the
borders or for dounc here and there among the shrub
berry any OF the plants described In the FOREGOING VIII
be found fitting. In addition To these numerous hulb
Gus plants such ns IIyacinth. Tulip, trocus. snow
drop the Golden banded Tiger Lily and the ST. Joseph
Lis can BE- depended upon to come up annually Ill
their season. There can be- no more effective sur
rounding for n house than such plants Tor mos
passing by they rest and delight; their perfume
i'm, the air. Ana while they bloom In their spendor
and beauty those VINO live within have the sweet
Will, the dcwdrops trclnbic on the soft bloom. These
hardy hcrbaccous plants are mother Natur. eSpetni
care. When planted they need but little attch,
ton from the hand Of man. The labor l. rs nominal
as the and their beauty n great as man Under
standing. They peep through the snow shyy an
nonncng the coming of spring; then through the sum
NOR until the earth begins to grow hard under the
touch Of frost they bloom and send forth their IRA
GRANGE In 10y thankfuness To the man who planted
them.
Flowers arc words which even babe can under
stand wrote good Pishop CoAe. The words OF the
nshioned pOscs those Of childhood ana Youth
Of faith and hope. when the world glowcd dimly In
the light, when the future was bright ana promise
true.
And while rejoice with the grandfather over re-
turn Of those flowers N his dav, those who grow
flowers for a living, and those who grow them from
pure love Of them wing with one another In pro
ducing new and beautiful varieties OF the rarcr plants,
orchids, chry sanihcmunS and others which houriSh
best I'm the protection of the greenhouse The rivalry
stimulating in the artistic rs much rs In Ill" com
mcrcal There Is no love purcr more rflutl,
ful than that for exquisite flower. No one who
undertakes Horticulture In the spirit OF love for 1t las
10 find In II an unc'psing source OF the keenost
aesthetic delight He spends hours In forgctulncss OF
his work-:dny world. The flowers rest his tired
nerves and add years 10 his life In no pursuit are
men 50 long lived as In Horticulture. The gentle
charm OF the flower IN It's simplicity and purity
makes nobcr and better the man who loves them and
the whole family circle feels their benignant influence
They create love OF the beautiful which widcns and
grows prirer MS the years roll on and make men ana
women more like that which the, we're intended 10 be.
JAMES II. PITCHER.
Short Hills n. j.. April 4. 1893.