Evening star., 1904-07-16
LUXURIANT. FERNS
PEoN1Es SHOW LARGER ANn
MORE ABUNDANT BLOOMS.
Lilacs Have Just Ceased Flowering,
but the Bushes Are Beau
tiful.

1t is an interesting thing to go from the
luxuriant floral growth of Washington in
early summer to the northern states, where
one catches the procession of bloom Of
flower and shrub at just about the point
reached two weeks earlier in the more
southern city.
Leaving Washington June 10, l stopped
for week in western Massachusetts,.
There were the llacs, the peonies, the
wiegelias, and above and beyond all. both
figuratively and literally-the syringas in
fullest perfection of blossom.
Never have l seen such gigantic and
yet symmetrical syringa bushes, or rather
trees, springing with dense foliage from
the very ground. They are often twelve
or fifteen feet high. and covered with
greater profusion of bloom than l have
ever seen farther south. The color, too, Is
different. much creamier in tint and with
heavy perfume that announces itself
some distance from the flowers themselves
Peonies also are finer than l am used to
in the country places about Washington,
and grow in such quantities In some or the
gardens to make a dozen blossoms cut
at one time for house or porch decoration
leave no visible gap in the mass of bloom
A singular fact was told me by lady
who has many of them, and that is thai
bers were originally all pink or whlte' put
generated or at least changed into the
deep crimson pink, the least desirable OF
all peony shades. She could net account
for it, and apparently the change Is perma-
nent to her great regret.
They Grow Slowly.
Peonies are such slow growers that 1t
takes years to establish them as decora-
tive feature of a garden. They should al
ways be first planted where it is intended
they should stay, and not transplanteo OF
disturbed and then 1t takes three years OF
growth before they bloom as rule In
the same place ferns are made great spe-
cialty in decorating grounds. Usually
planted close to the house, and they certain
ly flourish, as 1 have never seen cultivated
ferns do anywhere else.
.On each side of the front porch or the
same house where the peonies belong are
ferns at least thirty inches high, and OF a
rank growth that seems incredible outside
the deep woods.
The Best Varieties.
The varieties most successfully grown
seem to be the cinnamon and Interrupted
ferns, the latter SO called from the habit
of the fruit looking almost like a withered
frond, growing on the stem about half way
from it's beginning, for some six or elght
inches, then the green leaves reappearlng
take up the growth thus interrupted by the
fruit.
In the cinnamon fern the fruit grows
directly from the ground, the stalks COW
cred with 1t having the shade of brown that
cinnamon best describes.
While perhaps these are more often seen
than other kinds, came upon a small
house one day during a walk which was
surrounded by a fern bed in a most delight
full state of luxuriance. and here maiden
hair of type far more robust than had
ever seen before, was equally numerous
with the usually stronger kinds. 1t made
a beautiful picture. though the setting OF
the rather sordid little house did not add
to the effect.
Leaving Massachusetts and coming still
north to the eastern coast of Maine,
found about the same difference of time in
bloom as between Washington and central
New England.
Up to Lilac Time.
Here were the lilacs which had faded be-
fore our eyes in Massachusetts, and here
again the beautiful creamy-tinted syrln-
gas, tall and large, too, though without
the symmetry of the inland bushes, this
wind-swept coast being too exposed for
that
The lilacs have faded and gone, now that
it is nearly the middle of July, but the
peones are here and there to be seen' ana
the syringas look as near per1ection DIS
when | came more than two weeks ago.
Though the blossoms have gone the mac
bushes continue to be joy, such great,
spreading masses of green as they are,
thickest Of growth near the gfou1id' Ior
they seem entirely unpruned, and the
suckers" have been allowed to so envelop
the parent bushes as to make them seem
mounds Of green, seen at any distance.
The blooming is undoubtedly affected by
this neglect but for the rest of the year
much more picturesque appearance Is OBJ
tanned, and / ana not sure but what that Is
the more desirable effect on the Whoie.