THE GROWING OF THE ORNAMENTAL PLANTS
THE CLASSES OF PLANTS, AND
LISTS - Continued
Pœonia officinalis.--Height, 2 to 4 feet; early part of July. The
double-flowered varieties are the best, and can be obtained in several
colors and shades, †
Papaver nudicaule*--Height, 1 foot; second week of May; flowers,
medium size, orange, white, or yellow, almost continuously until late
autumn. †
Papaver orientale.--Height, 2 to 3 feet; first week of June; flowers,
very large, scarlet, and variously marked, according to variety, there
being many forms.
Pentstemon barbatus var. Torreyi.*--Height, 2 to 3 feet; first
week of July; flowers, deep red, borne in long spikes, very ornamental.
Phlox amœna.*--Height, 6 inches; second week of May; flowers,
medium size, bright pink, in compact clusters.
Phlox decussata* (the garden perennial hybrids).--Height, 1 to 3
feet; third week of July; flowers, of many beautiful shades and colors,
are found in the large number of named varieties of this phlox, which
continues to bloom until late in the autumn. †
Phlox reptans.*--Height, 4 inches; fourth week of May; flowers,
medium size, purple, and borne in small clusters.
Phlox subulata* (setacea).--Height, 6 inches; third week of May;
flowers, medium size, deep pink, and borne in small clusters.
Platycodon grandiflorum.--Height, 1-1/2 to 2 feet; second week of
July; flowers, very large, deep blue, borne singly or in twos.†
Platycodon grandiflorum var. album.--A white-flowered variety of the
above and makes a fine contrast to it when they are grown together. It
blooms a few days earlier than the species.
Platycodon Mariesii.--Height, 1 foot; second week of July; flowers,
large and deep blue.
Polemonium cœruleum.*--Height, 2 feet; second week of June;
flowers, deep blue, borne in terminal spikes.
Polemonium reptans.*--Height, 6 inches; third week of May; flowers,
medium in size, blue, and borne profusely in loose clusters.
Polemonium Richardsoni.*--Height, 6 inches; third week of May;
flowers, medium in size, blue, borne profusely in pendulous panicles.
Potentilla hybrida var. versicolor.--Height, 1 foot; fourth week of
June; flowers, large, deep orange and yellow, semi-double.
Primula cortusoides.--Height, 9 inches; third week of May; flowers,
small, deep rose, in compact heads.
Pyrethrum (or Chrysanthemum) uliginosum.--Height, 4 feet;
September; flowers, large, white with yellow centers, and borne singly
on long stems.
Rudbeckia laciniata* (Golden Glow).--Height, 5 to 6 feet; August;
flowers, large, lemon-yellow, double, and borne on long stems. One of
the best of lately introduced perennials. †
Rudbeckia maxima.*--Height, 5 to 6 feet; July and August; flowers,
large, with a long cone-shaped center and bright yellow rays, and borne
singly. The whole plant is very striking.
Scabiosa Caucascia.--Height, 1-1/2 feet; first week of July; flowers,
large, light blue, and borne singly on long stems, very freely
throughout remainder of the summer.
Solidago Canadensis* (Golden-rod).--Height, 3 to 5 feet; first week
of August; flowers, small, golden yellow, and borne in dense panicles.
Spiræa (properly Aruncus) astilboides.--Height, 2 feet; fourth
week of June; flowers, small, white, very numerous, and borne in many
branched panicles. Both foliage and flowers are ornamental.
Spiræa (or Ulmaria) Filipendula.--Height, 2 to 3 feet; third week
of June; flowers, pure white, borne profusely in loose panicles. The
foliage of this species is also very good. There is a double flowered
variety which is very effective. †
Spiræa (Ulmaria) purpurea var. elegans.--- Height, 2 to 3 feet;
first week of July; flowers, whitish with crimson anthers, borne very
profusely in panicles.
Spiræa Ulmaria (Ulmaria pentapetala).--Height, 3 to 4 feet; second
week of July; flowers, very numerous, dull white, borne in large
compound heads, having a soft, feathery appearance.
Spiræa venusta (Ulmaria rubra var. venusta).--Height, 4 feet;
second week of July; flowers, small, bright pink, borne profusely in
large panicles. †
Statice latifolia.--Height, 1-1/2 feet; first week of July; flowers,
small, blue, borne very profusely in loose panicles. Very effective in
the border.
Thalictrum aquilegifolium.--Height, 4 to 5 feet; fourth week of June;
flowers, small, white to purplish, very numerous and borne in
large panicles.
Trollius Europœus.--Height, 1-1/2 to 2 feet; fourth week of May;
flowers, large, bright yellow, continuing a long time.
4. BULBS AND TUBERS
(See the particular culture of the different kinds in Chapter VIII; and
instructions for forcing on *p. 345.)
It is customary to write of bulbs and tubers together, because the tops
and flowers of all the bulbous and tuberous plants spring from large
reservoirs of stored food, giving rise to similar methods of culture and
of storage.
Structurally, the bulb is very different from the tuber, however. A bulb
is practically a large dormant bud, the scales representing the leaves,
and the embryo stem lying in the center. Bulbs are condensed plants in
storage. The tuber, on the other hand, is a solid body, with buds
arising from it. Some tubers represent thickened stems, as the Irish
potato, and some thickened roots, as probably the sweet-potato, and some
both stem and root, as the turnip, parsnip, and beet. Some tubers are
very bulb-like in appearance, as the corms of crocus and gladiolus.
Using the word "bulb" in the gardener's sense to include all these
plants as a cultural group, we may throw them into two classes: the
hardy kinds, to be planted in fall; and the tender kinds, to be planted
in spring.
Fall-planted bulbs.
[Illustration Fig: 255. Tulips, the warmest of spring flowers.]
The fall-planted bulbs are of two groups: the "Holland bulbs" or early
spring bloomers, as crocus, tulip (Fig. 255), hyacinth (Fig. 262),
narcissus (Fig. 260), squill (Fig. 256), snowdrop; the summer bloomers,
as lilies (Figs. 258, 259). The treatments of the two groups are so
similar that they may be discussed together.
[Illustration: Fig 256. One of the squills.--Scilla bifolia.]
All these bulbs may be planted as soon as they are mature; but in
practice they are kept till late September or October before they are
put into the ground, as nothing is gained by earlier planting, and,
moreover, the ground is usually not ready to receive them until some
other crop is removed.
These bulbs are planted in the fall (1) because they keep better in the
ground than when stored; (2) because they will take root in fall and
winter and be ready for the first warmth of spring; (3) and because it
is usually impossible to get on the ground early enough in spring to
plant them with much hope of success for that season.
The bulbs lie dormant until spring, so far as outward appearances go;
they are mulched to insure that they will not start in warm weather of
fall or winter, and to protect the ground from heaving.
To secure good bulbs and of the desired varieties, the order should be
placed in spring or early summer. For flower-garden effects, the large
and mature bulbs should be secured; for colonizing in shrubbery or on
the lawn, the smaller sizes may be sufficient. Insist that your bulbs
shall be first class, for there is wide difference in the quality; even
with the best of treatment, good results cannot be secured from
poor bulbs.
[Illustration: Fig. 257. A purple-flowered Amaryllis.--Lycoris
squamigera, but known as Amaryllis Hallii.]
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