FoodNetArchive

The new practical housekeeping

1890

Page 583

Presented as published in 1890. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
S round and in front of these tall-ffrowinff herbaceous perennial plants may nd a place. Let the garden be leveled, the walks laid out, ana dug out as well if it is proposed to fill them in with travel, broken bricks or small stones ; the next thing in order will be the edging. For this purpose there is nothing to my mind so neat as box, but it is seldom seen now-a-^lays, indeed I can not call to mind having seen a garden in the West where the edgings are made of box. Grass makes a neat edging where it is well ke^t ; pmlu, too, make a pretty and fragrant edging, and one of the Sedums which bears a star-like yellow flower is very pretty, but needs frequent trimming to keep it 'within bounds, — ^any or all of these may be used by way of a boraer. There are some wno will not go to all the trouble to lay out a flower gar-^ den. A simple way then is to make one upon the grass, as the beds are ■simply cut out of the lawn, then raised in the middle so that water will run off and then planted. This system can be elaborated to a wonderful extent, as those wno may have seen the so called "carpet beds" in the South ^ark of Chicago will admit. The plan is wrought out by putting together various low growing plants so that when grown they represent the design of the artist, sometimes a dial, again some prominent man. Indeed there is no end to what may be done in this way, although it requires a great many plants. The little star and ribbon beds are made by flrst cutting the bed, to the proper shape, and then fllling in with plants whose flowers will produce the colors desired. One of the most beautiful stars of an azure blue was wrought out with sky blue pansies. A graceful ribbon bed had tall growing asters for the back ground, lollowed by lines of verbenas and phloxes of var* THE FLOWER GARDEIT. 665 ions colors. Two bed^ that I made years ago were constructed thus : For centre of circle, a white lolia^ plant, cineraria maritima, around that a ring of golden phyrethrum. next a circle of Master Christine geranium, (light pinl), the whole edged with blue lobelia. The ribbon bed had dahlias for the back ground, then a line of perilla, a dark level foliage plant, next a row of scar- let flowered geraniums, then a line of dwarf yellow coleus, and the outside row of all,verbenas. In addition there should be other beds reserved for plant ing of choice bulbs and the small annuals that are not showy except in masses. Three feet square is a fair size for such beds, though they may be propor- tioned to the size of the garden, but above all things do not contract the walks at the expense of the appearance of your garden, WHAT TO PLANT. The garden being prepared in the fall of the year as suggested, roots of herbaceous plants mav be procured and set out. Among those which now occur to me are Hollyhocks, Sweet Williams, Phloxes, Canterbury-bells, Bed-hot Poker Plant, Columbine and Golden Rod« The common or popular name is purposely given. All are easily cultivated for as a rule they will grow where anythm^ will. Once in three years thev should be divided and tranerplanted. Division should be done either at the end of Summer or at the tune of making garden in the Spring. ABOUT LILIBS.