Last Summer’s serious drought has already killed some plants and injured countless others. In the vicinity of Boston, practically no rain worth mentioning fell during July and August, some places having little or none even in June.

The deficiency in rainfall on September first, was somewhat reduced by fast and heavy rains during September – about six incites’ worth, but these came so rapidly that the water did not soak into the soil as it should. Now, as this is being written (late October) there is still a deficiency in rainfall of seven inches, and gardeners can expect considerable injury to woody plants unless soaking rains come before the ground finally freezes this Winter.

Evergreens in particular may stiffer, and, of course, these must be watered thoroughly and frequently before the ground freezes. Deciduous plants, many of them, are better equipped to take care of themselves, but even these may suffer severely this Winter. No one can say how badly off mature trees are right now. They may look all right, they may have dropped their leaves at the normal time, hut the amount of water stored away in their storage organs may not be sufficient to take them through the Winter unscathed. Injury to such plants may be unnoticed until next Spring, after the leaves begin to appear. Then a browning and quick dying of the foliage may be ascribed to a “hard Winter,” and not the true cause – the lack of water during the previous Summer.

Every gardener knows that watering trees and shrubs in the late Fall before the ground freezes is the best possible insurance against injury later on. So is mulching. A thick mulch of any one of a number of materials placed on the ground after it is thoroughly wet, will aid materially in conserving that moisture in the soil, and in keeping the ground slightly warmer, thus allowing the roots to continue their active growth a little longer. This is very much to the good.

There are some shrubs which have withstood the Summer’s rainless period remarkably well. Some of the most outstanding of these might be mentioned, not necessarily because we must plan for future severe droughts in this area, but rather because there arc always some dry spots where special drought resisting plants should be used. It is too soon to list the trees unaffected by the drought, since injury to many of these may not be noticeable until the next Spring, but some genera contain several species which have done well. Such would be the oriental quinces, Chaenomeles; the brooms, Cytisus: the indigo, Indigofera; privets, Ligustrum; matrimony vines, Lycium; ninebarks, Physocarpus; buckthorns, Rhamnus; sumacs, Rims: and locusts, Robinia.

Then there are individual shrubs which have done very well. The Amur maple, Acer ginnala, is an excellent small tree, noted for its dense growth and vivid scarlet Autumn color. Not all of the barberries have prospered, but the most widely planted of them all, the japanese barberry, can certainly be placed at the top of the list as far as drought resistance is concerned. It has often been said, and justly, that if there is a dry spot in which the Japanese barberry will not grow, it is a waste of time to try anything else. The mentor barberry, Berberis mentorensis, a semi-evergreen, is also in this same group, and might be used more for this purpose.

The Siberian pea tree, Caragana arborescens, and some of its close relatives should be included, for they are used extensively in windbreaks and hedges in the Great Plains areas of western Canada where dry conditions are the rule rather than the exception. They also are very hardy, and withstand very low temperatures for extended periods. The native groundsel-bush, Baccharis halimifolia, the pistillate plants of which are so noticeable in the Fall with their small, thistle-like flower heads, not only withstands dry soil, but salt water spray as well, making it a desirable plant for the seashore.

Another native, the common witch-hazel, Hamamelis virginiana, which is the last of the woody plants to bloom in the woodlands of the northeastern United States, can be grown in full sun and dry soil. Merely because it is found chiefly in the woods does not mean it cannot be grown elsewhere. Some of the best specimens in the Arnold Arboretum (and they do make splendid specimen) are growing in full sun.

Bayberry, Myrica pensykanica, and the Beach Plum, Prunus maritime, are two more natives for this group, typical of the northeastern United States, and splendid dry soil plants. The bush cinquefoil, Potentilla frulicosa, native from the tops of the Olympic Mountains in Washington clear across the continent to New England, is another. Gardeners tend to overlook this plant, for it grows only about three feet tall and has small yellow or white flowers 1%” in diameter, but it certainly merits consideration. It is not susceptible to any serious insect or disease pest and blooms continuously from mid-May throughout the Summer. No, it is not conspicuous, but it is dependable!

The Scotch rose, Rosa spinosissima, and Virginia rose are both natives of North America and withstand dry soil conditions as well or better than most of the other roses. The low dwarf gray willow, Salix tristis, is still another poor soil plant, seldom over 1 1/2′ high, but with excellent light gray foliage, and good for planting on banks where soil erosion is a problem.

Finally, some of the junipers merit consideration as dry soil plants, being among the few evergreens which can be considered in this category. The common juniper, Juniperus communis, is one, together with the native red cedar, J. virginiana. The creeping juniper, J. horizontalis, and the shore juniper of Japan, J. conferta, are two other low, creeping plants that aid in covering the bare spots on poor dry soils, neither one growing over 1 1/2′ in height.

These then, are a few of the shrubs which have done well in the drought of 1949, and which can always be expected to do better than other plants on dry soils. Many other plants did well, too, during the past Summer, but these mentioned have proved themselves time and again as among the first. to warrant consideration for growing in places where dry soil conditions are prevalent.

On the first Christmas, when the shepherds went to pay their respects to the Child at Bethlehem, they were followed by a little girl. When she found that they had brought offerings of doves, fruits and honey, and had no gifts to offer herself, she left dishearteningly, and wandered away weeping. Suddenly a light from above shone brilliantly on her, and the angel Gabriel asked her why she wept.

When he was told that she was too poor to bear gifts. the angel swept the earth with his wings, and before the little girl there soon appeared the beautiful white flowers of the Christmas rose in abundance. With great joy she gathered big bunches, and carried them to where the Child lay. There the kings and their attendants were presenting their rich gifts, but when the Child saw the little girl with her bouquet, he smiled, and stretched out his tiny hand to reach the pearly white flowers.

Thus, according to this delightful legend, the Christmas rose came to be – an enchanting flower cherished for the many tales and myths that tell of its creation, for its symbols that stand for beauty, purity and everlasting strength. Its attractive evergreen leaves and waxy flowers have the boldness to reverse the normal blooming cycle, and brighten our gardens and hearts in the icy time of year.

Flower of Winter

Perhaps no other flower belongs more truly – and traditionally – to December and January. Some of the early-flowering httlbs, like eranth is and snowdrop, will often err and startle us with their floral jewels weeks ahead of the dictates of the calendar.

Some of the late Winter-flowering shrubs, like the witch-hazels, will transgress schedule and burst into occasional bloom on luring, warm Winter days, but the Christmas rose was made specially for Winter – and for Christmas, too. It is, indeed, the season’s own.

Not a True Rose

One of the first facts we should learn about the Christmas rose is that it is not a true rose. Nor is it related to it in any way. The common name was given because its flowers, which often appear at the holiday season, resemble those of single, white roses. The botanical name indicates that it is a hellebore or a member of the ranunculus or buttercup family. Thus the buttercup, hepatica, delphinium, peony, clematis. columbine, anemone and monkshood are some of its more popular cousins.

Soil Requirements

This hellebore from southeastern Europe and Asia Minor will, once given the proper location and soil requirements, become a permanent resident of any shrub planting, plant border or rock garden. As it grows naturally in woodland areas, it requires a deep, well-drained soil that contains plenty of humus material. Peat moss, leaf mold and well-rotted manure need to be added in quantity when preparing the bed. A neutral pH reading is best, and if the soil is acid, it is advisable to add lime. Partial shade is also a requisite, and this can be provided in the form of light shade from high-branching trees or tall-growing shrubs. Such a place is ideal because coverage is offered from the hot Summer sun, and yet sunlight, needed for good flowering, reaches the clumps during the leafless months. In dry periods, it is important to water plants well, as the black roots dive deeply into the soil.

A Long-lived Perennial

In selecting a suitable place for your Christmas rose, choose one where the plants can remain permanently. They resent being moved about, though more especially they dislike to have their roots torn or broken. Slow in coming into bloom. once established they will he faithful with their creamy white contributions for many years. It is not unusual to hear reports from gardeners who have had plants in the same spot for 50-75 years.

In transplanting the Christmas rose, perform the operation in the early Spring or Fall. Opinions of experts seem to vary about this, but if plants are lifted with a large ball of soil they will fare well. New plants are best obtained by lifting the outer pieces of a clump with a pitchfork, thus leaving the center crown undisturbed.

Christmas Roses Indoors

An interesting way to handle the Christmas rose for use in the home is to lift budded plants carefully in the Fall from the garden, pot them in large containers and then force in a cool room or greenhouse for Christmas. As plants flower anywhere from Fall through March, and later, this method will assure flowers for the day itself. The English are very fond of this practice, and at Christmas. potted plants are a common sight in market places. In creamy white jardinieres or in green ones they can be a truly beautiful spectacle indoors where a too warm place should be avoided.

Effective in Arrangements

Of course, the flowers may be gathered from the garden or the coldframe, if they are grown there specially for cutting purposes, and used for flower arrangements. They combine well with holly or inkberry leaves and other traditional Christmas greens, but however arranged, they deserve the most important place – the dining-room table, mantel or coffee table ? where they can be seen and enjoyed from every vantage point. White, green or red candles used in the arrangement will add color and interest. The Christmas rose, we must not forget, is no ordinary flower, and should not be treated as such.

Species and Varieties

The most commonly grown species, and the most beautiful, is Helleborus niger already mentioned. Its deeply-cut, leathery leaves, remindful of those of pachysandra, measure about three inches across. The flowers, tinged with green and pink, consist of five petals, two to five inches in diameter. They appear at the ends of foot-long stems, which may be shorter or even longer.

There are also many worthwhile varieties of the species. H. n. altifolius is bigger, and has flowers that measure 3% inches across (in humid climates they grow larger), often several on a stem, while H. n. praecox has smaller blooms. Another species, very popular in Europe, is II. orientalis, known as the lenten rose because it blooms from late Winter through the lenten period. Not as handsome as its close relative, it has dark green to purple flowers. A variety, H. o. atrorubens is admired for its flowers that are greenish-purple inside and dark purple on the outside.

Summary: A complete fertilizer or plant food – organic or inorganic – is one very key “item” for success in the lawn, with landscape plants, in your garden and with your houseplants. With a little study of fertilizers and their recommended uses can save money and increase productivity.

Click Here to Read – How and What to Feed Garden Plants

Question: The garden center recommended a “complete fertilizer” to use on the lawn, landscape trees and shrubs for my yard, how do I know what is the right plant food to use? Martin, Peachtree, Georgia

Answer: Martin, homeowners face many options in choosing from a great variety of fertilizers on the market today, and may at times be uncertain which one to select for their particular needs.

There are organic and inorganic fertilizers, both of which are available in powdered, granular, and liquid forms. Then, some are complete, or balanced; others are prepared for special purposes. A study of fertilizers and their recommended uses is well worth while, both in terms of money saved and in increased productivity.

Essential Elements of Complete Fertilizer

All balanced fertilizers must contain three basic elements:

• (1) Nitrogen, which promotes leaf and stem growth
• (2) Phosphorus, which helps plants grow and flower as well as makes their stems strong
• (3) Potash, which aids root growth and, to a certain extent, acts as a balance wheel between the other two.

By law, the percentage of these three elements making up the fertilizer must be printed on the bag or container. The percentage, or number of pounds of each element per 100 pounds, is expressed in numbers such as 10-5-5, 5-10-10, 5-8-7, 20-20-20, and so forth, and always in the same order: nitrogen, phosphorus, potash.

If the total amount of each element in a particular fertilizer is not in a form which plants can use as plant food, the analysis must also show the percentage which is available to plants. Many fertilizers also contain some iron, copper, manganese, calcium, etc., which may or may not be listed.

Plant Food – Basic Types

There are several ways to classify fertilizers, but first we shall divide them according to whether they are organic or inorganic. Organic fertilizers are those derived from animals or from plants. These include bonemeal, fishmeal, sewage sludges (Milorganite), cottonseed meal, dried blood, manure (fresh or dried), etc.

These materials are comparatively low in their chemical analysis but they often appear to furnish benefits out of proportion to their content. They cannot burn your plants and they release their chemicals slowly as they gradually decay.

Natural Chemicals

The inorganic fertilizers are already in their basic chemical form. A number of them, like some limes and rock phosphates, are natural chemicals. Others are manufactured chemicals. Since they are already in chemical form—which is the only way in which the plants can absorb them regardless of their origin—they take effect much faster than organic fertilizers. Decay is not necessary.

Other points in their favor are that they are usually cheaper, you can control more accurately the amount of plant foods you provide, and they have higher concentrations of plant foods so that you need less inorganic than organic fertilizer to do the same job.

Man-Made Chemicals

To confuse us, however, science has now given us synthetic organics, man-made “natural foods.” These fertilizers are members of the urea-form group, relatives of the plastics, and release their one plant food, nitrogen, slowly as they decay. In the North they may release it over the entire growing season; in the South they break down more quickly. Although they are highly concentrated—containing up to 40 per cent, or more—they cannot burn roots or leaves. Nitroform has been a widely advertised brand.

Liquid Fertilizers

A third basic group is the liquid fertilizers. Here we include both types, the organic such as the liquid fish emulsions and the purely chemical, or inorganic, soluble powders and liquids. Both are convenient to use and equally effective in the soil. The inorganic group, however, lends itself to somewhat more rapid absorption when used for foliar or on-the-leaf feeding. They usually come in more highly concentrated form and a little goes a long way but, by the same token, they must be used with greater care and strict adherence to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Click Here to Read – How To Use Plant Fertilizer Concentrates

Specialized Fertilizer

Finally, we have the specialized fertilizer such as lime-free azalea, camellia, and holly fertilizers, rose or bulb foods, African-violet foods, etc. Their uses are indicated by their names. In this category, too, are the common gypsum, used in limestone sections to supply calcium without increasing alkalinity, and sulfur, used as a minor plant food and soil acidifier.

Fertilizer By Content Type

We can also divide fertilizers into two groups according to their contents. One is the high-nitrogen type, which promotes leafy growth on lawns, leaf vegetables, and foliage plants – this is why you should Know Your Fertilizer. A good example of this is 10-5-5, used on lawns in some areas. The other is the low-nitrogen type, in which phosphorus and potash play a more important part. One of these is 5-10-10, used primarily as a tree, rose, and bulb food. Use the first type where stem and leaf growth is wanted and the second where flowers and fruits are important, as well as for all root crops.

Read – How To Apply Fertilizer But How Much

Hopefully you now have a better idea of the fertilizer you need for the job and can now buy the “complete fertilizer” needed to do the job.

Question: What is the best way to apply fertilizer and just “how much” fertilizer should I apply? Donna, Dallas, Texas

Answer: Donna, before we look at applying fertilizer we need to look at – How Much? Also, in your question, you did not let me know if you were applying to the lawn, fertilizing roses, trees or container plants, so we will have to provide more of an overview.

Click Here Read – How And What to Feed Garden Plants

How Much Fertilizer?

The amount of fertilizer to use depends to a large extent upon its concentration, the soil, the crop you intend to grow, and weather conditions. Only a soil test, whether made by you or your state experiment station, can answer the first question accurately, although if you have a lush crop of weeds, you can be sure that your soil is pretty good and should be able to grow a flourishing crop of vegetables, fruits, or ornamental plants.

Some plants, such as asparagus and rhubarb, are heavy feeders, especially of nitrogenous fertilizers. Others, such as peas and beans, may even add nitrogen to the soil.

Weather also plays an important part, because organic fertilizers especially are less available to plants during unseasonably cold periods. But, at the same time, the plants grow more slowly under such conditions, hence their need for plant foods is reduced.

Recommendations for ordinary powdered garden fertilizers, such as 5-8-7, generally range from 3 to 5 pounds per 100 square feet. In the case of highly concentrated fertilizers, whether liquid or dry, the required amounts vary so much from brand to brand that the only safe thing to do is to follow the manufacturer’s directions.

How To Apply Fertilizers

When fertilizing lawns a hand-held, push or motorized fertilizer spreaders is used to “throw” the fertilizer evenly, then the fertilizer is watered in to help move it into the soil.

The most common way to apply fertilizer has been to scatter it over the soil and then turn it in by plowing, rotary tilling, or spading in a garden for example. However, some believe it to be the most wasteful, especially in sandy soils where it can easily be washed down out of reach of the plants. Unless the soil is well mixed, it is often just dumped to the bottom by the plowing or spading and the young plants must do without it in their early stages.

A better method is to scatter the proper amount over the soil after it is turned over and just before a thorough raking. This gets it well mixed in the upper few inches and allows it to work its way down.

More economical for small flowers or vegetables whose roots are not far-ranging is to mix the fertilizer thoroughly into the soil directly under the row or hole for the plant. Then after the plants are well established and need a little additional food they may be side-dressed by placing the fertilizer in a furrow on either side of the row or in rings around individual plants.

Up until now we have been discussing the application of dry or powdered fertilizers. With side dressings we can also apply fertilizer in liquid form for a quick pickup. For this, use only those designated as completely soluble. Other forms have too much waste.

A variation of this is root feeding, where a liquid or powdered fertilizer is placed in a mixer and automatically dissolved and fed into the water passing through a hose. The enriched solution is then fed to roots of trees, shrubs, roses, etc. through a hollow spike-like applicator that is pressed down into the soil to the proper depth. Another effective form is the use of “fertilizer spikes” in which fertilizer manufactured into a tablet or spike and is placed in the soil and slowly dissolved by moisture and water as it comes in contact with the spike.

Through The Leaf – Foliar

Lastly, we have foliar, or through-the-leaf, feeding. Only completely soluble materials may be used and care must be taken to follow the manufacturer’s directions explicitly. Once the correct amount has been calculated for the apparatus at hand, the fertilizer solution may be applied with a conventional sprayer or a hose sprayer, either at the time of spraying or separately.

What About Earthworms

There have been claims that chemical fertilizers kill earthworms. However, within reasonable limits, the heavier the application the greater the growth of crop and crop residues; hence the larger the population of worms because of this increased food supply. Also, earthworms are no more sensitive to fertilizers than are root hairs. But, if temporarily disturbed by an overdose, the worms simply move down deeper or out of the fertilizer’s range.

Before you apply fertilizer to the garden, landscape or lawn, always read and follow the manufacturers directions.

Proper precautions are necessary for successful wintering of perennials, bulbs, ornamental shrubs and trees, fruit trees and berries, where reasonably severe Winters are normally expected. Seasons vary and the home owner who is just starting is sure to get valuable advice from his neighbors who have had many years experience under similar conditions. ‘What is more, they are practically all willing to give a helping hand to anyone who asks them about their problems.

Not all plants succeed under varied soil conditions and, as one proceeds northward, more and more plants become doubtfully hardy or are a total failure. If you have some of the rather tender shrubs or trees for your locality, including roses of the everblooming, tender types, there is one thing you should specially strive for and that is to get the new wood reasonably well ripened before very severe weather sets in. In a rather dry Fall, wood ripens well and yet, if it should be unseasonably dry just after the first heavy killing frost, good watering is advisable to get the normal amount of sap in the plants. In innumerable instances, evergreens planted near buildings, where they get rainfall from one direction, often receive serious Winter damage. Such plantings, if well soaked, before the freeze up are seldom damaged. During most years, evergreen plantings near foundations need watering. In addition to the unfavorable locations, the heating units have a tendency to dry out the foundations which in turn dries out the soil.

Snow is an ideal protection, but over a vast part of America it cannot be depended to stay reasonably steady. So often after a big Winter thaw, the thermometer plummets to well below zero and the frost sinks deep in the ground. This is the time that a well-mulched planting proves its real worth. With the ground only slightly frozen, if at all, the roots are reasonably active and can start functioning in the early Spring when bright, sunny, windy days, coupled with sharp frosts at night, have a very drying effect on vegetation. This is the time many choice narrow-leaved evergreens, rhododendrons, plus many others, suffer serious browning and even killing in some instances, while their roots are still frozen solidly.

Magnolias of the soulangeana type and sweet cherries, when grown near their northern limit, should have their trunks wrapped with burlap, to prevent trunk damage by cracking or sunscald. If you are attempting to grow these in such localities, magnolias are far more successful if grown as big shrubs with branches near the ground. Sweet cherries should branch low to begin with, even if, when the trees get larger, a few lower limbs have to be removed.

Mulching of Fall-planted stock is especially needed as, in this way, frost does not get in until after the new year in many instances, and with the advent of Spring new growth starts vigorously.

Strawberries should be mulched with straw or other material as soon as the ground freezes and growth stops. At. this time it is often possible to remove some perennial weeds in berry plantations that have been overlooked previously since more time can be spared at this time of the year.

In regard to roses, sorts that are normally hardy in your locality, barring iron-dads, need only a light mulch around their bases and yet there are seasons when this advice does not hold good. If it has been a late, wet Fall, with vigorous growth that has not matured properly, many plants will need special care, particularly if a severe cold snap follows. In most Falls of this kind that is what happens and it is advisable to remove climbers from their trellises, lay them down carefully and cover with loose leaves or evergreen branches. Those with stiff canes may be tied in a compact unit, wrapped with excelsior and burlap.

Hybrid teas should be mounded with a foot of soil where near zero or lower temperatures are to be expected. Polyanthas, though hardier, and many floribundas, should have the same treatment where below zero temperatures are the usual thing. Otherwise, only a light mulch around their bases is all that is needed.

As a precautionary measure, the use of snap mouse traps, baited with apple seeds, placed under small boxes, with v-shaped slits at each end, will prevent any possibility of mouse damage. This may be done well in advance of plant protection.

Perennial plants in the borders should be handled according to nature’s way. Under natural conditions the leaves from deciduous trees and shrubs fall gradually among plants, not on top of them, until they are snugly protected. By dumping a lot of mulch on the plants, many are smothered before they really become dormant and the material even heats during mild spells, doing serious damage. Foxglove and canter-bury bells especially resent this and often (lie out completely. The same is true of ninny large-leaved perennials.

Regarding Spring bulbs, if the Fall is dry, dig the bulb beds to the depth desired for planting, removing the ground and soaking the bottom thoroughly, after loosening the bottom, if the ground is heavy. Then, as soon as the ground is dry enough, plant the bulbs, replacing the soil until half full. Tramp firmly and replace the balance loosely. Then do not protect until the ground freezes well. If done too soon, mid-Winter growth frequently occurs and much Spring bloom is ruined.

Holland bulbs may be planted much later than is normally possible if the prepared beds are mulched heavily and late arrivals planted on any reasonably mild day. The mulch should then be replaced and left until late January or February, depending on the lateness of planting when it should be removed to let the ground freeze well, replacing only when a heavy fall of snow renders it necessary. Under this method, I have planted tulips as late as Christmas with perfect results.

Lastly, but of not least importance, do not be fooled by a few seductive, Springlike March days and remove a lot of protection from your plants which a late freeze is apt to destroy. It is far better to be a little late than too early. In addition, if you can remove the protection on a dull day, when rain is expected, plants will do much better as, in this way, they are not exposed to strong sunlight immediately.

We listened carefully to the sage whisperings of the firs before we ventured into our woodland with saw and spade. In fact, two years pasted before my husband and I could bring ourselves to the actual operation of digging out some of the lush ground-corers so that paths could he staked out. Natives such as vancouveria and Oregon grape had to go, but trillion’s, ferns and clintonia we carefully transplanted to other areas.

Today, native plants still predominate in our woodland garden. But, with the forest giants’ consent, we’ve introduced modest plants from other lands. The path wh6re our lawn ends and the woodland garden begins we’ve edged with dwarf rhododendrons – hybrids of R. williamsianum. These dwarfs have intriguing oval leaves and in late April and May pink and yellow hanging hells.

This rhododendron walk leads to a favorite spot, the garden bench, where we’ve planted drifts of little bulbs and dainty evergreen flowering plants for year-round interest. Here, in early March, a colony of Snow Bunting crocus opens star-shaped blooms in lovely defiance of cold winds. Here, too, are snowdrops, which are followed by the lovely fringed pink bells of shortias and schizocodons. Both of the latter plants have shiny evergreen leaves which turn bright red in winter. Mid-April coaxes out the ethereal pink bloom of the schlippenbachi azaleas. These plants appreciate the protection of a Douglas fir tree.

In June, the low, spreading mounds of Gumpo azaleas tucked behind the garden bench are studded with large pink and white flowers. Their evergreen foliage is handsome the year long. Midsummer brings tall spires of foxgloves, which reseed among ferns.

In late August, it’s pleasant to sit on the garden bench out of the broiling sun and listen to the rustle of the first falling leaves. The hardy cyclamen hear it too and promptly come forth with a few jaunty blooms and numerous buds. We take the hint and water their dry bed, and before many days watch a sheet of white blooms unfold. By mid-October the pretty marbled leaves of these plants cover the ground.

Along the lower woodland path, the colchicums, too, heed the rustle of autumn leaves, and soon their delicately tinted mauve blooms are to be seen hovering near the edges of the walk like pale wraiths. First to open are the soft lilac blooms of C. autumnale, followed by the rare and lovely white variety of the same species called album plenum. The flowers of the latter are double with several rows of narrow petals. Finally, just across the path, a small colony of another variety, The Giant, closes the entire performance with large blooms of lilac-rose.

A little later on, on this same path, that color-spendthrift October paints the foliage of western dogwood and vine maple in rich, intense hues. which stand out sharply against the backdrop of firs.

A third path leads up a gentle slope to the sunny edge of the woodland. Our latest project here was the placing of mossy rocks as a setting for dwarf species rhododendrons, But these fascinating small shrubs presented a problem. Should we give in to our mania for collecting one of a kind or should we plant fewer varieties in order to achieve eye-pleasing massed effects? Limited supplies of some varieties settled the problem for us. In a Canadian nursery we found one small plant of the rare, yellow-flowered R. hanceanum nanum, and we finally located a few specimens of R. cremastrum with its plum-pink bells and R. sargentiantun with its wee yellow blooms and tight habit of growth.

Easier to find were blue-flowered R. impeditum and R. fastigiatumÑas well as our five plants of R. pemakoense, a delightful pygmy smothered in showy, lavender-pink blooms in early April. These three varieties we grouped for massed effect, but it will take several more years before they cover their allotted space.

Since our woodland garden is large, the plants must be able to get along with minimum care. Fortunately, the natives including clintonia, Oregon grape, disporum, violets and ferns – need no care at all. We simply leave all twigs and fallen leaves on the ground to provide moisture-holding humus. Nature has been taking care of these wildlings thus for many years. Why interfere?

But the dwarf rhododendrons do need some care. Because we want these plants to remain dwarf and compact, we’ve given them a spot exposed to several hours of afternoon sun. As a result, they need frequent watering in summer as well as a yearly mulch. The mulch consists of dried fronds of bracken and rotted wood from old tree stumps which we gather in the woodland each full. In fact, we mulch all our rhododendrons and azaleas with this material. We use no commercial fertilizers. Then, too, when the rhododendron blooms fade, the entire trusses are pinched- off to prevent seed formation.

As for planting lime for rhododendrons, we prefer fall since the younger plants establish well during our mild, rainy Oregon winters. However, because dwarf species often vary in size and color of flower, we selected and planted some of these species while they were in bloom. We especially sought clarity of color in the blue-flowered varieties.

The dainty shortias and schizocodons yau happy with a mulch of fir needles. which drop from a nearby tree. Although they are shaded from the hot sun, they still need several summer waterings. Planting of these was done in fall.

Of our bulbous plants, the hardy cyclamen, colchicum and snowdrops are the most carefree. We planted our first cyclamen corms while in full bloom, with their tops 2 inches below ground. They continued to bloom and have increased in size and vigor. No special soil or fertilizer has been added. As the corms do not multiply, increase is from seed. This year, we have flats of seedlings of C. neapolitanum album coming along and also the rose-colored variety of this charming cyclamen. Colchicums thrive under exactly the same culture as hardy cyclamens. These we planted in August while they were still in a dormant condition.

Like the colchicums and cyclamen, the snowdrops (Galanthus elwcsi) seem at home under woodland conditions. Enough afternoon sun reaches them to ripen the foliage in late spring. The bulbs, planted five years ago, have multiplied readily and probably should be lifted and divided in a year or two so they will not be overcrowded.

Crocus, we’ve learned, are favorites of mice. Indeed, all that remained of our first planting were a few dry husks. So the following fall, we planted the corms in wire baskets. And now, for the last two springs; we’ve enjoyed this small drift beside the bench.

Foxgloves, on the other band, send seeds far beyond their allotted space. Thus, we’ve had to pull up many of these plants to prevent the coarse leaves from smothering small neighbors. But other than this, they ask for no attention.

How well we have succeeded in making our woodland garden a place of beauty I do not know. But each year the lofty firs hold baby robins in their limbs and foxgloves beckon to the hummingbirds. There’s the good smell of damp mold and the scent of the first trillium pushing through the fallen leaves. A distant snow-capped mountain peak is framed by dogwood blossoms and a bright-eyed squirrel reports, “All is well.”

Question: When picking lily bulbs for our landscaping are there any tips on color combinations to follow, so the colors flow? Tonya, Petersburg, Virginia

Answer: Tonya, when planting your new lilies in the garden this fall – whether you’re putting in a few or several hundred – don’t sell them short! Use them where they will be most effective, where their regal beauty will accent, contrast or complement their garden companions. And – plant them properly so that the bulbs will not be forced to undergo tribulations in order to succeed.

How can you use lilies most effectively?

Well, there are four factors which must influence your choice of plants:

• Height
• Direction in which the blossom faces
• Blooming time
• Color

Lilies should be placed where they will not be drowned out by taller-growing plants, where their blooms look garden visitors frankly in the face (upward-facers should go below eye level, outward-facers at eye level and downward-facers at or above eye level), where their time of bloom coincides with or supplements their neighbors’ and, above all, where their colors will be most effective. And, with today’s ever-widening range of lily colors, as well as the much-extended blooming period – June to frost – the exciting uses to which lilies may be put are many indeed.

Hot Color Advice

My advice to gardeners would be to shun the use of hot-colored flowers as companions for vivid lilies. Put the orange, bright red and intense yellow lilies with pale, pastel companions so that there is contrast, not competition – flattery, not visual vituperation. And when selecting pink neighbors for these warm-colored lilies, hew to the warm side of the color chart, to the salmon pinks, for bluish pinks will jangle.

White lilies, on the other hand, complement and enhance warm or even hot-colored flowers. And white lilies are particularly delightful, I think, with cool-colored flowers. On midsummer dog days, when even a scrap of shade is welcome, white lilies waving gracefully among blue, blue-violet, pale pink and white flowers can make a garden look air-conditioned – particularly if the flowers are seen against shade. Stay on the cool side of the flower spectrum and you’ll feel cooler.

Another ideal use for white or pale-colored lilies is against and among darker plants. Needled and broad-leaved evergreens, deep-colored, shaded leafy screens and hedges will silhouette the lilies as the sun picks them out.

Choosing Companions For Lilies

Remember, too, when choosing companions for lilies that the foliage of all plants used together should be related. Large lilies with coarse foliage will look even coarser if the supporting cast is unduly delicate. Smaller and more delicate lilies can be made to look more important by furnishing them with companions of greater fragility and refinement. For best effect, lilies should dominate in some compositions, while in others they must play a supporting role, albeit with the assurance of a star.

But to get down to cases. For early-in-the-season bloom in the garden border, Golden & Rainbow lilies followed closely by the Madonna and Cascade strain group, combine beautifully with white, blue, blue-violet and purple delphiniums. Lilium testaceum’s amber orange, for instance, and the warm hues of the Lliium hollandicum-tigrinum hybrids highlight the deep dark tones of delphinium and are also pleasant with the whites. For a finishing touch, add a base planting of dwarf or medium-sized lemon marigolds. These will not only enhance the warm colors of the lilies but shade their roots and provide a living mulch.

Hot August Colors

During torrid August, it is pleasant to see the pink selections and the white-with-brownish-reverse of Lilium sargentiae in the border either with the late-summer perennial phlox, fall asters, double and single Shasta daisies and early chrysanthemums or with annuals which are then beginning to come into their own full glory at that time.

September brings Lilium speciosum with its white and pink-or red-spotted hybrids. They look best with annuals, chrysanthemums and fall asters, especially the new compact dwarf varieties whose pinks, lavenders, whites and blues flatter the lilies. Blue aster which does well for me, is excellent also with Lilium formosanum and its hybrids, whose white and purplish brown reverses are a good foil for the blue aster.

These are only a few of the lilies which may be used, of course, and only a fraction of the effective combinations for them in the garden border.

by J Brimer

Question: We would like to grow some lilies in our rock garden, which varieties are best suited to rock garden culture? Beverly, Goldsboro, North Carolina

Answer: Beverly, there are a few lily varieties to use in rock gardens. Here, the smaller, shorter-stemmed varieties, such a Lilium amabile, L. cernuum, L. concolor, L. rubellum, L. maculatum (elegans) and L. pumilum (tenttifolium), should be used, particularly if the area is small. Plant them where their roots will be shaded, on the north side of a large rock, for instance, because the rock garden may be too well drained and dry for their liking.

Even woodlands with light shade or a place where sun penetrates only a few hours a day are not impossible places for lilies. Lilium auratum. L. henryi, L. hansoni, L. canadense, L. superbum, L. rubellum, L. japonicum. L. humboldti and other hybrids have been used where shade was not too dense and soil and drainage good.

Ferns make excellent gioundcovers in these spots, and ajuga. hosta and other woodland denizens with a shady past and future will flourish as companions. Where lilies are naturalized, native shade plants can be used as accompaniments. and both blue and Hills of Snow hydrangeas make good shrub neighbors. Actually, the possibilities for the use of lilies are limited only by the imagination.

Lilies are not as capricious inmates of the garden as once was believed. And if we provide them with favorable conditions for growth and health, they’ll thank us with unstinted bloom.

Getting Cultural On The Landscape Lilies

Well-drained soil is the first requisite, for bulbs should not have to deal with excess moisture, especially during dormancy or rot and fungus diseases may result. Even lilies which are natives to boggy regions perch themselves on hummocks so that only the roots rest in soggy soil. Therefore, before planting, cultivate the soil deeply and add drainage where necessary. An open, porous, rich-in-humus soil which allows excess water to drain off but is still spongy enough to hold moisture during the growing season is ideal.

It’s generally agreed that a fertilizer with a high potash content makes lilies more disease-resistant, while one high in nitrogen results in soft, weak sterns. One authority recommends 3 parts dried manure to 1 part bonemeal, with 3 or more parts wood ashes (potash) unless the soil is unduly alkaline, for most lilies seem to prefer neutral to slightly acid soils.

If commercial plant foods are used, those with 2-8-10 or 0.10-10 analyses are preferred, although a 5-10-5 one is all right if extra potash is added in some other form.

Avoid air stagnation around lilies. Air movement will assist in maintaining their health, but sweeping winds, of course, will result in snapped stems and damaged flowers despite staking and tying.

Mulching during the growing season conserves moisture and eliminates weeding, hut use an open, porous, mulching material so that air and rain may penetrate freely. A winter mulch is appreciated – especially the first year of planting. It prevents heaving and breakage of new roots as well as too-early spring growth which may be nipped by late spring frosts.

These, then, are the quick facts about lilies and their use. Don’t shortchange them, but use them to their fullest, surround them with good companions and invite yourself to the garden party.

by J Brimer

Tulips are among the most brilliant and most cheerful of spring flowering plants. Fortunately, too, they are among the easiest to work with in the creation of artistic landscape effects. If you buy top grade bulbs and follow a practical plan when you plant them this fall, tulips just can’t disappoint you.

Check out ==>> Fall is Planting Time For Tulip Time

For good landscape effect, tulips should always be massed. If you plant them in clumps in a mixed perennial border or elsewhere, each clump should consist of at least a dozen bulbs. And it’ll be even more effective if it consists of a dozen and a half or two dozen. If you plant them in beds, each color area should be large enough to stand out as an individual entity when viewed from a distance. Depending on the size of the bed and the distance from which it may be viewed, this means that each color area should consist of from a dozen to several dozen bulbs. Never “spot” tulips here and there individually and never string them out in scanty single rows.

Various low to medium height plants can be combined with tulips – either planted in front of them or interspersed with them – to insure a pleasing color combination. Among these are dwarf phlox, forget-me-nots, candytuft, alyssum, aubrieta, arabis, primroses, pansies, dwarf azaleas, and the like. The colors of both the tulip and the companion plant should, of course, be borne in mind when you make your choice, and if in doubt use white-flowered companions.

To provide bloom after the tulips are finished, you can choose from a wide variety of annuals, from summer and fall flowering bulbs like gladiolus and dahlias, or from late flowering herbaceous perennials like hardy asters and chrysanthemums. If you’d like to, you can duplicate the tulip color scheme with the plants that follow them – for instance, red and white zinnias can be planted to follow red and white tulips – or you can change the picture entirely by choosing different colored follow-ups.

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Question: How long has the Madonna lily been grown, I heard it was the oldest cultivated garden plant in the world? Heather, Baldwin, Pennsylvania

Answer: Heather, lilies have earned a place in our hearts, for what they are and for what they mean to us, for their beauty and for their symbolism.

Gardeners have much to learn about their culture. First of all, a lily is not a bulb which can be treated like a tulip or hyacinth – as if it had a fully dormant period. A living plant, the lily should never be in want of moisture or of food. It needs a well-balanced soil that is both moist and adequately drained, either neutral or slightly acid, and wen-aerated so that the lily’s high oxygen requirement can be satisfied. A good exposure to sunlight gives the plant a chance to develop straight stems and many flowers.

Easy-to-grow, attractive, tolerant of different climates and soils, persistent – these qualities are becoming more and more synonymous with the appellation “of hybrid origin.” Certainly it is true that the really strong-growing, disease-resistant varieties of lilies on the market are invariably of hybrid ancestry.

The opposite is demonstrated all too clearly by the true tiger lily, which exhibits symptoms of virus disease in its striped foliage and often even in its flowers. The old-fashioned Madonna lilies are more and more subject to fungus diseases, largely because of a virus-weakened condition. Even the stocks of regal lily are no longer as vigorous and fine as I remember them from years past. Al! three of these lilies have now been surpassed by stronger, healthier and prettier lilies of hybrid origin.

Let us see what lily growers have done with these three popular garden types.

The Madonna lily – Lilium candidum

The Madonna lily (Lilium candidum) is the oldest cultivated garden plant in the world (grown for over 3,400 years). The Cascade Strain, Botanically speaking, is not of hybrid origin. Yet, it did come from widely divergent selections made in different foreign countries where the parent stock has been grown for so many years that the lilies act and look like different species. First grown in large quantities from seed, then reselected down to only six plants front which a large stock has been built up through vegetative means, the Cascade Strain is free from diseases and strongly resistant to them.

True hybrids between this strain and other species such as Lilium chalcedonicum have been developed.

Tiger Lily Hybrids

The tiger has been combined with the candlestick lilies to produce a race of hybrids that have fine color, hardiness, resistance to drought or excess rain and to heat or cold in a greater degree than either of the parents. Especially is this true of color, for the hybrids have a vibrant quality that gives many an arresting beauty.

The tiger lily hybrids, are fully described in current bulb catalogs, so there is no need to list them here, although the freckled faces and lovely center eyes of outward-facing ones beg for special mention, while the upright-flowering types beckon to sun and butterflies with richly colored cups and bawls.

Regal Lily

Of the third favorite, the ubiquitous regal lily, nothing but good has been said for years. When well grown from good bulbs, it is still a lovely lily. Yet, many years of undiscriminating mass production with emphasis on rapid bulb growth rather than on beauty of flower have caused all too apparent deterioration.

Seed is raised only from the best plants, with pyramidal flower heads and good color. To extend the season the trumpet lilies were crossed with the later-flowering Lilium sargentiae to produce the lovely Green Mountain Hybrids.

Without ever exceeding 55 degrees during the winter months we have lilies in flower from February on. In May the first varieties open in the fields, to be followed by an ever-changing show until late October or November. What other plant family gives such a long flowering season? In fact, what else is there with the fragrance, the beauty, the nobility and the purity of our hardy garden lilies? Admittedly I’m prejudiced, but to me they seem the perfect choice for a garden hobby.