The American garden (1890) (18122651596)

Title: The American garden
Identifier: americangarden111890broo (find matches)
Year: 1873 (1870s)
Authors:
Subjects: Horticulture; Gardening
Publisher: Brooklyn, N. Y. : (s. n. )
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library



Text Appearing Before Image:
Fig. I. First attempt—at 10 Fig-2. Finds the right years of age. end—at 12 years. of course, being Chromatella and Marechal Niel. Of the trees, the most conspicuous are the magnolia and live oak, while the rare little holly. Ilex iiiyr/ifoiia, is not wanting. The barberry, Bcrberis vulgaris, and Olea cla- vata, an exotic evergreen, may also be seen. The air is everywhere laden with the fragrance of the tuberose, jas- mine (Jasniimtm i-evolulitui'), and many, other fragrant flowers. Every porch is covered with some kind of vine or creeper, Aiitigonon leptopiis, honeysuckle and clematis being most numerous. In fact, the character- istic feature of Pensacola during the summer is the abundant growth of her vegetation. The trees almost hide the harbor from view. The small, old-fashioned houses are almost buried in rank growths of vines and creepers, and the lawns of Bermuda grass are every- where dotted with the flowers of cultivated plants and shrubs. "The Land of Flowers" is a term particu- larly appropriate to Pensacola and the vicinity.—P. W. Reason ER. Evolution in the Potting of Plants.—The graphic illustrations of this process on pages 500 and 501 will be readily comprehended and recognized. Plant Humor.—There are awe-inspiring plants like the night-blooming cereus and the Easter lily, and there are also cheerful, mirth-provoking plants. Look at the hanging-basket of pink and white oxalis. They are the very frolicsome little children among house- plants, and to see them tuck their little leaves and flow- ers together and go to sleep after the sun sets reminds one of a tired-out baby. The jolly sun-flower, with its round, beaming face, makes one laugh to look at it, and as for the yellow squashes and pumpkins, they fairly seem to blink their eyes in the sunshine, as much as to say "Just make pies of me," "Laugh and, grow fat." I have heard them likened to golden breast-pins on the bosom of mother Nature. There are comical shapes in beets, gourds and other vegetables. One can make quaint hanging-baskets out of beets, carrots, parsnips by scooping out a place at the top and keeping water in it, and very soon it will be covered over with green sprouts. There is a curious little plant called hens and chickens, shaped something like a full-blown rose, only green. It keeps sending forth little sprouts, just like the old one, I have a round green box with a large "hen" in the center. As the chickens " peep out between the leaves, I pull them ofi^ and stick them down in the box, where they start readily. If you keep your eyes and ears open, you constantly see or hear about funny shapes or queer habits in plant life. There is the Chinese pitcher plant, with a regular lid, and this pitcher holds about a cupful of water. It is quite common in the island of Ceylon, where monkeys appreciate this curious joke among plants, and laugh and chatter as they raise the lid and drink off the water. But North Carolina can boast of the Venus' fly- trap, one of the most innocent-looking plants with its leaf spread wide open. The gay and festive fly lights on it, the leaf claps together, and the poor fly is soon absorbed. Venus looks as if she enjoyed herself getting the best of the poor fly. If you want to be puzzled, and also to have exercise, try to find two blades of ribbon grass striped exactly alike ; or make a blow bag of the live-forever. The balloon vine is another queer thing. The dry pods with seeds make a nice rattle box. There is plenty of human nature in the dodder, or love-vine, which clings to any plant which happens to be near it, and, having no roots in the ground, steals its living out of its victim, and to show how it enjoys and laughs over its cuteness, the vine is as yellow as gold.—Sister Gra- cious. City Flowers.—It would be interesting to know just what is the educating effect upon that part of the city's youth which we may call the pavement population, of the sight of flowers the year through. During the winter months, though not always accessible, they are always visible, and during the summer months they fairly overflow the city—in the florists' windows, in great clusters on the street corners, and, best of all, in living profusion in the parks. It is not wholly a fancy.
Text Appearing After Image:
Fig. 3. Wet feet—15 years. Fig. 4. Dry feet—16 years, perhaps, that all this has more than a slightly refining influence upon these young souls, into whose lives comes so little that makes for the amenities of life. It is a good thing for a child to learn to love a flower. In learning that he has learned much more. His imagina-