A practical guide to garden plants, containing descriptions of the hardiest and most beautiful annuals and biennials, hardy herbaceous and bulbous perennials, hardy water and bog plants, flowering and ornamental trees and shrubs, conifers; hardy ferns; hardy bamboos and other ornamental grasses. Also the best kinds of fruits and vegetables that may be grown in the open air in the British Isles with full and practical instruction as to culture and propagation

Front matter

Theiate e:

Ge

Cornell Mniversity Library

Preface

In adding a ‘ PRAcTICAL GUIDE TO GARDEN Puants’ to the literature of Gardening my chief aim has been to produce a book that will be unique and of real use not only to Amateur Gardeners, for whom it is particularly intended, but also to those engaged professionally in Horticulture. The work is the result of many years’ experience among all kinds of Plants, gained in various nurseries and gardens in this country and on the Continent under many different conditions. It deals thoroughly with the description, cultivation, and propagation of all plants—F lowers, Fruits, and Vegetables—that may be grown more or less successfully in the open air in the British Islands, and it cannot be regarded in any sense as a botanical treatise or text-book. Tender plants which require the protection and artificial warmth of greenhouses have been excluded, with the exception of a few that may be grown in the open air during the summer months. Due regard has been given to the different climatic conditions prevailing throughout the British Islands, and the reader is advised as to whether any particular plant will flourish out of doors in all parts of the Kingdom, or only in a few favoured spots like Devonshire, Cornwall, and the South of Ireland,

ARRANGEMENT

The work has been divided into Four Parts for the sake of convenience. In Part I. the Life History of Plants from start to finish is dealt with in such a way, and without the use of technical expressions, so as to give the reader a good idea of the work carried on by the roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits &c. of plants in general.

The Propagation of Plants by means of Seeds, Cuttings, Budding, Grafting, Layering &c. is also discussed from a general point of view, so that the reader may be better able to grasp the details given later vi PRACTICAL GUIDE TO GARDEN PLANTS on under each particular genus and species. The various kinds of Soils, Manures, and Plant-foods have also regeived a good deal of notice, chiefly because the importance of such subjects is as a rule not fully grasped by amateurs. Intimately connected with Soils and Manures are the various operations for the improvement of the soil, such as Digging, Trenching, Hoeing, Raking, Mulching, Drainage &c., all of which are explained to the reader. The management of Lawns and Pathways is also dealt with in this portion of the work.

Part II. is devoted entirely to the Flower Garden, that is to say, to the Description, Culture, and Propagation of all the most beautiful Harpy ANNUALS and BIenNIALS ; Harpy HERBACEOUS PERENNIALS; Buxtsous Puants; Rock GARDEN Pants; Harpy WATER and BoG PuLants ; ORNAMENTAL and FLOWERING TREES and SHRUBS, including ConIFERS ; Harpy Bamsoos, and other ornamental GrasszEs ; besides Harpy Frerns, Horsetarins, CLUBMOSSES &c.

This important part of the work includes almost everything worthy of a place in the garden. As many as 133 Natural Orders, containing over 1000 Genera and several thousand Species, have been described and fully dealt with in regard to Culture and Propagation in every case.

The plants have been arranged on a systematic basis, and that laid down by Bentham and Hooker in their standard work, the ‘Genera Plantarum,’ has been followed in the main. The natural orders, beginning with the Crowfoot Order (Ranunculace@), and ending with the Clubmosses (Lycopodiacee), follow each other according to their natural relationship, and the genera in each order are arranged in the same way. The species belonging to each genus, however, follow each other in alphabetical order for the sake of convenient reference.

The value of arranging all the flowering plants thus in their natural groups is fully discussed at p. 120 under the article on the ‘ Classification of Plants,’ and need not be further referred to in this place, except to say that it is hoped the arrangement on such a basis will at once commend itself to every reader interested not only in growing plants, but also in studying them, and comparing their characteristics one with another. So that the reader may be able to see at a glance some of the choicest plants belonging to the various groups referred to above, a careful selection has been made from each of them. Thus there will be no difficulty in choosing any Annuals or Biennials, Hardy Herbaceous Perennials, Flowering Trees and Shrubs &c. one may wish to cultivate in his or her garden.

As colour plays a very important part in artistic gardening nowadays, lists are also given of Hardy Plants, having flowers of white, red, blue, yellow, purple, and other shades. These lists will be valuable for

PREFACE vii the purposes of massing in herbaceous borders to produce effect by means of contrast in floral colouring. As the height is given to almost every plant described it is scarcely necessary to make out a list of plants with various heights.

Under the ‘Trees and Shrubs’ at p. 107 the list has been so arranged as to enable the reader to see immediately which kinds are in blossom at any particular month of the year, from January to December.

Part III. is devoted to the Description, Culture, and Propagation of the best Hardy Fruits for our climate, and Part IV. is in the same way devoted to Vegetables. The Culture plays an important part in these two groups, and is fully described in simple language. The methods recommended are not those of any particular gardener, but such as are generally practised in the best gardens in the kingdom. Sometimes more than one way of growing a plant is mentioned, but the reader should always remember that while the principles of cultivation are usually the same, there may be many differences in detail. He should, therefore, use a wise discretion, by taking into consideration the nature of the soil, situation, aspect, altitude &c. of his own particular garden, and then by means of the information given, mixed with a little common sense (one of the best plant foods known), there will be little difficulty as a rule in growing his plants, flowers, fruits, or vegetables. As a reminder of the various operations to be performed during the year, a short calendar of work has been added to the Flower, Fruit, and Vegetable sections of the book.

THE GLOSSARY

Although it is always a difficult task for a technical writer to describe the objects and operations connected with his own profession in ordinary language, I have endeavoured to avoid as far as possible the use of all technical gardening and botanical expressions throughout the work, except where such were inevitable. Simple language has been used throughout, but technical words are to be found here and there in the descriptions of the various natural orders and genera. These terms, however, are comparatively few, and occur many times over under similar circumstances, so that the reader will soon regard them as ordinary language. With a view, however, of making their meanings quite clear, all technical expressions have been grouped together in a ‘Glossary,’ and numerous thumbnail sketches have also been given to further elucidate the meanings of many.

Vili PRACTICAL GUIDE TO GARDEN PLANTS

PLANT NAMES

One of the greatest complaints amateurs have against gardeners and botanists is that they will use ‘ such long Latin names ’ for their plants. And there are some even—very few it is to be hoped—who use this as an argument, not only against the study, but also the cultivation of beautiful plants. ‘If you would only give your plants English names,’ they say, ‘we could understand them better and take more interest in them.’ This may be very true, but such people seldom find difficulty with names like Begonia, Gloxinia, Campanula, Passiflora, Colchicum, Crocus, Primula, Geranium, Pelargonium, Zinnia, Phlox, Coreopsis, Nemophila, and many other botanical names which practice has rendered familiar. As a matter of fact it is simply impossible to give every plant an English name, and efforts to do so have resulted in some very peculiar if not really awkward and inappropriate appellations, which are often worse than the proper botanical name. There is no need to say anything against the use of proper English names for plants in all cases where they can be appropriately used and are generally accepted. Such English names are a help to the amateur, and throughout this work they have been used on every possible occasion, even to the extent of adopting popular names such as Buttercup, Poppy, Daisy &c. to represent the various natural orders to which ‘they belong. No attempt, however, has been made to coin new or awkward popular names ; and it must be pointed out that one and the same English name is often applied to two or more plants belonging to totally different families, as may be seen by reference to the copious InDEX at the end. The scientific names adopted throughout the work are those generally accepted by botanists throughout the world.

ILLUSTRATIONS

The illustration of species has not been attempted, as a satisfactory representation of each one would have necessarily increased the bulk of the book and its cost to the purchaser beyond what is thought desirable, and anything short of this would be of little practical value. As faithful a word-picture of a plant as possible has been given in the descriptions, and it is hoped that this will be of real practical value to the reader, and enable him to recognise any particular plant. Illustrations, however, have not been altogether abandoned. The ‘Glossary of Technical Terms’ at the beginning of the book has

PREFACE ix been freely illustrated, as have also such operations as Budding (p. 58), Grafting (p. 52), Layering (p. 59), Pruning (p. 1033), Tree-planting (p. 1032) &c. The differences between the branches bearing flower-buds and leaf-buds in most of the fruit trees have also been illustrated for the benefit of those amateurs who like to do their own pruning but are often not quite sure as to whether they are cutting away fruit-bearing branches or not.

Such, in brief, is an outline of the work ; and I may add in conclusion that I am indebted for many hints and suggestions to numerous friends, among whom special mention may be made of Mr. Jamus’' Britten, F.L.8., of the Botanical Department, British Museum ; Mr. Guo. NicHotson, F.L.8.; Mr. W. Watson, and Mr. W. J. Bzan, of the Royal Gardens, Kew; Mr. Gxo. Tespurt, of Mogden Gardens, Isleworth ; and Mr. W. H. Divers, Head Gardener to the Duke of Rutland, Belvoir Castle, who has kindly read the proofs of the Fruit and Vegetable portions of the work, and whose assistance may be regarded as an extra guarantee of accuracy and sound practical advice.

JOHN WEATHERS.

IsLEWORTH-ON-THAMEs : September 1900.