Pennsylvania School of Horticulture for Women - Wise Acres Yearbook (Ambler, PA)

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School oj Horticulture . - a» - in the garden here, as well as M. prunifolia, M. theifera, M. micromalus. The Japanese cherries are finding their way into American gardens and are hardy in this state; in fact, many of them are hardy as far north as Boston. One of the first to flower is Prunus subhirtella, the spring cherry of Japan. It has slender branches covered with pale pink blooms which fade to white. The weeping rosebud cherry, so popular in gardens, is P. subhirtella pendula, and no tree is more beautiful. Prunus yedoensis is the species that was presented by the Japanese to the United States Government, which planted them in Washington. When in flower they are a sight worth seeing and attract many visitors. Prunus subhirtella (Beni-higan) and P. yedoensis (Yoshina) have been planted in the spring and autumn gardens at Ambler and are growing nicely. Primus avium, the native European cherry, is not much grown here, but E. H. Wilson, of the Arnold Arboretum, reports it as hardy there, and speaks very highly of it. It makes a well-balanced tree with a rounded pyramidal top and bears pure white flowers in masses which almost obscure the branches. The double form is even more lovely. There are many more shrubs and trees as beautiful as those mentioned but space does not permit any further detailed description. A few remarks on propagation and general care may be useful. Any good garden soil will suit most shrubs, but it is worth while to double dig with manure or to prepare a deep hole for each. Spread the roots out well if the shrub is not balled and burlapped, trimming any jagged cuts with a sharp knife. Work the soil well among the roots and tread firmly. Before putting back the final layer of soil give a thorough soaking. During the first year watch closely and never allow to suffer from dryness. Soak frequently and thoroughly and mulch with well rotted manure. Pruning of ornamental shrubs is an operation that is often overlooked or badly done. It is not really difficult and can be reduced to a few quite simple principles. First, there are those as Weigela, Spirea, Viburnum, that flower in spring or early summer on the wood formed the previous year. They should be thinned directly after flowering, cutting out the shoots that have flowered to allow light and air into the bush to ripen the new wood for next year’s bloom. Pruning too hard may result in a spurt of soft sappy growth that does not ripen enough to stand the winter. Second are such as Buddleia, which flower late in summer at the ends of cuiTent year’s wood. Prune in early spring by cutting these shoots to two or three buds from their base. Shrubs bearing flowers and berries are a little harder to prune, but the best way is to thin out carefully in early spring after the berries have gone. The crabs and Japanese quince bear their flowers on spurs and need little beyond a light thinning after flowering or in early spring. Most flowering shrubs can be propagated by cuttings or layers.

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Wtse-Acres - ----------------------------------------- —$+♦• most beautiful Viburnum to my mind is V. Carlesii with faint blush flowers, also in clusters and very sweet smelling. It is not a vigorous grower and needs no pruning as a rule. Unfortunately it is often grafted or budded on one of the strong growing common sorts, which soon swamp it, killing it entirely. It is best to propagate it from soft wood cuttings in summer. As a pot plant, gently forced to open its flowers a little earlier, it is most welcome. Viburnum Wrightii is very attractive in fruit, as they are bright red, small and hanging in clusters. Spireas are represented by many species, too, among the most popular of which is S. Van Houteii, and S'. thunbergi. The former is found in most gardens, as it will grow anywhere, and the white flower clusters are so numerous that they obscure the branches. It should be thinned out after flowering, cutting away the wood that has just blossomed. Spiraea prunifolia is a double form, the flowers being closely clustered on long upright slender branches. The leaf is like that of a plum, hence its name, and it is the true Bridal wreath. It has not an attractive habit of growth and if not pruned after flowering gets very thin and bare at the base. Spirea bumalda, Anthony Waterer, is a favorite. It is a dwarf, upright shrub bearing rose colored flowers in flat heads at the ends of the shoots in summer. There are two or three species of Hamamelis or witch-hazel, which flower when there are no other shrubs in bloom and when most trees have lost their leaves. Hamamelis virginiana will open as early as October, often before its own leaves have fallen, the golden, narrow petal led flowers and pale yellow leaves making a pleasing combination. It is native, as is also H. vernalis, which is less showy, but fragrant, flowering in winter. H. mollis comes from China, and H. japonica from Japan, and they both flower in February on bare wood, showing up well in a winter landscape. Among flowering trees the Crabs and Cherries stand first for beauty of blossom, some species of the former also being lovely in fruit. Malus floribunda is well named and makes a small tree with long slender branches, somewhat drooping and covered thickly in May with clusters of small pink flowers. M. f. atrosanguinea is a deeper color, but both get pale as they open more fully. The Bechtel crab, M. ioensis, makes a moderate sized, round-headed tree. It is one of the best, having large double pink flowers that seem like miniature roses. It is said to be a natural sport. Malus Scheideckeri bas a rather stiff habit of growth, with the flowers closely clustered on the stems. It is pink and semi-double, and small plants in pots are very attractive when gently forced for greenhouse decoration in spring. M. floribunda can be used in the same way. These crabs are not particular as to soil, and need no pruning beyond shaping the head when young and a little judicious thinning of the wood when older. We have planted the above varieties

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Wise-Acres •♦♦a Cuttings of soft green wood two to three inches long can be taken in summer and inserted in frames. They root more quickly if a hotbed of manure one inch thick is made under the sand. Keep the sashes on, syringe daily and shade with burlap. Hard wood cuttings six inches long can be made in autumn of new but ripe shoots, cutting at a joint or with a heel of older wood. Tie in bundles and bury in soil outdoors below frost line to callus. Take up in spring and plant three inches deep and three inches apart in nursery rows, outside. The cuttings can also be inserted in a propagating bench in the greenhouse in autumn. Layering should be more used as a method of propagation. Many shrubs with drooping branches root themselves into the soil around. Others can be induced to make roots by being simply pegged down into some good sandy loam mounded up around the plant, while it is necessary to cut a slit or tongue in some before pegging them into the soil. Layer in spring or autumn, keep moist, and leave for a year to make roots, then sever from the parent plant and put in nursery rows or permanent positions. A City Garden Audrey Hedge When you speak of your garden it is always taken for granted that you mean your garden in the country; for where else would you have one? The middle of New York City is one of the last places where one would expect to find a garden, but there are quite a few settlements hidden by the high walls of the city houses, which no one who had not seen behind those walls would dream existed. Turtle Bay Gardens, although not a true waterside colony like Sutton Place, was one of the first of its kind to be started by a group of literary and artistic people about nine years ago. The name seems to imply that it is on a river bank, but the lovely title originated from a rocky cove three blocks south on the East River. There, in the old days, famously large turtles were caught by the picnickers, and in the Colonial WTars the cove was frequently fortified and held by the British. The gardens are a block of twenty houses, back to back, between Second and Third Avenues, facing on Forty-eighth and Forty-ninth Streets. They were remodeled from the typical tenement houses, with dingy back yards and high board fences, into houses of stucco, with one