Spring-gardening

Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Spring-gardening. The gardening instinct is at its height in spring. The turn of the season invites it, and the wealth of quick-growing plant-material is great. On the plant-growing side, nothing need be said here that is not already written in other articles in this work, but names of a few plants for spring effects may be suggested. The spring-gardener will think first of bulbs—crocuses, hyacinths, tulips, squills, snowdrops, fritillies, and others. These are described under their regular alphabetic generic entries, and also under the article Bulbs in Vol. I. If one does not have a greenhouse, many of the annual flowers may be used for early spring bloom if the seeds are started in the window, or, as with pansies, if plants are established in autumn and carried over winter under a protection of leaves or other mulch. Some of the early-blooming hardy annuals are alyssum, candytuft, collinsia, daisy (Bellis perennis, perennial but may be treated as an annual after the manner of pansies), pansy, schizopetalon, stocks, violet, Virginian stock, wallflower (annual), pinks as annuals. The spring-garden will derive its chief satisfaction, however, from the early-blooming perennial herbs, of which there are great numbers of attractive species. A few of the best kinds are here named: Adonis vernalis, anemonis, arabis, aubrietia, auricula, clintonia, cowslip (Primula), dicentra, forget-me-not, helleborous or Christmas rose (earliest, except perhaps some of the bulbs), iris, oxalis, Papaver nudicaule, pinks, polyanthus and other kinds of primula, pyrethrum, wallflower (perennial), and very many native perennials as epigaea, trillium, erythronium, hepatica, isopyrum, anemone, claytonia, phlox, sanguinaria, caltha. The wealth of early-blooming trees and shrubs must not be overlooked, nor the beauty of sturdy herbaceous growths pushing from the ground. A good part of one's success in spring-gardening results from careful preparation the previous autumn, particularly in providing good winter protection for young or partially tender plants that are to be carried over. All should be made ready before winter closes in, so that the first advantage may be taken of the opening of spring. CH The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.