POMEGRANATE is a highly decorative shrub, particularly the beautiful double scarlet variety (Punica rubrum florepleno), which flowers in August. Plant cutting in a big pot, jar, or tub, or buy plants. Stand these plants in pairs in some conspicuous place in the garden and they will add great elegance.
POPPY. The common garden herbaceous poppy flowers in May and June, in sun or half-shade, rising from two to three feet. It has large flowers and handsome divided foliage. For a Shakespeare garden select the white. Propagate by dividing in early autumn. The poppy is a gross feeder and likes rather moist loam enriched with cow manure.
PRIMROSE. This flower blooms from mid-April to mid-June. It has several solitary pale yellow blossoms on naked stem. It grows from six to nine inches high. Protect in winter. Propagate by seeds and offsets in rich, light soil, not dry.
ROSE. "How to plant a rose may seem a simple matter, but many have laid the foundation of failure through bad planting," writes a rose cultivator. "Never plant in a very wet soil, nor allow crude manures to come into direct contact with the roots. See that the roots are spread out properly and naturally, not pressed into a small hole and cramped or distorted from the first. Plant dwarf kinds two inches deeper than the junction of the rose and stock, and standards three inches below the original root. To place a small grower side by side with one of three or four times the strength is a great mistake; the weaker grower has no chance whatever. For medium growers three feet is a good distance, while plants of greater vigor will need to be from four feet to six feet apart. Do not plant against a wall; but leave some four or six inches between the wall and the base of the plant. It should not be difficult to obtain the roses familiar to Shakespeare. The old Hundred-Leaved and Damask are easy to procure. The Rosa alba, or white rose, has two familiar varieties called "Maiden's Blush" and "Madame Plantier."
KNOTS FROM MARKHAM
SIMPLE GARDEN BEDS
The Musk-Rose may give some trouble, but E. T. Cook gives us a good clue as well as instructions for growing it. He says:
"These are very old roses, certainly known in England three hundred years ago. The flowers are insignificant individually, but collectively are pleasing and appear late in August. They require good culture, and very little, if any, pruning. As pillar roses they are seen at their best. 'Fringed' is very pretty and strikes freely from cuttings. Its color is white shaded sulphur. All the Musk-Roses have a peculiar musk-like odor, but this is distilled only on still damp mornings or evenings. 'Eliza Verry' is white, very free, the flowers appearing in large corymbs. 'Rivers Musk' is a pretty pink variety, well worth cultivating. Of the Hybrid Musks the 'Garland' is of rampant growth. It has immense corymbs of tiny white flowers with innumerable little buff colored buds, peering out among them. 'Madame d' Arblay' is another. 'Nivea' is a beautiful kind for a pergola, or fence."