AN OLD WELL USED EFFECTIVELY AS A DECORATIVE FEATURE
For a Hybrid, there is nothing more effective than the Killarney, whose color is a sparkling brilliant pink, the buds long and pointed, the petals very large and of great substance, being just as handsome in the bud form as in the full-blown flower. For a soft, pearly white, the Kaiserin Augusta Victoria is advisable, tinting to a soft lemon, its fragrance added to its beautifully formed flowers, make it a joy in your garden.
A rustic sundial requires far different treatment, and only vines that bring forth white blossoms or pale colors should be used. If Clematis is chosen, the Duchess of Edinburgh is suitable as it shows double white flowers that are very fragrant. Mixed with this can be the Jackmania Alba, which is white, shaded with blue. The Fair Rosamond, if one wishes a combination, fits in with the color scheme, being tinted white with red stripes. The advantage of these flowers is that the blossoms open in masses that bring out the dark of the wood and lend themselves to picturesque effects.
Around the foot of the sundial, why not plant Poppies, making a circle about five inches in width. The Perennial Poppies are among the most brilliant in coloring, the graceful bright-colored, cup-shaped flowers being borne on long stems. Mix with them the Oriental Poppies, which are the most showy plants possible for decorative effects. To fill in the spaces put in a package of Shirley, the combination of the three varieties giving a most fascinating touch of color. For the Shirley, why not use the finest mixed, as it will bring out white, delicate pink, deep crimson, and handsomely striped varieties. The Perennial is advantageous because it comes up every year while the Oriental are magnificent in coloring, more especially the Grand Mogul with bright crimson flower of immense size, the Princess Ena, bearing large, bright, orange-scarlet and the Marie Studholme, which is a delicate shade of salmon with a silver sheen. Nothing can give better effects for this style of sundial than the clematis with a poppy in the foreground.
Color makes a great difference in proper planting, the white marble or concrete and possibly wood painted white, demands a strong color to bring out effectively the white of the surface. The gray stone is not picturesque unless blues, yellows, or reds are used. These three colors can be blended so that they form a scheme that is most attractive. When it comes to brick you will have to depend upon white, or light blue for coloring. More care should be taken with the planting around this kind of a pedestal than any other. The red of the brick demands more covering than any other type. The Hop vine fits into the scheme, but requires a great deal of trimming lest it overshadows the brick, making a mass of green without any hint of the brick below. The leaves are fine, three-lobed, and rough on both sides while the loose paper-like straw-yellow Hop in the fall hang gracefully from the brick, making a fluffy but attractive covering.
Fragrance is necessary in the planting of a sundial, then why not use the Honeysuckle? The Brachypoda is particularly effective for this purpose. It shows white flowers in pairs, and sends forth a delicious perfume that attracts one even before the sundial is viewed. The Hall Evergreen Honeysuckle is also good for this purpose, being a strong grower and constant bloomer. The flowers open white, change to buff, and are very delicate in appearance.
This sundial should be set in a circle of green. At the edge of the border plant Iris. This makes a more effective setting than if a whole bed of this should be used. The well-known, beautiful Iris of Japan displays a great variety of colors, the chief of which is white, maroon, dark blue and violet. Most of them are veined, mottled or flaked with different colors. There are both single and double varieties. The beauty of this plant is that it succeeds in any good soil, that is if well drained and given plenty of water when dry. They can be planted either in the late summer or spring, as desirable, and should be shown in masses, growing from two to three feet in height and lasting in blossom for a month. For double use the Antelope, which shows a white ground flaked with purple. Mix with it the Beauty which is a pure white. Add to it the Mount Hood, light blue, shaded darker in the center. These can be intermixed with the Crested Iris, a dwarf, showing handsome, light-colored flowers, and the Snow Queen, whose large snow-white blossoms are free flowering.
The planting around the sundial rests with the whim of the owner, though, if out-of-the-way ideas can be evolved, it will add much to the attractiveness of this feature of the garden.