ORNTIENTAL PLANTING.



The subjects of ornamental planting has been a great favorite

with the blorida State Horticultural Society. It has a place in

the hearts of Florida Horticulturists next to the Citrus fruits.

In looking over the old reports we find that almost from the first

some one in the society has had something to say on this subject,

even in those dark days of 1896 it had a favored place on the pro-

gram. It is true that frequently the members of the committee has

found it more convenient to remain away than to prepare a paper.

With all that has been said on this subject it is far from

exhausted, I am enclined to predict that we are just beginning

an area of a very generous and elaborate ornamentation in Flori-

da. Some of the wealthiest Estatea are planting many thousands

of dollars worth of plants, and hiring the most experts of land-

.scapes architect to lay out thier ground, This is then further sub-

aidised by hiring a corps of experienced gardeners. The results,

as we easily may be predicted, is dream of beauty.













3The 0ttrus growers of florida are not all millianarea, oan-

sequently there is a ooanidorable percentage of them to whom I

oan speak to to-dgay* he. millio'are does not neAd my moesage, he

can pay for apecialista on the subject, however the pleasure and

enjoyment that he gete out of his dream of beauty cannot be oon-

sidered in the same olaue with the enjoyment that the average iOtrue

grower, and the average horticulturists gets out of the results

of his own enterprise eau struggles.

It a paper before this sooeity in 1896 I isousees the use of

the Sweet Allfseum, of Alternathers, Cosmos and Solanum ieondlan-

ii. These are plants that every one can have at his home place,

and are espoioally adapted for border purposes, and tho last for

the covering of troallas or arbores .

In 1905 I discussed the Angolonia, whichh has nearly disea-

peared from the list of useful herbaoius plantd-tho Hybisous

which has becoao a great favorite in nearly all p:rts of the

Pononsular Florida*. he George Washingtoa Palm which has proved

a splendid ornament in Florida, and which may be grown with cmn-













fidenoe any portion of the State. The Canary date palm a muoh

larger is strong oompetor for the first pl:-e. I also discussed

the use if the cabbage palmetto as a tree for street planting,

rhis palm is less appreciated than it would be if it was of a for-

Aign introduction.


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GIVE PLENTY OF ROOM.


In my paper to-day I want to discuss the purpose of plant-

lag about the home place. We have such a wealth of beautiful

plants belonging to almost every family mentioned in the Horti-

oulural Hanaul that we ha-diy know which to choose. We see so

many splendid specimens every time we look about to that we do not

know which one to prefer above another. I fear that some of us

are like the daokey in eesop Fables who was very hungry, and was

placed between a sheaf of oate add a sheaf of wheat, when he made

up his mind to take a bite of the wheat he remembered how eplend-

idedly the oats tasted and turned his attention to the oats, and

before he oould get a bite of oats his sweetness of the wheat turned

him to the wheat, and in his indecision he died of starvation be-

tween the two sheaves.

To be able to plant a home place correctly, one muet have the

power of projecting himself into the future. He mast see in his

mind andeye what thP place will look like not In a few weeks or a


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few months, but after the )apse of five or ten years. I fear

that many fail to preoeive what results the planting will give

at the end of five or ten years, hence a great deal of the home

planting gives one the felling that the author of the planting

has had no plan in mind, but simply a medley of confused ideas.

The first nice plant we get is too frequently set out on the

most conspicuous portion of the ground whether it will finally

give good results, or not do so. It so happens therefore that

the home planting shows very little or no indivtality of the own-

or, sad so looses the greatest pleasure of all. The millionaire

oan pay some one else for the brains of carrying this out He

will have the only satisfaction of knowing that his money has been

well .spent or has been wasted9 the home planter on the other hand

will have a chance of working out his own ideas*

The first mistake generally made is that we plant too mush

stuff about our dwellings when & tree is small it occupies no more

space that a pot plant. The first effect gives us the feeling

of bearness, we therefore repeatedly make the mistake of planting


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closely. After we have nursed the plant for five or ten years

it becomes sentimental with us, it becomes impossiblefor us to

ant it down and burn it up. To avoid thi disaster, we frequent-

ly have our plantings look like a medley rather than the morti-

fication to rudely destroy some of our best friends.

I am presenting to you to-day some photographs which will

illustrate the points I h ve in my mind much more fully than .

could be explained by words.

The dwelling which we inhabit becomes the.oentral figure

and whether it becomes a house or a home it depends entirely

upon the way we treat it. How often we hear the expression, "Ohl

what a beautiful home", and before we have past a mile we say

"Ohl waat a beautiful house". Without knowing it we have ex-

pressed the sentiments in our hearts.

Palms are the most esthetio plants that we can use for the

home grounds ornamentation. They have a wealth of foliage, a

grace of bearing and a permancy ideal that is not approached by

anything else. In spite of this, when we find a jungle of a

very fine specimen of palms we are not very much attractAd to.













thep. They must be set out in euoh a way so as to express our

idea.

the ideal home is not a place of seclusion, We must plant

in such a way that we can have the prideoy that goes with a home.

We must constantly bear in mind that the special pAint of veiw

is from the home, the veiw from the street to the home is of

secondary consideration. By a proper groping and setting out

of the plants, the approach to the house can be so arranged as

to make it possible to have all of the breeze and air that is

going, and at the same time have it soreeaded, from the high-way

here and there glimpse or vista to the home. If you will notice

that the photographer that I have passed you you see that the

veiw from my home to the high-way is almost umobstructed while

the row of palms along the high-way is so near to the travelers

that there is little opportunity for publicity tnd at the same

time there are many angles at which it is possible to bhe the

interior of the grounds in riding past slowly. Almo t every

species of palm, which include at least twenty, is in veiw at one

time or another.














PLANUIG !O WEXPiS8 AU IDEiAL.


he lldacape aerohiteote and landscape eardinorl have their

perfootly proper place, and they are usofRl oven as ajutants to plant-

ing our hoae ground if however you rely on these sources of tntor-

mutiza entirely you will get a sterMtypo form for $ur honeo grounds.

Lis steroatypod form mayT be very much be tor thqn anything that

you can do. It has however one eorione daefect, and that is, that

it does not express your one ideals. I should not be underetoou

to mean that you should not get all of the help poeeible, biat the

help should be in asuch a way as to make a part of your self.

Books a landcaapes, gardeners are aeoosablce to very one. It

will cost only a trifle, *ten we ompareo what ve seed a n our home

S round o-namentations. 2hotographe of beautiful plants and boL..u-

tiful grounds, and even photographs of fine estates are roadily

obtained at a trifle cost. Thase photographer are taken by pro-

fessional photographer, or nade as snapshott", ant do not as a

role pro.,ent tho picture. It require, a groat Coal of ttao and

emoat careful study on the part of the real artlats to locate hie













camera properly*. Zaetly we have an opportunity of visiting any

nrter of well ornamented grounds in almost :my sootion of the

State. I have very frequently vi1itod such in company with mem-

bers of our Horticultuiral Socliotlo. It in worth the vhilo for one

to study the feeling of others whilo visiting much bo:.-tiful

grounds. Tho unconscious expros:-ion of fooling gives one the

bout index aE to the uacoes; or failuro.

My plea to-day an homnornamentation is, that every one who

heroes ay paper make it their special study to wee what are the

special merits of the beo utifl plantinC that eo soe 04 this trip.

It eeons to m'o that t ones who takes oreo for Iho home aro the

eoes who might well study thiu subjoot. It might well receive

the oonesieration of the mothers and daughter they ire by ten-

poraoent aoh more likely to h,.o good taste than a man, they are

likewise by th e*i nervous organization much more likely to bo

favorably or unfavorably affected by esthetic ar uneathetic sur-

rounding, and lastly but not last, the mothers and daughters

should take a greater interest in the homo rounds and home ae-













sociations than any one else.