GARDENERS' CHRONICLE 



OF AMERICA 



DEVOTED TO THE SCIENCE OF FLORICULTURE AND HORTICULTURE 



ADAPTED AS THE OFFICIAL ORGAN OF 



THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GARDENERS 



Vol. XVIS. 



JANUARY, 1913. 



No. 3. 



Popular Perennials 



By W. Saville, A. R. H. S. 



DELPHINIUMS. 



Few plants contribute so much to the beauty of the 

 garden as these fine plants of the Crowfoot Order. 

 There are in cultivation many species, both annual and 

 perennial, but the most important are the tall hybrid 

 perennials. They are valuable for their wonderful 

 range of lovely color and great variety in height, from 

 1 to 10 feet. The colors range from almost scarlet to 

 pure white, from the palest lavender up through every 

 shade of blue to deep indigo ; and for the variety and 

 size of their individual blooms, some of which are 

 single, some semi-double and some perfectly double, 

 and all set on spikes ranging from 1 to 6 feet in height. 

 About a dozen species have given rise to the cultivated 

 forms. 



Culture and Position. — The combinations in which 

 the}- can be placed are numerous. They may be used 

 in the mixed border, in masses or groups, in one or sev- 

 eral colors, or associated with other flowering plants 

 or shrubs. Perennial Larkspurs thrive in almost any 

 situation and soil ; they are easily increased and are 

 quite hardy. A deep friable loam, enriched with de- 

 cayed manure, is a good soil for them, but they will 

 grow in a hot sandy soil if it be heavily manured and 

 watered. Every tliree or four 3'ears they should be 

 lilted, divided and replanted, and this is best done in 

 spring, just as they are starting into growth. They 

 may be divided in summer after flowering: if this is 

 done cut down the plants before thej' produce seed, 

 let them remain a week or ten days until they start 

 afresh ; then carefully divide and replant them, shad- 

 ing and watering until they are established. Late 

 aiUumn division is not advisable. Delphiniums can 

 be made to bloom for several months by continually 

 cutting off the spikes after they have done flowering. 

 If the central spike be removed the side shoots will 

 flower and by thus cutting oft' the old flowers before 

 they form seeds we cause fresh shoots to issue from 

 the base and to keep up a succession of bloom. An- 

 other plan is to let the shoots remain intact until all 

 have nearly done flowering, and then to cut the entire 

 plant to the ground, when in about three weeks there 

 will be fresh bloom. In this case, however, to kcej) 

 the plants from becoming exhausted they must have a 

 heaving dressing of manure, or applications of liquid 

 manure. Bone meal applied in spring and lightly 

 forked into the soil is beneficial. Top dressings of ma- 

 nure keep the. soil moist and cool, give the plants a 

 healthier growth, increase the number and improve the 

 quality of the flowers. The following is a selection of 

 a few of the best kinds: 



]\IOERHERAn. Originated as a sport a few years 

 ago ; grows 6 feet high, spikes about 30 inches long ; 

 flowers large, with pure-white eye, produces more flow- 

 er spikes on one plant than any other hybrid, being in 

 flower from the middle of June until autumn. Numer- 

 ous branches arise from the base of the central spike ; 

 they are of a most convenient size for cutting and well 

 furnished with flowers. The plant has a very strong 

 and healthy constitution and is not subject to mildew. 

 Award of Alerit, R. H. S., 1909. 



CAPRI. This novelty originated at the same time as 

 "Moerhermi" from one mother plant and has the same 

 habit, form and size of flowers, but with a splendid sky- 

 blue color. 



:\IR. J. S. BRUNTON. An excellent deep cornflower 

 blue variety, having large flowers which stand out well 

 from the main stem : it has a white eye covered with 

 deep orange hairs and grows 6 feet high, produces an 

 immense quantity of graceful spikes 20 inches long 

 throughout the whole summer, and is of great value 

 for cutting purposes ; the foliage is deeplv divided. 

 Award of Merit. R. H. S.. June. 1912 . 



REV. E. LASCELLES. Another variety which re- 

 ceived an A. M. is one of the finest Delphiniums with 

 bold spike and large double flowers with white and 

 blue center, well placed on the spike; grows 4 to 5 feet 

 high and will become very popular as the stock 

 increases. Other fine varieties that gained awards in 

 1912 are: Colonel Crabbe, cornflower; blue and violet- 

 purple with practically no eye. Cymbeline, semi- 

 double small cornflower, blue flowers tinged with 

 violet mauve. Darais, semi-double creamy white 

 flowers. Dusky Monarch throws up spikes to a height 

 of 9 feet with flowers of a deep violet purple shading to 

 marine blue. Jessica, royal blue with a dark brown 

 center. J. S. Sargent, a good late variety \vith prelty 

 marine blue flowers tinged with dark purple. Lizzie 

 Van Veen, one of the best large single cornflower blue 

 flowers. Madame E. Gevy, a distinct variety with 

 tapering spikes violet-purple flowers and reddish 

 stems. ^Irs. James Kelway, blunt spikes semi-double 

 flowers of Venetian blue. Royal Standard, a variety of 

 no great height but with a well-furnished spike of 

 marine blue flowers with a white center. Smoke of War, 

 produces tapering well-furnished symmetrical spikes of 

 deep purple-violet flowers. 



If choice named varieties are not desired Belladonna, 

 Belladonna Grandiflora, Formosum and Formosum 

 Coelestinum are varieties that will prove very effec- 

 tive. On looking through the seedsmen's new cata- 

 logues I notice one firm offering seed of 29 named 

 varieties of Delphiniums. 



