48 THE COMPLETE GARDEN 



ennials should never be transplanted when the ground is frozen, even 

 slightly. Do not move perennials when it is impossible to provide 

 the plants with rich topsoil in which to continue growth. Perennials 

 may be "heeled-in" in the same way as other plants, with one differ- 

 ence. Perennials must be removed from the bundles in which they are 

 shipped and each plant "heeled-in" separately. Unless this is done the 

 plants are apt to mildew or rot. Perennials "heeled-in" during warm 

 weather should be covered with a light litter of straw for further pro- 

 tection against drying out. When transplanting perennials, es- 

 pecially those which have been growing for two or more years, it is 

 quite necessary to "divide" them. This operation of dividing plants 

 is explained in the chapter on "Maintenance — Perennials" (Page 

 88). Dividing should be done whenever the plants become too thick. 

 The reason why many perennials purchased from nurseries do not do 

 well during the first year is because the plants which are sold by the 

 nursery are often the result of too frequent subdividing of the parent 

 plants and the young plants are not given sufficient time to establish 

 themselves before being sold to the prospective purchasers. The 

 result is that those who purchase these plants must wait at least during 

 one growing season before the perennials will develop normal flower 

 growth. No one who is developing for the first time a perennial flower 

 garden should expect a normal development of good flowers from 

 perennials supplied by the average nursery. Such persons should be 

 prepared to wait until the second growing season before expecting a 

 normal flower effect. 



Transplanting Evergreens. Evergreens should not be trans- 

 planted to a "cold" soil, but rather into a soil that is sufficiently warm 

 to permit root growth to begin immediately and to continue either 

 during the spring and summer or during a period of two or three weeks 

 in the fall before the plants become dormant. The best season for 

 transplanting evergreens, especially in colder climates, is during the 

 spring months, just as new growth is beginning. This is done for the 

 purpose of giving the plants an opportunity to go through one growing 

 season and thereby better to establish themselves to withstand cold 

 weather in their new location. Stable manure which is not thor- 

 oughly rotted should never be placed in contact with or close to 

 the roots of any evergreen plants. Fresh stable manure mixed in 

 any soil where evergreens are to be planted is fatal to the plants. 



