I02 How to Lay Out 



CHAPTER XII. 



And from my heart poured out the feeling of 

 love; it poured forth a wild longing into the 

 broad night. The flowers in the garden beneath 

 my window breathed a strong perfume. — Henri 

 Heine. 



HE desire to have an abundance of flowers is strong 

 in the home lover's heart. The annual outlay for 

 greenhouse bedding plants deters the average man 

 from much display. There is a better way coming 

 into vogue now by the revival of the old-fashioned flowers 

 of the " Grandmother's Garden." These are called perennials, 

 or hardy herbaceous perennials, because their tops die to the 

 ground, but their roots hve. These hardy plants begin to 

 bloom from earliest spring, and continue until November. 

 They are of all colors and varieties. The best time to plant 

 is in early fall or very early spring. 



The soil should be two feet in depth and of good vegetable 

 garden quality, with enough retentive compost so that the 

 plants will not dry out in hot weather. After planting, the 

 beds must be dressed with manure each year to have good 

 plants and flowers. Starvation of soil means dearth of bloom. 

 Many kinds of herbaceous plants should be lifted every tliree 

 or four years and divided, because the crown on which the 

 flowers grow has become run out. Many of the plants grow 

 from the center outward and the bloom will soon l)ecome 

 scattered, spindling and unattractive. Another reason for 

 dividing is that the number of plants will be increased, giving 

 an opportunity for exchange with neighbors, or to plant in 

 other parts of the grounds. There are varieties of plants 



