M '^lolx^r (Sapd^i) ar)d Laloi). ^ 



SOME GOOD HERBACEOUS PERENNIALS. 



HERBACEOUS Perennials are 

 those plants whose roots re- 

 main in the ground from year 

 to year, the foliage dying down to the 

 surface of the ground every autumn to 

 grow up with renewed vigor in the spring. 



As most plants of this class do best if 

 their roots are not disturbed for several 

 years, it is necessary in preparing a per- 

 ennial border to dig deeply and fertilize 

 well before planting. Though many of 

 them are perfectly hardy without pro- 

 tection, all are the better of a coating 

 of four or five inches of strawy manure 

 in the fall ; leave it on as late as possible 

 in the spring so that the rain may wash 

 out the soluble plant (ood. As soon as 

 growth begins rake off and remove the 

 surplus straw and rake or very lightly 

 fork over the surface, being careful not 

 to disturb the roots. Never use a spade 

 in the perennial border. 



A very frequent objection to the free 

 planting of herbaceous perennials in the 

 garden border is that it costs too much 

 to buy the plants. There may be some 

 truth in this if one wants to get all the 

 novelties as they are sent at high prices, 

 but there are many of them that cost 

 little more than geraniums or other bed- 

 ding plants that have to be renewed 

 each season, with this great advantage in 

 favor of perennial.s, that they increase in 



vigor and beauty every year, and after 

 the third season most of them can be 

 divided and multiplied as much as de- 

 sired. While if one is willing to wait a 

 year many of them can be grown from 

 seed at very small expense. 



All of the following are well-tested 

 sorts, quite hardy even in the cold sec- 

 tion of Ontario, and vary in flowering 

 season from the first week in May till 

 snow falls : 



Papaver Nudecaule — Iceland Poppy. — 

 This dainty little poppy one of our most 

 valued perennials opened its first flowers 

 on May 4th, last season, and was more 

 or less in bloom till the end of October. 

 The flowers in white, yellow and orange 

 red of which yellow is the commonest 

 are somewhat cup shaped i^ to 2j^ 

 inches across on long wirey stems about 

 12 inches above the leaves, are well 

 adapted for cutting, if cut in the morn- 

 ing early after opening they last for sev- 

 eral days. It is easily grown from seed 

 and will bloom the first year, if sown in 

 April or early in May. It, like all pop- 

 pies, does not take kindly to transplant- 

 ing and should be sown where it is to 

 remain. They are easily wintered even 

 as far north as Ottawa if covered in the 

 fall with straw or cedar brush. 



Papaver Orientale. — A great contrast 

 to the dainty little Iceland is the gor- 



