EA SIL Y GRO WN PERENNIA LS. 



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The pinks resemble carnations in foliage 

 and flower and in fragrance, but the plants 

 are shorter. They are equally good for 

 cutting. The following will be found 

 among the best varieties : Dianthus plum- 

 arius, garden or Scotch Pink ; Dianthus 

 plumarius alba plena, double white pink ; 

 dianthus plumarius roseus pleno, double, 

 rose color. They bloom in June and grow 

 to 18 inches high. 



THE IRISES. 



The Irises resemble each other in foliage 

 and habit. Some produce flowers eight to 

 10 inches across, and in every shade of color 

 found in flowers, many equalling tropical 

 orchids. They are prized highly as cut 

 flowers for vases, and as decorations for 

 bridal parties. I will name six of the Ger- 

 manicas first : Atropurpurea, purple, early ; 

 Aurea, golden yellow, very good ; Floren- 

 tina, white, free, sweet scented ; Flavescens, 

 primrose yellow, large and ime ; Innocence, 

 pure white, one of the best; Mad Chereau, 

 white edged violet, good. Height two to 

 three feet. They bloom in June. 



The Iris Koempheri bloom after the Ger- 

 manicas. Blue Danube, indigo blue, yel- 

 low center; Eclipse, reddish purple, very 

 good ; Malmaison, light veined with blue ; 

 Othello, rich purple, lighter center ; Turban, 

 light pink, purple center ; Orion, reddish 

 pink, are among the best of these. 



ASTILBE OR HERBACEOUS SPIR.?iA. 



All varieties of these plants are very free 

 blooming. There is nothing more graceiul 

 as cut flowers for all purposes, and they are 

 very hardy and easy of culture in any good 

 garden soil. They flower during June and 

 July, and their color is pure white to bright 

 pink. They grow to a height of two feet 

 to six feet. The following will be found 

 to be the best. Spiraea filipendula flore 

 pleno, two feet, producing pure white dou- 

 ble flowers ; Spiraea palmata, two to three 

 feet, flowers bright pink ; variety Palmata 



alba is the same in every way, but produces 

 white flowers ; Spir^a palmata elegans is 

 one of the most beautiful of all, flowers light 

 pink, in long spiral plumes, four feet high ; 

 Spiraea Japonica compacta is one of the best 

 and is much used for forcing, two to three 

 feet, flowers white ; Spiraea, variety Gigan- 

 tea, grows to six feet high, flowers pure 

 white in large flat panicles. 

 LIEIUMS. 



The liliums are pronounced to be the 

 choicest of all cut flowers, but I would not 

 advise the general growth of them unless 

 the soil and situation are suitable to their re- 

 quirements. They degenerate and are 

 damaged by heavy freezing on ordinary soil 

 in exposed places. They can be grown 

 fairly well in all soils, but there must be 

 fresh imported stock added from time to 

 time, as two years is their limit. Most 

 lilies do well at the foot of a north sloping 

 wooded bank, if the soil is black much and 

 vegetable matter, mixed with fine sand, a 

 foot deep, with a clay loam subsoil. If 

 there is enough spring water in this soil to 

 keep it moist the lilies will do well. The 

 spring water being warmer than the air 

 passing through the soil prevents its freez- 

 ing. Besides, the soil is not raised up and 

 down by the action of the frost as is the case 

 with other soils. This prevents the bulbs 

 from being broken and destroyed. 



The following will be found to give the 

 best results : Lilium candidum, Japan 

 lily, or St. Joseph's lily, four to six feet 

 high, flowers white, July ; Lilium speciosum, 

 L. speciosum rubrum, and variety album, 

 grow two to three feet, and bloom in 

 August ; Lilium auratum, or Golden-rayed 

 Lily of Japan, is often seen in yards near 

 the Falls. It is the queen of all the liliums, 

 but like the others does not last more than 

 two years. Lilium Hansoni, Hanson's, will 

 outlive any that I know in this section, 

 leaves in whorls, flowers yellow and spotted. 



