PERENNIALS 95 



drying masses because partly to hide the ugly 

 is one of the special errands on which nature sends 

 the five-foot climber. 



By autumn another thing is noticed; the poppy 

 has begun to make a considerable second growth 

 of foliage and, lest this be too shaded, there is 

 need of cutting away some of the branches of 

 "baby's breath" or else diverting them to one 

 side. Obviously, the oriental poppy and "baby's 

 breath" are one of those dovetailing perennial 

 combinations to know which is among the secrets 

 of successful hardy gardens and borders. 



Here then is a whole lot, and not all at that, 

 learned by the exercise of a litle patience in the 

 study of plant character before attempting to bend 

 that character to one's own use. And the observa- 

 tion of the plants was the easier because of their 

 being in a row. 



The only safe general rule for the planting of 

 perennials is to allow a space of ground six inches 

 square for each plant known to be of dwarf or 

 fairly low habit and a space a foot square for the 

 taller ones. This is a good rule. Unless the 

 plants are seedlings or small cuttings sometimes 

 then the ground will be nearly or quite concealed 

 when the first summer is well along on its course. 

 And there will be ample room for two, three or 

 more season's growth according to the plant's nor- 

 mal rate of increase and the way that this is helped 

 or hindered by weather conditions. 



Whether the plants are set out in rows or 3 



