BEST HARDY PERENNIALS 309 



because of its easiness, but it has many merits besides 

 that and deserves a place in our anthology. It can 

 be grown with the Oriental poppy for a fine bold con- 

 trast, not with one of the sickly new varieties, but with 

 some splendid deep scarlet form such as Goliath. 

 The great defect of Oriental poppies is that they are 

 untidy after they have flowered. Miss Jekyll advises 

 that Gypsophila paniculata should be grown among 

 them so as to cover their untidiness. This is a good 

 idea, and Gypsophila, of course, comes into our an- 

 thology except for gardens with very heavy soils. 

 Gypsophila suggests a plant which is a perfect mate 

 for it, but which ought not to be in our anthology at 

 all. The hybrid Pentstemons are not hardy in win- 

 ter or in cold gardens. But they are so easily raised 

 from seed or cuttings, and they are so valuable, that 

 every garden ought to contain them. But if we are 

 not allowed to include them we must insist upon P. 

 barbatus, which is hardy in most gardens, and partic- 

 ularly upon its variety Torreyi, with its coral-red 

 flowers. We must also insist upon Hollyhocks, which 

 are not true perennials perhaps, but should be in 

 every garden big enough for them. Raise them from 

 seed, and, if possible, sow it where the plants are to 

 remain, and then they will probably escape the dis- 

 ease. It is difficult to choose among the Anemones, 

 but for the ordinary border there is none to equal 

 the ordinary white Anemone japonica. It is still 

 more difficult to choose among Irises, but without 

 further argument we name the variety of Iris pallida 



