CHAPTER XVII. 



OPEN-AIR HERBACEOUS PLANTS'. 



The climate of California disturbs all classifications of soft-tissued 

 plants which satisfactorily group them in wintry climates. We can- 

 not consider these plants as annuals, biennials or perennials, because 

 they will not act that way under our climatic conditions. It has 

 already been suggested in Chapter II that many hard-tissued plants, 

 like trees, shrubs and vines, seem to be always trying to move them- 

 selves from the deciduous to the evergreen class and analogous be- 

 havior is found in the shiftiness of soft-tissued plants some annuals 

 holding over and repeating their bloom in a second or even a later 

 year; some biennials blooming in the first year and holding over 

 more or less toward the perennial class and some perennials, not 

 only living indefinitely, but being active both summer and winter 

 and even assuming something of woody tissue, which no well-behaved 

 herbaceous plant should ever do. It seems, therefore, that the various 

 groupings: annual, biennial, perennial, deciduous, evergreen, etc., are 

 really classifications of places not of plants, and we get them out 

 of our way by shipping the whole bunch to the geographer. The 

 flower-grower in California has very little use for them. If, however, 

 he is of enquiring mind, he will find food for thought in the writings 

 of the California botanists named on page 8. The study is of the 

 individual plant and what it will do and will not do and not of a class 

 into which some chilly climate has forced it. Therefore we place 

 all herbaceous plants in one group and indicate their behavior, so 

 far as we have observed it, in connection with the mention of each. 

 The distant reader in a wintry climate can learn more of the Cali- 

 fornia attitude of plants by studying the behavior of plants in green- 

 houses than their behavior in the open air. When he comes to 

 California and sees the mignonette living and blooming all through 

 the frost and even when the soil is too wet with January rains to 

 permit of much outdoor work, it becomes so rich in fragrance, so 

 fresh and daintily green, that one must conclude to allow it to be 

 a biennial or perennial as it lists in defiance to all rules. 



Good to Begin With. ^Undoubtedly the most glorious display of 

 floral form and color can be secured for less money and in less time 

 by sowing herbaceous plants in variety than in any other way. Al- 

 though the best development of the plant and endurance of bloom 

 is to be secured by following the suggestions for soil, seed-planting 

 and we would not lighten at all the emphasis therein, it is also true 

 that the reason for the beginner's preference for annuals, lies in 

 the fact that everybody can grow them; that they absolutely require 



