36 How to Make a Flower Garden 



III. Hardy Perennials from Seed 

 By Mrs. Hattie L. Knight 



Two 3-ears ago, in the spring, I had a plot of ground running parallel 

 with a fence plowed for a hardy border. It was dressed with barnyard 

 manure, and harrowed and worked occasionally, so that last summer the 

 ground was in excellent condition to receiYC the plants. I knew that to 

 fill any border with such plants as I desired would cost seven or eight 

 dollars (since divided plants from the nursery cost from fifteen to twenty- 

 five cents each), while I found by consulting the catalogue that I could 

 procure a packet of seeds of nearly all the sorts I most wanted for less 

 than a dollar, including some good novelties. 



I had grown greenhouse plants from seed, and knew that hardy peren- 

 nials would be less difficult. So I procured the seed by May 24th, after 

 the more urgent work in the garden had been done, and sowed them, in 

 shallow boxes, in rows an inch and a half apart and the same distance apart 

 in the row, dropping them in singly. They were covered with soil to a depth 

 of twice their diameter, and pressed down firmly. The top of the soil was 

 moistened by applying the water with a whiskbroom; after this the soil 

 was wet thoroughly two or three times in the same way, until it settled, and 

 then the water was turned on carefully from a dipper. 



The boxes were on a sunny piazza, and the soil was carefully watched 

 that it might not become more than slightly dry. The seeds germinated 

 well ; none of the sorts failed to grow, with the solitary exception of a packet 

 of platycodon, out of which one-third of the seeds failed ; but, as it was, I 

 had more plants than were needed. The seeds of a kind did not all appear 

 together, some making their appearance ten days or more after the first 

 ones broke the soil. The only care given the seedlings was to keep them 

 from becoming excessively dry and to avoid applying water so freely as to 

 keep the soil sodden. 



The young plants grew vigorously, and when they became crowded 

 were transplanted to temporary beds in the garden, which had been previously 

 devoted to annuals, as these beds were more suitable than newly spaded 

 greensward, being light and mellow, yet only moderately rich. The plants 

 were set about eight inches apart, so that they would have sufficient room until 

 they were to be permanently planted in September. 



