128 



GARDEN GUIDE 



Peonies are easy to grow; 

 they are permanent and when 

 once established are impatient 

 of being moved. They are per- 

 fectly hardy wherever Apples 

 can be grown and can easily be 

 protected in the colder regions. 

 They bear large and showy 

 flowers, of a great range of col- 

 ors; some are dehcately 

 scented. The plants are so free 

 from insects that they prove 

 themselves to be ideal for cut 

 blooms or landscape flowers. 

 There are a number of in- 

 teresting species of the Peony. 

 The most seen is the Chinese 

 Peony (Paeonia albiflora). This 

 is the standard Peony of which 

 we have so many matchless va- 

 rieties. The plant of the nar- 

 row-leaved or Fennel-leaved 

 Peony (P. tenuifoha) is very 

 beautiful, but the blooms last 

 a short time. It blooms in 

 May, the pretty scarlet flowers nestling among the dainty dissected 

 foliage. At about the same season the shrubby or hardy tree Peonies 

 (P. Moutan) open their enormous glossy single or double flowers. 

 The shrubby Peony grows very slowly. It should be planted where it 

 is sheltered from the wind. Closely following in season are the Euro- 

 pean Peonies (P. officinahs). These are the old-fashioned crimson Pine ys 

 of the garden; they produce very satiny-petaled blooms, which possess 

 a not unpleasant soapy odor. 



The last groups to bloom are the albiflora varieties. These often 

 begin to bloom in New York State for Memorial Day. For a suc- 

 cession of varieties to bloom, the Rev. C. S. Harrison, who might be 

 called the Chaplain of American Gardeners, recommends the varieties 

 P. umbellata rosea, I'Esperance, Eduhs Superba, Monsieur Dupont, 

 Richardson's Rubra Superba, Henry Woodward, Richardson's Grandi- 

 flora. Mr. Harrison, speaking further of prologing the blooming of 

 the Peony, says: "There is also a system by which the blooming of a 

 single variety can be prolonged. Take a row, say of Festiva maxima ; 



Mons. Jules Elie 

 Be sure to include this one in your 

 -V- collection 



