FOR FARM AND HOME PLANTING 



45 



HARDY PERENNIALS 



Hardy perennials will always remain a most 

 popular class of flowering plants. There is not 

 a time during the whole flower season in which 

 some hardy perennial is not in bloom, while 

 during the moitths of July and August, when 

 almost all the woody shrubs have ceased 

 blooming, these plants are mainly depended 

 upon for flower display. They are not fastidi- 

 ous about the soil they grow in altho many 

 have a preference. Under trees or shrubberies, 

 on sloping dry banks, along the borders of 

 ponds or brooks, suitable perennials may be 

 selected that thrive under such conditions. 

 Their ability to thrive with little care makes 

 them a very cheap and desirable class of plants 

 for the home grounds. 



Perennials are especially suited for border 

 planting and when placed in front of shrubbery 

 Speedwell (Veronica longifolia masses they are most effective. They are also 



var. subsessihs) , a beautiful per- -, 



ennial that should be more very 61- 

 largely planted, producing beau- fectlVC- 

 tiful spikes of intense lustrous }y used 



blue color. when 



planted along garden walks, walls, 

 fences, against buildings and in- 

 numerable other places about the 

 home grounds. In planting peren- 

 nials they should be grouped or 

 naturalist! cally massed asthe effect 

 produced by a colony is more at- 

 tractive than the effect of a 

 number of varieties scattered aim- 

 lessly with few plants of each 

 together. Many of the perennials 

 can be grown from seed. It is 

 best to sow the seed in hotbeds or 

 cold frames very early in the spring 

 and the seedlings may be after- 

 wards transplanted out of doors. 

 Usually, however, they are propa- 

 gated more easily by division. 



Of the old time favorites, there 

 are the foxgloves, larkspurs, holly- 

 hocks, sweet-williams and phlox, 

 all so characteristic of the early 

 colonial gardens, that are just as 

 desirable today. There are the 



columbines,, blanket-flowers cor- one most satisfactory 



eopsis, peonies and poppies, favor- perennials for border planting 



ites for their beautiful 'flowering and cut flowers. 



