68 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



quite double, and about the size of a Dahlia. It is not so formal 

 as the tall kind, and is veiy useful for cutting. 



The Poppies embrace some varieties worth}' of culture every- 

 where. Those of us who have seen a mass of Fapaver orientale 

 know what a brilliant thing it is, with its immense, fiery-scarlet 

 flowers, six inches across, marked with great blotches of black. 

 This, with some of its varieties, such as bracteatum and concolor, 

 should be used as positive colors in arranging our beds of hardy 

 flowers for effect, and there are few things that could take their 

 place. 



The Aquilegias, or Columbines, we cannot ignore. Some of 

 them bear most exquisite flowers, and are of graceful habit. A. 

 cceralea, Ski7meri, and clirysanlha^ with quite a number of hybrids, 

 are the most noticeable. A. glandulosa is perhaps more striking 

 than any other. A bed of it which I saw last summer was be- 

 witching in its beauty. Unfortunately it is not certain to thrive in 

 this climate, having Alpine characteristics. 



Among the most useful plants for grouping in the centres of 

 beds are Anchusa Jtalica, GypsopMla paniculata, Lychnis Chal- 

 cedonica plena and Lychnis Viscaria plena, the perennial Lupines, 

 Foxgloves, Rhexia Virginica, TroUius or Globe Flower, Ascle- 

 pias tuberosa, some of the §ner hardy Asters, among which are 

 very beautiful forms, — Coreopsis auriculata, Coryclalis nobilis, 

 Dianthns barbatus, or Sweet William, in its many varieties, Dicentra 

 spectiibilis, some of the more robust Saxifrages, and Tricyrtis 

 hirla. Lack of space forbids further detail, though I should like 

 to name and consider very many other attractive species, not gen- 

 erally known. I have endeavored to name the species and varie- 

 ties which should form prominent features in the hardy garden. 

 The grower of long experience can name many more equally 

 beautiful, but, in the limited space afforded me, this must suffice, 

 as I wish to speak of the hardy bulbs and dwarfer spring-blooming 

 plants, which, after all, are the delight of the garden. These 

 come before summer's withering heat and drought, and, following 

 so soon on the retreat of winter, we can more keenly appreciate 

 the wealth of blossom they afford. Having filled the centres and 

 backs of our beds or borders as I have indicated, let us plant in 

 the foreground, among the dwarfer perennials, as many hardy 

 bulbs as we can afford to purchase and can safel}' locate. 



First and foremost are the Narcissuses. They do not need the 

 praise of any one to make them favorites. Those I will name 



