COMPANION CROPS 



named, a rare combination of light colors. My 

 hardy asters thus far have been practically two, 

 Pulcherrima and Coombe Fishacre, two weeks 

 later; this gives me four weeks of lavender bloom 

 in September and October. The accommodating 

 gladiolus, which, as every one knows, will bloom 

 whenever one plans to have it, is a treasure now. 

 America, which has so much lavender in its pink, 

 is exceeding fair in combination with either of 

 these hardy asters; and when spikes of the salvia 

 are added to a mass of these two flowers of which 

 I have just spoken, you have one of the loveliest 

 imaginable companion crops of flowers. 



A prospective combination not yet tried but 

 which I am counting upon this season is blue lyme 

 grass (Elymus arenarius) with Chamois Rose 

 Phlox Drummondii below it, and back of it gladio- 

 lus William Falconer. The lyme grass has much 

 blue in its leaves, and so has the gladiolus; there 

 should be excellent harmonies of both foliage and 

 flower. 



Very lately, long since the above was written, 

 a color combination most subtle and beautiful, 

 a September picture, has come to view: Salvia 

 farinacea, a soft blue-lavender, with clustering 

 spikes of palest pink stock near it, very close to 

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