HERBACEOUS PERENNIALS WE SHOULD GROW 51 



herbaceous plants already has in his possession and launch out in 

 introducing new plants. Novelties are a necessity, not only from 

 the interest they generate, but from the point of view of the matter 

 of hard cash involved." 



The English firms who specialize in hardy plants realize the 

 important psychological fact that people are always seeking some- 

 thing new, and strenuous efforts are constantly being made to 

 add new plants to their collections. The majority of the new sorts 

 are obtained by cross-breeding standard varieties. Others obtain 

 their novelties by sending expeditions for the purpose of collecting 

 new plants in their native habitats. 



Our own Mr. Wilson has brought to this country a large collec- 

 tion of trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants, among the latter 

 being Liliums, Buddlcia variabilis, Aconitum Wilsoni, Anemone 

 hupehensis, Artemisia lactiflora, etc. 



Even though our brothers across the water are offering a larger 

 number of species in their catalogs, we have at the present time a 

 vast amount of material to choose from. The range of color in 

 these plants covers a wide range of tones. Mrs. Francis King in 

 her work on "The Weil-Considered Garden" says, "Never before 

 were seen pinks of such richness, such deep velvet-like violets, 

 delicate buffs and salmons, actual blues, vivid orange tones, and 

 pale beautiful lavenders." Through the magic of the hybridizers 

 we are today without excuse for ugliness in the garden. 



The question of color, if good effects are to be obtained, is an 

 important one, and should be considered seriously when materials 

 are being selected. The average descriptive seed or bulb list is 

 not always as accurate as it might be. We have as yet no color 

 standard for garden flowers. Mrs. Sedgwick in "The Garden 

 Month by Month," provides a chart which is of great value in the 

 selection of plants for a perennial garden. It is rather difficult to 

 make definite recommendations regarding color selection because 

 of the likes and dislikes of the individual. Most of us have preju- 

 dices against a certain color and disregard it completely when 

 selecting material. This same color, when judiciously used with 

 correlated tones, may have been transmuted into a perfect picture. 

 The successful gardener must also be somewhat of an artist and 

 have a keen eye for color effect, whether the scheme is one of 

 contrasts or a gradual verging from one shade to another. 



