34 THE GARDEN 



Fresh green oblong leaves, perhaps two inches long, almost hidden 

 by the bright flower heads, clothe the short stalk. As a rule at first each 

 plant bears one flower head composed of several flat, fivepetalled flowers. 

 Later, and specially if the flrst flowers are plucked early, more blossoma 

 appear from short shoots appearing from the axils of the first leaves. 



Day after day, week after week, long into late autumn, your phlox bed 

 will be brilliant with dazzling, warm tints. From dark maroons, pinks, 

 lavenders, white pure, white with tinged centres, indeed every shade but 

 true blue. No one can complain over a lack of shades from which to 

 choose. 



This phlox is little trouble. Everyone knows it. Everyone has a 

 patch of the bright flowers running down the kitchen walk or bordering; 

 the beds by the fence. Even on the rockery one can find a fitting spot, 

 for it finds itself a home wherever fairly rich soil can be given it. 



A pretty conmbination bed can be made by sowing phlox drummondi 

 and "love-in-a-mist" together in the same bed. The latter grows somewhat 

 taller, but the delightfully feathery, mossy appearance of the fine-cut 

 foliage of the plants out of which the misty white and blue stars ara 

 peeping forms one of the loveliest contrasts one could imagine. 



THE PERENNIAL PHLOX 



The tall slender stalks of the perennial phlox plants are Just now com- 

 ing into bloom. 



I know no other perennials that give such luxuriant returns for such. 

 little labor. With the smallest amount of care your phlox will continue 

 to flower year ofter year, the roots increasing in health and vigor and 

 size, enabling you to increase your stock by division of root each spring. 



This is a matter that should never be neglected, — the dividing of 

 your roots up into the smallest imaginable pieces (and it is no easy mat- 

 ter, often to break up these roots, on account of their knotty nature), 

 every single piece of which will grow and in most cases, if the new root 

 has not been broken off too chall, it will send up a stalk that will pro- 

 duce a flower bed. 



The second year after this minute dividing, you will have enormous 

 flower heads. Two-year-old trusses are always the largest, the follow- 

 ing year, the heads deteriorating very much in size. This dividing and 

 translating is pracically the only thing difficult in phlox culture — and 

 who can say that it is a hard thing to do? The best plan to have a con- 

 tinued succession of large sized trusses, is to have a succession of freshly 

 divided roots. 



The best way to procure your stock is to buy good one year old roots, 

 named, from reliable dealers, as the seedlings do not always co'me true. In 

 fact, one often will get rather weird results from seeds, that is, if any 

 results are obtained at all. 



Have your soil as rich and as well-drained as possible. Have a sunny 

 situation. Phlox will not do as well in heavy ground, or in an airless 

 corner. Remember, a corner need not be airless, just because it is a 

 corner. Nor need a bed on th north side of a high close board fence be 

 damp and non-flower producing because of its situation. But these are 

 questions for discussion elsewhere. 



Plenty of winter protection, moist mulching in spring, and abundance 

 of sun and air, will give an amazing richness of coloring. An occasional 

 watering with liquid manure is a miracle worker in the hot season. 



The reliable roots are easily obtained. But be sure to buy named 

 varieties. The following are some old well-tried colors, sure to give plenty 

 of bloom. 



