40 A LITTLE BOOK OF PERENNIALS 



NOTEWORTHY PERENNIALS 



Achillea— Milfoil, Yarrow 



The Achilleas have proven themselves some of the most desirable 

 plants for the garden, mainly because of their exceedingly free, yet 

 graceful habits of growth. They range in color from white to cerise, 

 pink and yellow, and are often combined with silvery white foliage. 



The species Achillea Ptarmica flore-pleno, The Pearl, has double 

 flowers borne in dense heads of purest white. It somewhat resembles 

 the pompon Chrysanthemums. Boule de Neige is not quite as large 

 as The Pearl, but the centers of the flowers are fuller and this makes it 

 appear of purer color. Perry's White has much larger and more com- 

 pact blooms than The Pearl, some of the flowers measuring 1 inch 

 across. 



A. Millefolium is the common Yarrow, but its variety A. roseum 

 has handsome pink flowers and feathery foliage. 



The Wooly Milfoil {A. tomeniosa) and the Golden or Fern-leaved 

 Yarrow {A. Filipendulina or Eupalorium) are yellow flowered sorts; 

 the former grows but a foot tall, the latter attains a height of 4 to 5 feet. 



Uses. AU of the AchiUeas are good to use as cut flowers and for 

 the border. The Pearl is especially good in cemeteries because it takes 

 care of itself in the grass. They are often used in landscape work 

 against a background of shrubbery and some of the dwarfer types are 

 used in rockeries. 



Culture. They are very easy to grow; in fact they grow so 

 rapidly that the plants should be divided and reset each Spring. Any 

 soil wiU do although they thrive best in rich, weU watered soil where 

 plenty of sunshine is available. Some of the taller Yarrows need a 

 little support. This is best given by sticking a few twiggy branches 

 into the soil, in which case the stems of the Yarrow are held up nicely. 



Propagation. If the seeds are sown early, the plants will bloom 

 the first year. The large flowering clumps should be divided either 

 in the Spring or Fall. 



