52 A LITTLE BOOK OF PERENNIALS 



Uses. It is a splendid rock garden plant, growing where it will 

 droop over the rocks. In borders it should be used to cover bare 

 spots. The flowers are sweet scented and are valuable for cutting pur- 

 poses. It is a neat plant wherever grown. 



Culture. Any good garden soil will do provided it is loose and 

 open. Arabis is a drought-resistant plant, does not need much water, 

 but requires lots of sun and heat. After blooming the plants should 

 be cut back thus causing them to branch freely and form better 

 plants for the next year's bloom. A auhrietioides is best wintered in a 

 coldframe. 



Propagation. Rock Cress is propagated by seeds or by dividing 

 the plants. 



Armeria — Sea Pink, Thrift, Cliff Rose 



The Sea Pink is a low growing plant which derived its name from 

 the fact that it grows along the seashore and is pink in color There 

 are other colors, such as red, deep rosy pink, hlac and white. It grows 

 in dense, low clumps with numerous, narrow, grass-like leaves, all 

 clustered at the base, from which spring the flowers on stiff, wiry 

 stems from 6 inches to 12 inches high. The Sea Pink {Armeria mari- 

 tima) is the common form. A. Laucheana has crimson flowers while 

 A. cephalotes alba has snowy white flowers. They flower more or less 

 continuously from early Spring until late in Fall. 



Uses. The Sea Pinks are invaluable when planted in clumps or 

 for edging. They are also used for pot plants and in the rock garden. 



Culture. They need a free, well-drained, sandy loam and leaf 

 soil. 



Propagation. The more choice varieties are increased by divid- 

 ing the roots and a good sized plant will furnish hundreds of small 

 divisions. They produce seed and wiU grow readily from seeds. If 

 the seeds are planted in the FaU, they should be kept in the coldframe 

 and removed to the open ground just as soon as it is in a workable con- 

 dition. This will enable the plants to get well established before the 

 hot weather arrives. 



Artemisia — Wormwood, Mountain Fringe, Old 

 Man, Old Woman, Southern Wood 



This group of plants, as a whole, are not generaUy valued for their 

 flowers, but all have very ornamental foliage. The plants are almost 



