136 A LITTLE BOOK OF PERENNIALS 



Culture. A good, deep garden soil mixed with leafmold or sandy 

 loam, in a well drained situation which is somewhat shady, is the best 

 place to grow Pentstemons. They hke plenty of water in the Sum- 

 mertime. Many are hardy, but Sensation requires mulching during 

 the Winter; even then, in the colder climates it freezes out. Good 

 drainage and loose, loamy soil are absolutely necessary to the growth 

 of Pentstemons. 



Propagation. They are propagated either by division, seed 

 or cuttings. Cuttings should be taken in the Autumn, which is also 

 the time to divide the roots. Plants may bloom the first year if the 

 seeds are sown early. The varieties of P. gloxinioides are well treated 

 as annuals, sowing the seed each year. 



Phlox — Hardy Phlox, Flame Flower, Moss Pink, 

 Wild Sweet William 



Gardens, both old and new, cannot be what they are unless 

 Phloxes are present in all their brilliant colors to enliven the Summer 

 months just before the Fall flowers come into bloom and after the 

 Spring flowers have finished. Phloxes are old-fashioned favorites and 

 each one holds a bit of sentiment within its dehcate fragrance that 

 makes us reahze that they are wonderful. With the new varieties 

 which have been introduced during the last years, the new effects in 

 colors, the large size and gorgeousness of bloom, they have become 

 a class of flowers unsurpassed. 



The Hardy Phloxes, which are the ones most commonly grown in 

 all garden^, are divided into two groups, those which bloom early and 

 are known as Phlox sujjruticosa, and those which bloom later, known 

 as P. decus.^ata. It is these two groups which have been improved 

 so much within the last dozen years that they have now become in- 

 valuable assets to any garden. The flowers are borne in large heads 

 or clusters at the tips of long, graceful, leafy stems which grow from 

 1 3/2 to 3 feet tall. AU of the flowers are very fragrant and the colors 

 of most of the named sorts are clear. 



Varieties. The following is a partial list of Hardy Phloxes 

 which are wefl worth growing: 



Elizabeth Cawpbell. This is one of the newer and very popular 

 colors. It has large trusses of brilHant salmon-pink blossoms with a 

 dark crimson eye. It is a rather low and stocky growing plant but is a 

 good, continuous bloomer. 



