NOTEWORTHY PERENNIALS 143 



green, glossy foliage wliich in the Fall months is covered with trusses 

 of lovely cobalt-blue flowers on wiry stems, which last for a long time. 



Uses. Plumbago Larpentx is especially useful as a rock garden 

 plant because the foliage turns a reddish-bronze in Autumn and lasts 

 so long that, with the deep glossy green foliage of early Spring, it makes 

 a good all-the-year-round plant. This perennial is also used in borders 

 and as an edging plant. 



Culture. In the colder regions the plants need protection during 

 the Winter. The plants may be taken from the ground and placed in 

 coldframes. They grow well in sunny places and in any good garden 

 soil. 



Propagation. The plants are usually propagated by dividing 

 the roots in Spring. 



Polemonium — Jacob's Ladder, Charity, Greek 

 Valerian 



Jacob's Ladder is a very ornamental and graceful flowering plant of 

 early Spring and Summer. The flowers are blue, or white, flat or beU- 

 shaped, and are borne in spikes; the foHage is very finely cut, much 

 resembUng fern fronds. Polemonium cseruleum or the Greek Valeri£ui 

 is rather bushy with long spikes, about 2 feet high, of sky-blue flowers 

 with golden anthers. P. reptans, a native of our woods, is dwarf, 

 growing 6 inches or 8 inches high, with hght blue flowers which come 

 into bloom early in April, P. humile {Richardsonii) is very dainty and 

 dwarf with small spikes of blue flowers growing from small rosettes of 

 green, fern-hke leaves. All the varieties bloom from April or May 

 on through August or September. 



Uses. Most of these plants are splendid for rockeries or in low 

 beds and borders. The taller ones are used in front of shrubs. Some 

 are grown as alpine subjects or in wild gardens. The flowers can be 

 cut, and with their deUcate foliage, make up beautifully for vase or 

 basket work. 



Culture. Polemoniums are very easy to grow, thriving best in 

 dry places where the sofl is rich and well-drained and with some shade. 



Propagation. These plants are propagated easily from seed 

 sown in the FaU or by dividing the plants. 



