50 THE GAKDENEK'S COMPANION 



varieties. They are so numerous that it is hard to 

 select the most charming, but you should choose 

 one or two good mauve and purple ones, with a red 

 one or two, and be sure to have plenty of the 

 lovely white varieties. A. ericoides, A. Esme, A. 

 vimineus perfectus, are all very beautiful, with 

 large feathery sprays of small white flowers. All 

 the Asters grow quickly and can be increased by 

 division in late autumn, or they can be raised from 

 seed, but are not certain to come true ; they prefer 

 moist soil. 



Montbretias. These are valuable from their 

 time of flowering, late in August and September, 

 but they are sometimes rather troublesome and 

 capricious things to grow. They like a certain 

 amount of moisture, and even shade, but, on the 

 other hand, they flower most abundantly in a rather 

 light soil. Some people advise replanting the 

 corms every year, but I have found them do best 

 if only disturbed and replanted about every fourth 

 year ; they grow and increase quickly in places 

 where they make themselves at home. As the 

 leaves do not appear until rather late in the spring, 

 you must take care that they are not overlooked or 

 smothered. 



