Gardening for Amateurs 



131 



The Best Hardy Perennials; H Helpful Guide 



A1ONITUM (Monkshood). The 

 Monkshoods or Wolf's - banes are 

 useful and attractive perennials. 

 Some of them have tuberous roots with 

 very poisonous properties, and for this 

 reason Monkshoods should never be grown 

 near the vegetable garden. This fact, 

 however, should not deter would-be culti- 

 vators, as they are most attractive herba- 

 ceous plants for both large and small 

 gardens. They thrive in most soils, and 

 in sunny or shady positions. In addition 

 to their value when planted in groups along 

 the flower border, they may be described as 

 ideal subjects for the shrubbery border, for 

 the partial shade and sometimes moist soil 

 which one finds in such positions suits them. 



Both seeds and division of the roots provide 

 ready means of propagation. Sow the seeds 

 on a border out of doors or in a cold frame 

 from April to June. October or the end of 

 February and in March are the best times 

 to divide the roots, but it may be done at 

 any time between these dates when the 

 weather is favourable. Aconitums flower 

 more freely when left undisturbed for some 

 years. 



The following are the best sorts : Aconitum 

 Xapellus, the common Monkshood, 4 to 5 

 feet high, produces bold spikes of hooded 

 blue flowers, from June to August. There 

 are several varieties, viz., A. album, white ; 

 A. bicolor or variegatum, with blue and white 

 flowers, very bright and pleasing ; A. Braunii. 

 having branching spikes of deep purple 

 flowers ; A. pyramidale, bearing bluish-purple 

 blooms. A. autumnale, a late-flowering 

 sort, with violet-blue flowers, grows 5 feet 

 high, album is a white-flowered variety 

 of this. A. Fischeri, 3 feet high, has bright 

 blue flowers from August to October. A. 

 Wilsonii, a Chinese kind, growing about 

 5 feet high, bears large blue flowers during 

 September and October. A. pyrenaicum, a 

 Monkshood with pale or soft yellow flowers, 

 5 feet high, flowers during July and August. 

 Spark's variety, growing 5 to 6 feet high, 

 has branching spikes of dark blue blossom. 



Anchusa (Alkanet). The Alkanets 



thrive in most soils and situations. Formerly 

 their cultivation was limited to large gardens, 

 but since the introduction of the Dropmore 

 Anchusa they have become much more 

 popular. This hardy plant is without doubt 

 one of the best blue-flowered perennials 

 grown, and should be represented in every 

 border. It rivals the popular perennial 

 Larkspur or Delphinium, as the best tall- 

 growing blue herbaceous plant for summer 

 flowering ; it lasts in bloom longer than the 

 Delphinium and remains attractive from the 

 end of May to August. 



Making Root Cuttings. The Anchusas 

 are readily increased from seeds or root 

 cuttings. The seeds should be sown from 

 April to June on a border out of doors or 

 from March to July in a cold frame. A- 

 seedlings of the Dropmore variety and Opal 

 do not come true, these two should be pro- 

 pagated by root cuttings. The Anchusa 

 has very thick fleshy roots, every piece of 

 which, if cut up into lengths of 1 to 2 inches, 

 will make a plant. The end of August, aft Ti- 

 the plants have flowered, and in September 

 is a good time to do this. In cutting up 

 the roots let the top be cut flat and the 

 bottom slanting so that they may be readily 

 placed the right end up in the soil. The 

 roots are placed about 2 inches apart in 

 shallow trenches when the soil of the garden 

 is fairly light and well drained, Choose a 

 position under a sunny south wall or fence 

 for preference. Here the roots may remain 

 until February or March \\hen they should 

 l>e planted out in the l>eds or lx>nh>rs where 

 they are to flower. The alternative method 

 is to place the roots in boxes of sandy soil 

 in a cold frame for the \\inter. This is 

 nitial when the garden soil is heavy and 

 inclined to be wet. The Dropmore Anchusa 

 .inl the variety Opal do not transplant 

 readily, and the roots al>o have a tendm. v 

 after flowering to die. This occurs in some 

 gardens nun h more than others. Tl - 

 an easy way to overcome these two short- 

 comings, by propagating a few new plants 

 each autumn from root cuttings. 



Though the Anchusa thrives in ordinary 



