286 HOME FLORICULTURE 



Another fine native plant is the Aster of the fence 

 corners and the pastures. Its delicate color ought to 

 make it popular. Like the Goldenrod, it improves 

 wonderfully when well cared for, and in September it 

 will be covered with purple and blue and lavender 

 flowers, which are very pleasing in the garden among 

 flowers of brighter color, but especially so in vases. It 

 is one of the most charming plants we have for the 

 decoration of rooms. 



We have few finer flowers in the list of border 

 plants than the herbaceous Spireas. 5. palmata alba 

 has flowers of the purest white, with very large, rich 

 foliage. S. rosea has pink flowers. The individual 

 blossoms are small, but there is a multitude of them in 

 each cluster, which is borne on the top of a stalk four 

 feet high. These clusters give the effect of plumes, so 

 light and feathery are they, as one sees them nodding 

 in the breeze. Be sure to have both varieties, and to 

 plant them together. One alone is good, the two kinds 

 much better, one being the complement of the other in 

 all ways. 



Pansies sown in spring give good flowers late in 

 the season, but never very fine ones before October, 

 with me, and though the plants seem to come through 

 the winter in good condition, I fail to get many flowers 

 from them the next season. I am convinced that the 

 best plants are secured by late sowings. They ought 

 not to bloom at all the first season. They should be 

 strong, vigorous plants in the fall, which have not 

 exhausted or weakened themselves by flowering. If 

 well protected they will come out in spring in the 

 proper condition to begin flowering early, and will 

 produce fine flowers through the greater part of the 

 season. I would not try to take them through a second 



