50 THE LITTLE GARDEN 



should be said if the garden is in New England, for these can be 

 secured from wild land or roadside; but if the aster is not native, 

 then buy climax, Lil Fardell, Aster amellus elegans. Aster acris, 

 or other good named varieties for your garden. A Michaelmas 

 daisy is one of the best investments one can make for a perennial 

 border. Every spring it must be chopped into at least four bits, 

 so that the horticultural interest on the investment is truly ht- 

 eral here. Of helenium I know little; but where gay autumn 

 colors are desired, — rich orange, yellow, and even deeper tones 

 than orange, — this tall free-blooming plant has its place. Its 

 dazzling flowers fall in showers above the lower plants before it, 

 if it is judiciously staked; but all depends on this. 



Of the delphinium, the tall and dwarf types are both hardy, 

 the latter known as D. sinensis. Such varieties as the taU Del- 

 phinium Amos Perry and Queen Wilhelmina are excellent to begin 

 with. Delphinium belladonna is indispensable as a middle-height 

 subject, with its perfect blues; and Delphinium sinensis also, 

 though a foot lower than D. belladonna, should never be left out. 

 Seeds of all these fine blue flowers should be gathered and sown 

 in rows as soon as ripe. If carefully labeled, a tiny nursery will 

 soon be ready to draw upon — a bank of beauty upon which a 

 run will instantly be made by all your friends and neighbors, and 

 whose rapid payments wiU enrich you as well as them in their 

 results. 



Helianthus brings us again to yellow flowers; and many are 

 the varieties to choose from here. Helianthus orgyalis and its 

 variety. Miss Mellish, are both beauties for form, color, and the 

 fine, tall, stiff stem; Thermopsis caroliniana is with me a July- 

 blooming plant — it has pretty pale-yellow spikes of pea-like 

 flowers, exceedingly good in association with delphinium, and to 

 follow it in time of bloom. Of aconites the one to plant is Aconi- 

 tum WUsonii; it is of a uniform dark purplish-blue, and its Octo- 



