244 FRITZ BAHR'S CQMMERGIAL FLORICULTURE 



Fig. 86. — ^Achillea millefolium rosbum {left) and A. Ptabmica plore plbno 

 "The Pearl." The former, with its soft, feathery foliage and large heads of pinl 

 flowers is most showy in June and July and should be in every hardy border. The 

 latter, easily grown, is hard to beat as a source of white cut blooms for Summer 

 boucjuets, alone and with other flowers 



like, sow seed under glass in January. The plants will, if planted 

 out in May, flower by July, and there are bound to be some which 

 come single, or are not as double as others. Pull these up. 



Achillea millefolium is a desirable perennial, flowering by the 

 end of June. The flowers are quite different from those of "The 

 Pearl," resembling more those of Spiraea Anthony Waterer (with 

 smaller heads, of course) against a setting of beautiful green, 

 feathery foliage. You can grow it from seed or divisions of the old 

 clumps. 



ACHYRANTHES 



No matter how many irregular borders of shrubs and perennials 

 you may lay out and plant, there always wiU be more or less formal 

 bedding done, not only in the public parks, but in the home grounds, 

 too. It is for this that you want border plants with colored foUage, 

 to which class the Achyranthes belong. They come in various 

 shadings. A. Lindenii, perhaps the most popular dark red, with 

 small leaves, can be sheared into almost any shape. A. Emersonii 

 has a dark crimson-colored, round leaf, and A. Gibsonii has a pointed 

 greenish leaf with yellow markings. All make fine borders, can be 

 used in connection with Alternantheras, or come in handy for 

 window boxes to go with other plants. You can propagate from 

 cuttings the same as with Goleus, but it takes longer to grow a fair- 



