388 MANUAL OF GARDENING 
land is in sod or is not in good heart, the preparation should begin the 
season before the peonies are planted. A deep moist loam suits them 
best; and as the plants grow and bloom, add bone meal and top-dress 
with manure. When making their growth and when in bloom, they 
should not be allowed to want for water. 
In purchasing peony roots, be careful to secure only well-grown 
and selected stock. Cheap stock, job lots, and odds and ends are 
likely to be very disappointing. 
The plants may be set in fall or spring, the latter being preferable 
in the North. Cover the crown bud 2 or 3 inches, being careful 
not to injure it. If the best blooms are desired, give plenty of room, 
as much as 3X4 feet. Peonies grow 2 to 3 feet or even more 
in height. Strong roots of some varieties will give bloom the first 
year; considerable bloom will come the second year; but the full 
bloom on most varieties should not be expected before the third 
year. The flowers may be brightened and their duration prolonged 
by partial shade while in bloom. 
If old plants become weak, or if they drop their buds, dig them up 
and see whether the roots are not more or less dead and decayed; 
divide to fresh parts and replant in well-enriched ground; or purchase 
new plants. 
Peonies are propagated by division of the roots in early fall, one 
good strong eye being left to each piece. 
The peony has merit for its foliage as well as for its bloom, particu- 
larly when the soil is rich and the growth luxuriant. This value of 
the plant is commonly overlooked. The peony deserves its popu- 
larity. 
Phlox. — Garden phloxes are of two kinds, the annual and peren- 
nial. Both are most valuable. 
Excepting the petunia, no plant will give the profusion of bloom 
with as little care as the annual phlox (Phlox Drummondit). For clear 
and brilliant colors, the many varieties of this are certainly unrivaled. 
The dwarf kinds are the more desirable for ribbon-beds, as they are not 
so “leggy.” There are whites, pinks, reds, and variegated of the most 
dazzling brilliancy. The dwarfs grow ten inches high, and bloom 
continuously. Set them 8 inches apart in good soil. Seed may be 
