76 Hardy Plants for Cottage Gardens 
notwithstanding it was placed in a dry bed in full sun. Later 
a seedling appeared in the hard-baked walk at the.edge of a 
stone step, and owing to my negligent hoe, escaped infantile 
disaster. Through the severe droughts of the past three sea- 
sons, it has flourished and bloomed in the dry hard soil, in 
full sunshine, the stone over the root being its salvation. It 
is almost impossible to tell a cardinal flower from Veronica 
spicata when in the seedling state; the only difference being 
that the cardinal plant has a leaf of a darker green and less 
crenate at the edge. I mention this because the destruction 
of young Veronicas is one of my occupations: they lodge at 
all seasons in every unguarded place. 
Another addition to the green of a garden is obtained from 
the first year’s growth of the Allegheny vine (Adlumia cir- 
rhosa). It is a biennial and does not run as a vine until the 
second year; but the first year it makes a low spreading 
growth of delicately divided leaves on long slender stems, 
much resembling the maidenhair fern, and it is quite as use- 
ful as that fern in the arrangement of cut flowers. I espe- 
cially recommend the plant for this purpose, and as an equally 
beautiful vine the second year. It then dies; but as it is self- 
sowing it is permanent when once established. As it does not 
root deeply, the first year’s growth may be used_in a lily bed 
with the pink annual larkspur as a shade to the ground. In 
an iris bed a cover to the ground may be secured by growing 
pansies, either as seeds, which bloom in a few weeks, or set- 
ting out the full grown plants. Other plants that root but 
lightly are candytuft, sweet alyssum, Clarkia puchella, Scotch 
pinks and Helianthemum, and they may be grown in lily or 
rose beds. Gladioli are to be recommended for rose beds, as 
they require much the same conditions as roses, and do not 
shade the ground. I have tried Shirley poppies in a rose bed, 
and though they root lightly, they make such a rank growth 
