12 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



February, 1907 



The best white flowers for late fall, the Japanese 

 anemone (A. Japonica). There are pinK and semi- 

 double varieties. Easily increased by root cuttings 



the centre if too large. Give a light mulch 

 of straw or leaves during the winter. 



The false dragon-heads {Physostegia Vir- 

 giniana and its var. alba and var. speciosa), 

 are very desirable perennials which flower 

 in August. They all grow three to four feet 

 high and have long spikes of showy tubular 

 flowers. The variety alba is white, the other 

 two are pink. All three succeed equally well 

 in full sun or partial shade. Once planted 

 you need have no fear of losing them as they 

 increase very rapidly after the first year, 

 provided they have room and are frequently 

 divided and replanted. 



Another good group of hardy perennials of 

 easy culture, with colors ranging on all shades 

 of blue to yellow and white is the Larkspur 

 (Delphinium). The Chinese larkspur (Del- 

 phinium Chinensis), blue, and growing about 

 one and one-half feet high, is in continuous 

 bloom from June into August. The white 

 Russian larkspur (D. grandiflorum, var. 

 album) is just as good. The taller varieties 

 will vary in height from three to six feet. 



If the seeds are sown in March the plants 

 will bloom the first year. A good deep soil 

 with plenty of manure is what they like best, 

 but they will succeed in almost any soil. Re- 

 move the flower stalks as soon as through 

 blooming and plants will bloom again till frost. 

 For best results grown in full sun, but I 

 find that they also do fairly well in partial 

 shade. 



The common pyrethrum (Chrysanthemum 

 coccineum, known in the trade as P. roseum) 

 we grow in profusion because it is so lavish 

 of its flowers and succeeds in either sunny or 

 partially shaded situations. The centre of 

 the flower is yellow but the outside, or rays, 

 is either white or shades of red such as pink, 

 carmine, rose, lilac and crimson and some- 

 times the rays are tipped with yellow. In 

 this section it starts flowering in May and 

 continues in bloom for four or five weeks. It 

 is very useful as a cutflower. Plant in a 

 good rich soil with plenty of decayed manure, 

 as it is a gross feeder. As soon as it has 

 finished flowering cut off the old flower 

 stalks to within three or four inches of the 

 ground so that the plant will have a chance 

 to make a strong growth for next year. Give 



protection during the winter with a light 

 mulch of straw or long manure. 



BLUE FLOWERS ALL SUMMER 



Two of the most satisfactory biennials I 

 have are the Canterbury bell (Campanula 

 Medium) and the cup and saucer (C. 

 Medium, var. calycanlhema) . The latter 

 looks like a double flower, the reason of this 

 being that the calyx is the same color as the 

 corolla. They do very well in partial shade 

 and may also be grown in full sun. Both are 

 to be had in various shades of blue, white 

 and red. The Canterbury bell commences 

 flowering in May and lasts in good condition 

 until July. To secure the best effect plant 

 in masses. Both are easily grown from seed 

 (the variety coming fairly true from seed). 



The beautiful blues of the speedwells can 

 be enjoyed all summer by planting for suc- 

 cession and two kinds only are necessary for 

 this result. For early flowers I grow Ver- 

 onica spicata. This commences flowering 

 in June and lasts nearly all summer. The 

 first flowers to open are at the base of the 

 spike, while it is still quite short but it length- 

 ens until finally it is about eight inches long 

 and the open flowers are at the tip of the 

 spikes. The plant grows about one and one- 

 half to two feet high. 



A taller growing but later kind may be 

 had in Veronica longi folia, var. subsessilis. 

 This one is a very robust, compact growing 

 form growing three to four feet high with 

 i-foot spikes of intense, lustrous blue flowers. 

 It flowers during August and September. 

 Both prefer a good rich soil. 



HOW TO GROW THEM 



All these perennials are easily grown 

 from seed which may be sown either in the 

 spring (April) or in July. If sown in the 

 spring, as soon as the plants are large enough 

 to handle comfortably, transplant them to 

 their permanent quarters. If this is not 

 convenient, put them in some out-of-the-way 

 place where they can be given good care and 

 the following spring transplant them to the 

 place where they are to flower. Good plants 

 for flowering the following season can be had 

 by sowing the seed in a coldframe in July, 

 and giving the plants a light mulching of 



A mass planting of the spotted autumn lily (Lilium 

 speciosum). One of the most popular lilies and grows 

 best where the ground can be shaded 



The Canterbury bell {Campanula Medium), one of 

 the best hardy biennials of the gardens. It will 

 flower the first year from seed if sown in February 



leaves over winter. In the spring, transplant 

 to permanent quarters. 



A QUICK GROWING PERENNIAL SCREEN 



The best hardy perennial for a screen is the 

 plume poppy (Bocconia cordata) and it does 

 equally well in the shade and in the full sun. 

 The leaves are light green above and a silvery 

 white underneath. The creamy white flow- 

 ers are borne in plume-like spikes which 

 need not be removed after the blooming 

 period as the seed vessels are also pretty. 

 The plume poppy grows six to eight feet 

 high; will grow in any soil and when once 

 established its suckers are hard to eradicate, 

 therefore it belongs to the wilder parts of a 

 garden. 



In the back garden out of the way I grow 

 some plants of scarlet sage (Salvia splendens) 

 and some China asters, for they come very 

 handy to fill in the bare places which are sure 

 to show among the perennials late in the 

 summer. They can be readily transplanted 

 at any time during the summer. 



WHERE THE LILIES THRIVE 



Among the perennials and in shady places 

 I have been using lilies with great success. 

 They will do well for three seasons, then they 

 must be replaced by new bulbs. Here are 

 those which will succeed. 



L. elegans, one to three feet high, with 

 flowers which are usually self colored in 

 some shade of yellow, orange, or red (flow- 

 ers during late June and early July). It 

 has a small variety, Wallacei, which has one 

 pale red flower (July). L. Grayi, two to three 

 feet high, with purple spotted, dull reddish 

 brown-orange colored flowers (latter half of 

 July and beginning of August). The wild 

 yellow lily (Lilium Canadense) one to four feet 

 high, with yellow, orange, or red flowers which 

 usually have brown spots (June and first 

 week in July). The wild orange-red lily (L. 

 Philadelphicum), one to four feet high and 

 has bright red flowers which are brown 

 spotted (June to July 15th). The American 

 Turk's cap lily (L. superbum), three to six 

 feet high, with bright reddish orange flowers 

 with darker spots (July 15th to August 15th). 





