Perennials that Bloom the First Year from Seed— By p. T. Barnes, ^i 



MOST perennial flowers do not bloom 

 until the second year, but a few can 

 be induced to flower in the autumn of the 

 first year if you will take the trouble to start 

 them in a coldframe in March. If you want 

 only a few you can start them in boxes or pots 

 in the house. 



Sow the seed about the first of March. Use 

 a good seed soil — such a soil may be made 

 by thoroughly mixing together equal parts of 

 sand, leaf-mold, well-rotted sod and well- 

 rotted horse-manure. In rows about four 

 inches apart, place the seeds and cover lightly. 

 As a general thing it is a good plan not to 

 cover over seeds thicker than the seeds' 

 diameter. Water with a fine-rosed watering 

 pot to firm the cover. 



It is a good plan to keep the seed-bed 

 shaded until the first leaves show above the 



ground, when the light should be admitted 

 gradually. 



In preparing the seed pans and flats, cover 

 the holes in the bottom with pieces of broken 

 pots, stones, or anything which will keep the 

 soil from running out. Next screen some of 

 your soil through a riddle; put about an inch 

 of screenings in the bottom — this is for good 

 drainage. Next fill to about half an inch 

 from the top with the prepared soil and firm 

 it — not bard. Now fill your box nearly full 

 with the screened soil, firming it with a board 

 so as to get an even surface. 



It will be found better to sow the seed in 

 rows where flats are used. This is best done 

 by having a piece of board as long as the box 

 is wide to which a little strip one quarter of an 

 inch square has been fastened. This is 

 pressed into the soil to make a drill. 



For "pricking out" or transplanting the 

 seedlings the first time, the flat should be 

 made up in the same way as for sowing the 

 seed. It will be necessary to do this as soon 

 as the young seedlings have grown enough to 

 commence crowding one another. Place 

 them about two inches apart each way, which 

 will give them sufficient room until they are 

 planted in the open, and water carefully to 

 settle the soil. 



It will be advisable to harden off the plants 

 before planting in the open. This is done if 

 you have a hotbed by giving them plenty of 

 air, both day and night, except in case of 

 frost. If you have started the plants in 

 the house place them out on the back porch 

 in a sunny place, but be careful they do 

 not dry out. They will need more water 

 here than in the house. 



COMMON NAME 



SCIENTIFIC AND 

 TRADE NAME 



HEIGHT IN 

 FEET 



TIME OF 

 FLOWERING 



COLOR 



CULTURAL NOTES 



Snapdragon 



Antirrhinum 

 majus 



i—3 



July— Aug. 



Red and purple 

 to white 



For July and August bloom sow outdoors in May; for spring 

 bloom sow in coldframe in February. Forces well. Flowers 

 an inch long, excellent for cutting. 



Blue-flowered 

 cupid'sdart 



Catananche 

 c anile a 



2—3 



June — Aug. 



Blue 



Flowers like a blue daisy, 2 inches across. Var. alba has white 

 flowers; Var. bicolor white margin, blue centre. Of easy 

 culture, especially in light soil. 



Mouse-ear chick- 

 weed 



Cerastium tomen- 

 tosum 



\ 



All Summer 



White 



No use for cutting but invaluable for edgings and for carpeting 

 rocks. Attractive woolly foliage all season. Flowers very 

 small, on stalks 6 inches high. 



Perennial coreopsis 



Coreopsis lanceo- 

 lata 



I — 2 



Aug. — Frost 



Yellow 



One of the best yellow flowers; admirable for border, bedding 

 or cutting. Sometimes needs staking. Set plants about 

 one foot apart. Flowers i| to 2 inches across. 



Larkspur 



Delphinium for- 

 mosum 



h-6 



April — Sept. 



Blue, scarlet, 

 yellow 



Among the best of hardy plants. D. Zalil isyellow: D. nudicale, 

 D. cardinale, scarlet: others blue. If in rows set 3 to 5 feet 

 apart. Give winter covering of coarse litter. 



Sweet William 



Dianthus barbatus 



I— i* 



June — July 



Many colored 



Excellent for beds, border, and cutting. Grow seedlings in 

 3-inch pots, plant in open 10 to 12 inches apart in rich soil. 

 Renew every two years by seeds. 



Scotch pink 



Dianthus plumo- 

 sus 



i 



May — June 



White, pink, and 

 purplish 



Flowers double or single, sweet scented; petals fringed \-\ 

 depth of blade. Attractive foliage. Good for edgings, border 

 and cutting. Flowers borne on stems 6 to 8 inches long. 



Moldavian balm 



Dracocephalum 

 Moldavicum 



2 



Aug. — Sept. 



Blue 



For damp, shady situations with rich, sandy loam. Flowers 

 are small and do not last long; are at their best in moist 

 seasons. A good addition to the border. 



Blanket flower 



Gatllardia aristata 



2 



June — Sept. 



Yellow 

 varying to red 



Noted for profusion of bloom. Flowers 3 to 5 inches across, 

 yellow varying to red. Thrives in light, open, well-drained 

 soil with full sun; winter kills in damp places. 



Horned poppy 



Glaucium luteum 



1 



July— Sept. 



Yellow or orange 



Has flowers 2 to 3 inches across, borne in rapid succession. 

 Remove seed pods each day to secure flowers until frost. 

 Glaucous-blue foliage. 



French honey- 

 suckle 



Hedysarum coro- 

 narium 



2—4 



Aug. — Sept. 



Red 



Give a sunny place in light, open, well-drained soil. Its pea- 

 shaped flowers are borne in showy spikes, are fragrant, 

 and in variety album, white. 



Rocket 



Hesperis matro- 

 nal is 



2—3 



June — Aug. 



White to purple 



Vigorous plant, forming clumps 2 to 3 feet high, covered with 

 showy spikes of flowers like stocks. Single forms good 

 for rockery. 



Sunset hibiscus 



Hibiscus Manihot 



3—9 



July— Aug. 



Pale yellow 



Flowers 4 to 9 inches across, pale yellow or sometimes white 

 with large purple eye. In Northern states store root in 

 warm, dry cellar. Very ornamental. 



Man-of-the-earth 



I pomcea pandurata 



2 — 12 



May — Sept. 



White 



Flowers 2 to 4 inches across, white with dark purple throat. 

 Excellent for covering unsightly objects. Has been sold 

 as "Hardy Moon-flower." Grows anywhere. 



70 



