April, 1 !) 1 * 



T 1 1 E G A 11 D E N M A G A Z I N E 



1C3 



Of the perennial sunflowers, the variety Miss 

 Melhsh commands attention, but it must be kept 

 under control 



Friend Neighbor says she proved her 

 sanity. 



Friend Neighbor was unusually demon- 

 strative over the ''pink fuzz" which was his 

 characterization of alum root (Heuchera san- 

 guined) and some of the newer varieties. 

 This perennial is a little gem and the only 

 plant with which I can compare it for 

 delicacy is the lily-of-the- valley. It makes 

 a beautiful bouquet with a few sprays of 

 asparagus, and the newer varieties, such 

 as Pluie de Feu, are wonderful advances 

 over the old type which was beautiful 

 enough, it seemed to me. Heucheras 

 are easily raised from seed, the only 

 trouble I have found with them being that 

 if they were allowed to go too long without 

 division, the root stems became too long 

 and were apt to rot at the top during 

 severe weather. However, when the top was 

 killed, new shoots generally appeared from 

 the roots but they did not bloom for a 

 year. They have a long season of bloom 

 and their foliage is unusually attractive. 



The perennial aster for which Friend 

 Neighbor put in a plea was a tiny little 

 flower. I lost the label of the plant when 

 I secured it in a collection some time ago 

 and have forgotten its name, but it was 

 one of the vimineus section. It is a fine- 

 leaved, wiry plant growing about two feet 

 tall and blooming in early September. It 

 is covered with tiny white blossoms with 

 a dark centre, the entire blossom turning 

 to a light pink as it ages. "That's one of 

 the best fuzzies you've got," was Friend 

 Neighbor's comment as he restricted himself 

 to this one for the present. It has one good 

 quality — it does not send runners under- 

 ground to steal territory to which it is not 

 entitled. It is a most orderly little plant 

 and unusually attractive. There are a num- 

 ber of these tiny flowered asters and any 

 of them are exquisite, much handsomer to 

 my way of thinking than the coarse New 

 England varieties. 



Columbines were included in both the 

 staple and the special list, for Friend 

 Neighbor and myself are unanimous in the 

 belief that a better hardy perennial for 

 its season does not grow than the colum- 

 bine, particularly the long spurred var- 

 ieties. There are several strains of im- 

 proved columbines and all are good. I 

 gave my columbines plenty of room for 

 the first time last year. They need 

 room so that the branches may spread and 

 show the graceful habit of the plant. The 

 rose and salmon varieties, such as Rose 

 Queen, are the most attractive. I've 

 tried to plant them according to color 

 but it is an impossibility to raise them 

 true from seed. However, it seems im- 

 possible to produce a discord among 

 them, no matter what the colors. 



Of the short spurred columbines, the 

 variety Helenae is one of the very best 

 and is the earliest to bloom. It is show- 

 ing color with deep blue sepals and a white 

 corolla by the time the daffodils are 

 gone. 



" Veronica longifolia, var. subsessilis — 

 what's that all about and what is it?" de- 

 manded Friend Neighbor, when he con- 

 fronted this name on the list. I explained 

 where it was located in my border. "You 

 can call it a speedwell," I volunteered. 

 "It's a good name," he opined. "You've 

 got to speed up to say it all in one breath. 

 Yes, that for mine. " 



This speedwell is a newcomer in my 

 border but it has come to stay. I was 

 rather doubtful of its hardiness but it 

 has proved a good resister of thaws and 

 furnishes one of the finest summer blues I 

 have. It is associated with white snap- 



dragons and nothing is showier during 

 August than this particular section. With 

 clean, attractive foliage and a spike six 

 inches long which remains in bloom a long 

 time, it surely is one of the most deserving 

 perennials, and, besides, it is "fuzzy!" 

 The stamens protrude, giving a feathery 

 effect to the spikes and relieve them of 

 any suspicion of stiffness. I had such bad 

 luck with Anchusa Italica "Dropmore" 

 variety, that I gave it up and the veronica 

 is a more than acceptable substitute. The 

 anchusas blossomed themselves to death 

 every time I tried them. 



If anybody asked me why I ever planted 

 an eryngium I'd be forced to confess 

 that I didn't know. I can't truthfully 

 say I think these sea hollies beautiful, 

 yet, I insist on having them. There is 

 something so singular about this strange 

 cousin of the parsleys that it wins a 

 place for itself in my border, and Friend 

 Neighbor avows it is such a freakish 

 looking thing that we are the only ones 

 that will grow it. My first eryngium 

 was the native Eryngium yucccefolium. 

 I dug it up and took it home under the 

 impression that it was some sort of a lily, 

 judging from its parallel-veined, narrow 

 root leaves. When it sent up a blossom 

 spike with what looked like green clover 

 heads I was surprised, and was still more 

 astonished when I took it to school and 

 endeavored to trace it through a key 

 and kept arriving at the parsley family. 

 I refused to consider it possible until my 

 instructor informed me it was correct, 

 although the inflorescence is not an umbel. 

 I kept the yucca-leaved sea holly for 

 some time and then a few years ago secured 



• v •■• »-. — : — . — . ; : ■ — 





•.-. -'.*. 



k \ 



■ ^ 



•^ "'-%^$V vL. "<'■ ;«* 



■ 



- . *Z F^ » 'V^J7«» 4- t t *? 



• .- 









■ . 





-■■ ■ -* v - .a , r ■ •■-. 







,_ «m( "^ j^_ j+% _> * '*•?!# ■' * f JMU * 





r >.,- *^ : !&■' "^S^t^r* '^.*gt* 



*$&& 



■ t *v ^^t 





' ;«* 





j 



• 

 : V" <Hr.''V 







The native eupatorium solves the problem of the bulb beds and gives white sheets In summer 



