Iron Clad Perennials for Town Gardens — By E. McFate.ts!- 



SOME RARELY HARDY PLANTS THAT WILL ENDURE SMOKE LADEN ATMOSPHERE AND ARE 

 STRONG GROWING KINDS THAT WILL DO THEIR UTMOST TO FURNISH UNGENEROUS SOILS 



MY first lesson in making a truly 

 hardy garden I learned along a 

 Pittsburg "slag" pile where 

 bouncing Bet came traveling 

 down from an old garden. 



The books overflow with good things 

 about hardy gardens, but the practised 

 grower will bear me out in saying, that 

 while the list of good flowers for smoky 



The common violet (Viola cucullata) will grow in 

 between the stones of a walk 



places is reasonably long and excellent, it 

 is not extravagantly unlimited, and I hear 

 many inquiries for plants that will survive 

 the trials of poor situations. Let us at once 

 own up that we can't try to grow water- 

 lilies on hill tops, or roses in dry sand. 

 The wise gardener selects from choice plants 

 that really fit the existing conditions. 



I know a husky brother of live-for-ever 

 who bears the plebeian name of showy 

 sedum (Sedum spedabile); I have reason to 

 respect this good fellow who has never 

 failed me outside a swamp. It is one of the 

 few good flowers, which, when broken, will 

 rise again, even a detached portion taking 

 root. It is good for walks, over stones, and 

 in the border proper. 



There is a common flag, so common that 

 it is quite overlooked although it flaunts its 

 name with great pretentions; it is the 

 swamp iris (Iris pseudacorus) . To me its 

 garden purpose lies in the damp, impossible 

 places it so splendidly fills. The tramping 

 of cats and dogs in no wise subdues it on 

 account of its sword-like leaves which offer 



stern resistance. Its bright yellow flowers 

 are held high above handsome leaves. 



Plume poppy (Bocconia cor data), a six- 

 footer with lovely, pale green leaves and 

 creamy flowers, may readily become a pest, 

 as broken bits of root soon run into an 

 unmanageable mass. It is, however, one of 

 the best plants for smoky, impossible places. 



I have been told that scarlet bee balm 

 (Monarda didyma) will not grow in town, 

 but my experience does not bear out this. 

 An old ash heap, dug under and leveled a 

 trifle below the surface, when planted with 

 bee balm will perfume a whole neighbor- 

 hood. Although moisture-loving, this cheery 

 fellow abhors cold, stiff clay. 



Our common violet {Viola cucullata) is a 

 splendid plant for shade; it will grow among 

 high buildings with scant light and air, 

 and although it may not bloom in crowded 

 quarters, will hold its leaves. 



Oriental poppy will stand smoky fog 

 as few other plants are able. It can even 

 withstand the damp and fog of a London 

 winter and is one of our most persistent 

 perennials. The new salmon and pink 

 varieties are better garden flowers than the 

 established scarlets, which for years have 

 so disgracefully quarreled with their neigh- 

 bors. 



With due respect for the spade of 

 the hireling, great preference should be 

 given such plants as the double butter- 

 cup (Ranunculus repens) and plants of like 

 character whose roots may be disturbed 

 and thrown about and yet sustain recovery. 

 The Pearl achillea, Physostegia Virginiana, 

 and boltonia are good examples of this 

 class. 



Strong growers with long tap roots which 

 run below the average digging process are 

 well worth considering. Among plants 



THE HARDIEST PERENNIALS 



FOR TRYING PLACES 



COMMON NAME 



BOTANICAL NAME 



COLOR 



SEASON 



REMARKS 



Bleeding heart 



Dielytra spedabile 



Pink 



May-June 



Good, persistent roots. Foli- 

 age dies in summer. Plant 



$t*-~« 









with ground cover. 



Butterfly weed 



Asclepias tuber osa 



Orange 



July-Aug. 



Handsome native with 

 strong, persistent roots. 



Day lily 



Hcmerocallis flava 



Lemon yellow 



June-July 



H. flava, most fragrant, H . 

 Dumortieri earlier and 

 stronger. 



False camomile 



Boltonia latisquanm 



Pink, lavender 



Aug.-Sept. 



Tall grower for shrubbery 

 edge or back of border. 

 Small aster-like flowers. 



Flag 



Iris Germanica 



Colors in var. 



May- June 



Persistent suburbanite, thriv- 

 ing on dry soils. 



Garden heliotrope 



Valeriana officinalis 



Lavender 



June-July 



Grows by creeping root 

 stalks- Heliotrope frag- 

 rance. 



Kansas gay 



lialris pycnostachya 



Purple 



Aug.-Sept. 



Divide by chopping roots. 



feather 









Strong grower with hand- 

 some flower spikes. 



Mallow 



Hibiscus moscheutos 



White, 

 crimson 



Aug.-Sept. 



Good for back of border. 

 Heavy root, not easily 

 disturbed. 



Oriental poppy 



Papaver orientate 



Colors in var. 



August 



Plant early or Aug. Late 

 spring transplanting fatal. 



Peach bells 



Campanula persici- 



White, 



May-June 



Best campanula for town 





folia 



lavender 





gardens. Makes strong 

 clumps. 



Rocket 



Hespcris matronalis 



Lavender 



May- June 



Self sows. Young plants 

 best. Thin with a free 

 hand for the neighbors. 



Rosy milfoil 



Achillea Millefolium 



Pink 



All summer 



Good foliage. All yarrows 

 are strong growers. 



SOME STURDY GROUND COVERS 



Creeping Jenny 

 Lily-of-the- valley 

 Periwinkle 



Trailing soap- 

 wort 



Violet 



Wild stonecrop 



Lysimachia nummu- 



laria 

 Convaltaria majalis 



Vinca minor 



Saponaria ocymoides 



Viola cucullata 

 Sedum let -nation 



Yellow 



White 



Purple 



Pink 



Purple 

 White 



Summer Shady places, roots at joint. 



Early summer Does well under shaded walls 

 and between buildings. 



May-Aug. Best evergreen cover for 



mounds or tanks; does 

 well everywhere. 



Summer Best showy bloomer for 



tanks and dry terraces; 

 strong root. 



May-June Plant anywhere; plants 



&l cheap; fill in corners. 



April-June ' Grows in dry places when 



nothing else can find root. 



ISO 



