176 



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AQUILEGIAS, OR COLUMBINES 



The Columbines are one of the most elegant and beautiful of hardy plants, producing their graceful spurred flowers on stems rising 

 2 feet or more above the beautifully divided foliage, and should be planted wherever their presence will serve to lighten up a too sti£f and 

 formal planting, for no other plant has so airy a grace as the Columbine, is more generous of its blooms, or more effectively adapted for 

 cut flowers. 



■ They are not at all particular as to soil or location, although they prefer a sandy loam and a moist but well drained sunny position, 

 and usually make themselves at home in any hardy border or rockery. Their period of flowering covers the late spring and early summer 

 months. Taken as a whole, they are a most important part of the hardy garden, and should be grown in quantity by every lover of old- 

 fashioned garden flowers. 



Dreer's Long-spurred Mixed Hybrids. "While all the 

 varieties of Columbines arc beautiful and much admired 

 we have selected this strain for our illustration on the plate 

 opposite, this being the most admired type. The plants are 

 of strong thrifty growth with flowers of largest size, varjing 

 in color through charming tones of cream, pink, lavender, blue, 

 white, red, etc.; hardly any two being exactly alike." 



Dreer's Long-spurred Pink Shades. .\ special selection 

 of the greatly admired pink shades of thi; most popular type. 



Canadensis. The native bright red and yellow variety, and 

 one of the brightest. 



Price. 



Chrysantha (Golden Columbine). Bright yellow long-spurred 



flowers. 



— Alba. Long-spurred jiure white. 



Flabellata Nana Alba. Dwarf, large, pure white flowers. 



Nivea Grandiflora. .\ splendid robust growing large pure 

 while. 



Skinneri. Petals yellow with long red spurs. 



Vulgaris {European Columbine). Violet blue. Very free. 

 30 cts. each; S2.50 per doz.; S18.00 per 100. One each of the 9 sorts for $2.00. 

 Seeds of Aquilegia. We offer the best kinds. See page 66. 



Delphiniums, or Hardy Larkspurs 



Mrs. Ely, author of ".\ Woman's Ilardj- Garden," says: 



"Perennial Larkspur may be planted as soon as the spring has 

 opened. The ground should be well drained and carefully pre- 

 pared, but manure must not be allowed to come in contact with the 

 roots, or grubs are apt to destroy the plants. A little finely ground 

 bone meal dug around each plant early in May will be of benefit, 

 and in late autumn coal-ashes should be sifted over the crowns of 

 the plants to protect them from the white grub, which is their only 

 enemy. The stalks being very tender, the plants should be staked 

 when they are about three feet high, to protect them from hea\-y 

 wind. Larkspur begins to bloom about June 20th, and by cutting 

 off the plants close to the ground, as soon as each crop of flowers has 

 faded, a second and third crop of flowers will succeed. Each time 

 the plants are cut a little bone meal should be dug about them." 



Belladonna. The freest and most continuous blooming of all, 

 never being out of flower from the end of June until cut down 

 by hard frost. The clear turquoise-blue of its flowers is not 

 equalled for delicacy and beauty by any other flower. 



Bellamosum. This is a dark blue form of the popular light blue 

 Belladonna, with which it is identical in habit of growth, freedom 

 of bloom and other good qualities, but with intensely rich, deep 

 blue flowers. 



Chinense. .\ very pretty dwarf species, with fine feathery 

 foliage and intense gentian-blue flowers in open panicles. 



— Album. .\ pure white form of the above. 



Dreer's Gold Medal Hybrids. Unquestionably the finest 

 strain of mixed hybrids offered. The original stock came from 

 England, and consisted of the best-named varieties. The plants 

 are of strong, vigorous habit, with large flowers on spikes 

 two feet and over long, the majority running in the lighter 

 shades of blue. We can supply them in mixture only. 



Price. .'\ny of the above, 25 cts. each; $2.50 per doz.; $15.00 

 per 100. Set of 5 sorts, SI. 00. 



Two Beautiful Hardy Perennials 



Artemisia Lactiflora and Scabiosa Caucasica, which is illus- 

 trated and offered on page 177, are well worth growing. 



Dianthus (Pinks) 



Deltoides {Maiden Pink). \ charming creeping variety, with 

 medium-sized pink flowers in June and July; especially suited 

 for the rock garden. 



— Alba. A pretty whitc-flowcred form. 



Latifolius atrococcineus Fl. PI. {Ever-blooming Hybrid 

 Siteel William). .\ beautiful summer bedding variety, producing 

 masses of brilliant fiery crimson double flowers throughout the 

 entire season. 



25 cts. each; $2.50 per doz.; $15.00 per 100. 



See also Hardy Pinks, page igi, and Sweet William, page iqs. 



Dreer's Gold Medal Hybrid Delphinium 



