DREER'S SELECT 



Hardy flowers. 



See colored plate and special offer of " Gold Medal " Collection of Hardy Flowers on next page. 



For New and Rare Hardy Flozvers see pages 19 to 2-t. 



ALTHOUGH generally known as old-fashioned plants, Perennials have never been so popular as they are at the present time, 

 and we feel safe in saying that a permanent liking for this class of plants has been developed, which is certain to continue 

 and make Perennials as popular in the United States as they have been m the horticultural centres of Europe for many years. 

 While there is much richness in the intricate lines of carpet bedding, and much gorgeousness about a large bed of highly colored 

 Geraniums, the eye of the true lover of flowers soon grows tired of these, on account of the general sameness and monotonous 

 aimformity of lines and color, whereas a small bed or border, even of less than 50 species, of Perennials, can lie so arranged as to 

 present something fresh continuously during the entire season, and, by the addition of a few early- flowering bulbs, flowers appear 

 almost as soon as snow leaves the ground, and continue until late in the autumn ; yes, even on frosty mornings, when all tender 

 plants have been killed, the Hardy Pompone Chrysanthemums may be cut by the armful, sparkling with crystals: of frost, none the 

 ■worse for their exposure. 



Cultivation is of the simplest, beginning with any good garden soil for a foundation, which may be enriched with any good 

 fertilizer, such as well decomposed cow manure or bone meal, deeply dug, well pulverized, in which the plants should be set as 

 •early in the season as possible, so as to enable them to become well rooted and established before hot, dry weather sets in, keeping 

 the ground well stirred, and where it is not convenient to water the beds during hot, dry weather, a mulch of any loose material, 

 which will keep the soil from baking, will be found very beneficial. Short grass, the rakings of the lawn after cutting, will be as 

 good for this purpose as anything. 



A. covering of manure should be applied in the fall ; this may be forked into the soil early in spring, and, beyond this, little 

 care need be given, the occasional staking of a plant, the cutting off of decaying flowers, which will prolong the flowering season 

 <of many species, and the dividing and replanting occasionally of such varieties that have become too large, being all that is 

 sieeded. 



Many additions have been made to nur collection this season, and, though our list is perhaps not the largest offered, it is the- 

 wiost complete and up-to-date collect! m in the country, our aim being to offer only the most desirable, excluding all weedy and 

 undesirable sorts. 



DREKR'S C0I.LECTI01V OF HARDY FLOIJVERS. 



For such of our customers who are not acquainted with the different varieties we offer the following collections, that, when once 

 planted, will, with very little care, keep the garden gay with flowers from the time frost leaves the ground until late in the 

 autumn : 



Gold Medal Collection of 12 varieties (see colored plate and descriptions on next page), $1.50. 



25 distinct species, our selection, $ 3 00 



■50 " " and varieties, our selection 5 50 



100 " " " " 10 00 



A Field of P.eonies at our Nurseries, Riverton, N. J. 



(159) 



