This department is under the entire chari 

 lyy another name is from his pen. Readers 

 Mr. Rexford, addressing him in care of this 



NOW that the season of blossoms is 

 over we quite naturally look back 

 and ask the question, "What flow- 

 ers have been most satisfactory this year ?" 



I cannot answer for anyone except my- 

 self. But, with me, among the annuals, 

 asters have been especially fine. The 

 comet and the branching varieties have 

 given me flowers equal in beauty of form 

 and size to any chrysanthemum. In 

 range of color they were limited to white, 

 rose and lavender, but so beautiful were 

 they in these colors that I could not say 

 which I liked best. When I looked at the 

 rose colored kinds I thought it impossible 

 for anything to be finer, but when I came 

 to the lavender ones I was positive that 

 they were more beautiful than the others. 

 Eut there is no necessity for choosing be- 

 tween them — we want them all, and we 

 can have them so cheaply that no one need 

 go without. 



The aster is a plant of many merits. It 

 requires but little care, blooms with great 

 freedom, has almost unlimited variety, 

 and lasts until winter. EverA^body should 

 ,GT0W the aster. It is among the annuals 

 wl^at the chrysanthemum is among win- 

 dow-garden plants for fall flowering. It is 

 a plant especially to be recommended to the 

 city gardener, because of its hardiness and 

 the ease with which it adapts itself to 

 romewhat unfavorable conditions. An- 

 other merit which ought not to be over- 

 looked is its long-lasting quality. Cut it 

 and chanofe the water daily in which you 

 keep it, and the blooms will remain in good 



?e of Mr. Rexford, and everything not signed 

 5 are cordially invited to correspond freely with 

 office. 



condition for two weeks. I do not know 

 of any other annual that will do this. 



Among the herbaceous plants peonies 

 and phlox were prominent. For early 

 flowering the peonies easily stand at the 

 head of the list. Of course, we have other 

 flowers as beautiful, but for richness of 

 color and brilliant show they are un- 

 equaled. I am very glad to know that the 

 amateur florist is taking an interest in this 

 charming old-time flower. It is worth it. 

 Phlox holds its own among the late bloom- 

 ers, and such a profusion of blossom^s as 

 it gives us ! On one three-year-old clump 

 in my garden I counted seventy-nine 

 flower stalks, some of them five feet in 

 height, and each bearing a truss of flowers 

 nearly a foot in length, and eight or nine 

 inches across. The great mass of solid 

 color such a plant is capable of showing 

 can easily be imagined. Multiply the pos- 

 sibilities of one such plant by a dozen — ■ 

 and no collection ought to include less 

 than a dozen sorts — and you get some idea 

 of the display this plant can furnish in its 

 season. But to fully appreciate its deco- 

 rative possibilities 3^ou must see it. And 

 in order to understand how valuable a 

 plant it is for amateur use you must give 

 it a trial. Then you will see that it is one 

 of the easiest of all plants to grow. In- 

 deed, plant it and thereafter it will almost 

 take care of itself. But because it can do 

 this is no reason why you should oblige it 

 to do so. The better care you give it the 

 greater satisfaction you will get from it. 



