HARDY HERBACEOUS PERENNIALS. 



A CLASS FAST INCREASING IN OUR GARDENS. 



ROPER time for planting 

 herbaceous perennials is 

 largely consetjuent upon 

 the soil and the climate. 

 Generally speaking, the 

 mass of vigorous-growing 

 ones may be planted at 

 any time after growth is 

 nearly matured and while 

 in a dormant state. With skill and extra precau- 

 tions, many that may be lifted with balls of earth, 

 so that their roots will not be injured by remo\'al, 

 may be transplanted at any time short of, or soon 

 after, the period of their greatest activity. Many 

 bulbs, especially lilies, if carefully lifted and if the 

 balls are preserved, may be managed in this way 

 even when in full flower; but such a course is not 

 advisable, or often necessary ; but the knowledge 

 that it is practicable may ofttimes prove \ aluable. 

 For purposes of propagation, our rule is to take up, 

 divide and replant as soon as convenient after the 

 f7.rst frost in autumn. 



If hardy herbaceous plants are grown in pots — as they 

 should be for the trade — then they can be put out in the 

 spring, or in fact, at any time without fear of loss. Our 

 methods, or rather the method of planting in this country, 

 is to make the garden in the spring, and what is not 

 planted then is not likely to be planted at all. This, of 

 course, does not apply to large gardens where a skilled 

 gardener is employed ; in such places the best time is al- 

 ways selected for such work. The following species and 

 varieties should be found in every garden, and planted 

 whenever opportunity affords; they will keep up a con- 

 stant supply of flowers from May until December. 



AQUILEGIA THE COLUMBINE. 



This is a showy and interesting group. They are all 

 of moderate height, neat in habit, possessing beautiful 

 foliage, and in most cases the flowers are bright and 

 pleasing and their structure is quite interesting. There 

 is a large number of species, but many are not distinct, 

 or at least, their specific characters are not well defined. 

 For ornamental gardening but few species are required, 

 as these unite in themselves the best qualities of the fam- 

 ily. They are plants that thrive in almost any situation, 

 though they prefer a moist, rather heavy soil. They are 

 found growing naturally in rocky, moist situations, but 

 they will grow in light, sandy or even gravelly soils, 

 though their flowers will be smaller and deficient in that 

 density of color so manifest in the species. They are 



readily propagated by division either in spring or au- 

 tumn, or they can be easily grown from seeds ; and if 

 these are sown in bo.xes in the house or in a hot-bed, 

 and the plants are then transplanted into the open bor- 

 der in June, they will flower the same season. 



.-/. Alpina (Alpine columbine) is a native of the Swiss 

 Alps, and one of the best, because of its free-flowering 

 habit. It grows about one foot high, with a large tuft 

 of finely cut leaves at the roots, and rather erect, leafy 

 stems, producing numerous purplish-blue, white-cen- 

 tered flowers. 



A. Calif oniiia (Californian columbine) is one of the 

 strongest and most beautiful of our native species. It 

 has a tendency to send up one strong woody stem, which, 

 under favorable circumstances, will reach a height of 

 three feet, producing an immense number of flowers. 

 The sepals are orange colored and blue-pointed, being 

 closely pressed to the petals, which are also blunt, giv- 

 ing them the appearance of having been cut with a pair 

 of scissors, which gave rise to one of the specific names, 

 Inimala . 



A. Caiiadiiisii (Canadian columbine) is a species in- 

 digenous to the northern states, growing abundantly in' 

 dry, rocky uplands. It is a tall, rather graceful species, 

 growing about two feet high, with loose panicles of flow- 

 ers, bright red, shaded with orange in the centers. Al- 

 though a native plant, which makes it common, it is one 

 of the most beautiful and showy of border plants. 



A. Lliysitiiiha (Golden columbine), A native of the 

 Pacific coast ; is a tall, vigorous and beautiful species, 

 with clear yellow flowers with a long spur. This species 

 comes into flower nearly a month later, and continues to 

 bloom for a much longer period than any other of the 

 family. 



A. caiiili-a (Rocky Mountain columbine) is a distinct 

 species, and remarkable for its beauty. The spurs of 

 the flowers are almost as slender as a thread, about two 

 inches long, with a tendency to twist around each other, 

 and with green tips. But it is in the blue and white erect 

 flower that the beauty lies. Although a perennial in its 

 native habitat, it does not prove so in the east, and should 

 be treated as a biennial. The seeds should be sown in 

 a cool frame as soon as ripe, and the plants be slightly 

 protected during winter and transplanted into the open 

 border in May. It flowers in June. 



A. ;^IauJiiIosa (Altaian Mountain columbine) is a re- 

 markable showy and free-flowering species when planted 

 in a congenial situation, which must be moist and shaded. 

 Being a native of Siberia, it will not endure our summer's 

 heat. It grows about two feet high, with abundant foli- 

 age ; the flowers are very large, blue and white, and have 

 very long spurs, a beautiful feature of the columbine. 



