HARDY SUMMER FLOWERS. 271 



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away a little as soon as the flowers are over, and fresh green 

 growth will spring up and serve as an admirable green carpet to 

 the intervening spikes of pentstemons. Pyrethrums hold out 

 well in the same spot for several years, but as soon as the tufts 

 begin to force themselves upward they should be lifted, divided, 

 and replanted. In the case of pentstemons, when a good strain 

 has been acquired a batch of cuttings can be inserted in 

 September and wintered in a cold frame. 



Astees. — Starworts, to give them the most appropriate 

 English name — for Michaelmas daisies is surely a misnomer in 

 the case of many varieties — are probably the most easily grown 

 of all hardy flowers. They will do in almost any soil, although 

 they are seen to the greatest advantages in one that errs on the 

 retentive side. Given a judicious selection, there is no class to 

 equal them in endurance, for they begin flowering before the 

 end of July, and in a mild autumn I have cut grand flowers in 

 quantity the first week in December, and plenty of varieties are 

 available to represent in their respective seasons the whole of the 

 time between these two periods. As is the case with all the 

 species already mentioned, marvellous improvement is manifest 

 in the newer forms of asters; whilst the fact that one of our 

 leading firms, specialists in starworts, catalogue no less than 

 100 varieties is sufficient evidence that a splendid selection can 

 be made, and those of us who have to supply an unlimited 

 quantity of cut flowers can testify to their enormous value for 

 this particular purpose. Let me recommend especially " Purity," 

 cordifolius albas, and " Diana," the forms of vimineus and 

 diffusus, ericoides, and the old Tradescanti. Large beds in 

 pleasure grounds may with advantage be devoted to this family, 

 so filling them with the different sections as to secure a pro- 

 longed display. I should add that with the single exception of 

 carnations there is no family more susceptible to the attack of 

 that very obnoxious animal the rabbit than starworts, and it is 

 useless to plant in any situation that is not thoroughly free from 

 this pest. 



Veronicas. — Both the flowering and foliage sections can be 

 used effectively in almost any description of bed — indeed, a 

 mixture of the varieties of longifolia with spicata alba, 

 Teucrium, prostrata, and repcns makes a very charming 

 combination. 



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