MICHAELMAS DAISIES, 



233 



"Why should not our dull clumps of Rhododendrons and other 

 spring-flowering shrubs be enlivened in autumn with the spark- 

 ling starry blossoms of these Asters ? All that is required is a 

 thinning out of the shrubs, filling up the spaces with Asters and 

 other autumn flowers. Such a clump might be made a beautiful 

 flower-bed from March till November, with the advantage of 

 never requiring any time to be spent in staking or tying, as is 

 necessary when the plants are grown in a mixed bed or border. 



The Michaelmas Daisies of our beds and borders require good 

 and careful cultivation if we are going to make the most of them. 

 They like a strong, deep, well-manured soil, and as a rule are 

 better for annual division. Those growing in the woods and 

 shrubbery-borders have plenty of room to develop, and are not 

 so liable to form dense mats as thos 3 in the flower- border, which 

 have to be constantly kept from encroaching on other things. 

 The outside growths of all the running sorts (and these include 

 most of the American species), which are always the strongest 

 and best-rooted, should be taken for replanting, and the middle, 

 where the growths have become congested, well broken up or 

 thrown away. This will be best done in spring just as growth is 

 commencing. All the Asters are easily increased from cuttings 

 of the young shoots in spring, and as these are always plentiful 

 a copious thinning will do good. Seed-raising is also very inter- 

 esting, especially if they have been crossed, and it is by this 

 means that most or all of our really good garden Asters have 

 been obtained. 



Some few of the Michaelmas Daisies are well worthy of iso- 

 lated cultivation — that is, in beds formed of only one species. 

 Cordifolius "Diana," paniculatus u W. J. Grant," Lindleyanus 

 and arcturus, and other tall sorts, when grown in open spaces, 

 produce abundance of lateral branches, which flower almost to 

 the ground, and suggest summer clouds rather than bunches of 

 flowers. 



To make selections of Michaelmas Daisies suitable to all 

 gardens and all positions would be a matter of no small difficulty, 

 and I would suggest that those interested in the genus should go 

 to Chiswick and there see for themselves, and then make their 

 own selections. 



I propose now to give a short review of the genus, and to 

 indicate the species calling for special attention, either from their 



ME 



