174 HARDY PERENNIALS 
some very remarkable metallic and wine shades, 
and the whites with their polished black-purple 
blotches are conspicuous and delightful. All the 
Orientals can be easily propagated by cutting the 
thick thong-like roots into pieces about two inches 
long, inserting the cuttings in trays or pans of sandy 
compost. 
Papaver rupifragum is a strong-growing plant 
with flowers of a lively shade of terra-cotta. It is 
easily raised from seed, and is very charming for 
table decorations. 
The Iceland Poppy, P. nudicaule, in its old types 
of white, canary yellow, and rich orange, has long 
been popular for bedding and borders and also 
for cutting. The recent introduction of Harkness' 
Giant strain and Baker's Sunbeam Poppies has still 
further enriched our gardens. The flowers are larger, 
the stems longer, and the range of fascinating 
colours includes delicate satiny pinks, peach and 
apricot shades and rich salmons. The Icelands are 
best raised from seed and treated as biennials. 
The life of a Poppy flower is brief, but if cut as 
opening, in the early morning, and the ends of the 
stalks are immediately dipped for a moment in 
boiling water, the petals will hold and the flowers 
retain their beauty for several days. 
Pentstemon. — From July to September the Pent- 
stemons will hold their own in competition with the 
massed legions of perennial flowers. The Florist's 
Pentstemon, favoured among the favourites of the 
