1913 . 
THU RURAL NEW-YORKER 
287 
THE FARMER’S FLOWER GARDEN. 
Part I. 
The crowning glory of any country 
place is flowers. Have them in borders 
along the drive, along the fences, 
around the lawn, around the house and 
in the flower garden. Have them every¬ 
where except in the lawn. Do not spoil 
a lawn with flower beds. Put them all 
around, but not in it. Nothing looks 
well in a lawn but carpet bedding, and 
unless the grounds are large and pre¬ 
tentious carpet bedding is not the thing. 
[William Robinson, one of the greatest 
flower garden authorities in the world, 
once described carpet bedding scorn¬ 
fully as “an Italian pastry-cook’s idea 
of the beautiful.”—Eds.] The hardy 
border is what is wanted. It looks 
equally well around the laborer’s cot¬ 
tage or the mansion. We can find plenty 
of information telling us how to ar¬ 
range plants by putting the taller at the 
back and sloping to the front. Not 
much information can we find that tells 
us how to get them without paying the 
seedsmen and nurserymen high prices 
for inferior plants. For the average 
person this makes the price of a large 
hardy border prohibitive. By starting 
in early Spring, the first day of April in 
the latitude of Philadelphia, a little 
earlier south and a little later north, 
nearly all the plants needed may be raised 
from seed. Make a seed bed in a shel¬ 
tered sunny place and plant the seed. 
As soon as the plants are large enough 
transplant to temporary or permanent 
quarters for the Summer. In the Fall 
move to permanent quarters, made rich 
with manure, as the plants will not be 
moved for years. It is important that 
the first transplanting be made with each 
variety of plants as soon as they are 
old enough to keep them from becoming 
scrawny. The plants cannot get over 
this in a season. Below follows a list 
of the leading perennials, their habits, 
color and time it takes the seed to ger¬ 
minate. But first let me impress upon 
you the value of good seed. It shows 
on these as on nothing else. Do not get 
any doubtful seed. Order only from a 
reliable seedsman. Remember the high¬ 
est price is for extra fine flowers. It 
is poor economy to nurse a lot of plants 
from cheap seed for a year, then when 
they bloom they are not true or else 
have very small flowers. The varieties 
named here are selected by careful study 
and experience, and are the best of their 
kinds. 
Achillea (milfoil or yarrow) is one 
of the finest of white perennials for cut 
flower purposes. Pure white double 
flowers are borne in greatest profusion 
the entire Summer on stems two feet 
long.’ The foliage and flowers are 
equally attractive in bouquets. A. Ptar- 
mica “The Pearl” is the best variety. 
Fine for cemetery planting, as it will 
take care of itself in weeds or grass. 
Perfectly hardy everywhere; rejoices in 
full sun, germinates in 10 days. The 
first year they have small flowers, but 
they improve with age. 
Aconitum (monk’s-hood, helmet flower 
or wolfsbane). All the varieties form 
bushy clumps and are invaluable for 
planting in shady places. They have 
spikes of helmet-shaped flowers and 
bloom from July to September. Grows 
three to five feet high. The mixed is 
excellent. Colors from white to dark 
blue. Although it takes 20 days to ger¬ 
minate, it is easily raised from seed. 
Transplant large plants in October or 
early Spring. [Remember this is a very 
poisonous plant.—Eds.] 
Anemone (Japanese windflower). A. 
Japonica, white, is the best of all; be¬ 
gins to bloom in 'August and remains in 
full beauty until cut down by frost. 
Fine for cutting; height two to three 
feet. St. Brigid, the poppy flowered 
Irish Anemone, blooms in May and June 
and comes in mixed colors. * All the 
Anemones want a little protection in 
Winter and germinate in 15 days. They 
do best under tall trees, where they get 
the sun morning and afternoon, but are 
shaded at midday. 
Dwarf hardy Asters are desirable for 
rockery or edge of the hardy border. 
They give quantities of flowers after 
many hardy plants are through bloom¬ 
ing. They grow six to 10 inches and 
have large purplish-blue flowers; want 
full sun. Germinate in 15 days. 
Aquilegia (columbine). A. chrysan- 
tha, the golden Rocky Mountain colum¬ 
bine, is a long-spurred canary-colored 
variety, fine for bouquets. For all- 
around purposes it is hard to beat Ccvr- 
ulea, which is the long-spurred blue 
and white Rocky Mountain columbine. 
Coerulea hybrids are the best mixture. 
It grows finely in full sun or partial 
shade. Height two to three feet. Takes 
10 to 25 days to germinate, but is easily 
raised. [We would add the European 
varieties, A. vulgaris and A. glandu- 
losa.—Eds.] 
The Chrysanthemum with me, in the 
latitude of .Philadelphia, has not proven 
a satisfactory garden flower, both foliage 
and flowers being badly injured by frost 
before it reached perfection, yet it is 
admired by many and is easily raised 
from seed. The dwarf pompon varie¬ 
ties are the hardiest and germinate in 
10 days. Most of the fine varieties of 
the florist are hardy in the latitude of 
Washington, D. C. 
Coreopsis is one of the finest hardy 
plants and one of the garden’s forces 
in yellow. It is covered with flowers in 
June and has occasional ones till frost. 
Lanceolata, yellow with brown eye, is 
excellent, grows three feet high, flour¬ 
ishes in full sun, and germinates in 
eight days. 
Campanula (bellflower).—Many varie¬ 
ties are good. Carpatica is a perennial, 
clear blue, eight inches high and blooms 
from June to October. Pyramidalis 
(chimney bellflower) is a perennial and 
the finest of the Campanula family, 
forms a perfect pyramid four to six 
feet high and bears blue, salver-like 
flowers in great number during late 
Summer and Fall, but requires much 
protection during Winter, and the rest 
of the Campanula family do not require 
much. Persicifolia (peach bells) is a 
perennial two feet high, blue salver¬ 
shaped flowers. Blooms six weeks dur¬ 
ing June and July. Campanula Medium 
(Canterbury bell) is a biennial, blooms 
the second year from seed and then 
dies; a good deal of trouble, but worth 
it, and they are the kind most used. 
They bear bell-shaped flowers in great 
numbers in June and July. They grow 
two to three feet high. The mixed sorts 
have a good range of colors, shades of 
blue predominating. Calycanthema is 
the cup-and-saucer Canterbury bell; 
each flower resembles a miniature cup 
and saucer. It blooms for six weeks 
during June and July, height and color 
the same as Medium. They are very 
interesting and pretty. Double Medium 
are not as delicate as the single. All 
of the Campanulas germinate in five to 
10 days. Do not crowd; give full sun. 
Delphinium (hardy larkspur) is one 
of the perennials that we must have in 
the hardy border, and lots of it, here, 
there and everywhere. It takes 25 days 
to germinate, but may be easily raised 
from seed. It grows three to five feet 
high and wants full sun. Belladonna 
seedlings are the nearest everblooming; 
they have a good range of color, from 
lightest to darkest blue. This will bloom 
profusely the first season. The follow¬ 
ing years cut off the stalks as soon as 
they have bloomed and new flower 
shoots will spring up at once. 
Dictamnus (gas plant) wants full sun. 
In June and July it has spikes of fra¬ 
grant curious flowers, and gives off dur¬ 
ing hot weather a fragrant volatile oil 
which ignites when a match is applied 
to it. It is best left undisturbed after 
being put in permanent position. In¬ 
stances are known where this plant has 
outlived father, son and grandson in 
one spot, and still flourishes. It grows 
three to five feet; germinates in 20 to 
30 days. 
Daisy. For admirers of the humble 
daisy we have the Beilis or double Eng¬ 
lish daisy. It blooms the first year from 
seed and will stand the Winter with 
slight protection; germinates in five days 
and comes in white, pink and rose. The 
Shasta daisy is like the field daisy, only 
larger, and with me is much damaged 
by rose slugs. It is easily raised from 
seed, germinating in 15 days, and its 
pearly white flowers are beautiful. 
While Dielytra or Dicentra (bleeding 
heart) cannot be grown from seed, 
roots are easily obtained, and for a 
shady place it is hard to beat; has a 
long period of bloom in Spring. 
Digitalis (foxglove). These are tall 
and stately, true old-fashioned flowers, 
fine for a background and grand in 
masses. When planted in partial shade 
the blooming period is prolonged to 
about six weeks in June and July. They 
are perennials, but succeed best when 
treated as biennials, sowing the seed in 
the seed bed every Spring. I prefer 
the mixed. They germinate in 10 days. 
The colors run from white to purple. 
For sun or shade. 
Eupatorium.—Fraseri is the best va¬ 
riety. It will grow in sun or shade and 
is fine for cutting. Mixed colors; ger¬ 
minates in 10 days. 
Euphorbia marginata is the flowering 
mountain spurge; has white flowers and 
ornamental foliage. Grows one foot 
high and prefers semi-shade; germinates 
in 20 days. l. p. c. 
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