1868.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST 
101 
COREOPSIS VERTICILLATA. 
Everybody’s Hardy Flowers. 
Were we to head this article “Herbaceous 
Perennials,” many might pass it by, as being 
something that did not interest them; so we have 
given it a title with the same meaning. Those 
flowering plants which, while all that is visible 
perishes, each spring repeat everywhere the 
miracle of the resurrection, should be every¬ 
body’s flowers. They need neither potting nor 
puttering, they endure neglect and return at¬ 
tention, and are the flowers to have and to love. 
We have made out a list of those that are good 
and easily obtained; it does not contain all that 
may be classed under these heads even, and is by 
no means a list of the rarest. They can for the 
most part be raised from seed, but as a general 
thing do not flower until the second year, though 
some, if sown early, will bloom the same year. 
Novices in flower growing are generally im¬ 
patient people; they can hardly wait for the seeds 
of annuals to come up, and as for growing a 
plant for a whole year for the sake of what it 
may do hereafter, that is not to be thought of. 
Those who are in a hurry can get plants in 
early spring of the florists and nurserymen, or 
of some kind cultivator, who, if he is a lover of 
flowers himself, will be glad of an opportunity 
to aid another—only don’t be a plant beggar. 
Plants of this class do best in a good rich 
garden soil, light rather than heavy; they gener¬ 
ally increase so rapidly as to require division 
every three or four years. Take up the clumps 
in early spring, or in autumn after the tops are 
dead, divide by means of a sharp spade or a 
knife, always observing the manner of growth 
and making the division in a manner that shall 
secure buds with the portions of the root. Re¬ 
set as much as is desirable and then—throw 
away the rest ? Not at all. With these plants 
one can cultivate friendly relations and make 
many a less fortunate plant 
lover happy. Bo give away 
what can be spared and 
thus help to make them 
“ everybody’s flowers.' 
American Cowslip. — 
Shooting-star, Dodecatheon 
Meadia. 1 foot; pale pur¬ 
ple ; June. Figured in the 
Agriculturist for July, 1866. 
Astilbe Japonica.— In¬ 
correctly Spiraea Japonica of 
the catalogues; no common 
name; 18 inches; white; fine 
foliage; June. Figured in 
the Agriculturist, Jan., 1867. 
Bell-Flower. — Campan¬ 
ula Carpathica ; 18 inches; 
blue, with a white variety; 
all summer. This is one of 
the best of the many Cam¬ 
panulas, being delicate in 
habit and a profuse bloomer 
and remaining in flower for 
a long time. The Peach¬ 
leaved Bell-flower and oth¬ 
ers are good; see seedmen’s 
and florists’ catalogues. 
Bleeding-heart. — Dicen¬ 
tra spectabilis. Dielytra of 
writers who do not know 
any better; 2 to 3 feet; rose 
pink; May. Beautiful in fo¬ 
liage and flower, and one 
of the finest of all plants. 
Candytuft, Perennial. 
— Iberia sempermrens ; 6 to 
10 inches; white; July. Excellent for bouquets. 
Chrysanthemum. —Belonging to this are the 
well-known fall blooming flowers, of such great 
variety of colors, Chrysanthemum Indicum; the 
Fever-few, with its small white flowers, which 
is only half hardy; and what are called Pyreth- 
rums, Chrysanthemum carneum, of which the 
double forms are of great variety of color. 
Columbine.—S everal, and all beautiful, from 
our common wild one, Aquilegia Canadensis, to 
the rarer A. glandulosa, A. alpina, and A.ccerulea. 
Coreopsis. — C. verticillata, called C. tenui- 
folia in some of the catalogues. 18 inches; yel¬ 
low ; July to September. While yellow flow¬ 
ers should not preponderate in a collection, 
some are needed, and we add this to the list 
as much on account of its finely cut foliage as 
for any beauty of its flowers. It is found wild 
at the South and West, and is one of those old 
garden plants that seem to have found a new 
appreciation with our florists. Figured above. 
Evening Primrose. —Several species of 
(Enothera are cultivated. One of the best is 
CEJ. Missouriensis, the Missouri Evening Prim¬ 
rose. A low spreading plant, with silvery 
foliage and an abundance of pale yellow flow¬ 
ers, which are six inches across. 
Flax Perennial. — Linum perenne. 18 inch¬ 
es ; blue; May to July, and later; graceful in 
habit, and long in flower. There are varieties 
differing in the shade of blue and white. 
Fraxinella. — Dictamnus Fraxinella, purplish 
or white ; 2 feet; June and July. An old and 
favorite flower, with a strong Lemon-like odor. 
Forget-me-not. —■Myosotis palustris. 1 foot 
or less ; pale blue, with a yellow eye. In a 
shady place, it blooms nearly all summer. 
Larkspur. —Some grow as tall as 6 or 7 feet; 
all are desirable. Delphinium formosum, D. 
grandiflorum, and D. datum, are among the best. 
Lily of the Valley.— Convallaria majalis, 
This well known, graceful spring flower does 
best iu a shady place. Grown from the root. 
Lychnis —including the Scarlet Lychnis, Rag¬ 
ged Robin, Mullein Pink, and others—these 
are not very delicate, but are very showy. 
Pea, Perennial. — Lathyrus latifolius .— 
Climber; light purple and white; all summer. 
This, though a climber, flowers best when al¬ 
lowed to spread upon the ground. An old, well 
established plant, is a very beautiful object. 
Phlox. —The Moss Pink, Phlox subulata, 
makes a low dense cushion of foliage, covered 
with flowers in April and May. The taller 
Phloxes of which the florists have many named 
varieties bloom from June until September. 
Spiraeas. —The herbaceous Spiraeas are few 
and desirable. S. filipendula, the Drop wort, and 
S. Clmaria, the Meadow Sweet, are white, and 
the first especially desirable for its fine foliage. 
Spring Adonis. — Adonis vernalis. 1 foot; 
pale yellow; May; foliage delicate. This is 
figured in the Agriculturist for May, 1867. 
Yarrow. —Our common Yarrow, or Milfoil, 
Achillea millefolium, is well known as a weed; 
rose colored and red varieties of it are desirable in 
the garden. Another, A. Ptarmica, or Sneeze- 
wort, is in its double variety one of our best 
white flowers, and remaining long in bloom. 
--® fs—- --■ 
The Japanese Knotweed. 
(Polygonum cuspidatum.) 
The genus Polygonum, although a large one, 
cannot boast of many species sufficiently ele¬ 
gant to be cultivated for ornament. We are 
familiar with them as plants to be ejected from 
the grounds rather than to be introduced, for 
here belong the False, or Climbing Buckwheat, 
the Black Bind-weed, Smart-weed, Knotgrass, 
Goose-grass, and others whose common names 
indicate their weedy character. The Polygonum 
