2 
Sirecker’s Hardy Plants 
HARDY PERENNJAL PLANTS ' 
The following list of plants is intended to. include the 
best available plants that are suitable and desirable for 
garden culture. Each .year new varieties are made avail¬ 
able, which will be included in future editions of this cata¬ 
logue. We are constantly on the lookout for new or rare 
perennial plants of special merit, and have many varieties 
in our trial gardens which are not listed herein. We have 
one of the largest commercial collections of hardy plants in 
the country and invite inquiries for those rare varieties 
which you have been unable to secure. This collection 
now comprises more than 1 300 species and varieties. 
The descriptions herein have been prepared with a great 
deal of care, but we cannot guarantee them in all cases 
because there is so much confusion in the botanical names 
of some species and varieties that It is impossible to be sure 
that all are correct. Except for such confusion, plants pro¬ 
pagated from offsets, division or cuttings are true to name. 
Many varieties come 100% true from seed, while others 
come true in varying degrees, even when grown from seeds 
secured from the best sources in this and foreign countries. 
The stock offered is field grown and the best we know 
how to produce after many years of experience. Many of 
them are at least a year older than plants offered in small 
pots; they are also acclimated to outdoor conditions. They 
are all of a size and age to produce a crop of bloom the 
first year after planting. It should be remembered, how¬ 
ever, that a few plants, such as Lupines and Peonies, either 
do not blossom at all or do not produce normal blossoms 
until the second year after planting or until after they have 
had an opportunity to become established in their new home. 
CULTURE OF PERENNIAL PLANTS 
With few exceptions, the plants mentioned herein are 
of easy culture and can be successfully grown in ordinary 
garden soil without special care. A few are rather difficult. 
A brief statement as to soil and cultural requirements is 
given in the descriptions of the plants mentioned herein; 
however, it is believed that a few general hints may prove 
valuable. 
The first consideration is soil, which should not be too 
rich. It can then be fertilized to suit the requirements of 
the plants. Its preparation should be thorough—dig it up 
to a depth of at least fifteen inches. Cow manure, par¬ 
ticularly if well rotted, is perhaps the best all around fer¬ 
tilizer. Pulverized sheep’s manure or bone meal can be used 
to advantage. Some of the alpine plants grow in very meag¬ 
er soil consisting of weathered rock only; some of these 
growing immediately below a snow cap or glacier have 
their roots washed all summer by the ice cold water from 
the melting snow above. These plants are growing in 
places where they have perfect drainage, very little or no 
overhead wet, and some of them have a constant supply of 
moisture at their roots throughout the growing season. To 
grow some of these plants in our gardens, it is necessary to 
imitate their natural conditions as nearly as possible. 
Some plants require an alkaline or limestone soil while 
others cannot endure it, but must have an acid soil. If 
your soil is acid or deficient in lime, limestone-loving plants 
can be made to flourish in it by adding any material con¬ 
taining lime, such as air-slacked lime, ground limestone, or 
even old plaster. If your soil naturally contains lime, it can 
be improved for acid loving plants by adding leaf mold, 
peat moss, broken rotted wood or even saw dust. Some¬ 
times aluminum sulphate or alum is used for the same pur¬ 
pose. Unless otherwise stated, plants are easily grown in 
well-drained garden soil. 
