BRISTOL NURSERIES, Inc., BRISTOL, COHH- 
33 
Hardy Perennials 
The constantly increasing interest in the old-fashioned hardy garden flowers is emphasized more each 
season in the demand for new and good perennials. With the infinite variety available, even the small 
bed or border can be made interesting from April until November. 
A Few Cultural Hints. Inasmuch as these plantings are reasonably permanent, the preparation of the 
soil should be thorough. Spading the soil to a depth of 13^ feet, incorporating a good supply of well-decayed 
manure, and an application of bonemeal, is recommended. Occasionally a light dressing with wood-ashes, 
particularly among the delphiniums, will prove beneficial. The best effect is obtained by planting groups of 
three or more of a kind, rather than a mixed arrangement, and the subsequent care is simplified. An occa¬ 
sional plant of robust growth and good outline, such as the Peony, Veronica subsessilis, or Gypsophila, 
Bristol Fairy, will prove effective as individual specimens in the smaller planting. The larger the area, 
however, the heavier the grouping should be. The value of spring-flowering bulbs should not be overlooked. 
Grouped properly, they are highly desirable for early display and will not interfere with the hardier plants. 
Lilies, as offered in the catalogue here, will prove of easy culture and highly desirable for planting among 
the early-flowering kinds to make a later display. A careful choice in varieties and their arrangement will 
result in a display of unending interest throughout the whole season. 
About Plants and Varieties. The great variation between the root and top-growth is apt to cause some 
misapprehension on the part of the inexperienced buyer receiving plants. As an instance, Gaillardia Portola 
has a strong top-growth, out of all proportion to the fragile-appearing root-system, and this applies to many 
varieties. It should also be borne in mind that a healthy plant of medium size is often a better plant than 
an overgrown clump, and should produce uniformly better results. 
The variety of perennials is almost without end, and all are of some interest. It is not our aim to offer 
a huge assortment, but rather to hold to a selection of kinds that are most desirable, adding new varieties 
as they prove of merit, and eliminating others as they are superseded by better kinds or those that are too 
much alike. 
Plants offered here are field-grown and will flower the first season. Exceptions offered in pot-grown plants 
are more successfully handled in that way. 
