Hosts of 
Gay Flowering Plants 
%o garden, be it ever so samll, is complete with- 
V out its hardy border, its beds of perennials and 
/. annuals. 
Perennial plants are most satisfactory, for 
they start growth with the earliest hint of spring and from the 
time the first flowers come in March and April, there is a succes¬ 
sion of bloom until late fall. The garden-lover looks forward to 
these recurring seasons as joyously as the visit of an old friend is 
anticipated. 
Every garden, of course, needs a definite design and a back¬ 
ground of either a wall, or shrubs, mostly evergreens, with a few 
flowering shrubs interspersed here and there for color. This placed, 
you can begin with the planting of your perennials; and what a 
fascinating occupation, for keep in mind that you are creating 
a picture, and so a series of pictures must be planned for. 
Choose, therefore, your plants with regard to height, color and 
season of bloom, placing them in uneven groups of threes or fives. 
By all means avoid straight lines. Could anything, for instance, be 
lovelier than a mass grouping of lavender Phlox and tall yellow 
Snapdragons with clumps of orange California Poppies, and Pinks 
in front of them, serving as a low border to complete the picture? 
Monarda purpurea supplies an excellent lavender to bloom with 
the rose Loosestrife (Lythrum roseum). These two plants do well 
here and bloom during the hot days of late June and July. 
To have continuous bloom, place a grouping of summer or late 
fall-blooming plants in between or in back of spring-blooming 
Value of 
Perennials 
in 
Gardens 
Key to 
Choice of 
Perennials 
39 
