Gardening World, February ro, 11,09. 
MOTTO FOR THE WEEK: 
“ Come forth into the light of things, let 
N’ature be your teacher.”— Wordsworth. 
CONTENTS. 
Amateur's Letter to Amateurs .. m 
Carnations, Culture of FV inter¬ 
flowering . 112 
Carnations: Work for February ... 11S 
Chrysanthemums (Single) for Deco¬ 
ration ... !I 4 
Competition Awards . n 2 
Coreopsis grandiflora (illus.) . 113 
Enquire Within . I2 3 
Flower Garden, The (illus.) . 120 
Fruit Garden, The (illus.) . 120 
Greenhouse (The Cold) in Winter... 112 
Greenhouse, The Amateur’s. 120 
Kitchen Garden, The (illus.) . 120 
Lettuces, Which are the Best? . 115 
London Pride (illus.),. 117 
Myosotis for Pots .. 119 
Orchids for Amateurs . 122 
Rock Work for Borders .113 
Roses and Rose Growing . 117 
Sweet Pea Annie B. Gilroy (illus.) ... 118 
Vines, Pruning and Dressing (illus.) 114 
Work of the V T eek . 120 
Early buds, early buds, 
V 7 aken not so soon; 
Winter frosts, winter floods, 
Hide behind the moon. 
Brave not the bleak air, 
Tempt not the frost; 
Wait for the meek air, 
Wait—or be lost! 
Tender shoots, tender shoots, 
Cover up your eyes ; 
VTnter rime round your roots 
Ambushed softly lies. 
Dare not the white mist, 
Breathe not his breath ; 
Silent the night mist 
Steals—to your death ! 
Dainty greem dainty green, 
Back and dream again, 
Winter's wrath, winter’s spleen 
Ye will brave in vain. 
Once in the cold blast 
Hope gaily hied. 
Fate blew a bold blast, 
Hope shrank and died ! 
A. W 
CLXXXIII. 
Some Good Perennials. 
Several weeks ago I was thinking over 
some of the hardy perennial plants that 
I mean to order in the spring, or to grow 
from seed. 1 made out a list, and going 
over them again to-day I find that I am 
still of the same opinion concerning them, 
that they are too good and too useful to 
be omitted from any garden where really 
decorative hardy perennials are appre¬ 
ciated. Here is the list I made: Arnica 
sachalinensis, Aster sub-caerulea, Bup- 
thalmum salicifolium, Catananche cae- 
rulea, Coreopsis Eldorado, Heuchera san- 
guinea splendens, Liatris spicata, Mon- 
arda didyma Cambridge Scarlet, Poten- 
tilla nepalensis. Each one can be made 
to fill a real need if well grown and suit¬ 
ably located. Ah, how important that 
second provision is, and how frequently 
disregarded! It may make all the dif¬ 
ference in the world whether a plant be 
growing exposed to the full sunshine, or 
whether it be in some cooler, moister 
aspect. It is one of the secrets of success 
in gardening to plant in suitable aspects. 
As an instance of this I will mention how 
difference of aspect last summer affected 
some plants of Lythrum Salicaria super¬ 
bum. Some specimens were growing in 
the open, and the best border (for many 
things) that the .garden contains, others 
were on the north side of a heavy Ivy and 
Rose screen, the house walls cutting off 
much of the western sun, trees cutting off 
the sunshine that should have come from 
the east, though not overhanging. An 
unfavourable position for almost every¬ 
thing, most people would conclude, yet 
here the Lythrum reached six feet in 
height, and the great heads of deep 
coloured flowers were very fine and last¬ 
ing. Those specimens in the warmer and 
sunnier border were a good two feet 
dwarfer, the flowers smaller, and the stay¬ 
ing power not much more than half the 
length of time of those in the cooler 
quarters. I mention this merely as an 
example, and to show the importance of 
aspect. 
And now to return for a few moments 
to the plants contained in the above list. 
Arnica sachalinensis is a capital yellow- 
flowering perennial plant that is very 
bright and cheery- in the early summer. 
It has good powers of endurance, and 
always makes a good clump, indeed. I 
have sometimes noted it as one of the 
things that invariably catch the eye on 
looking along a mixed border. The 
Aster sub-caerulea I regard as a grand 
addition to the garden because it flowers 
in June, and continues for some time. To 
my mind it has greater value in the gar¬ 
den than the pretty Aster alpinus, which 
is considerably dwarfer. But it is good to 
have both, and A. alpinus is in flower 
earlier than the other. So refined, so 
dainty, and so altogether charming are 
the blue or mauve Daisy-like Asters of 
perennial habit, that we may well seek 
to have them over as long a period as 
possible, and the period is a lengthy one, 
for our Michaelmas Daisies, if a good 
selection be chosen, continue through 
until frosts kill the flowers. 
Bupthalmum speciosum. 
For those who may be thinking of showing 
hardy perennials at local summer shows 
this plant should commend itself. This 
also is a composite, yellow in colour. It 
is so excellent a subject as a cut flower, 
so enduring, and able to take care of it¬ 
self, if I may so express it, that it gives an 
air of wholesome health and sturdiness to 
a collection. An almost more desirable 
variety, and growing to two feet instead 
of the four feet of the other, is B. salici¬ 
folium. I gave B. speciosum premier 
mention because it flowers rather earlier 
in the season, however. 
Catananche caerulea bicolor. 
This means blue and white and the 
charming old-fashioned flower deserves a 
place in every garden. It comes into 
flower at the height of summer, and re¬ 
mains in good condition throughout 
August, a month in which distinct and 
character-giving blue flowers are none too 
plentiful. I always think plants that are 
of the height of this one, i.e., two feet, 
are especially useful and decorative in a 
border. 
Coreopsis Eldorado. 
This is a large and really beautiful 
variety, and in many soils and districts it 
is safer to plant it in the spring than the 
autumn, as in cold soils it does not always 
survive a wet, cold winter. The Heuchera 
sanguinea splendens makes a particularly 
interesting companion plant for the Saxi¬ 
frages in the rock garden, both belong to 
the same family, and it makes a good 
study for observing the likenesses and the 
differences of family relationship. 
Liatris elegans. 
I remember this was well illustrated in 
the pages of The Gardening World some 
months ago. It is a desirable addition to 
the garden because it is a distinct and 
rather unusual floral form. It is hardy 
and of the easiest cultivation, and can be 
reckoned on for making handsome patches 
in the late summer and early autumn gar¬ 
den. 
Monarda didyma Cambridge scarlet. 
This is an improved ancl brilliant form 
of our good old-fashioned Sweet Berga¬ 
mot, and makes a bright bit of radiant 
colour. The same must be said of Poten- 
tilla nepalensis; it is its striking glowing 
and intense colour, cherrv red. that makes 
it of much value, especially to be re¬ 
commended for the rock garden 
F. Norfolk. 
-+++- 
FEBRUEER, if ye be fair, 
The sheep will mend and nothing mair; 
Februeer, if ye be foul, 
The sheep will die in every pool.- 
