“ROCKFORD PEONIES” 
Page 5 
An Old Favorite “Rescued From Oblivion' 1 2 
When an alert newsman scented 
a story in our backyard planting of 
Double English Violets, he fired the 
shot that was heard literally around 
the state. 
Following the appearance of the 
story by D. L. Runnells in the 
Grand iRapids Press there arrived a 
stack of inquiries from Detroit, Les 
Cheneaux Islands and Sturgis, Michi¬ 
gan and from scores of towns and 
villages within this geographical 
triangle. — — 
Several inquiries were received 
asking if the plants were for sale; 
two or three were letters of reminis¬ 
cences from people born in England j 
who cherish memories of the fra¬ 
grant double violets in English gar¬ 
dens and one enthusiastic correspon¬ 
dent voiced volumes of praise and 
gratitude for “rescuing the English 
Violet from utter oblivion!” Every 
letter and postcard brought 
messages of good will and approval. 
We are perennial believers in the 
r theory that flower lovers are human, 
enthusiastic and friendly. 
There is apparently so much in¬ 
terest in this old fashioned flower 
that we are including it in our 
peony list. Violets may be moved 
either during the spring or fall with 
excellent results. We grow them in 
both shady and sunny locations. 
Nurserymen and other authorities 
recommend violets for the trouble¬ 
some shady places in the garden and 
on the north side of buildings where 
most perennials refuse to thrive. In 
our own experience we have found 
bone meal to be the best fertilizer. 
Double English Violets are per¬ 
fectly hardy anywhere. They are 
extremely fragrant and produce a 
profusion of bloom. We ship by 
mail, carefully packed, at $1.50 per 
dozen. No additional charge for 
packing or postage. Larger quan¬ 
tities by mail or express, prepaid at 
$10.00 per 100. All plants are 
strong and vigorous. 
Chinese Elms Grow Rapidly 
Lest anyone raise the question of 
tiees, let it be quickly recorded 
that we offer one variety in two 
sizes. The tree in question is the 
very popular CHINESE ELM. Baby 
ones with bushy tops .15c. Bigger 
ones measuring about five or six 
feet at .35. 
When Old Plants Refuse to Bloom 
Here is a question we frequently 
hear :- 
“I have a peony in my garden 
that has not had a blossom on it in 
seven years. What is the matter 
with it?” 
Our reply usually is as follows:- 
“There are three probable causes 
why peonies fail to bloom. 
1. “Peonies planted in the spring 
usually refuse to blossom. Always 
plant peonies in the fall. 
2. “If you transplant peonies be 
sure to divide the clump. Planting 
an entire clump without dividing the 
roots is very much the same as 
planting an entire ear of corn in a 
hill instead of only a few kernels. 
If a peony requires transplanting or 
moving divide the root system in 
about three pieces. Otherwise it 
may fail to blossom. 
3. “Deep planting of roots is a 
common mistake. Plant the root 
divisions so the eyes or buds are an 
inch and a half below the surface 
of the ground. A depth of two in¬ 
ches is not too much, but a depth 
of four inches is way out of the 
question.” 
