GREETINGS .. . 
You are cordially invited to visit our show garden and nursery at any time during the growing season. You 
will always find some interesting plants in bloom, but during September we generally have more flowers in bloom 
than at any other time, as many of you who have visited us at that time know. The purpose of our show gardens 
is to afford you the opportunity to see how plants will behave under ordinary garden conditions, their habit of 
growth, height, foliage and bloom as well as their hardiness, in the case of perennials and roses. 
Gardening is a joyful hobby to most of us, and each year we like to make a few changes; so when you receive 
our catalog, we hope you will get into an easy chair and make your selection of needed plants from it. We will 
greatly appreciate receiving your orders. 
Many improvements have been made at our nursery the past year, some of which may not be evident to you» 
but all help to give you greater convenience in making your purchases and help us to serve you better. 
ERKINS 
is At Our Nursery 
WHAT WE GROW 
We are plant growers specializing in fine-quality perennials, annuals and early-blooming chrysanthemums. 
We also have vegetable plants, potted western-grown roses, gladiolus and a nice selection of plants for window 
boxes and cemetery planting in season. 
We now have 9 varieties (7 added last year) of the new strain of hardy asters. Most are of medium height and 
have nice-sized flowers and good colors. We recommend them. We are endeavoring to find an aster to take the 
place of Aster Frikarti, which is not hardy enough for our climate. Yunnanensis Napsbury is a large-flowered, 
rich blue, summer-blooming aster that we had on trial last summer. We liked it very much, and it is said to be 
very hardy. 
We tested the two new carnation-flowered chrysanthemums. Plainsman, a nice bronze, was in full bloom by 
the end of September. Pathfinder, a soft yellow, was later. They are good varieties, interesting and worthy of 
your consideration. We will have the new pink mum to be introduced this year by the University of Minnesota. 
Besides adding to our rose list the two 1954 All-America Winners, Mojave (Mo-ha-vee) and Lilibet, we expect 
to have a supply of Garnette and the little gem Pinkie, as well as several other fine varieties that we have not listed 
before. 
We have made a few changes in our annual department. Now that we can get the sturdier and more vigorous 
tetra snapdragons in an almost complete range of separate colors, we have eliminated most of the older varieties. 
We have been able to reduce the price of our tetra snapdragons in mixed colors. 
ThelF[petunias did well for us again this year, and we will have a larger supply than formerly. The soft salmon- 
colored variety Linda did especially well in our show garden, and it will replace all other salmon varieties of petunia. 
Eight plants of the F, hybrid petunias will fill the same place as twelve of the common varieties. 
Last summer much interest was shown in the Bells of Ireland. They are an interesting novelty: Green bells 
with white clappers are borne close together for the full length of the tall stems. A circle of thorns is present at 
each leaf node. Bells of Ireland are useful in making arrangements. They look more attractive if the foliage is 
removed, leaving only the bells on the stems. : 
SALES YARD. Our sales yard is ample. All our perennials are in paper pots and arranged on long tables in 
the order in which they occur in this catalog. This makes it easy to find the plant you want and to check with the 
catalog description if necessary while you are making your selection. 
Each box of plants has a large label and the price marked on it. You can either make your selection quickly 
or you may walk around at your leisure and enjoy selecting those varieties best suited to your garden. Why not 
try some of the newer kinds this season? It will add to your gardening pleasure. 
Our potted roses are set out in groups so that you can easily select the plants you want. Both our perennial 
and rose sections are arranged as much as possible on the self-help plan. 
We have plenty of parking space and a circle drive with separate entrance and exit. From April 15 to June 10 
we are open evenings and all day Sunday. If possible, we would like to be free from making sales on Saturdays 
and Sundays from June 15 to September 15. Our hired help is off on those days, and we too enjoy the opportunity 
to do some of the extra things that we all like to do on free days. 
We have a small booklet on the right way to plant nursery stock, which is free to those requesting it. 
OUR CATALOG. Do you like it? We wish to make it as helpful to you as possible and would appreciate any 
suggestions from you for improving it. We include an order sheet with the catalogs sent out, and would appreciate 
it if all those who come to our nursery would fill out at least the spaces for your name and address and give it to 
us. This would assure you of receiving our catalog as it is issued. If we have no record of having an order from 
you for several years, we take your name from our mailing list. 
LOCATION. We are located at 2591 Stillwater Road (U. S. 212) just one mile east of St. Paul’s eastern 
limits. It is easy to get to our nursery. 
To drive to the nursery from St. Paul’s business district, take East Seventh Street to East Minnehaha Avenue, 
east to East Avenue, Paved road to left (Highway 212). 
From St. Anthony Park, take Larpenteur Avenue and Wheelock Parkway to Arcade Street, south on Arcade 
to Maryland, east on Maryland to White Bear Avenue, south on White Bear Avenue to Stillwater Avenue, east 
to nursery. 
From Minneapolis take the shortest route to St. Paul and then follow same directions as for St. Paul’s business 
district given above. Another favorite route from North Minneapolis and northern parts of Ramsey County is to 
go east on State Highway 36 to State Highway 100, turn right on U. S. Highway 212; right 14 mile. 
From Wisconsin points, cross the St. Croix River at Hudson or Stillwater. If crossed at Hudson, go to Still- 
water and from there follow Highway 212 to our nursery, or follow U. S. 12 to Tanners Lake, north on Highway 100 
to Highway 212, west 14 mile. 
2 PERKINS BROS. e 2591 STILLWATER ROAD e SAINT PAUL 6, MINN. 
