HARDY Perennials are the best of all plants for the adornment of the flower garden. Most of them are of easy culture and possess the excellent merit of longevity; consequently, are just the kind of flowers for those who want to have a beautiful garden of a more or less permanent nature. Once get a garden well stocked with such flowers, there is no necessity to incur a big annual outlay for replenishing the beds and borders, as in the case of hardy annuals and tender plants. Then again, those who wish to spare no expense in having a beautiful garden, may grow perennials in conjunction with tender flowers and annuals, and so ensure a greater variety of colour and form, as well as a more brilliant display. Time was when hardy perennials formed the only flowers for garden decoration. Then came a change in taste, and these beautiful old flowers, beloved of our grandmothers, were more or less discarded in favour of tender flowers like the geranium, calceolaria, and lobelia. The craze for the latter eventually subsided somewhat, and people of taste, with a love of the really beautiful in plant life, began to pay attention to the culture of old-fashioned flowers – hardy perennials, bulbs, and tubers. Year by year more attention is being directed to the cultivation of these plants, and less to the tender ones. This is a step in the right direction, and I hope the day is not far distant when we may see hardy perennials extensively grown in large and small gardens.

Columbine is a hardy alpine perennial. Likes sandy soil with leaf mould. Sow seeds in June, and plant out in October for flowering the following season.

It may be of service to the inexperienced amateur gardener if I explain what a hardy perennial really is. It is a plant which lives for an indefinite number of years, and has fibrous roots, as in the campanula; bulbs, as in the case of the lily; or tubers, as in the winter aconite; or corms, as in the case of the cyclamen. It may also be herbaceous or evergreen. If herbaceous, its flower stems and foliage lie down to the soil in the autumn, leaving its roots below, and putting forth new growth in spring. If evergreen, it simply loses its flower stems, but retains a tuft of foliage throughout the year.

Forget-me-not. Hardy perennial. Likes moist situation and good loamy soil. Sow in spring or summer in a warm shady place. Will give a profusion of delicate blue flowers in spring.

Perennials may be grown in town, suburban, or country gardens, but the best results are to be obtained in the suburbs or country, where the air is pure and there is plenty of light and sunshine. Some sorts do better in the shade, and some best in the sunnier positions of the garden. In the smaller type of gardens, no plants are better adapted for the narrow borders, which constitute the main positions for flower growing than perennials. In gardens of larger extent, they may be grown to excellent advantage in borders, fringing groups of shrubs on lawns, or borders of shrubberies. In such cases the borders must not be narrow, but at least 6 to 10 ft. in width, to enable the plants to be grown to the best possible effect. Perennials may also be grown in large beds on lawns. In very small gardens, the fences at the back of the border may be clothed with the everlasting white and pink peas and double convolvulus. Here and there tall perennial sunflowers, delphiniums, and holly-hocks may come between, and so form a pleasing background to the dwarfer plants.

Double Sweet William. Hardy biennial. Likes sandy soil with peat. Sow seeds outdoors in light soil in April or May.

Mixed carnation marguerite. Hardy perennial, blooms June to September. Sow in February or March in pansof light mould, covering slightly with fine soil. Give ample air and keep soil pleasantly moist.

Fibrous-rooted perennials like the delphinium, lupin, &c., should be planted in groups of three, six, or a dozen plants, according to the width of the border. This ensures a good bold mass of one colour in a place, and is infinitely more pleasing and effective than planting single specimens. Of course, where the border is only 3 feet wide or less, one plant will suffice. Do not plant in rows, but dispose the tall and dwarf plants so as to form a series of irregular bays. This will prevent the border having a flat appearance, and give it a more diversified and picturesque effect. A bold group of holly-hocks, or of delphiniums, or of lupins, &c., coming out boldly to the front, adds a distinct charm to the border and prevents the whole of the flowers (in the case of a straight border) being seen at one glance. Then, again, the plants and bulbs should be so arranged that every part of the border is more or less bright and interesting throughout the season.

Double Indian Pink. Dwarf hardy biennial. Flowers from May to late summer. Sow seed in sheltered border in September, giving protection against frost in winter. Transplant when ready.

To make my meaning still clearer, the spring, summer, and autumnal bloomers should be carefully mixed, so that no part of the border is deficient in colour from early spring to late autumn. Thus between the perennials, groups of bulbous plants can be grown to flower in spring. These will have died down ere the perennials have attained sufficient size to require the extra room. In the front of the borders I usually plant groups of snowdrops, crocuses, and scillas, and over these masses of aubrietia, arabis and saxifrage. The bulbs push their way through the green carpet, and flower, and by the time they have ceased to flower and grow, the plants are ready to flower also.

CALENDAR

Of Fibrous-Rooted Perennials

JANUARY—Helleborus niger, white, 1 ft.; Helleborus colchicus, rich plum, 1 ft.; Helleborus Orientalis, rose, 1 ft.

FEBRUARY—Anemone blanda, blue 6 in.; Helleborus guttatus, purplish crimson, 1 ft.; Helleborus olympicus, white and green, 1 ft.; Hepatica angulosa, sky blue, 6 in.; Hepatica triloba alba (white), cœrulea (blue), and rubra (red).

MARCH—Primroses, hybrid, various colours, 6 in.; Double Daisies, white and red, 4 in.; Polyanthuses, various colours, 6 in.; Iberis corifolia, white, 6 in.; Wallflowers, various, 12 to 18 in.

APRIL—Adonis vernalis, yellow, 1 ft.; Anemone appenina, blue, 6 in.; Doronicum Clusii, yellow, 2 to 3 ft.; Orobus vernus, blue, 1 ft.; Arabis albida, white, 4 in.; Aubrietia purpurea, blue, 3 in.; Corydalis nobilis, lilac and yellow, 1 ft.

MAY—Alyssum saxatile and saxatile variegatum, yellow, 6 in.; Daphne Cneorum, pink, 6 in.; Doronicum plantagineum excelsum, yellow, 3 ft.; Erysimum pumilum, yellow, 6 in.; Saxifraga Wallaceii, white, 6 in.; Aubrietia Leichtlinii, red, 4 in.; Aubrietia Campbellii, blue, 4 in.; Papaver orientale, crimson, 4 ft.; Veronica gentianoides, blue, 18 in. to 2 ft.; Ranunculus aconitifolius,fl. pl., white, 18 in.; Phlox Nelsonii (white), procumbens (lilac), setacea (various), 4 in.

JUNE—Achillea ptarmica, fl.pl., and “The Pearl,” white, 2 to 3 ft.; Anthericum liliago and liliastrum (white), 18 in.; Heuchera sanguinea, red, 18 in.; Lychnis chalcedonica, scarlet, 3 ft.; Lychnis viscaria, fl. pl., rose, 18. in.; Œnothera speciosa, white, 2 ft.; Œnothera fruticosa, yellow, 2 ft.; Œnothera Youngii, yellow, 18 in.; Columbines (Aquilegias), various, 18 in. to 2 ft.; Campanula persicifolia, blue, 2 to 3 ft.; Campanula persicifolia alba, white, 2 to 3 ft.; Campanula persicifolia alba, fl. pl., white, 2 to 3 ft.; Campanula carpatica, blue, 1 ft.; Iris Germanica, various colours, 2 to 3 ft.; Hemerocallis flava, yellow, 2 ft.; Hemerocallis disticha, fl. pl., bronzy yellow, 3 ft.; Delphiniums, various, 4 to 6 ft.; Single and Double Hybrid Pyrethrums, various 2 to 3 ft.; Single and Double Pæonies, various, 2 to 3 ft.; Antirrhinums, various, 1 to 3 ft.

Comet Aster

JULY—Coreopsis lanceolata, yellow, 3 ft.; Stenactis speciosa, violet, 3 ft.; Lathyrus latifolius, pink, 5 to 7 ft.; Lathyrus latifolius albus, white, 5 to 7 ft.; Lupinus polyphyllus, blue, 3 ft.; Lupinus polyphyllus albus, white, 3 ft.; Campanula grandis alba, white, 2 ft.; Campanula Hostii, blue, 1 ft.; Lysimachia clethroides, white, 2 ft.; Lysimachia vulgaris, yellow, 2 to 3 ft.; Lobelia cardinalis, crimson, 12 to 18 in.; Helenium pumilum, yellow, 2 ft.; Monarda didyma, scarlet, 3 ft.; Centranthus ruber, red and white, 2 ft.; Œnothera taraxacifolia, white, 6 in.; Funkia japonica aurea folius variegatus, variegated leaved; Galega officinalis, blue, 3 ft.; Galega officinalis alba, white, 3 ft.

AUGUST—Helenium grandicephalum striatum, yellow and brown, 3 to 4 ft.; Helianthus multiflorus, fl. pl., yellow, 4 to 6 ft.; Helianthus multiflorus major, yellow, 4 ft.; Helianthus rigidus “Miss Mellish,” yellow, 6 ft.; Rudbeckia Newmanii, orange, 3 ft.; Eryngium Olivierianum, blue, 3 ft.; Echinops ritro, blue, 3 ft.; Tradescanthia virginica, blue and white, 1 ft.; Galega persica lilacina, lilac, 3 to 4 ft.; Polygonum cuspidatum, white, 4 to 6 ft.; Polygonum vaccinifolium, rose, 1 ft.; Pyrethrum uliginosum, white, 5 to 6 ft.; Spiræa aruncus, white, 3 ft.; Coreopsis grandiflora, yellow, 3 ft.

SEPTEMBER—Aster amellus bessarabicus, blue, 3 ft.; Aster Shortii, blue, 3 ft.; Aster ericoides, white, 3 ft.; Tritoma uvaria, red, 3 to 4 ft.; Sedum spectabilis, pink, 1 ft.; Anemone japonica, red, rose, and white, 2 ft.; Herbaceous Phloxes, various, 3 ft.; Pampas Grass, white, 4 to 6 ft.; Helianthus lævis, yellow, 4 to 6 ft.

OCTOBER—Schizostylis coccinea, scarlet, 18 in.; Aster novæ angliæ, and novæ belgiæ, blue, 3 ft.; Physalis Alkekengi, and Franchetti, red fruits, 1 to 2 ft.

Dianthus

NOVEMBER—Petasites fragrans, pink, 1 ft.; Megasea cordifolia, pink, 1 ft.

DECEMBER—Christmas Roses.