CHAPTER FORTY-SEVENTH.

BORDER PLANTS.

Very many persons are fond of flowers who have but little time to devote to their culture. It is a fact that cannot be denied that the cultivation of annuals requires a good deal of hard labor, and that much time must be devoted to the garden if you would have it what it ought to be. These persons would do well to devote their attention to hardy border plants. Once established, these plants are good for years, and they will require less attention each year, than any other class of flowers. In spring they should be dug about, to keep the grass from crowding them out. Manure should be worked in about them, and about every other season their roots should be divided. This constitutes pretty much all the care they require. While they do not bloom all through the season as most annuals do, they give a most profuse crop in summer, and many of them are extremely beautiful.

The following are among the best:

Aquilegia. Known as Columbine in some localities; in others as Honeysuckle; very beautiful in form and habit, and equally so in color; some varieties are blue, others yellow, scarlet and white, while some combine these colors in beautiful contrast; some are single, others double; an early bloomer, and very desirable.

Campanula. This is the well-known and ever-popular Canterbury Bell; color blue and white; fine.

Carnation. The garden variety of this most beautiful flower is quite equal to the popular green-house class; it has large, perfect flowers of most beautiful coloring, and is delightfully fragrant; it is almost as great a favorite as the Rose; no garden ought to be without

several plants of it; it comes in all shades of red and rose, while many varieties have stripes and flakes of these colors on white or yellow ground.

Delphinium. The Perennial Larkspur; one of our best border plants. It grows to a height of four or five feet, therefore is well adapted to back rows, and for growing along fences. D. formosum is a most brilliant blue, intense in tone, and very effective. Other varieties are scarlet, white and pink. When grown in masses it produces a magnificent show of color. You cannot afford to be without it.

Digitalis. Better known as Foxglove; a stately plant, producing racemes of flowers two feet in length, thimbleshaped, and prettily spotted; purple and white.

Hollyhock. If we have a better border plant than this, for general use, I would like to know what it is. It combines stateliness of growth, beauty of color and form, profusion of bloom, and ease of culture to an extent seldom found in one plant. For large groups in prominent places, for back grounds, and for combination with other plants of large growth, whose colors require something in the way of contrast, it is unexcelled. A group of the lemon-yellow varieties and the blue Delphiniums produces a most striking effect. In the newer strains we have scarlet, maroon, pure white, rose, yellow, purple and almost black flowers, as double as Cabbage Roses, with a delicacy of texture quite unknown among the old single varieties. The newer kinds are not such tall growers as the old ones, but reach a height of four to five feet. A row of them, planted in the background of lower-growing plants, is always sure to be admired. Be sure- be very sure-to have at least a dozen or more plants of the Hollyhock. The more the better, if you have room for them.

Perennial Pea. This plant has large clusters of rose

colored flowers, of the true Pea-shape; a climber; it dies to the ground each season, but starts early in spring and makes a strong growth; very useful where a climbing plant is required.

Phlox. The perennial Phloxes are almost equal to the Hollyhock for producing a grand show of color and massive effect; colors crimson, scarlet, rose, purple, violet and pure white; some varieties have stripes and "eyes" of contrasting colors. The spikes of bloom will often be a foot across and two feet in length, with hundreds of flowers on a stalk; magnificient for massing; fine for any place where a flower is needed.

Iris. This is one of the most beautiful plants on the list; its colors are exceedingly rich, but delicate, and the texture of its petals puts you in mind of frost; a stronggrowing plant, very profuse in bloom. Plant some of the pale yellow varieties along side the lovely blue sorts and note what an exquisite effect is secured.

Anemone. This is a late fall-bloomer, therefore very desirable; there are two varieties, and both should be grown: alba, pure white, and rubra, red; very fine.

Dicentra. Sometimes called Bleeding Heart; a charming and graceful plant; it has fine, fern-like foliage above which it throws its long, arching stems laden with pendulous pink and white flowers; very desirable.

Pæony. Old favorities everywhere, because of their great crops of large and beautifully colored flowers. Scatter them about in the border; early bloomers; many varieties are delightfully fragrant.

There are many other most excellent border plants, but I have not space at my disposal in which to name them. Consult the catalogues and you will find out all about them.

CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHTH.

THE TUBEROSE AND GLADIOLUS.

The Tuberose is a lovely fallblooming plant, but it is seldom seen growing in the garden, for the idea prevails that it cannot be grown there successfully, at least by the amateur. This is not true. It can be grown there if given proper culture.

It is a plant which requires a longer season than most other plants of its class. If planted out in June, or at the coming of really warm weather, it

I will not mature

its flowers before late in September, and by that time we are pretty sure to have frosts which will kill it, as it is very tender. The proper thing to do then, to bring it to perfection, is to give it an early start in spring, thus extending the season and giving it all the time it needs.

Get your bulbs as early as possible, and as soon as received plant them in small pots, in a light, sandy compost. Water well at planting, and keep in a warm place till they begin to grow. Then remove to a sunny window, and be careful about giving too much water. In June turn them out of their pots without disturbing the roots, and plant in a rich, light, sandy soil having a warm, sunny exposure. Treated in this manner Tuberoses will come into bloom early in September, if your bulbs are strong and sound. As a bulb blooms but once, be sure that you get good, blooming bulbs. Of course you can't tell about this by the looks of the bulb, but if you buy of a reliable dealer-and you should patronize no other, you can safely trust to his honesty to send you what you want.

Before planting your Tuberoses take a sharp knife and cut off the mass of old, dried roots at the base of the bulb. Cut off close to the solid portions. They will start a great deal sooner if you do this, and be much surer to make fine plants. If this is not done quite often the old roots decay and communicate disease to the bulb. Most persons are familiar with this flower from having seen it in cut-flower work from the florists, who raise it extensively. Its blossoms are thick and waxy in texture, ivory white in color, and exquisitely fragrant. The flowers are double, and are produced in spikes about a foot in length, on stalks about three feet tall. The best variety is the Pearl.

The Gladiolus.

This is the best of all the summer-flowering bulbs, all things considered. It is to the amateur's garden what the Geranium is to his window. It is a flower anybody can grow, and it is lovely enough to satisfy the most exacting. You can have it in the most delicate colors