The Golden State: Where & How to Live, Secure, Visit, Enjoy and Thrive in California

Landscape Gardening

Special selections of varieties should be made for wild gardens, rockeries, ponds and other particular pur poses.

Many of the best varieties may be grown readily from seed, but a long list of the very best perennials is carried in stock by hundreds of American nurserymen. They are easy to buy and easy to grow.

It would be entirely impossible, within the limits of this work, to enumerate and describe the most of the good herbaceous perennials. The following list is offered merely as a suggestion to those who are very much unacquainted with such plants. The author has endeavored to select those easiest to grow and of widest usefulness; but as such a selection is a very personal matter anyone else who is acquainted with herbaceous perennials will be likely to choose a somewhat different list.

ACONITUM, Monkshood.—A charming group of plants, though some are poisonous. The best are A. napcllus, A. autumnale and A. uncinatum.

ANCHUSA, a pretty flower of specially clear blue color and therefore desirable for combining with others.

ANEMONE, Wind Flower.—In many species and varieties, all good. Mostly flowering early; usually white, sometimes blue. Among the best are A. sylvestris, A. nemorosa, A. pennsylvanica, A. patens nuttalliana, A. japonica, and many horticultural varieties, both double and single.

AQUILEGIA, Columbine.—One of the most valuable groups of hardy plants. Easy to grow from seed. The best species are A. canadensis, A. civrulea, A. vulgar is and A. chrysantha, though there are many other fine ones.

ASCLEPIAS contains several good plants, of which A. tuberosa is best. It grows in tufts, twelve to eighteen inches high, with large heads of orange blossoms in midsummer.

ASTER.—Several of the asters are hardy perennials, and many are very ornamental.

The following deserve special mention: A. levis, A. nova-anglice, A. novibelgi, A. cordifolius, A. al pi nits, A. cricoides.

BOCCONIA CORDATA, Plume poppy.—A large, strong growing plant, with large leaves. Fine for emphasis at medium distances. Five to eight feet.

BOLTONIA.—These plants much resemble asters. There are two species, B. asteroides with white flowers, and H. latisquama with pink flowers.

CAMPANULA: Bluebel, Harebell.—Easy to grow and always attractive. The genus numbers several fine species, such as C. carpathica, C. media, C. uobilis, C. punctata, C. rolimdifolia, C. ijrandis, etc.

CHRYSANTHEMUM.—This genus contains several hardy species, some oi them known as daisies or marguerites. Probably C. maximum is the best, though others are very good.

COREOPSIS.—Fine, free-flowering plants with large, golden blossoms. C. grandiflora and C. lanceolata are the best of the perennial species. Fine for cut flowers.