Part 6

An excellent plant in damp soils.

Pæonia--Peony

Every one should have them, including the early-flowering red P. officinalis, and the later ones. Try a few tree peonies--P. Moutan. They are grafted on the ordinary form, so destroy all suckers that come from below the union.

Phlox

The tall-growing hardy phlox should be in all gardens. It is permanent if taken up every three years and divided. Strong "cutting" plants give the finest blooms. Avoid magenta colors. The new salmon-pink Elizabeth Campbell is fine; on light soils, well drained, the creeping forms are desirable.

Pyrethrum

The hybrids of P. roseum have handsome, daisy-like flowers in white and various shades of pink, up to red, in single and semi-double forms, but they seldom live long. A raised bed suits them best. P. uliginosum, the giant white daisy, is fine in damp situations.

Rudbeckia

This genus includes the well-known golden glow and R. nitida var. Autumn Sun, growing five feet high. It bears attractive primrose yellow flowers. The giant purple coneflower, often classed as a rudbeckia, is really an Echinacea, growing three or more feet tall, bearing reddish purple flowers and is very attractive in groups bordering a woods or shrubbery belt, presenting a rustic aspect and remaining a long time in bloom.

Thalictrum--Meadow Rue

The white form of T. aquilegifolium is a very handsome plant, doing fairly well in open shade, flowering in fluffy masses of white.

Veronica--Speedwell

These are all good, but V. longifolia subsessilis is by far the finest of the taller growers, reaching a height of three feet, and bearing long slender spikes of deep blue flowers.

SOME OF THE BEST PLANTS FOR SHADY POSITIONS

Aconitum--Monk's-hood Actæa spicata--Baneberry Amsonia Anemone Pennsylvanica--Wind Flower Convallaria--Lily-of-the-valley Dielytra--Bleeding-heart Ferns Funkia--Plantain Lily Hepaticas--Liver Leaf Thalictrum--Meadow Rue Trillium--Wake Robin Mertensia Virginica--Virginia Blue Bells

FOR DRY SOILS

Asclepias tuberosa--Butterfly Weed Aquilegia Canadensis--Canadian Columbine Aquilegia alpina--Alpine Columbine Gypsophila paniculata--Baby's Breath Gaillardia--Blanket Flower Geranium sanguineum--Cranes-bill Helianthus multiflorus, fl. pl.--Double Mexican Sunflower Inula grandiflora--Flea Bane Inula ensifolia Saxifraga crassifolia Sedums--Stonecrop Tunica saxifraga

FOR WET SOILS

Hibiscus Moscheutos--Swamp Mallow, and all Mallows Iris pseudacorus " Sibirica--Siberian Iris " lævigata--Japanese Iris " prismatica Lilium superbum--Turk's-cap Lily Lobelia cardinalis--Cardinal Flower Monarda--Bergamot--in variety, Rose Lythrum Salicaria--Loose-strife Lysimachia clethroides--Loose-strife Polygonum cuspidatum--Giant Knot-weed Spiræa--dwarf herbaceous form in variety

ALPINES, OR ROCK PLANTS

Achillea tomontosa--Wooly Yarrow Arabis albida--Rock Cress Campanula Carpatica--Carpathian Harebell Coronilla varia--Crown Vetch Geum coccineum--Avens Gypsophila repens--Baby's Breath Inula ensifolia--Flea Bane Phlox amoena, in variety--Creeping Phlox Sedum, in variety--Stonecrop Tunica saxifraga Veronica circæoides--Speedwell Yucca filamentosa--Adam's Needle