THE GROWING OF THE ORNAMENTAL PLANTS
THE CLASSES OF PLANTS, AND
LISTS - Continued
To facilitate making a selection of perennial herbs for bloom, the
plants in the following list are arranged according to their flowering
season, beginning with the earliest. The name of the month indicates
when they usually begin to bloom. It should be understood that the
blooming season of plants is not a fixed period, but varies more or
less with localities and seasons. These dates are applicable to most of
the middle and northern states. Natives to North America are marked with
an asterisk *. This list is by Ernest Walker.
MARCH
Blue Wind-flower, Anemone blanda. 6 in. March-May. Sky-blue, star-like
flowers. Foliage deeply cut. For border and rockwork.
Bloodroot, Sanguinaria Canadensis.* 6 in. March-April. Pure white.
Glaucous foliage. Partial shade. Border or rock-work.
APRIL
Mountain Rock-cress, Arabis albida. 6 in. April-June. Flowers pure
white; close heads in profusion. Fragrant. For dry places and rock-work.
Purple Rock-cress, Aubrietia deltoidea. 6 in. April-June. Small purple
flowers in great profusion.
Daisy, Bellis perennis, 4-6 in. April-July. Flowers white, pink, or
red; single or double. The double varieties are the more desirable.
Cover the plants in winter with leaves. May be raised from seed,
like pansies.
Spring Beauty, Claytonia Virginica.* 6 in. April-May. Clusters of
light pink flowers. Partial shade. From six to a dozen should be
set together.
Shooting Star, Dodecatheon Meadia.* 1 ft. April-May. Reddish purple
flowers, orange-yellow eye, in clusters. Cool, shady location. Plant
several in a place.
Dog's-bane, Doronicum plantagineum varexcelsum. 20 in. April-June.
Large, showy flowers; orange-yellow. Bushy plants.
Liver-leaf, Hepatica acutiloba* and triloba.* 6 in. April-May.
Flowers small but numerous, varying white and pink. Partial shade.
Hardy Candytuft, Iberis sempervirens. 10 in. April-May. Small white
flowers in clusters; profuse. Large, spreading, evergreen tufts.
Alpine Lamp-flower, Lychnis alpina.* 6 in. April-May. Flowers
star-like, in showy heads; pink. For border and rockery.
Early Forget-me-not, Myosotis dissitiflora. 6 in. April-June. Small
clusters of deep sky-blue flowers. Tufted habit.
[Illustration: Fig. 252. The wild Trillium grandiflorum.]
Everblooming F., M. palustris var. semperflorens. 10 in. Light blue;
spreading habit.
Blue-bells, Mertensia Virginica.* 1 ft. April-May. Flowers blue,
changing to pink; pendent; tubular; not showy, but beautiful. Rich
soil. Partial shade.
Tree Peony, Pæonia Moutan. (See May, Pæonia.)
Moss Pink, Phlox subulata.* 6 in. April-June. Numerous deep pink,
small flowers; creeping habit; evergreen. Suitable for dry places as a
covering plant.
Trilliums.* Of several species; always attractive and useful in the
border (Fig. 252). They are common in rich woods and copses. Dig the
tubers in late summer and plant them directly in the border. The large
ones will bloom the following spring. The same may be said of the
erythronium, or dog's-tooth violet or adder's tongue, and of very many
other early wild flowers.
MAY
Ajuga reptans. 6 in. May-June. Spikes of purple flowers. Grows well in
shady places; spreading. A good cover plant.
Madwort, Alyssum saxatile var. compactum. 1 ft. May-June. Flowers
fragrant, in clusters, clear golden-yellow. Foliage silvery.
Well-drained soil. One of the best yellow flowers.
Columbine, Aquilegia glandulosa and others (Fig. 253). 1 ft. May-June.
Deep blue sepals; white petals. Aquilegias are old favorites. (See
June.) The wild A. Canadensis* is desirable.
Lily-of-the-Valley, Convallaria majalis.* 8 in. May-June. Racemes of
small white bells; fragrant. Well known. Partial shade. (See
Chap. VIII.)
Fumitory, Corydalis nobilis. 1 ft. May-June. Large clusters of fine
yellow flowers. Bushy, upright habit. Does well in partial shade.
Bleeding-Heart, Dicentra spectabilis. 2-1/2 ft. May-June. Well known.
Racemes of heart-shaped, deep pink and white flowers. Will bear
partial shade.
Crested Iris, Iris cristata.* 6 in. May-June. Flowers blue, fringed
with yellow. Leaves sword-shaped.
German Iris, I. Germanica. 12-15 in. May-June. Numerous varieties and
colors. Large flowers, 3-4 on a stem. Broad, glaucous,
sword-shaped leaves.
Peony, Pæonia officinalis. 2 ft. May-June. This is the well-known
herbaceous peony. There are numerous varieties and hybrids,
[Illustration: Figure 253. One of the columbines.]
Large flowers, 4-6 in. across. Crimson, white, pink, yellowish, etc.
Suitable for lawn or the border. Fig. 250.
Tree Peony, P. Moutan. 4ft. April-May. Numerous named varieties.
Flowers as above, excepting yellow. Branched, dense, shrubby habit.
Meadow Sage, Salvia pratensis. 2-1/2 ft. May-June, August. Spikes of
deep blue flowers. Branching from the ground.
JUNE
Achillea Ptarmica, fl. pl., var. "The Pearl." 1/2 ft. June-August.
Small double white flowers, in few-flowered clusters. Rich soil.
Wind-flower, Anemone Pennsylvanica.* 18 in. June-September. White
flowers on long stems. Erect habit. Does well in the shade.
St. Bruno's Lily, Paradisea Liliastrum. 18 in. June-July. Bell-like,
white flowers in handsome spikes.
Golden-spurred Columbine, Aquilegia chrysantha.* 3 ft. June-August.
Golden flowers with slender spurs; fragrant.
Rocky Mountain Columbine, A. cœrulea.* 1 ft. June-August. Flowers
with white petals and deep blue sepals, 2-3 in. in diameter.
(See May.)
Woodruff, Asperula odorata. 6 in. June-July. Small white flowers.
Herbage fragrant when wilted. Does well in shade; spreading habit. Used
for flavoring drinks, scenting and protecting garments.
Astilbe Japonica (incorrectly called Spiræa). 2 ft. June-July. Small
white flowers in a feathery inflorescence. Compact habit.
Poppy Mallow, Callirrhoë involucrata.* 10 in. June-October. Large
crimson flowers, with white centers. Trailing habit. For border
and rockery.
Carpathian Harebell, Campanula Carpatica (Fig. 254). 8 in.
June-September. Flowers deep blue. Tufted habit. For border or rockery.
Good for cutting.
C. glomerata var. Dahurica. 2 ft. June-August. Deep purple flowers
in terminal clusters. Branching from the ground. Erect habit.
Canterbury Bell, C. Medium. An old favorite. It is biennial, but
blooms the first season if sown early.
Corydalis lutea. 1 ft. June-September. Flowers yellow, in terminal
clusters. Loose branching habit. Glaucous foliage.
Scotch Pink, Dianthus plumarius. 10 in. June-July. White and
pink-ringed flowers on slender stems. Densely tufted habit.
[Illustration: Fig. 254. Campanula Carpatica.]
Fringed Pink, D. superbus. 18 in. July-August. Fringed flowers. Lilac
tint.
Gas Plant, Dictamnus Fraxinella. 3 ft. June. Flowers purple, showy,
fragrant; in long spikes. Regular habit. Var. alba. White.
Gaillardia aristata.* 2 ft. June-October. Showy orange and maroon
flowers on long stems. Good for cutting. Hybrid gaillardias offer quite
a variety of brilliant colors.
Heuchera sanguinea.* 18 in. June-September. Flowers in open
panicles, scarlet, on clustered stems from a tufted mass of
pretty foliage.
Japan Iris, Iris laevigata (I. Kaempferi). 2-3 ft. June-July. Large
flowers of various colors, in variety. Green, sword-like leaves. Dense
tufted habit. Prefers a moist situation.
Blazing Star, Liatris spicata.* 2 ft. June-August. Spikes of fine,
small purple flowers. Slender foliage. Unbranched, erect stems. Will
grow in the poorest soil.
Iceland Poppy, Papaver nudicaule.* 1 ft. June-October. Bright yellow
flowers. A close, dense habit. Erect, naked stems. The varieties Album,
white, and Miniatum, deep orange, are also desirable.
Oriental Poppy, P. orientale. 2-4 ft. June. Flowers 6-8 in. across;
deep scarlet, with a purple spot at the base of each petal. There are
other varieties of pink, orange, and crimson shades.
Pentstemon barbatus var. Torreyi.* 3-4 ft. June-September. Crimson
flowers in long spikes. Branching from the base. Erect habit.
[Illustration: XII. The back yard, with heavy flower-garden planting.]
Perennial Phlox, Phlox paniculata* and hybrids with P.
maculata.* 2-3 ft. June. A great variety of colors in selfs and
variegated forms. Flowers borne in large, flat panicles. (Figs.
246, 248.)
Rudbeckia maxima* 5-6 ft. August. Large flowers; cone-like center
and long, drooping, yellow petals.
Dropwort, Ulmaria Filipendula. 3 ft. June-July. White flowers in
compact clusters. Tufted foliage, dark green and handsomely cut. Erect
stems. (Often referred to Spiræa.)
Adam's Needle, Yucca filamentosa.* 4-5 ft. June-July. Waxen white,
pendulous, liliaceous flowers in a great thyrsus. Leaves long, narrow,
dark green, with marginal filaments. For the lawn, and for massing in
large grounds.