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Perrenial PDFs FCID.indd 68 11/28/12 4:43 PM Once a mainstay of gardc"ns In our area, perennials are enjoying a renewed popularity that seems sufficient to re-establish them as important sourceS of color and seasonal intt'rest for IOday's gardeners. Growm£ conditions in Texas and the Gulf South arc significantly ddlerent from other areLS of the nation to require different plantS and cultural practices. Our ancestors grew man}' perennials in rheir gardr.:ns and some of these may st ill be found in old garde'ns, (('meteries and lIb,mdol\c·d homesites in our region. Many of these classic garden subjects lite enjoying renelwd popuhLrity as roday's gardeners seek rhe heSt adapted species for their landscapes. The following di(tionary of perennials incluck's 1I large number of the oldest and newest species thlLt lice useful as garden crnamentals JIl our area. Pt"cenlllllls may be defined as planrs ThaT persist from the same root plitt from yellt to yellt. f\bny of thest· phmts will also set seed and sometimes propagate Themselves in that manner, liS wdl as from divisions and cutTings. \Xlhile this bonus is welcome, many of these volunteer seedlings will not "come True they may differ considewbly from the part ·nt plant. This is particularly true 1Il the case of modern hybrid plants. Though the ;Lvadability of perennials is improving, sadly this docs not apply to many of the fine old plantS of yesterdllY. For these standbys, the gllTdmt'r often searchc'S catlilogs lind gllrden centers in vain. As word of the usefulness and beauty of these plants spreads, no doubt they will become more widdy available. Fortunatdy, propagaring perennials is easy, and sharing plants with family and friends is a tradition among good gardeners. The source list found ar the end of this book should also help you to locate hard-to-find plants. Ofren, Ihe plant societies included in this list are (he best g uides in this kmd of search. A list of perennial flowers could easily number in tht, thousands, for the possibilities ;Lrt' nearly endless. It is the ;Iuthor's objective, however, to lunlt his selections to a manageable number by ilKludlng only those dependable plantS that wdl bring success to the home or professional garclenn. HOW THE PLANTS ARE ARRANGED Within this din iOllflrY, the major plants arc listed by scientific genus and arranged alphabericall}'. Common names and the family namt- follow. The major rtfert'IKe used for nomenclarure of the plants is HorlflS Third, publislwd by ~bcmil1an Publishint; Company in Nt,w York. Under each major listint;, the species and cultivars arc Perrenial PDFs FCID.indd 69 11/28/12 4:43 PM PERENNilll.s PAST AND PRESENT 59 DDDDDDD ~ • -• , • • • • • • • • • • • 1 I' - 3' Spring O() Shastas are perennials that may be easily grown in our area, but satisfaction and success depends on a careful selection ofvarieties. Cultivars that bloom as early as possible and are compaCt in growth habit are preferred because Shastas suffer during periods of heat and drought and sprawl in our warm, humid spring weather. A compan Shasta that I collected from an old garden blooms in College Station by April 1, and lasts until early to midJ une. It is fairly similar to 'Little Miss Muffet,' which is commonly available from the seed catalogs, My experiences with the very large and double flowering forms, on the other hand, have not been successful. Shastas like a deep, rich soil and fairly moist conditions . Even with supplemental irrigation, I sometimes lose plants during rhe heat and humidity ofAugust and Scptember. The first rains offall give them new life and ShuulS are among (he best perennial cut flowers. Perrenial PDFs FCID.indd 93 11/28/12 4:44 PM no amount ofcold seems to cause them to suffer. It is best to divide Shastas every fal l, sometime between the first of September and mid-December. Single divisions placed one foot apart at this time make a solid mass by spring. If planted later in the season, the divisions will take root and grow, but they will nOt produce the same ChrysanlhtmNm x Jllptrhllm- Shasta Daisy PERENNIALS PAST AND PRESENT 8 3 quantity of flowers. As soon as the blossoms begin to fade, the flower stems should be cut as close to the foliage mounds as possible. Shastas are among the beSt perennial cut flowers. They produce so many flowers that cutting some for the house detracts litrle from...

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