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SEED CATALOGUE AND GARDEN GUIDE.

[image] ARCTOTIS GRANDIS--THE AFRICAN LILAC DAISY.

FLORAL NOVELTIES.
This year we devote four pages to Flower Seed Novelties. Every item named here is desirable. Most of them are very easily grown and we are sure that they will give satisfaction. Why not beautify your garden this year with some of these floral gems.

ARCTOTIS GRANDIS.
One of the finest floral novelties of the season. It is a remarkably handsome annual which forms much-branched bushes 2 to 3 feet high, the foliage is soft and downy and of a whitish color; its flowers, borne on long stems, rising well above the foliage, are large and showy; the ray florets pure white on the upper surface, embellished with a narrow yellow zone at their base; the reverse of petals pale lilac-blue; the disc is light blue with slightly projecting white stamens; altogether a lovely flower. See colored plate. Pkt. 10c.
ARABIAN RUNNER BEANS.
Undoubtedly most of our customers have seen the scarlet runner bean which makes such a fine climbing plant for covering porches and other places. While traveling in northern Germany the past season we found on the grounds of a prominent grower this new variety which is one of the most beautiful of the class. The vine is a rapid grower, starting quickly from seed and climbing with great rapidity and is soon covered with beautiful flowers, but instead of the flower being scarlet it is pure white, with a most brilliant scarlet center thus making a very showy plant. It blooms freely throughout the season provided the pods are removed to keep it from going to seed. Very large, long pods which are fleshy, tender and of excellent flavor for table use. Earlier bloomer than the Scarlet Runner. Pkt. 5c, 1/4 pt. 20c.
IMPATIENS SULTANI.
Also called Sultan's Balsam. One of the prettiest plants for pot culture and also out door planting in a half-shaded situation; are remarkable for long duration of bloom. This mixture contains many new shades of "cerise," dark violet, pink and carmine-rose. Of easy culture; seed should be started early in the house and transplanted to open ground about the middle of May. They produce a profusion of bright, waxy looking flowers. Pkt. 10c.
PRINCESS HELENE DOLICHOS.
One of the prettiest climbers. Of very rapid growth; it will grow to a height of 15 feet. Flowers are snow white, sweet scented and followed by cream colored pods which hang to the plants until late in the fall. Per pkt. 10c.

AMERICAN BANNER LARKSPUR.
This handsome flower originated on our grounds and was so distinct from all other flowers that it sprang at once into favor. The illustration represents a single stem showing how loaded the plants are with flowers. The name American Banner was given it because it is the only flower we know of that combines the national colors--red, white and blue in each flower. Plants grow to a height of about 2 feet, of good, regular shape, with delicate fern-like foliage, a vigorous grower, and it is not injured by dry weather. The plants are fairly loaded with long spikes of double striped and blotched flowers, having the various shades of pink, carmine, dark blue, purple and white, delicately and beautifully blended, sometimes four or five shades on a single floret. Pkt. 10c.
NICOTIANA SYLVESTRIS.
This is one of the handsomest of ornamental plants. It grows from 4 to 6 feet high, is of beautiful pyramidal form. The foliage is large and handsome. The flowers are pure white, star-shaped and have tubes about 6 inches long; they are produced with the greatest freedom and are sweet scented. Pkt. 10c.
COMMELINA SELLOWIANA.
A lovely perpetual flowering "Wandering Jew," suitable for the garden in summer or for pots all the year. The flowers look like blue butterflies; blooms in a very short time from seed. Pkt. 10c.
CHRISTMAS TREE ASTER.
The plants grow about 15 inches in height, branching out freely and and regularly, not upright like other Asters, but horizontal, thus suggesting the name. Flowers of medium size, perfectly double; 80 to 100 borne on each plant. Mixed colors. Pkt. 10c.

[image]
A. BLANC, PHILA.
AMERICAN BANNER LARSPUR.

GOOD VENTURE GERANIUM.
Yes, you can grow good Geraniums from seed, and as they sport, the gardener is frequently rewarded by charming new varieties, and may obtain a novelty of much value, especially if this new strain of seed is used. When visiting the fields of a geranium specialist in California, we noticed one lot of several hundred plants which were particularly fine. The grower was hybridizing these for seed, and we made arrangements at once for the stock, paying more than a dozen times what ordinarily good seed would cost us. The plants from which seed was saved were the finest varieties from all parts of the world, including some particularly choice novelties as yet unnamed. They are giant flowering, the florets being round and of most perfect form and borne in splendid trusses, some of them forming balls of such immense size that we fear to state size lest our customers will think we are exaggerating. The colors are all shades of crimson, scarlet, salmon, pink, rose, snowy white, and the new aureole types with beautiful veinings, shadings, edgings and clear eyes. If the seed is sown early they will make fine flowering plants the first summer, and the second they show their true quality and greatly superior types. Start seed in the hotbed or shallow boxes of rich soil in a warm, sunny window, covering only one-eighth inch in depth. As soon as large enough, transplant to small pots until the weather is quite warm, when they may be planted in flower bed for summer blooming. Per pkt. 15c.

MEXICAN BURNING BUSH.
This we consider one of the most ornamental border or hedge plants which has ever been brought out and it is sure to attract great attention. It is known botanically as Kochia Scoparia. It grows quickly from seed sown in the open ground. The plants are always of the rounded or globe-like form shown in our illustration. The plants branch freely, and the stems are clothed with slender light-green leaves. Early in the fall the ends of the shoots are thickly set with small bright scarlet flowers, the bushy plants resembling balls of fire. The plants are equally showy planted singly to show the round, ball-like form on all sides or grown in continuous rows. Per pkt. 10c.

[image] MEXICAN BURNING BUSH.

HOLY THISTLE.
A strikingly handsome foliage plant known botanically as Carduus Marianus. They are hardy annuals of robust, vigorous growth. The shining dark green leaves being marked with pure white veins and spots fabled to have been produced by a portion of the milk from the Virgin Mary having fallen on them. Flowers much larger and about the same color as the ordinary Bull Thistle. Per pkt. 10c.
BLUE BELLS.
Who has not heard of the "Bonnie Blue Bells of Scotland," renowned in poetry? Perennial. Pkt. 10c.

[image] GOOD VENTURE GERANIUM.

CAREFULLY READ THE COLORED PAGES OF FLOWER NOVELTIES.