PLANTING AND TRANSPLANTING : Page 100

ennials should never be transplanted when the ground is frozen, evenslightly. Do not move perennials when it is impossible to providethe plants with rich topsoil in which to continue growth. Perennialsmay be "heeled-in" in the same way as other plants, with one differ-ence. Perennials must be removed from the bundles in which they areshipped and each plant "heeled-in" separately. Unless this is done theplants are apt to mildew or rot. Perennials "heeled-in" during warmweather should be covered with a light litter of straw for further pro-tection against drying out. When transplanting perennials, es-pecially those which have been growing for two or more years, it isquite necessary to "divide" them. This operation of dividing plantsis explained in the chapter on "Maintenance—Perennials" (Page88). Dividing should be done whenever the plants become too thick.The reason why many perennials purchased from nurseries do not dowell during the first year is because the plants which are sold by thenursery are often the result of too frequent subdividing of the parentplants and the young plants are not given sufficient time to establishthemselves before being sold to the prospective purchasers. Theresult is that those who purchase these plants must wait at least duringone growing season before the perennials will develop normal flowergrowth. No one who is developing for the first time a perennial flowergarden should expect a normal development of good flowers fromperennials supplied by the average nursery. Such persons should beprepared to wait until the second growing season before expecting anormal flower effect.