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Even though summer is a good month or two away, it is time to give a thought to summer flowers. Two such perennials from the compositae family that not only will grow without fuss for many years but also give a steady supply of cut flowers for your home are achillea and solidago. Achillea filipendulina, also called achillea eupatorium, is a fern leaved, drought resistant plant which will flower reliably in poor soil. A hardy, herbaceous perennial, it will bloom in poor soil when given a sunny, well-drained position. It is usually grown as a ground cover on slopes and its aromatic foliage, which forms a dense, evergreen mat, can be sheared after it has flowered. The golden-yellow flowers bloom in large, flat-topped clusters in the summer when very few perennials are seen flowering in our gardens. With stalks growing up to three to four feet tall, achillea makes very good cut flowers and florists use them for dry arrangements as well. Commonly known as milfoil or yarrow, achillea is mostly grown on rockeries, as borders on slopes or the kitchen garden for its cut flowers. Propagation is done by sowing seeds in spring or more often by division of roots in late autumn or early spring. The young shoots that appear above the ground should be dug out and after the soil has been shaken off, the suckers can be pulled off the main stem. The best-rooted ones are re-planted in lots of three to five, the old, central part being discarded. These grow so vigorously that plants may need division every three to four years to prevent over-crowding. Solidago or golden rod is another perennial flowering herb from the compositae family that is useful for our gardens in summers. Bearing spires of yellow flowers from mid to late summer, it attracts bees and butterflies. It ranges from the dwarf varieties (one foot) to six feet tall ones. However, since only the tall varieties are available in India, these rather coarse plants are grown only in large borders and are not recommended for smaller gardens where space is limited. Solidago thrives equally well in sun or partial shade and should be stalked in the initial stages of growth to prevent it from getting unwieldy. It makes very good cut flowers and even before the flowers turn colour to golden-yellow, florists use them in place of foliage for arrangements or bouquets. Propagation is generally done by division in February and March or by seed.
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