Chapter VI: Part II: The Practice of Horticulture (4)

For the growth of flowers generally, and for that of all fruits, every ray of light to be obtained in the dull winter season is required, and therefore every possible care should be taken to keep the glass clean. A moist genial atmosphere too is essential, a point requiring unremitting attention on account of the necessity of keeping up strong fires. With moisture as with heat, the cultivator must hold his hand somewhat in very severe or very dull weather; but while heat must not drop so as to chill the progressing vegetation, so neither must the lack of moisture parch the plants so as to check their growth.

There are some few subjects which when forced do not require a light house. Thus amongst flowers the white blossoms of the lilac, so much prized during winter, are produced by forcing purple-flowered plants in darkness. Rhubarb and sea-kale among esculents both need to be forced in darkness to keep them crisp and tender, and mushrooms also are always grown in dark structures. In fact, a roomy mushroom house is one of the most convenient of all places for forcing the vegetables just referred to. The lilac would be better placed in a dark shed heated to about 70 deg. or 80 deg., in which some dung and leaves could be allowed to lie and ferment, giving off both a genial heat and moisture.

One of the most important preliminaries to successful forcing is the securing to the plants a previous state of rest. The thorough ripening of the preceding season's wood in fruit trees and flowering plants, and of the crown in perennial herbs like strawberries, and the cessation of all active growth before the time they are to start into a new growth, are of paramount importance. The ripening process must be brought about by free exposure to light, and by the application of a little extra heat with dryness, if the season should be unfavourable; and both roots and tops must submit to a limitation of their water supply. When the ripening is perfected, the resting process must be aided by keeping the temperature in which they await the forcing process as low as each particular subject can bear. (See _Retardation_ above.)

V. _Flowers._

_Flower Garden and Pleasure Grounds._--Wherever there is a flower garden of considerable magnitude, and in a separate situation, it should be constructed on principles of its own. The great object must be to exhibit to advantage the graceful forms and glorious hues of flowering plants and shrubs. Two varieties of flower gardens have chiefly prevailed in Britain. In one the ground is turf, out of which flower-beds, of varied patterns, are cut; in the other the flower-beds are separated by gravel walks, without the introduction of grass. When the flower garden is to be seen from the windows, or any other elevated point of view, the former is to be preferred; but where the surface is irregular, and the situation more remote, and especially where the beauty of flowers is mainly looked to, the choice should probably fall on the latter.

The flower garden may include several different compartments. Thus, for example, there is the "Rock Garden," which should consist of variously grouped masses of large stones, those which are remarkable for being figured by water-wearing, or containing petrifactions or impressions, or showing something of natural stratification, being generally preferred. In the cavities between the stones, filled with earth, alpine or trailing plants are inserted, and also some of the choicest flowers. In proper situations, a small pool of water may be introduced for the culture of aquatic plants. In these days the rock-garden is a most important feature, and it requires a good deal of care and skill to arrange the boulders, walks, pools or streams in natural and artistic fashion. The selection of suitable alpines, perennials and shrubs and trees also necessitates considerable knowledge on the part of the gardener. A separate compartment laid out on some regular plan is often set apart for roses, under the name of the "Rosery." A moist or rather a shady border, or a section of the pleasure ground supplied with bog earth, may be devoted to what is called the "American Garden," which, as it includes the gorgeous rhododendrons and azaleas, forms one of the grandest features of the establishment during the early summer, while if properly selected the plants are effective as a garden of evergreens at all seasons. The number of variegated and various-coloured hardy shrubs is now so great that a most pleasant plot for a "Winter Garden" may be arrayed with plants of this class, with which may be associated hardy subjects which flower during that season or very early spring, as the Christmas rose, and amongst bulbs the crocus and snowdrop. Later the spring garden department is a scene of great attraction; and some of the gardens of this character, as those of Cliveden and Belvoir, are among the most fascinating examples of horticultural art. The old-fashioned stereotyped flower garden that one met with almost everywhere is rapidly becoming a thing of the past, and grounds are now laid out more in accordance with their natural disposition, their climatic conditions and their suitability for certain kinds of plants. Besides the features already mentioned there are now bamboo gardens, Japanese gardens, water gardens and wall gardens, each placed in the most suitable position and displaying its own special features.

_Lawns._--In the formation of lawns the ground must be regularly broken up so that it may settle down evenly, any deep excavations that may have to be filled in being very carefully rammed down to prevent subsequent settlement. The ground must also be thoroughly cleared of the roots of all coarse, perennial weeds, and be worked to a fine tilth ready for turfing or sowing. The more expeditious method is of course to lay down turf, which should be free from weeds, and is cut usually in strips of 1 ft. wide, 3 ft. long, and about 1 in. in thickness. This must be laid very evenly and compactly, and should then be beaten down firmly with the implement called a turf-beater (fig. 47). When there is a large space to cover, it is much the cheaper plan to sow the lawn with grass-seeds, and equally effective, though the sward takes much longer to thicken. It is of the utmost importance that a good selection of grasses be made, and that pure seeds should be obtained (see GRASS AND GRASSLAND). The following sorts can be recommended, the quantities given being those for sowing an acre of ground:--

_Cynosurus cristatus_--Crested Dog's-tail 6 lb.
_Festuca duriuscula_--Hard Fescue 3 lb.
_Festuca ovina_--Sheep's Fescue 3 lb.
_Lolium perenne tenue_ 18 lb.
_Poa nemoralis sempervirens_--Evergreen Meadow-grass 3 lb.
_Poa trivialis_--Trivial Meadow-grass 3 lb.
_Trisetum flavescens_--Yellow Oat-grass 2 lb.
_Trifolium repens_--Dutch Clover 6 lb.

The seeds should be thoroughly mixed, and very evenly sown, after which the surface should be raked over to bury them, and then rolled down while dry so as to finish it off smooth and level. When thus sown, lawns require to be promptly weeded. During the growing season established lawns should be mown at least once a week. They should be occasionally rolled, and towards autumn they require frequent sweepings to remove worm-casts.

HARDY ANNUALS.--Annual plants are those which grow up from seed,
flower, ripen seed, and die in the course of one season--one year.
They are useful in the mixed garden, for though in some cases they are
of short duration, many of them are possessed of much beauty of hue
and elegance of form. Annuals may be divided into three classes: the
_hardy_, which are sown at once in the ground they are to occupy; the
_half-hardy_, which succeed best when aided at first by a slight hot
bed, and then transplanted into the open air; and the _tender_, which
are kept in pots, and treated as greenhouse or stove plants, to which
departments they properly belong. Some of the more popular annuals,
hardy and half-hardy, have been very much varied as regards habit and
the colour of the flowers, and purchases may be made in the seed shops
of such things as China asters, stocks, Chinese and Indian pinks,
larkspurs, phloxes and others, amongst which some of the most
beautiful of the summer flowers may be found.

The hardy annuals may be sown in the open ground during the latter
part of March or beginning of April, as the season may determine, for
the weather should be dry and open, and the soil in a free-working
condition before sowing is attempted. In favourable situations and
seasons some of the very hardiest, as _Silene pendula_, Saponaria,
Nemophila, Gilia, &c., may be sown in September or October, and
transplanted to the beds or borders for very early spring flowering.
Those sown in spring begin to flower about June. The plants, if left
to flower where they are sown, should be thinned out while young, to
give them space for proper development. It is from having ample room
that pricked out transplanted seedlings often make the finest plants.
The soil should be rich and light.

The half-hardy series are best sown in pots or pans under glass in
mild heat, in order to accelerate germination. Those of them which are
in danger of becoming leggy should be speedily removed to a cooler
frame and placed near the glass, the young plants being pricked off
into fresh soil, in other pots or pans or boxes, as may seem best in
each case. All the plants must be hardened off gradually during the
month of April, and may generally be planted out some time in May,
earlier or later according to the season.

The class of tender annuals, being chiefly grown for greenhouse
decoration, should be treated much the same as soft-wooded plants,
being sown in spring, and grown on rapidly in brisk heat, near the
glass, and finally hardened off to stand in the greenhouse when in
flower.

We add a select list of some of the more distinct annuals desirable
for general cultivation as decorative plants for the open air:--

_Acroclinium roseum_: half-hardy, 1 ft., rose-pink or white;
everlasting.

_Agrostis pulchella_: hardy, 6 in.; a most graceful grass for
bouquets.

_Amberboa moschata atropurpurea_ (Sweet Sultan): hardy, 1(1/2) ft.,
purple: musk-scented.

_Antirrhinum majus_ (Snapdragon): hardy, 6 in. to 2 ft., white, yellow
and red. This plant is perennial, but is best treated as an annual.

_Arnebia cornuta_: hardy, 1(1/2) to 2 ft. yellow.

_Bartonia aurea_: hardy, 2 ft., golden yellow; showy and free.

_Brachycome iberidifolia_: half-hardy, 1 ft., blue or white with dark
disk.

_Calendula officinalis Meteor_: hardy, 1 ft., orange striped with
yellow.

_Calliopsis_ or _Coreopsis bicolor (tinctoria)_: hardy, 2 to 3 ft.,
yellow and chestnut-brown.

_Calliopsis_ or _Coreopsis Drummondii_: hardy, 1 to 2 ft., golden
yellow with red disk.

_Callistephus hortensis_ or _chinensis_ (the China aster): half-hardy,
6 in. to 1(1/2) ft.; there arc several groups of various colours. The
species itself is a very handsome plant.

_Campanula Loreyi_: hardy, 1(1/2) ft., purplish-lilac or white.

_Campanula macrostyla_: hardy, 1 to 2 ft., purple, beautifully veined.

_Carnations_, _Marguerite_: half-hardy, 9 to 12 in., colours various.

_Centaurea Cyanus_: hardy, 3 ft., blue, purple, pink or white; showy.

_Centranthus macrosiphon_: hardy, 1(1/2) to 2 ft., rosy-carmine.

_Centranthus ruber_ (known as Pretty Betsy and Red Valerian): hardy, 2
to 3 ft., red.

_Chrysanthemum carinatum_: a charming half-hardy annual, 2 to 3 ft.
high, with several varieties, of which C. Burridgeanum with zones of
white, crimson and yellow is best.

_C. coronarium_, a yellow-flowered species requires similar treatment.

_Clarkia pulchella_: hardy, 1(1/2) ft., rosy-purple; some varieties
very handsome.

_Collinsia bicolor_: hardy, 1(1/2) ft., white and purple; pretty.

_Collinsia verna_: hardy, 1 ft., white and azure; sow as soon as ripe.

_Convolvulus tricolor atroviolacea_: hardy, 1 ft., white, blue and
yellow. This is the _Convolvulus minor_ of gardens.

_Cosmos bipinnatus_: half-hardy, 3 ft., rose, purple, white; requires
sunny spots.

_Dianthus chinensis_ (Indian pink): half-hardy, 6 in. to 1 ft.,
various shades of red and white.

_Delphinium Ajacis_ and _Delphinium Consolida_ (Larkspurs): hardy, 3
ft., various colours.

_Erysimum Peroffskianum_: hardy, 2 ft., deep orange; in erect racemes.

_Eschscholtzia californica_: hardy, 1(1/2) ft., yellow with saffron
eye.

_Eschscholtzia crocea flore-pleno_: hardy, 1(1/2) ft., orange yellow;
double.

_Eutoca viscida_: hardy, 2 ft., bright blue, with white hairy centre.

_Gaillardia Drummondii (picta)_: half-hardy, 1(1/2) ft., crimson,
yellow margin.

_Gilia achilleaefolia_: hardy, 2 ft., deep blue; in large globose
heads.

_Godetia Lindleyana_: hardy, 2 to 3 ft., rose-purple, with crimson
spots.

_Godetia Whitneyi_: hardy, 1 ft., rosy-red, with crimson spots. The
variety _Lady Albemarle_ is wholly crimson, and very handsome.

_Gypsophila elegans_: hardy, 1(1/2) ft., pale rose; branched very
gracefully.

_Helianthus cucumerifolius_: hardy, 3 to 4 ft., golden yellow, black
disk; branching, free and bold without coarseness.

_Helichrysum bracteatum_: half-hardy, 2 ft., the incurved crimson,
rose and other forms very handsome.

_Hibiscus Trionum (africanus)_: hardy, 1(1/2) ft., cream colour, dark
purple centre.

_Iberis umbellata_ (Candytuft): hardy, 1 ft., white, rose, purple,
crimson. Some new dwarf white and flesh-coloured varieties are very
handsome.

_Kaulfussia amelloides_: hardy, 1 ft., blue or rose; the var.
kermesina is deep crimson.

_Kochia scoparia_ (Belvedere or lawn cypress): hardy, graceful green
foliage, turning purple in autumn.

_Koniga maritima_ (Sweet Alyssum): hardy, 1 ft., white; fragrant,
compact.

_Lathyrus odoratus_ (Sweet Pea): hardy; there are two races, dwarf and
tall, the latter--far and away the most beautiful--requires support;
various colours; numerous immensely popular forms.

_Lavatera trimestris_: hardy, 3 ft., pale-rose, showy malvaceous
flowers.

_Leptosiphon densiflorus_: hardy in light soil, 1 ft., purplish or
rosy-lilac.

_Leptosiphon roseus_: hardy in light soil, 6 in., delicate rose; fine
in masses.

_Linaria bipartita splendida_: hardy, 1 ft., deep purple.

_Linum grandiflorum_: hardy, 1 ft., splendid crimson; var. roseum is
pink.

_Lupinus luteus_: hardy, 2 ft., bright yellow, fragrant.

_Lupinus mutabilis Cruickshanksii_: hardy, 4 ft., blue and yellow;
changeable.

_Lupinus nanus_: hardy, 1 ft., bluish-purple; abundant flowering.

_Lychnis Coeli-rosa_: hardy, 1(1/2) ft., rosy-purple, with pale centre;
pretty.

_Lychnis oculata cardinalis_: hardy, 1(1/2) ft., rosy-crimson; very
brilliant.

_Malcolmia maritima_ (Virginian Stock): hardy, 6 in., lilac, rose or
white.

_Malope trifida_: hardy, 3 ft., rich glossy purplish-crimson; showy.
_M. grandiflora_ is a finer plant in every way.

_Matthiola annua_ (Ten-week Stock and its variety, the intermediate
stock): half-hardy, 1 to 2 ft., white, rose and red.

_Matthiola graeca_ (Wallflower-lvd. Stock): hardy, 1 ft., various as
in Stock.

_Mesembryanthemum tricolor_: half-hardy, 3 in., pink and crimson, with
dark centre.

_Mimulus cupreus_: half-hardy, 6 in., coppery red, varying
considerably.

_Mimulus luteus tigrinus_: half-hardy, 1 ft., yellow spotted with red;
var. _duplex_ has hose-in-hose flowers.

_Mirabilis Jalapa_: half-hardy, 3 ft., various colours; flowers
evening-scented.

_Nemesia floribunda_: hardy, 1 ft., white and yellow; pretty and
compact.

_Nemophila insignis_: hardy, 6 in., azure blue, with white centre.

_Nemophila maculata_: hardy, 6 in., white, with violet spots at the
edge.

_Nicotiana affinis_: half-hardy, 2 to 3 ft., white.

_Nicotiana Sanderae_: half-hardy, 2 to 3 ft., white, crimson, scarlet,
&c.

_Nigella hispanica_: hardy, 1(1/2) ft., pale blue, white or dark
purple.

_Oenothera odorata_: hardy, 2 to 3 ft., yellow; fragrant.

_Omphalodes linifolia_ (Venus's Navelwort): hardy, 1 ft., white.

_Papaver Rhoeas flore-pleno_: hardy, 2 ft., scarlet and other colours;
showy.

_Papaver somniferum flore-pleno_: hardy, 3 ft., white, lilac, rose,
&c.; petals sometimes fringed.

_Petunia violacea hybrida_: half-hardy, 1(1/2) ft., various colours;
sow in heat.

_Pharbitis hispida_: hardy, 6 ft., various; the many-coloured twining
_Convolvulus major_.

_Phlox Drummondii_: half-hardy, 1 ft., various colours.

_Platystemon californicus_: hardy, 1 ft., sulphur yellow; neat and
distinct.

_Portulaca splendens_: half-hardy, 6 in., crimson, rose, yellow,
white, &c., single and double; splendid prostrate plants for sunny
rockwork.

_Pyrethrum Parthenium aureum_: half-hardy, 1 ft.; grown for its golden
foliage, and much used for bedding.

_Reseda odorata_ (Mignonette): hardy, 1 ft., greenish, but exquisitely
fragrant; there are some choice new sorts.

_Rhodanthe maculata_: half-hardy, 1(1/2) ft., rosy-pink or white;
larger flower-heads than the next.

_Rhodanthe Manglesii_: half-hardy, 1 ft., rosy-pink; a drooping
everlasting.

_Salpiglossis sinuata_: half-hardy, 2 to 3 ft., yellow, purple,
crimson, &c.; much varied and beautifully veined.

_Sanvitalia procumbens flore-pleno_: half-hardy, 6 in., golden yellow;
procumbent.

_Saponaria calabrica_: hardy, 6 to 8 in., bright rose pink or white;
continuous blooming, compact-growing.

_Scabiosa atropurpurea_: hardy, 1 to 2 ft., rose, white, lilac,
crimson, &c.

_Schizanthus pinnatus_: hardy, 1 to 2 ft., purple-lilac, prettily
blotched; curiously lobed flowers.

_Schizopetalon Walkeri_: hardy, 1 ft., white, sweet-scented at night;
curiously fringed petals.

_Senecio elegans_: half-hardy, 1(1/2) ft., white, rose or purple; the
various double forms are showy.

_Silene pendula_: hardy, 1 ft., bright rose pink; very showy in
masses; var. _compacta_ forms close dense tufts.

_Silene Pseudo-Atocion_: hardy, 1 ft., rose pink; free-flowering.

_Specularia Speculum_: hardy, 6 in., reddish-violet; free-flowering.

_Sphenogyne speciosa_: half-hardy, 1 ft., orange-yellow, with black
ring around the disk.

_Statice Bonduelli_ (Sea Lavender): half-hardy, 1(1/2) ft., yellow.

_S. Limonum_: bluish purple.

_S. sinuata_: white, blue, yellow.

_S. Suworowi_: lilac.

_Tagetes signata_: half-hardy, 1(1/2) ft., golden yellow; continuous
blooming, with elegant foliage. The French and African marigolds,
favourites of some, are allied to this.

_Tropaeolum aduncum_ (Canary creeper): half-hardy, 10 ft., yellow,
fringed; an elegant climber.

_Tropaeolum majus_ (the nasturtium of gardens): hardy. There are two
races, dwarf and tall, various shades of red and yellow.

_Waitzia aurea_: half-hardy, 1(1/2) ft., golden yellow; a showy
everlasting.

_Xeranthemum annuum flore-pleno_: hardy, 2 ft., lilac-purple;
floriferous.

_Zinnia elegans_: half-hardy, 1 to 2 ft., various colours.

HARDY BIENNIALS.--Biennials live through one winter period. They
require to be sown in the summer months, about June or July, in order
to get established before winter; they should be pricked out as soon
as large enough, and should have ample space so as to become hardy and
stocky. They should be planted in good soil, but not of too
stimulating a character. Those that are perfectly hardy are best
planted where they are to flower in good time during autumn. This
transplanting acts as a kind of check, which is rather beneficial than
otherwise. Of those that are liable to suffer injury in winter, as the
Brompton and Queen Stocks, a portion should be potted and wintered in
cold frames ventilated as freely as the weather will permit.

The number of biennials is not large, but a few very desirable garden
plants, such as the following, occur amongst them:--

_Agrostemma coronaria_ (Rose Campion): hardy, 1(1/2) ft., bright
rose-purple or rose and white.

_Beta Cicla variegata_: hardy, 2 ft., beautifully coloured leaves and
midribs, crimson, golden, &c.

_Campanula Medium_ (Canterbury Bell): hardy, 2 ft., blue, white, rose,
&c. The double-flowered varieties of various colours are very
handsome.

_Campanula Medium calycanthema_: hardy, 2 ft., blue or white;
hose-in-hose flowered.

_Catananche coerulea_: hardy, 2 to 3 ft., blue or white.

_Celsia cretica_: hardy, 4 to 5 ft., yellow, with two dark spots near
centre; in spikes.

_Cheiranthus Cheiri_ (Wallflower): hardy, 1(1/2) to 2 ft., red,
purple, yellow, &c.; really a perennial but better as a biennial.

_Coreopsis grandiflora_: hardy, 2 to 3 ft., bright yellow; the finest
member of the genus.

_Dianthus barbatus_ (Sweet William): hardy, 1 to 1(1/2) ft., crimson,
purple, white or parti-coloured.

_Dianthus chinensis_ (Indian Pink): half-hardy, 1 ft., various; flower
earlier if treated as biennials; must be protected from frost.

_Digitalis purpurea_ (Foxglove): hardy, 3 to 5 ft., rosy-purple or
white; beautifully spotted; the variety called _gloxinioides_ has
regular, erect flowers.

_Echium pomponium_: hardy, 4 ft., rosy-pink.

_Hedysarum coronarium_ (French Honeysuckle): hardy, 2 to 3 ft.,
scarlet or white; fragrant.

_Hesperis tristis_ (Night-scented Rocket): hardy, 3 ft., dull
purplish; fragrant at night.

_Lunaria biennis_ (Honesty): hardy, 2 to 3 ft., purple; the silvery
dissepiment attractive among everlastings.

_Matthiola incana_ (two groups, the Brompton and the Queen stocks):
hardy, 2 to 2(1/2) ft., white, red and purple.

_Meconopsis._ Charming members of the poppy family, of which _M.
aculeata_, purple; _M. grandis_, purple; _M. heterophylla_,
coppery-orange; _M. nepalensis_, golden yellow; _M. integrifolia_,
yellow; _M. simplicifolia_, violet purple, are grown with care in
sheltered spots, and in rich, very gritty soil.

_Michauxia campanuloides_, a remarkable bell flower, 3 to 8 ft. high,
white tinged purple. Requires rich loam in warm sheltered spots.

_Oenothera biennis_ and _O. Lamarckiana_ (Evening primrose): hardy, 5
ft., bright yellow; large.

_Scabiosa caucasica_: hardy, 3 ft., blue, white.

_Silene compacta_: half-hardy, 3 to 6 inches, bright pink; clustered
as in S. Armeria.

_Verbascum Blattaria_: hardy, 3 to 4 ft., yellowish, with purple hairs
on the filaments; in tall spikes.

HARDY HERBACEOUS PERENNIALS.--This term includes not only those
fibrous-rooted plants of herbaceous habit which spring up from the
root year after year, but also those old-fashioned subjects known as
florists' flowers, and the hardy bulbs. Some of the most beautiful of
hardy flowering plants belong to this class. When the length of the
flowering season is considered, it will be obvious that it is
impossible to keep up the show of a single border or plot for six
months together, since plants, as they are commonly arranged, come
dropping into and out of flower one after another; and even where a
certain number are in bloom at the same time, they necessarily stand
apart, and so the effects of contrast, which can be perceived only
among adjacent objects, are lost. To obviate this defect, it has been
recommended that ornamental plants should be formed into four or five
separate suites of flowering, to be distributed over the garden. Not
to mention the more vernal flowers, the first might contain the flora
of May; the second that of June; the third that of July; and the
fourth that of August and the following months. These compartments
should be so intermingled that no particular class may be entirely
absent from any one quarter of the garden.

Before beginning to plant, it would be well to construct tables or
lists of the plants, specifying their respective times of flowering,
colours and heights. To diversify properly and mingle well together
the reds, whites, purples, yellows and blues, with all their
intervening shades, requires considerable taste and powers of
combination; and ascertained failures may be rectified at the proper
time the next season. The one great object aimed at should be to
present an agreeable contrast--a floral picture; and, as at particular
seasons a monotony of tint prevails, it is useful at such times to be
in possession of some strong glaring colours. White, for instance,
should be much employed in July, to break the duller blues and purples
which then preponderate. Orange, too, is very effective at this
season. On the other hand, yellows are superabundant in autumn, and
therefore reds and blues should then be sought for. The
flower-gardener should have a small nursery, or reserve garden, for
the propagation of the finer plants, to be transferred into the
borders as often as is required.

As a rule, all the fibrous-rooted herbaceous plants flourish in good
soil which has been fairly enriched with manure, that of a loamy
character being the most suitable. Many of them also grow
satisfactorily in a peaty soil if well worked, especially if they have
a cool moist subsoil. Pentstemons and phloxes, amongst others, succeed
well in soil of this character, but the surface must be well drained;
the former are rather apt to perish in winter in loamy soil, if at all
close and heavy. The herbaceous border should be a distinct
compartment varying from 6 to 10 ft. in width, and perhaps backed up
by evergreens under certain conditions. Such a border will take in
about four lines of plants, the tallest being placed in groups at the
back and in the centre, and the others graduated in height down to the
front. In the front row patches of the white arabis, the yellow
alyssum, white, yellow, blue, or purple violas, and the purple
aubrietia, recurring at intervals of 5 or 6 yards on a border of
considerable length, carry the eye forwards and give a balanced kind
of finish to the whole. The same might be done with dianthuses or the
larger narcissi in the second row, with paeonies, columbines and
phloxes in the third, and with delphiniums, aconitums and some of the
taller yellow composites as helianthus and rudbeckia at the back.
Spring and autumn flowers, as well as those blooming in summer, should
be regularly distributed throughout the border, which will then at no
season be devoid of interest in any part. Many of the little alpines
may be brought into the front line planted between suitable pieces of
stone, or they may be relegated to a particular spot, and placed on an
artificial rockery. Most of the hardy bulbs will do well enough in the
border, care being taken not to disturb them while leafless and
dormant.

Some deep-rooting perennials do not spread much at the surface, and
only require refreshing from time to time by top-dressings. Others, as
the asters, spread rapidly; those possessing this habit should be
taken up every second or third year, and, a nice patch being selected
for replanting from the outer portions, the rest may be either thrown
aside, or reserved for increase; the portion selected for replanting
should be returned to its place, the ground having meanwhile been well
broken up. Some plants are apt to decay at the base, frequently from
exposure caused by the lifting process going on during their growth;
these should be taken up annually in early autumn, the soil refreshed,
and the plants returned to their places, care being taken to plant
them sufficiently deep.

Only a section of some of the best of the decorative hardy perennials
can be noted, before we pass on to those popular subjects of this
class which have been directly influenced by the hybridizer and
improver. Many more might be added to the subjoined list:--

_Acaena._--Neat trailing plants adapted for rockwork, thriving in
sandy soil. _A. microphylla_ and _A. myriophylla_ have pretty spiny
heads of flowers.

_Acantholimon._--Pretty dwarf tufted plants, with needle-shaped
leaves, adapted for rockwork. _A. glumaceum_ and _A. venustum_ bear
bright pink flowers in July and August. Light sandy loam.

_Acanthus._--Bold handsome plants, with stately spikes, 2 to 3 ft.
high, of flowers with spiny bracts. _A. mollis_, _A. latifolius_, and
_A. longifolius_ are broad-leaved sorts; _A. spinosus_ and _A.
spinosissimus_ have narrower spiny toothed leaves.

_Achillea._--Handsome composite plants, the stronger ones of easy
culture in common soil. _A. Eupatorium_ and _filipendula_, 3 to 4 ft.,
have showy yellow corymbose flowers; _A. rosea_, 2 ft., rosy-crimson;
and _A. Ptarmica flore-pleno_, 2 ft., double white flowers. Others
suitable for front lines or rockwork are _A. tomentosa_, 9 in., bright
yellow; _A. aegyptiaca_, 1 ft., silvery leaves and yellow flowers; _A.
umbellata_, 8 in., silvery leaves and white flowers; and _A.
Clavennae_, 6 in., with silvery leaves and pure white flowers.

_Aconitum._--Handsome border plants, the tall stems crowned by racemes
of showy hooded flowers. _A. Camarum_, 3 to 4 ft., has deep purple
flowers in August; _A. sinense_, 1(1/2) to 2 ft., has large dark
purple flowers in September; _A. variegatum_, 3 ft., has the flowers
white edged with blue; _A. autumnale_, 3 ft., has pale blue flowers;
_A. Anthora_, 1 to 2 ft., yellow; and _A. japonicum_, 2(1/2) ft., deep
blue flowers, produced in September and October. _A. Wilsoni_, a new
species from China, 6 ft. high, with bluish-purple flowers.

_Adenophora._--Bell-shaped flowers. _A. stylosa_, 2 ft., pale blue,
elegant; _A. denticulata_, 1(1/2) ft., dark blue; and in _A.
liliifolia_, 1(1/2) ft., pale blue, sweet-scented--all blooming during
summer. Light soil.

_Adonis._--_A. vernalis_, 1 ft., has large bright yellow stellate
flowers in April. Deep light soil. _A. amurensis_ is a fine Chinese
species.

_Ajuga._--Free growing, dwarf and showy. _A. reptans_, 8 in., has
creeping runners, which _A. genevensis_ has not; both bear handsome
spikes of blue labiate flowers. Ordinary soil.

_Allium._--Hardy bulbs of the garlic family, some species of which are
ornamental; the inflorescence is umbellate. In _A. azureum_, 1 to 2
ft., the flowers are deep-blue; in _A. Moly_, 1 ft., golden yellow; in
_A. neapolitanum_, 1(1/2) ft., white, very handsome; in _A.
triquetrum_, 8 in., white with green central stripes; in _A.
pedemontanum_, 9 in., reddish-violet, very beautiful, the umbels
nodding.

_Alstroemeria._--Beautiful plants with fleshy tuberous roots, which
are the better if not often disturbed. _A. aurantiaca_, 2 to 3 ft.,
orange streaked with red, in July and August; _A. chilensis_, 2 to 3
ft., blood-red, streaked with yellow, affording many varieties. Deep
sandy loam or peat. Should be planted at least 6 or 8 in. deep.

_Althaea rosea._--The hollyhock is a noble perennial, 6 to 15 ft.
high, with flowers of every colour except blue. Requires rich loamy
soil and plenty of space.

_Alyssum._--Showy rockwork or front row border plants of easy culture
in any light soil; the plants should be frequently renewed from
cuttings. _A. saxatile_, with greyish leaves, and deep yellow flowers,
produced in April and May, and the dwarfer _A. montanum_ are useful.

_Amaryllis._--Noble half-hardy bulbs, for planting near the front wall
of a hothouse or greenhouse; the soil must be deep, rich and well
drained. _A. Belladonna_, the Belladonna Lily, 3 ft., has large
funnel-shaped flowers in September, of a delicate rose colour. The
variety _A. blanda_ has paler flowers, almost white.

_Anchusa._--Pretty boraginaceous herbs, easily grown. _A. italica_, 3
to 4 ft., has blue star-like flowers. _A. sempervirens_, 1(1/2) ft.,
rich blue, is well suited for rough borders.

_Androsace._--Pretty dwarf rock plants, requiring rather careful
management and a gritty soil. _A. Vitaliana_, yellow; _A. Wulfeniana_,
purplish-crimson; _A. villosa_, white or pale rose; _A. lactea_, white
with yellow eye; _A. lanuginosa_, delicate rose; and _A. Chamaejasme_,
delicate rose, are some of the best.

_Anemone._--The Japanese kinds, _A. japonica_, flowers white and
purple, are very easily grown and are particularly fine in autumn. The
scarlet _A. fulgens_, and _A. coronaria_, the poppy anemone, are
useful for the front, or in nooks in the rockery; while the common
hepatica (_A. hepatica_) with its bright blue flowers should also
have a place.

_Antennaria._--Composite plants, with everlasting flowers. _A.
margaritacea_, 1(1/2) to 2 ft., has white woolly stems and leaves, and
white flower-heads.

_Anthericum._--Charming border flowers. _A. Liliastrum_, St Bruno's
Lily, 1(1/2) ft., bears pretty white sweet-scented flowers in May; _A.
Hookeri (Chrysobactron)_, 2 ft., with long racemes of bright golden
yellow flowers, requires cool peaty soil.

_Aquilegia._--The Columbine family, consisting of beautiful border
flowers in great variety, ranging from 1 to 2 or 3 ft. in height.
Besides the common purple _A. vulgaris_ with its numerous varieties,
double and single, there are of choice sorts _A. alpina_ and _A.
pyrenaica_, blue; _A. glandulosa_, _A. jucunda_, and _A. coerulea_,
blue and white; _A. leptoceras_, blue and yellow; _A. canadensis_, _A.
Skinneri_, and _A. truncata (californica)_, scarlet and yellow; _A.
chrysantha_, yellow; and _A. fragrans_, white or flesh-colour, very
fragrant. Light rich garden soil.

_Arabis._--Dwarf close-growing evergreen cruciferous plants, adapted
for rockwork and the front part of the flower border, and of the
easiest culture. _A. albida_ forms a conspicuous mass of greyish
leaves and white blossoms. There is also a charming double variety.
_A. lucida_, which is also white-flowered, bears its bright green
leaves in rosettes, and has a variety with prettily gold-margined
leaves.

_Arenaria._--Evergreen rock plants of easy culture. _A. graminifolia_,
and _A. laricifolia_ are tufted, with grassy foliage and white
flowers, while A. balearica, a creeping rock plant, has tiny leaves
and solitary white flowers.

_Armeria._--The Thrift or Sea-Pink, of which the common form _A.
maritima_ is sometimes planted as an edging for garden walks; there
are three varieties, the common pale pink, the deep rose, and the
white, the last two being the most desirable. _A. cephalotes_, 1(1/2)
ft., is a larger plant, with tufts of linear lance-shaped leaves, and
abundant globular heads of deep rose flowers, in June and July.

_Asclepias._--_A. tuberosa_ is a handsome fleshy-rooted plant, very
impatient of being disturbed, and preferring good peat soil; it grows
1 to 1(1/2) ft. high, and bears corymbs of deep yellow and orange
flowers in September. _A. incarnata_, 2 to 4 ft., produces deep rose
sweet-scented flowers towards the end of summer.

_Asperula odorata._--The woodruff, a charming white-flowered plant
with leaves in circles. Well adapted for carpeting the border or
rockery.

_Asphodelus._--Handsome liliaceous plants, with fleshy roots, erect
stems, and showy flowers, thriving in any good garden soil. _A.
albus_, 4 ft., _A. aestivus_, 4 ft., and _A. ramosus_, 4 ft., have all
long tapering keeled leaves, and simple or branched spikes of white
flowers; _A. luteus_, 2 ft., has awl-shaped leaves and dense spikes of
fragrant yellow flowers; _A. capillaris_ is similar to _A. luteus_,
but more slender and elegant.

_Aster._--A very large family of autumn-blooming composites, including
some ornamental species, all of the easiest culture. Of these, _A.
alpinus_, 1 ft., and _A. Amellus_, 1(1/2) ft., with its var.
_bessarabicus_, have broadish blunt leaves, and large starry bluish
flowers; _A. longifolius formosus_, 2 ft., bright rosy lilac; _A.
elegans_, 3 to 5 ft., small pale purple or whitish; _A. laxus_, 2 ft.,
purplish-blue; _A. pendulus_, 2(1/2) ft., white, changing to rose; _A.
pyrenaeus_, 2 to 3 ft., lilac-blue; _A. turbinellus_, 2 to 3 ft.,
mauve-coloured, are showy border plants; and _A. Novae Angliae_, 5 to
6 ft., rosy-violet; _A. cyaneus_, 5 ft., blue-lilac; and _A.
grandiflorus_, 3 ft., violet, are especially useful from their
late-flowering habit.

_Astilbe._--_A. japonica_, 1 to 1(1/2) ft., better known as _Hoteia
japonica_ or _Spiraea japonica_, thrives in peaty or sandy soil; its
glossy tripinnate leaves, and feathery panicles of white flowers early
in summer, are very attractive. It proves to be a fine decorative
pot-plant, and invaluable for forcing during the spring.

_Astragalus._--Showy pea-flowered plants, the smaller species adapted
for rockwork; sandy soil. _A. dasyglottis_, 6 in., has bluish-purple
flowers in August and September; and _A. monspessulanus_, 8 in.,
crimson-purple in July; while _A. hypoglottis_, 6 in., produces in
summer compact heads of pretty flowers, which are either purple or
white. There are many very ornamental kinds.

_Aubrietia._--Beautiful dwarf spring-blooming rock plants, forming
carpety tufts of flowers of simple cruciferous form. _A. delioidea_ is
of a deep lilac-blue; _A. Campbelliae_ is more compact and rather
darker, approaching to purple; _A. grandiflora_ and _graeca_ are
rather larger, but of a lighter hue. Light sandy soil.

_Bambusa._--The bamboo family are elegant arborescent grasses (see
BAMBOO).

_Baptisia._--Stoutish erect-growing, 2 to 3 ft., with smooth foliage
and spikes of pea-like flowers. _B. australis_ is purplish-blue, _B.
alba_, white, _B. exaltata_, deep blue; all flowering in the summer
months.

_Bellis._--_B. perennis flore-pleno_, the Double Daisy, consists of
dwarf showy plants 3 to 4 in. high, flowering freely in spring if
grown in rich light soil, and frequently divided and transplanted. The
white and pink forms, with the white and red quilled, and the
variegated-leaved _aucubaefolia_, are some of the best.

_Bocconia._--Stately poppyworts, 6 to 8 ft. _B. cordata_ has
heart-shaped lobed leaves, and large panicles of small flesh-coloured
flowers. Sometimes called _Macleaya_. Deep sandy loam.

_Brodiaea._--Pretty bulbous plants. _B. grandiflora_, 1 ft., has large
bluish-purple flowers; _B. coccinea_, 2 to 3 ft., has tubular
campanulate nodding flowers of a rich crimson with green tips. Sandy
loam.

_Bulbocodium._--Pretty spring-flowering crocus-like bulbs. _B.
vernum_, 4 to 6 in. high, purplish-lilac, blooms in March. Good garden
soil.

_Buphthalmum._--Robust composite herbs with striking foliage, for the
back of herbaceous or shrubbery borders. _B. cordifolium_, 4 ft., has
large cordate leaves, and heads of rich orange flowers in cymose
panicles in July. Also called _Telekia speciosa_.

_Calandrinia._--Showy dwarf plants for sunny rockwork, in light sandy
soil. _C. umbellata_, 3 to 4 in., much branched, with narrow hairy
leaves, and corymbs of magenta-crimson flowers in the summer months.

_Calochortus._--Beautiful bulbous plants, called mariposa lilies,
requiring warm sheltered spots in rich gritty and well-drained soil.
There are several species known, the best being _albus_, _elegans_,
_luteus_, _Plummerae_, _splendens_, _Purdyi_, _venustus_ and _Weedi_.

_Caltha._--Showy marsh plants, adapted for the margins of lakes,
streamlets or artificial bogs. _C. palustris flore-pleno_, 1 ft., has
double brilliant yellow flowers in May.

_Calystegia._--Twining plants with running perennial roots. _C.
pubescens flore-pleno_, 8 to 10 ft., has showy double-pink
convolvuloid flowers in July; _C. dahurica_ is a handsome
single-flowered summer-blooming kind, with rosy-coloured flowers.

_Camassia esculenta._--A beautiful bulbous plant 2 to 3 ft. high with
large pale blue flowers. Also a white variety.

_Campanula._--Beautiful, as well as varied in habit and character.
They are called bell-flowers. _C. pulla_, 6 in., purplish, nodding, on
slender erect stalks; _C. turbinata_, 9 in., purple, broad-belled; _C.
carpatica_, 1 ft., blue, broad-belled; _C. nobilis_, 1(1/2) ft.,
long-belled, whitish or tinted with chocolate; _C. persicifolia_, 2
ft., a fine border plant, single or double, white or purple, blooming
in July; and _C. pyramidalis_, 6 ft., blue or white, in tall branching
spikes, are good and diverse. There are many other fine sorts.

_Centaurea._--Bold-habited composites of showy character; common soil.
_C. babylonica_, 5 to 7 ft., has winged stems, silvery leaves, and
yellow flower-heads from June to September; _C. montana_, 3 ft., deep
bright blue or white.

_Centranthus._--Showy free-flowering plants, for rockwork, banks, or
stony soil. _C. ruber_, 2 ft., branches and blooms freely all summer,
and varies with rosy, or crimson, or white flowers. It clothes the
chalk cuttings on some English railways with a sheet of colour in the
blooming season.

_Cheiranthus._--Pretty rock plants, for light stony soils. _C.
alpinus_, 6 in., grows in dense tufts, and bears sulphur-yellow
flowers in May. _C. ochroleucus_ is similar in character.

_Chionodoxa._--Charming dwarf hardy bulbous plants of the liliaceous
order, blooming in the early spring in company with _Scilla sibirica_,
and of equally easy cultivation. _C. Luciliae_, 6 in., has star-shaped
flowers of a brilliant blue with a white centre. _C. gigantea_ is the
finest of the few known species. It blooms from February to April.

_Chrysanthemum._--Apart from the florist's varieties of _C. indicum_
there are a few fine natural species. One of the best for the flower
border is _C. maximum_ and its varieties--all with beautiful white
flowers having yellow centres. _C. latifolium_ is also a fine species.

_Colchicum._--Showy autumn-blooming bulbs (corms), with crocus-like
flowers, all rosy-purple or white. _C. speciosum_, _C. autumnale_,
single and double, _C. byzantinum_, and _C. variegatum_ are all worth
growing.

_Convallaria._--_C. majalis_, the lily of the valley, a well-known
sweet-scented favourite spring flower, growing freely in rich garden
soil; its spikes, 6 to 9 in. high, of pretty white fragrant bells, are
produced in May and June. Requires shady places, and plenty of old
manure each autumn.

_Coreopsis._--Effective composite plants, thriving in good garden
soil. _C. auriculata_, 2 to 3 ft., has yellow and brown flowers in
July and August; _C. lanceolata_, 2 to 3 ft., bright yellow, in
August; next to the biennial _C. grandiflora_ it is the best garden
plant.

_Corydalis._--Interesting and elegant plants, mostly tuberous, growing
in good garden soil. _C. bracteata_, 9 in., has sulphur-coloured
flowers in April, and _C. nobilis_, 1 ft., rich yellow, in May; _C.
solida_, with purplish, and _C. tuberosa_, with white flowers, are
pretty spring-flowering plants, 4 to 6 in. high. _C. thalictrifolia_,
1 ft., yellow, May to October.

_Cyclamen._--Charming tuberous-rooted plants of dwarf habit, suitable
for sheltered rockeries, and growing in light gritty soil. _C.
europaeum_, reddish-purple, flowers in summer, and _C. hederae-folium_
in autumn.

_Cypripedium._--Beautiful terrestrial orchids, requiring to be planted
in peat soil, in a cool and rather shady situation. _C. spectabile_,
1(1/2) to 2 ft., white and rose colour, in June, is a lovely species,
as is _C. Calceolus_, 1 ft., yellow and brown, in May; all are full of
interest and beauty.

_Delphinium._--The Larkspur family, tall showy plants, with spikes of
blue flowers in July. Distinct sorts are _D. grandiflorum_ and _D.
grandiflorum flore-pleno_, 2 to 3 ft., of the richest dazzling blue,
flowering on till September; _D. chinense_, 2 ft., blue, and its
double-flowered variety, are good, as is _D. Barlowi_, 3 ft., a
brilliant double blue-purple. _D. nudicaule_, 2 ft., orange-scarlet,
very showy, is best treated as a biennial, its brilliant flowers being
produced freely in the second year from the seed.

_Dianthus._--Chiefly rock plants with handsome and fragrant flowers,
the smaller sorts growing in light sandy soil, and the larger border
plants in rich garden earth. Of the dwarfer sorts for rock gardens,
_D. alpinus_, _D. caesius_, _D. deltoides_, _D. dentosus_, _D.
neglectus_, _D. petraeus_, and _D. glacialis_ are good examples; while
for borders or larger rockwork _D. plumarius_, _D. superbus_, _D.
Fischeri_, _D. cruentus_, and the clove section of _D. Caryophyllus_
are most desirable.

_Dicentra._--Very elegant plants, of easy growth in good soil. _D.
spectabilis_, 2 to 3 ft., has paeony-like foliage, and gracefully
drooping spikes of heart-shaped pink flowers, about May, but it should
have a sheltered place, as it suffers from spring frosts and winds;
_D. formosa_ and _D. eximia_, 1 ft., are also pretty rosy-flowered
species.

_Dictamnus._--_D. Fraxinella_ is a very characteristic and attractive
plant, 2 to 3 ft., with bold pinnate leaves, and tall racemes of
irregular-shaped purple or white flowers. It is everywhere glandular,
and strongly scented.

_Digitalis._--Stately erect-growing plants, with long racemes of
pouch-shaped drooping flowers. The native D. purpurea, or foxglove, 3
to 5 ft., with its dense racemes of purple flowers, spotted inside, is
very showy, but is surpassed by the garden varieties that have been
raised. It is really a biennial, but grows itself so freely as to
become perennial in the garden. An erect flowered form is called
_gloxinioides_. The yellow-flowered _D. lutea_ and _D. grandiflora_
are less showy. Good garden soil, and frequent renewal from seeds.

_Doronicum._--Showy composites of free growth in ordinary soil. _D.
caucasicum_ and _D. austriacum_, 1 to 1(1/2) ft., both yellow-flowered,
bloom in spring and early summer. _D. plantagineum excelsum_, 3 to 5
ft. high, is the best garden plant.

_Draba._--Good rockwork cruciferous plants. _D. alpina_, _D.
aizoides_, _D. ciliaris_, _D. Aizoon_, and _D. cuspidata_ bear yellow
flowers in early spring; _D. cinerea_ and _D. ciliata_ have white
flowers. Gritty well-drained soil.

_Dracocephalum._--Handsome labiate plants, requiring a warm and
well-drained soil. _D. argunense_, 1(1/2) ft., _D. austriacum_, 1 ft.,
_D. grandiflorum_, 1 ft., and _D. Ruyschianum_, 1(1/2) ft., with its
var. japonicum, all produce showy blue flowers during the summer
months.

_Echinacea._--Stout growing showy composites for late summer and
autumn flowering, requiring rich deep soil, and not to be often
disturbed. _E. angustifolia_, 3 to 4 ft., light purplish-rose, and _E.
intermedia_, 3 to 4 ft., reddish-purple, are desirable kinds. _E.
purpurea_ (often called Rudbeckia) is the showiest species. Height 3
to 4 ft., with rosy-purple flowers.

_Eomecon chionanthus._--A lovely poppywort about 1 ft. high, with pure
white flowers 2 to 3 in. across. Root-stocks thick, creeping.

_Epimedium._--Pretty plants, growing about 1 ft. high, with elegant
foliage, and curious flowers. _E. macranthum_, white flowers, and _E.
rubrum_, red, are distinctly spurred; _E. pinnatum_ and _E.
Perralderianum_, yellow, less so. They bloom in spring, and prefer a
shady situation and a peaty soil.

_Eranthis hyemalis._--A charming tuberous rooted plant, called winter
aconite. Flowers bright yellow, January to March, close to the ground.

_Eremurus._--Noble plants with thick rootstocks, large sword-like
leaves, and spikes of flowers from 3 to 10 ft. high. They require warm
sunny spots and rich gritty soil. The best kinds are _robustus_, pink,
6 to 10 ft.; _himalaicus_, 4 to 8 ft., white; _Aitchisoni_, 3 to 5
ft., red; _Bungei_, 2 to 3 ft., yellow; and _aurantiacus_, 2 to 3 ft.,
orange-yellow. There are now several hybrid forms.

_Erigeron._--Composite plants, variable in character. _E. purpureus_,
1(1/2) ft., with pink flower-heads, having narrow twisted ray-florets;
_E. Roylei_, 1 ft., dark blue; and _E. pulchellus_, 1 ft., rich
orange, flowering during the summer, are among the best kinds. Good
ordinary garden soil.

_Erinus._--_E. alpinus_ is a beautiful little alpine for rockwork, 3
to 6 in., of tufted habit, with small-toothed leaves, and heads of
pinkish-purple or, in a variety, white flowers, early in summer. Sandy
well-drained soil.

_Erodium._--Handsome dwarf tufted plants. _E. Manescavi_, 1 to 1(1/2)
ft., has large purplish-red flowers in summer; _E. Reichardi_, a
minute stemless plant, has small heart-shaped leaves in rosette-like
tufts, and white flowers striped with pink, produced successively.
Light soil.

_Eryngium._--Very remarkable plants of the umbelliferous order, mostly
of an attractive character. _E. amethystinum_, 2 ft., has the upper
part of the stem, the bracts, and heads of flowers all of an
amethystine blue. Some of more recent introduction have the aspect of
the pine-apple, such as _E. bromeliaefolium_, _E. pandanifolium_, and
_E. eburneum_. Deep light soil.

_Erythronium._--_E. dens-canis_, the Dog's Tooth Violet, is a pretty
dwarf bulbous plant with spotted leaves, and rosy or white flowers
produced in spring, and having reflexed petals. Mixed peaty and loamy
soil, deep and cool. Several charming American species are now in
cultivation.

_Euphorbia._--Plants whose beauty resides in the bracts or floral
leaves which surround the inconspicuous flowers. _E. aleppica_, 2 ft.,
and _E. Characias_, 2 to 3 ft., with green bracts, are fine plants
for rockwork or sheltered, corners.

_Ferula._--Gigantic umbelliferous plants, with magnificent foliage,
adapted for shrubbery borders or open spots on lawns. They have thick
fleshy roots, deeply penetrating, and therefore requiring deep soil,
which should be of a light or sandy character. _F. communis_, _F.
glauca_, and _F. tingitana_, the last with glossy lozenge-shaped
leaflets, grow 8 to 10 ft. high; _F. Ferulago_, with more finely cut
leaves, grows 5 to 6 ft. high. They flower in early spring, and all
have a fine appearance when in bloom, on account of their large showy
umbels of yellow flowers.

_Fritillaria._--A large genus of liliaceous bulbs, the best known of
which is the crown imperial (_F. imperialis_) and the snake's head
(_F. Meleagris_). There are many charming species grown, such as
_aurea_, _pudica_, _recurva_, _sewerzowi_, _askabadensis_, &c.

_Funkia._--Pretty liliaceous plants, with simple conspicuously
longitudinal-ribbed leaves, the racemose flowers funnel-shaped and
deflexed. _F. Sieboldiana_, 1 ft., has lilac flowers; _F.
grandiflora_, 18 in., is white and fragrant; _F. coerulea_, 18 in., is
violet-blue; _F. albo-marginata_, 15 in., has the leaves edged with
white, and the flowers lilac. Rich garden soil.

_Gaillardia._--Showy composite plants, thriving in good garden soil.
_G. aristata_, 2 ft., has large yellow flower-heads, 2 or 3 in.
across, in summer; _G. Baeselari_ and _G. Loiselii_ have the lower
part of the ray-florets red, the upper part yellow.

_Galanthus._--The Snowdrop. Early spring-flowering amaryllidaceous
bulbs, with pretty drooping flowers, snow-white, having the tips of
the enclosed petals green. The common sort is _G. nivalis_, which
blossoms on the first break of the winter frosts; _G. Imperoti_, _G.
Elwesi_ and _G. plicatus_ have larger flowers.

_Galax aphylla._--A neat little rock plant, 6 to 8 in. high, with
pretty round leaves and white flowers. Requires moist peaty soil.

_Galega officinalis._--A strong-growing leguminous plant, 2 to 5 ft.
high, with pinnate leaves, and masses of pinkish purple pea-like
flowers. Also a white variety. Grows anywhere.

_Galtonia candicans._--~A fine bulbous plant, 3 to 4 ft. high, with
drooping white flowers.

_Gaura._--_G. Lindheimeri_, 3 to 5 ft., is much branched, with elegant
white and red flowers of the onagraceous type, in long slender ramose
spikes during the late summer and autumn months. Light garden soil;
not long-lived.

_Gentiana._--Beautiful tufted erect-stemmed plants preferring a strong
rich loamy soil. _G. acaulis_, known as the Gentianella, forms a close
carpet of shining leaves, and in summer bears large erect tubular deep
blue flowers. _G. Andrewsii_, 1 ft., has, during summer, large deep
blue flowers in clusters, the corollas closed at the mouth; _G.
asclepiadea_, 18 in., purplish-blue, flowers in July.

_Geranium._--Showy border flowers, mostly growing to a height of
1(1/2) or 2 ft., having deeply cut leaves, and abundant saucer-shaped
blossoms of considerable size. _G. ibericum_, _platypetalum_,
_armenum_ and _Endressi_ are desirable purple- and rose-flowered
sorts; _G. sanguineum_, a tufted grower, has the flowers a deep rose
colour; and the double-flowered white and blue forms of _G. pratense_
and _G. sylvaticum_ make pretty summer flowers. Good garden soil.

_Gerbera._--A South African genus of composites requiring very warm
sunny spots and rich gritty soil. _G. Jamesoni_, with large scarlet
marguerite-like flowers, and _G. viridiflora_, with white flowers
tinged with lilac, are best known. Numerous hybrids have been raised,
varying in colour from creamy white to salmon, pink, yellow, red and
orange.

_Geum._--Pretty rosaceous plants. The single and double flowered forms
of _G. chiloense_ and its varieties _grandiflorum_ and _miniatum_, 2
ft., with brilliant scarlet flowers; _G. coccineum_, 6 to 12 in.,
scarlet, and _G. montana_, 9 in., yellow, are among the best sorts.
Good garden soil.

_Gillenia trifoliata_.--A pretty rosaceous plant about 2 ft. high.
Flowers white in graceful panicles; flourishes in a mixture of sandy
peat and loam.

_Gunnera._--Remarkable rhubarb-like plants with huge lobed leaves,
often 6 ft. across. They should be grown near water as they like much
moisture, and a good loamy soil. _G. manicata_ and _G. scabra_ are the
two kinds grown.

_Gynerium._--The Pampas-Grass, a noble species, introduced from Buenos
Aires; it forms huge tussocks, 4 or 5 ft. high, above which towards
autumn rise the bold dense silvery plumes of the inflorescence. It
does best in sheltered nooks.

_Gypsophila._--Interesting caryophyllaceous plants, thriving in dryish
situations. _G. paniculata_, 2 ft., from Siberia, forms a dense
semi-globular mass of small white flowers from July onwards till
autumn, and is very useful for cutting.

_Haberlea rhodopensis._--A pretty rock plant with dense tufts of
leaves and bluish-lilac flowers. It likes fibrous peat in fissures of
the rocks.

_Helenium._--Showy composites of free growth in lightish soil. _H.
autumnale_, 4 ft., bears a profusion of yellow-rayed flower-heads in
August and September.

_Helianthemum._--Dwarf subshrubby plants well suited for rockwork, and
called Sun-Roses from their blossoms resembling small wild roses and
their thriving best in sunny spots. Some of the handsomest are _H.
roseum_, _mutabile_, _cupreum_ and _rhodanthum_, with red flowers;
_H. vulgare flore-pleno_, _grandiflorum_ and _stramineum_, with yellow
flowers; and _H. macranthum_ and _papyraceum_, with the flowers white.

_Helianthus._--The Sunflower genus, of which there are several
ornamental kinds. _H. multiflorus_, 4 ft., and its double-flowered
varieties, bear showy golden yellow flower-heads in profusion, and are
well adapted for shrubbery borders; _H. orgyalis_, 8 ft., has drooping
willow-like leaves. Many other showy species.

_Helichrysum._--Composite plants, with the flower-heads of the
scarious character known as Everlastings. _H. arenarium_, 6 to 8 in.,
is a pretty species, of dwarf spreading habit, with woolly leaves and
corymbs of golden yellow flowers, about July.

_Helleborus._--Charming very early blooming dwarf ranunculaceous
herbs. _H. niger_ or Christmas Rose, the finest variety of which is
called _maximus_, has white showy saucer-shaped flowers; _H.
orientalis_, 1 ft., rose-coloured; _H. atrorubens_, 1 ft.,
purplish-red; and _H. colchicus_, 1 ft., deep purple. Deep rich loam.

_Hemerocallis._--The name of the day lilies of which _H. fulva_, _H.
disticha_, _H. flava_, _H. Dumortieri_ and _H. aurantiaca major_ are
the most showy, all with yellow or orange flowers. They flourish in
any garden soil.

_Hepatica._--Charming little tufted plants requiring good loamy soil,
and sometimes included with Anemone. _H. triloba_, 4 in., has
three-lobed leaves, and a profusion of small white, blue, or pink
single or double flowers, from February onwards; _H. angulosa_, from
Transylvania, 6 to 8 in., is a larger plant, with sky-blue flowers.

_Hesperis._--_H. matronalis_, 1 to 2 ft., is the old garden Rocket, of
which some double forms with white and purplish blossoms are amongst
the choicest of border flowers. They require a rich loamy soil, not
too dry, and should be divided and transplanted into fresh soil
annually or every second year, in the early autumn season.

_Heuchera._--_H. sanguinea_ and its varieties are charming and
brilliant border plants with scarlet flowers in long racemes. Rich and
well-drained soil.

_Hibiscus._--Showy malvaceous plants. _H. Moscheutos_, rose-coloured,
and _H. palustris_, purple, both North American herbs, 3 to 5 ft.
high, are suitable for moist borders or for boggy places near the
margin of lakes.

_Iberis._--The Candytuft, of which several dwarf spreading subshrubby
species are amongst the best of rock plants, clothing the surface with
tufts of green shoots, and flowering in masses during May and June.
The best are _I. saxatilis_, 6 to 10 in.; _I. sempervirens_, 12 to 15
in.; and _I. Pruitii_ (variously called _coriacea_, _carnosa_,
_correaefolia_), 12 in.

_Incarvillea._--_I. Delavayi_ is the best species for the open air. It
grows 2 ft. high and has large tubular rosy carmine blossoms. It likes
rich sandy loam and sunny spots.

_Lathyrus._--Handsome climbing herbs, increased by seeds or division.
_L. grandiflorus_, 3 ft., has large rose-coloured flowers with
purplish-crimson wings, in June; _L. latifolius_, the everlasting pea,
6 ft., has bright rosy flowers in the late summer and autumn; the
vars. _albus_, white, and _superbus_, deep rose, are distinct.
Ordinary garden soil.

_Lavatera._--_L. thuringiaca_, 4 ft., is a fine erect-growing
malvaceous plant, producing rosy-pink blossoms freely, about August
and September. Good garden soil.

_Leucojum._--Snowflake. Pretty early-blooming bulbs, quite hardy. _L.
vernum_, 6 in., blooms shortly after the snowdrop, and should have a
light rich soil and sheltered position; _L. carpaticum_, flowers about
a month later; _L. pulchellum_, 1(1/2) ft., blooms in April and May; and
_L. aestivum_, 2 ft., in May. All have white pendant flowers, tipped
with green.

_Liatris._--Pretty composites with the flower-heads collected into
spikes. _L. pumila_, 1 ft., _L. squarrosa_, 2 to 3 ft., _L. spicata_,
3 to 4 ft., _L. pycnostachya_, 3 to 4 ft., all have rosy-purplish
flowers. Deep, cool, and moist soil.

_Lilium._--See LILY.

_Linaria._--Toadflax. Pretty scrophulariads, of which _L. alpina_, 3
to 6 in., with bluish-violet flowers having a brilliant orange spot,
is suitable for rockwork; _L. dalmatica_, 4 ft., and _L.
genistifolia_, 3 ft., both yellow-flowered, are good border plants;
_L. vulgaris_, the common British toad-flax, and its regular peloriate
form, are very handsome and free flowering during the summer months.