THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 229 



Creme et Violet. — A very compact growing small leaved plant, 

 flowering late, the flower pale pink shading into purplish rose; the 

 distinctly projecting stamens violet. An extremely pretty variety. 



Impebialis. — A bold habited, robust plant, with glossy dark 

 green leaves, borne on short purplish foot-stalks. The spikes are 

 large, bright rose red, with conspicuous white stamens. A really 

 grand variety flowering late. 



Rosea alba. — Robust and bushy, leafage light green, the flowers 

 lively colour with conspicuous white stamens. 



Celestial the neatest and nicest grower in the collection, the 

 leaves being small and closely set and of a grass green colour. I 

 have not been pleased with its flowers, which are produced in 

 smallish spikes of a sky blue with white centres. Probably it would 

 make a fine bed, in a sheltered or seaside garden. 



Blue Gem appears to me to be better adapted for market 

 growers than for private gardens. It is quite a miniature with 

 wiry habit, small leaves, and pretty smallish spikes of light blue 

 flowers, A great lot of it has a pleasing and very distinct appear- 

 ance, but a single plant looks like nothing at all. 



I have, in addition to the foregoing, Gloire de Lyon, wiry habit, 

 small leaved, flowers blue and white ; Aspasia, carmine rose ; Belle 

 violette, violet and white ; Miniature, reddish violet. 



AVould not these plants prove invaluable in London walled 

 gardens, where frost would rarely hurt them, and they would mix 

 with chrysanthemums admirably ? 



MIGNONETTE FOR WINTER. 



BY W. cole, 

 Head Gardener, Ealing Park. 



[HIS annual, for so we are bound to regard it, is held in 

 high estimation by all classes, and its cultivation for 

 summer decoration is well understood, and it would be 

 superfluous to allude to it ; but it is not quite so easy 

 to insure a supply during the winter, and I hope to 

 give a few hints upon the subject that may prove useful. 



The grand point is to commence early enough, for if the proper 

 season for sowing the seed is missed, the results will not be so satis- 

 factory as could be wished. After many years' practice, I have 

 found the first fortnight in August to be the most suitable. _A 

 simple course of procedure should be adopted by amateurs, and, in- 

 stead of attempting to grow standard and pyramidal specimens, it 

 will be better to be content with neat bushes such as I shall advise. 

 To produce specimens of large size, a considerable degree of skill, 

 much hard work, and plenty of space are requisite. As the migno- 

 nette does not transplant well, it should be sown in six-inch pots, 

 and the plants thinned out as soon as they are large enough to be 

 taken hold of with the thumb and finger. Prepare the pots by 

 placing a layer of rather small crocks in the bottom j then cover 



August, 



