MAY. 115 



We may take this opportunity of stating, that there are some 

 beautiful high-coloured flowers, of exquisite form as regards the 

 arrangement of the petals, and particularly of their centres, which 

 will be seen next season. Two of them have been submitted to 

 us, and we look for their re-appearance with considerable interest. 

 They are the productions of a most successful seedling-raiser. 



FRAGMENTS FOR THE FLORIST. 



A GLIMPSE of spring in mid-winter is most agreeable. There are 

 two pretty shrubs which give us this, putting forth their tiny green 

 leaves in mild weather soon after Christmas : these are, Ribes speci- 

 osum and Ribes iVIenziesii ; their bright red Fuchsia-like flowers do 

 not make their appearance till AJay. 



Evergreen rock-plants have not, I think, ever been noticed. We 

 have really almost too many new pi mts ; for we are apt to forget, in 

 the charm of novelt}'', many old friends more worthy of our favour. 

 These evergreen rock-plants, if planted in a shady border, or on 

 a small mound of light sandy loam, well furnished with stones or 

 pieces of rock, form a pretty lively group all the winter, and in early 

 spring, for the most part, give their flowers in abundance. The 

 genus Saxifrage is most remarkable for the pretty tufted evergreen 

 habits of its species ; such are Saxifraga retusa ; oppositifolia, with 

 its two variations, pallida and alba, — the species has bright purple 

 flowers, the first variety pale pink, the second pure white ; mus- 

 coides, atropurpurea, Isevis, hypnoides, platypetala, hirta, Sternbergii, 

 lanceolata, ceratophylla, crustata, crustata hybrida, rosularis, and 

 lingulata : all these species of Saxifrage are very pretty and very 

 cheap. 



Sedum dasyphyllum, S. stellatum, and S. sexangulare, are also 

 pretty evergreens ; to which may be added Campanula nitida, Carda- 

 mine trifoliata and hastulata, Schivereckia podolica, and Aubrietia 

 purpurea. There are doubtless many other equally desirable ever- 

 green rock-plants; but the above have attracted my attention, as this 

 notice of them may probably that of your correspondents ; so that 

 they may not, in the crowd of novelties, be quite forgotten. 



A pleasing and interesting winter-tree is the Glastonbury Thorn, 

 Crataegus oxyacantha prsecox. Its imputed holy origin is well known. 

 It was, however, well chosen ; for it is often, in mild winters, in full 

 bud at Christmas, occasionally some of its blossoms even expanded. 

 It puts forth its leaves very early in spring, sometimes even towards 

 the end of .January. 



All lovers of spring-flowers — and who is not ? — ought to culti- 

 vate the early blooming species of Scilla ; but, indeed, they require 

 no cultivation ; for if a few bulbs are planted in a group, — which 

 should have a permanent name, otherwise the bulbs may be dug up, 



