1879.] CHOICE HARDY SPRING FLOWERS. 215 



this generation. The doable blue occasionally throws up a few dirty- 

 white flowers in autumn, which, so far as I can trace, appears to be the 

 only ground that can be given for the alleged existence of the variety, 

 in recent times at least. H. angulosa is a very fine and distinct 

 species, differing from the triloba varieties in having larger flowers and 

 foliage. 



Sanguinaria canadensis. — A very pretty and interesting plant, alike 

 in flowers and leaves. The flowers, like those of nearly every member 

 of the natural order to which it belongs (Pa]?averacece), are fugaceous. 

 They are white, with a tint of pink suffusing the petals. The plant 

 likes a moderately shady position, but otherwise is most easily accom- 

 modated both as regards soil and situation, adapting itself well to 

 almost every variety of soil. The flowers appear in March and April. 



Alyssum saxatile. — A most beautiful and profuse-blooming plant, 

 with persistent, somewhat hoary leaves and close decumbent habit, 

 clothing itself with numerous clusters of small but innumerable bright 

 golden-yellow flowers in April and the two succeeding months. There 

 are several varieties, the best being either A. s. compactum or A. s. gem- 

 onense. The former is the best adapted for the purposes of spring 

 bedding. 



Arabis albida and A. alpina are very profuse and showy white- 

 flowering Rock Cresses, flowering in April, or earlier, according to the 

 nature of the weather. They are closely matted in growth, and the 

 flower-stems rarely exceed in the largest — which is the first named — 

 more than 9 inches in height. They are plants requiring the simplest 

 attentions in the matter of cultivation ; but one point requisite to their 

 being grown to perfection is, that they should be renewed annually, 

 either by cuttings or division. When left to grow at will year after 

 year, they become weak and patchy. 



Aubrietia. — Of this there are a good many varieties, differing more 

 or less in the size of the flowers, but all beautiful and very profuse- 

 flowering plants. Purple is the universal colour, in one shade or 

 another. They are excellent town-garden plants, and are among the 

 very best for spring-bedding, being very hardy, and yielding a long 

 succession of flowers during the months of March, April, and May. 



Cheiranthus alpinus and C. Marshallii are the gems of this family, 

 as regards their beauty and neatness of habit. The latter is the 

 strongest flower of the two, rising to the height of about 9 inches ; 

 while the former, a little less in height, is also less effective and warm 

 in colour, being pale yellow — the latter golden or orange yellow. 



Iberis. — There are five or six species of this genus well worth grow- 

 ing where spring flowers are in demand. They are not the earliest to 

 flower, yet some of them open their flowers in April, and continue to 

 display them for a couple of months. The best are /. corifolia, a very 

 dwarf and compact one, growing about 6 inches high; /. Garrexiana, 

 about 9 inches high ; and /. gibraltarica, about the same height as the 



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