i873] NOTES ON HARDY FLOWERS. 407 



first time to English gardens by Messrs Backhouse of York. It has 

 very large white flowers 2 to 3 inches across the inner petals, having 

 a purple blotch at the base of each. 



G. macrocarpus. — One of the finest of the group, but not, we 

 believe, in cultivation at the present time. It grows to the height of 

 about 18 inches, bearing two large purple flowers on each stem, the 

 petals handsomely bearded at the base. Flowers in August. 



C. imlclieUa, syn. Cydolothera pidcliella. — A golden-yellow sort, 

 growing about a foot high. Several flowers are borne on each stem ; 

 they are pendant, globular in form, and regularly and sharply fringed 

 on the margin. They appear in August. 



C. venustus. — One of the handsomest of the family ; the flowers are 

 very large, 2 to 3 inches across, white shading into yellow and crimson 

 at the base of the petals, which are also bearded near the base. 



Astragalus vaginatus. — This is a beautiful dwarf MWc-Vetdi, with a 

 woody root-stock and short branches also woody. The leaves are long, 

 minutely pinnate. The flowers are in large showy racemes and deep 

 purple. They open in June and July. A very handsome rock-plant, 

 and suitable also for the margins of borders and beds. It thrives in 

 any good garden-soil. Propagate by division (not too minute), by 

 cuttings, and by seed. 



Hibiscus mosclieutos. — This is a Canadian swamp -plant of very 

 showy character. It grows about 3 feet high or more in moist damp 

 loam. The flowers are very large, purplish pink, the petals being 

 blotched with crimson at the base. They do not open till very late, 

 except in the warmest parts or against a wall ; it is not, therefore, 

 adapted for general cultivation outdoors. It may be grown in pots, 

 however, for greenhouse and conservatory decoration, and would be a 

 very handsome addition to late-blooming plants for this purpose, as it 

 would come in with the earlier Chrysanthemums and Camellias, and 

 be a contrast in form and colour to either of them. It should be 

 grown in large pots, plunged in summer out of duors, and will require 

 to be attended to well with water, moving it indoors on the approach 

 of winter. Increase by cuttings and seed. 



Dlanflms hyhridus Maria Pare. — This is a beautiful pure -white 

 mule-pink, which should be in every garden. The flowers are large 

 and very freely produced, and it is invaluable for either border-decor- 

 ation or for cut-flowers. It is a very vigorous grower. 



Giant Ten-iceeks St ode. — This grand strain of Ten-weeks Stock does 

 not appear to be so much appreciated as it deserves to be. When 

 w^ell grown, as every variety of Stock should be to be fully appreciated, 

 this particular kind surpasses far all the other strains of the annual 

 Stock. The colours are bright and telling, and the flowers individually 



