1870.] PLEA FOR HARDY HERBACEOUS PLANTS. 291 



tinus and G. Colvilli ; the double forms of Hesperis matronalis, better 

 known as the double purple and double white Rockets, now 

 masses of bloom ; Iris Germanica, I. Xiphioides, or the English 

 Iris ; and I. Xiphium, or the Spanish Iris, of each of which there are 

 many beautiful varieties, and all easily managed ; the showy Tangier 

 Pea, Lathyrus Tingitanus, and the equally useful L. Lindleyanus ; 

 Liliums of many kinds, all superb border-flowers ; the double scarlet 

 Lychnis Chalcedonica, the flesh-coloured Bastard Balm, Melittis 

 melissophyllum, Merembergia frutescens, growing in a hardy shrublike 

 form ; the yellow GEnothera macrocarpa, and the equally useful white 

 (Enothera taraxicifolia ; the beautiful blue Forget-me-not-like Omphal- 

 odes verna ; Pentstemons in variety, most useful border plants, espe- 

 cially the pretty blue P. Jeffreyanum, and P. (Chelone) barbatum splen- 

 dens ; Potentillas, of which there are many showy kinds ; Prunella 

 grandiflora or Pennsylvania, a very fine species; double Pyrethrums, of 

 which we now have quite a wealth of fine showy varieties that are 

 most valuable border-plants ; Scilla Peruviana and its white variety ; 

 Spireas, japonica, ulmaria florepleno, and umbrosa ; Stachys coccinea, 

 the autumn-flowering Stenactis speciosa ; Tritonia aurea, T. crocata, 

 and T. rosea, beautiful plants that richly deserve more general culture ; 

 Veronica spicata, and its white variety ; the alpine Violas, calcarata 

 and cornuta; V. lutea and its large -flowering varieties; and the fine 

 V. cornuta, var. Perfection, of great size, and of a lustrous bluish mauve 

 colour. The foregoing by no means exhaust the list ; there are hun- 

 dreds of others equally valuable and equally attractive, and as unfail- 

 ing as they are numerous. 



Perennials and biennials afford a greater and more pleasing variety 

 of tints of colour than the lists of ordinary bedding plants; and in the 

 fine hues of blue, so much needed under our present systems of bedding, 

 perennials are singularly rich. As a general rule, they are easily 

 attainable, either by raising plants from seed, or by obtaining plants 

 from a nursery, and when so obtained capable of almost indefinite 

 extension ; they by their beauty, by their pleasant service, and by 

 their unbroken succession of bloom, assert their claim to a higher re- 

 gard than they now receive, though we feel assured such a regard 

 cannot be much longer withheld from them. 



Already nurserymen and others are finding it to be their advantage 

 to work up collections of these hardy plants. They are in demand, 

 one of the best indications of their rising popularity ; and when this 

 popularity shall come — as come it will, — their use will revolutionise our 

 system of bedding out with much positive gain. Moreover, these 

 plants will be found to fit into, and both aid and supplement, what is 

 known as spring gardening, now so much and deservedly followed : 



