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GARDENERS' CHRONICLE 



A. alpiiia, a species with large, white flowers, found 

 on Hmestone soils, and its variety sulfurca with yellow 

 flowers, found on the granitic ranges, are worth trying 

 for. These, like A. vcrnalis, can easily be raised from 

 seed, provided that it is fresh and sown as soon as pos- 

 sible after ripening. 



The Anemone most likely to make an appeal to general 

 plant lovers, as distinguished from those who have been 

 badly bitten by the alpine bug. is A. blanda. This is a 

 species from the Taurus Mountains and Greece, six 

 inches or so high, with flowers similar in general appear- 

 ance, though with no botanical affinity, to those of the 

 Marguerite. The color ranges from white to pink and 

 blue. Its time of blooming does much to commend it, 

 for it is one of the earliest Spring flowers, in favorable 

 seasons opening its blossoms in early March. It has 

 tuberous rootstocks, which we used to be able to import, 

 but now we must rely on the somewhat tedious method 

 of raising it from seeds. 



* :i: * 



When thinking of species of Aqiiilcgia for rock garden 

 planting, the first thing that comes to mind is the glorious 

 Rocky Mountain Columbine, A. ca^nilca. It may be 

 questioned whether this has any right to be considered 

 as a little known rock plant, but we think it has. for the 

 plants commonly grown in gardens as A. ca:rulca. usually 

 have in them a mixture of foreign blood. The true A. 

 civrulca in its best form has numerous flowers of pure 

 white with sepals of pale blue. In raising it from seeds 

 it is better to rely on stock collected in the Rockies rather 

 than to use seeds gathered from garden plants which 

 almost invariably have been cross pollinated with other 

 species. 



The most distinct Columbine is the Japanese A. flabcl- 



lata and its garden form iia)ia-alba. Their peculiarly 



shaped white flowers, glaucous foliage and dwarf habit, 



single them out from the rest of the genus. This species 



does not appear to cross fertilize so readily as the rest 



of the genus and seeds may be usually relied upon to 



come true. 



* * * 



It appears that nobody loves the Sedums, or is able to 

 get enthusiastic about them. It is true, the genus as a 

 whole is awfully homely ; the flower coloring is not bril- 

 liant — the pinks and reds are washy, the whites ding>'. 

 and the yellows usually seem to have a tinge of green 

 in them. The habit of growth is squat, corpulent, and 

 stodgy, but, it is a genus that is useful, a characteristic 

 perhaps of homely things, and is admirable for filling in 

 places in the rock garden where nothing else will grow. 

 And there are a few species that stand out from the 

 common ruck with almost an air of distinction and these, 

 strangely enough, are seldom seen in gardens. There 

 is the annual 5". cccruJciim, with starry, pale blue flowers, 

 useful for filling in patches rendered vacant by the dying 

 down of Spring bulbs, or 5". hispantcuxi, another annual, 

 with attractive blue green, glaucous foliage. The bien- 

 nial S. scnipcn'irioidcs, is unique amongst Sedunis in 

 its habit of growth and in the determined bright scarlet 

 of its flowers. It is well named, and successfully imitates 

 a Sempervivum in its rosetted habit of growth. It may 

 not be able to endure our Winters, but, being a native 

 of Asia Minor and the Caucasus Mountains, it should 

 stand a fair chance of survival if planted in a dry spot. 



=1= :!= * 



The Houseleeks share many of the characteristics of 

 the Sedums. The species that stands out from all the 

 rest is the Cobweb Houseleek, Scmpcrvk'um arachnoi- 

 dcnm. This has the tij)s of its leaves connected with 

 strands of a cob-webby substance which gives it a imique 



appearance. In the center of the rosettes the "cobwebs" 

 form a dense mat which is an efifective waterproof cover- 

 ing. Whether this is of any importance in the plant's 

 economy in preventing the access of water and conse- 

 quent rotting of the heart it is difficult to say. The rest 

 of the Sempervivums get along well enough without it 

 and S. aracliiwidcnin itself dofl^s its overcoat in Winter — 

 the time when one would think it most needful — and 

 carries on as a tight little bundle with leaves closely 

 appressed towards the center of the rosette. When the 

 corpulent flower stems appear in June with their leaves 

 decked with cottony festoons, it is one of the most strik- 

 ing objects in the garden and. when the brick-red flowers 

 develop it is still more attractive. Robinson states that 

 '■.\bout London it sometimes sutifers from sparrows 

 plundering the down" — presumably for house building- 

 purposes. This is an addition to the already long indict- 

 ment of these pesky birds. Up to the present, the Brook- 

 lyn sparrows have not got on to this little dodge and 

 we hope that there will never be another immigrant 

 London sparrow to corrupt their morals in this respect. 



One of the most interesting Houseleeks is 5". soboli- 

 feniiii probably often sold under the name S. globifcnim. 

 This is peculiarly well adapted for travelling. The num- 

 erous offsets are produced well up on the parent rosette 

 and are almost spherical. They sit tight close to their 

 parent until the slender attachment gives way and then 

 they roll off, often to a considerable distance if situated 

 on sloping grotmd, and are ready at once to start a new 

 colony. 



.'\11 of the hardy Sempervivums may be considered as 

 being good rock plants, even the common Houseleek, 

 5". tcctoruin. is distinctive, especially when perched upon 

 a barren rock, apparently disdainful entirely of such 

 questions as soil supplv which bulk so largelv in the 

 requirements of most plants. 



We are unfortunate here in the Xorth to be deprived 

 of the ]ileasure of growing out of doors the dwarf shrubby 

 \'eronicas such as / '. ciiprcssoidcs and V. lycopodioides, 

 which by their cheerful green coloring add so much to 

 the Winter appearance of rock gardens situated where 

 the seasons are less severe. But we can make good use 

 of the herbaceous kinds and there are many that are suit- 

 able for rock garden jDlanting. The creeping habit of 

 ]'. repots makes it valuable for planting in between the 

 rocks of stepping stone walks, for even when in bloom 

 it only attains a height of an inch or two. In early Spring 

 the foliage is almost completely obscured by the pale 

 pink flowers, usually touched with blue. 



.Another prostrate species is / '. pcctiiiata which is a 

 larger growing plant but of a less vigorous constitution. 

 It has grayish leaves, and dark blue flowers with white 

 centers. There is also a variety rosea with rose pink 

 flowers. The best of the hoary leaved \'eronicas, how- 

 ever, is F. incaiia. The white-woolliness of the leaves 

 of this species is fully equal to that of any of the "Dusty 

 Millers," and when they are surmounted by the one-foot 

 spikes of bright blue flowers the ensemble is decidedly 

 pleasing. 



There are several dwarf or prostrate forms of I'croiiica, 

 supposed to be varieties of f. tcucriiiiii. sold under such 

 names as prosfrata and nipeslris. These are all good, 

 especially the latter, of which there are several color 

 forms. But the best of them all is an extremely diminu- 

 tive form with bright blue flowers, whose full'name we 

 suppose to be Veronica tcucriimi. var. prostrata nana. 

 This is not commonly seen but it is worth striving for 

 in spite of its name which after all. can, for garden pur- 

 poses, be alilire\iated to ['. nana! 



