324 



• GARDENING. 



July 15, 



The Flower Garden. 



EREMURUS ROBUSTUS. 



The ereraurus is a member of the 

 LilinceiE order and indigenous to Asiatic 

 Russia and Hindostan. There are several 

 species, perennials in nature, and although 

 easily grown, they have not yet found 

 their way into general cultivation. They 

 are seldom found in nursery catalogues, 

 probably from the fact that it takes some 

 years to produce a blooming plant from 

 seed. 



The tallest of the genus is Erenmrus 

 robust us, a native of Turkestan, first 

 described in 1S74. The generic term is 

 derived from eremos, solitary, and oura, 

 a tail, referring to the tall flower spike. 

 The specimen figured was bought in the 

 spring of 1S96 as a large plant, but did 

 not bloom until this, its third summer. 

 Seedlings raised the same year seem quite 

 a long way from a flowering size. The 

 flower stalk of the plant illustrated > ad 

 been in bloom nearly two weeks when 

 photographed, and will undoubtedly last 

 over ten days more. It is eight feet four 

 inches high. The first flower opened at 

 four feet from the ground, thus producing 

 over four feet of bloom. Old plants have 

 been known to send up spikes over ten 

 feet in height. The flowers are light pink 

 in color, one and three-quarter inches 

 across, forming a six petaled star. The 

 yellow tipped stamens form quite a feat- 

 ure, and add considerably to the plant's 

 attractiveness. These flowers are held 

 stiffly out at right angles to the stalk, on 

 thin, wiry peduncles two inches long. The 

 outline of each flower is seen in its 

 entirety, thus affording glimpses of the 

 main stem all along its course. 



This, it seems to me, is one of the most 

 pleasing features of the plant. The lower 

 blooms fadeafterafew days, but so far. at 

 all times there has been a mass of perfect 

 flowers over a foot in length. The buds 

 show the pink color and are handsome in 

 themselves. The leaves, forming a rosette 

 at the base, are from three to four inches 

 wide, and over two feet long. About the 

 latter part of August thev disappear 

 entirely, leaving no trace of the plant 

 above ground. Early in the spring they 

 again make their appearance, and at this 

 time it is best to place a box or barrell 

 over them at night in order to protect 

 them from the late frosts. E. robustus 

 likes a rich soil, moist but well drained, 

 and plenty of water during its flowering 

 period. This species seems hardy, but to 

 feel certain of carrying it thro'ugh our 

 winters, I make a mound of ashes over it 

 in the fall. W. C. Egan. 



HERBACEOUS PLANT NOTES. 



In the latter part of June the gorgeous 

 /r/siw-emp/er/beginstoopen its first blos- 

 soms; the weather is not always very 

 favorable for the development of perfect 

 flowers of the largest size and whenever 

 possible in dry spells the plants should be 

 treated to liberal waterings so as to keep 

 the ground constantly moist until all the 

 flowers are past. In commercial places 

 where only plants are wanted, little or 

 no attention is paid to the production of 

 good-sized flowers, but when we grow 

 them for ornament, or for cut flower pur- 

 poses, watering should not be neglected, 

 as moisture at the roots will not only 

 increase the size of the petals, but will 

 also improve the lasting quality of the 

 flowers. We had occasion to observe the 

 difference in the size and durability of 

 flowers in two patches of this iris on* our 



EREMURUS ROBUSTUS 



place last year. One lot was planted in 

 light, dry soil, the other in a moist situa- 

 tion. Both were exposed to the full sun 

 and the varieties were the same in each 

 patch. On clear, hot days the flowers in 

 the first bed would not last more than 

 four or five hours, while those in the moist 

 patch were as fresh as could be desired 

 and often remained in good condition for 

 three days. 



Inula hirta is a pretty - , very free bloom- 

 ing, yellow, daisy-like flower; blooms in 

 the second half of June and during July; 

 grows fifteen to eighteen inches high and 

 is decidedly useful as a cut flower. I. 

 glandulosa is a much larger flower, four 

 to five inches or more across and of a 

 deeper golden color. The ray florets are 

 narrow and long, giving them a fringy 

 appearance. The foliage and stem is cov- 

 ered with whitish down and its height is 

 about two feet. This valuable plant is 

 not often seen in collections, but perhaps 

 only because it is little known and does 

 not increase very rapidly. It blooms 

 with us regularly from June to August 

 and is as hardv as an oak tree and suc- 

 ceeds in any soil or position. 



The gaillardias have been out since the 

 middle of June. Among the improved 

 varieties we have not only flowers of im- 

 mense size and semi-double, but also 

 great variations in color; we have pure 

 yellow, yellow with a dark disk, broad 



rays and quilled rays, red and yellow 

 combined in various ways or shades and 

 some flowers are deep crimson with only 

 a barely visible yellow edge. Flowering 

 freely until frost, their value as orna- 

 mental plants for beds, borders or shrub- 

 beries is apparent and the flowers are also 

 largely used for cutting. For this latter 

 purpose only the best varieties should be 

 procured, as ordinary seedlings will give 

 too large a percentage of small, inferior 

 blooms which do not sell readily. 



Verbena venosa, that persistent 

 bloomer, has been used quite extensively 

 as a bedding plant in the last few years. 

 Several complaints have reached us that 

 this plant was not hardy, but that must 

 be a mistake for we have always been 

 able to keep it uninjured in the open 

 ground without protection of any descrip- 

 tion. It is true, however, that the old 

 plants seem to be entirely dead in spring 

 and no life is visible above ground when 

 most other plants are well advanced, but 

 if we leave them undisturbed a little 

 longer, we will soon notice strong 

 growths coming up thickly all over the 

 patch. This vigorous growth springs 

 from the long, win- underground runners 

 which were formed the season before; at 

 nearly every joint a new plant will be 

 produced and it is necessary to thin con- 

 siderably, else the plot would be over- 

 crowded in a short time. If these runners 



