February 11, 1875. 1 



JOURNAL OF HORTICDLTUKE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 



119 



of the Plain, Springfield Rival, Topaz, Essex Rival, and other 

 Dahlias which have long since disappeared were considered the 

 acme of perfection, beyond which it was impossible to go. Mr. 

 Bragg was a ouccessful raiser and exhibitor. Pinks, Panies, 

 and Hollyhocks were amongst the things he successfully 

 cultivated. Of late years he has been far out-distanced by 

 other growers, but in those days he was a well-known and 

 constant visitor at all our horticultural shows in the neigh- 

 bourhood of London. He was one of the old school of florists, 

 of whom very few are now left. — D., Deal. 



LUNAKIA BIENNIS. 



This popular old garden plant is of German origin, and 

 has been cultivated for upwards of three centuries in British 

 gardens. So perfectly has it adapted itself to our island, so 

 spontaneous is its upspringing in congenial sites, and so per- 

 sistent is its clinging to favourite nooks, that we are apt to 

 regard it as born to the soil on which it has prospered so long, 

 and to claim it as a native plant of our native land. It is 

 commonly known by its homely name of Honesty, or Moon- 

 wort, in reference to its peculiarly flattened seed-vessels, which 

 in themselves are no insignificant ornaments for room-deco- 

 ration, and are especially attractive to those who find pleasure 

 in the curious forms of plant-development. Such examples of 

 quiet and quaint decoration, as distinguished from gay colour- 

 ing, would seem to be pushing their claims on the taste of the 

 times ; and the best proof that even this old plant has in- 

 trinsic merit about it is the extraordinary period of probation 

 (if such a term is permissible) it has undergone, and still — 

 yes, stiU — evokes terms of admiration when dancing in the 

 sunshine of a bright May morning, a shimmering purple sea ; 

 or when the quaking shivering seed-stems are viewed as a mid- 

 winter household ornament, white and pure within almost as 

 the fleecy snow without. 



To these attractive merits of this old and common plant 

 must be added this great advantage, that it is within the 

 means of everyone to enjoy who owns a garden. So accom- 

 modating is it, that it is not at all particular as to soil or site. 

 Either amongst roots or stones, in sun or in shade, in rich 

 soil or poor, the Honesty will grow, and bloom, and enliven 

 any plot, or garden, or corner — aye, or wood, where it is en- 

 couraged or permitted to establish itself. 



We have written " wood," and the association is suggestive. 

 Because it will flourish there it will succeed well and is one 

 of the best plants that can be encouraged to brighten-up the 

 home-suiToundings — the borderland as we may term it — of 

 garden and copse. In how many places is the ground where 

 garden merges into wood the most uninviting, we had almost 

 written abandoned, of all parts of the demesne? Look round 

 and see. You behold, no doubt, native plants whose simple 

 charms cannot be overlooked, and you see also rubbish — 

 Nettles, Thistles, Docks. That is unquestionably the fact, and 

 it is as well to admit it on the principle that hidden sores 

 seldom heal freely. Now in this particular wood or garden 

 environs the Honesty is the plant of plants to change the scene 

 from an aspect of neglect to a position of enjoyment. In the 

 place of rank weeds will spring up a bright cheerful flower, 

 requiring, when once established, little more attention than 

 the weeds themselves receive. In thousands of such wilder- 

 nesses the plant, when just once planted and tended into 

 bloom, will perpetuate itself by its own inherent force of repro- 

 duction. In such places use the Honesty by the hundred or 

 thousand as required, and many a cheerless walk and dingy 

 drive will smile with beauty and be made cheerful, as that 

 period of the year should be. 



But besides occupying the border land mentioned, the Lu- 

 naria may be admitted into the garden proper. " What ! a 

 common plant like that have a place in the garden ! It may 

 do for the cottagers' corner, or to hide an unsightly back- 

 ground ; but a garden ! " Does such a thought as that really 

 arise? Well, let the corner be made attractive, and the 

 cottagers' home be made brighter, and then the old Honesty 

 will have done something, and something withal worth the 

 doing. 



But it will do more than this — has done, and will do mure. 

 It has played its part in ducal parterres, and played it well. 

 In spring gardening, which is so delightful, it is adapted for a 

 telling mass of a colour just then not at all too abundant. 

 For lines or centreing, for distant effect especially, it ie capable 

 of doing much to fill-in a coveted floral picture. 

 For this purpose it may be produced at almost any height 



required. If it is wanted to create a fine bold mass 4 feet high, 

 give it rich soil, and stakes to support it ; if wanted one-fourth 

 of that height, plant in soil less rich, and peg down. So re- 

 markably tractable is the old plant, either as to altitude and 

 adaptability to site, that we may almost do as we like withit._ 

 For massing and garden purposes the purple variety is 

 generally most suitable used alone, but for woodland and 

 wilderness and approaches thereto, the white one mixed-in 

 adds an air of sprightliness to the scene, which would other- 

 wise, by the natural greenery prevailing, be somewhat too 

 heavy and sombre. Where sub-tropical gardening is in ques- 

 tion, and plants used which cannot safely be put out until the 



Fig. 3U.— Lunaria biennis. 



middle of June, this plant comes in as a useful ante-deco- 

 rator, occupying the ground until just that time and taking 

 off its blankness. For that purpose it is quite suited and is 

 used, but its home is to be found in less imposing sites, to 

 lighten-up the shrubbery and brighten duU approaches. It is 

 at home with the cottager, and with the gardening-under-diffi- 

 cuJties amateur, and will serve each well in return for any- 

 thing like fair treatment. 



As to propagation. Although it may be increased by di- 

 vision, it being occasionally perennial, it is altogether more 

 easy to take it as it ia, a biennial, and raise it by seed annually. 

 If stout earlv-blooming plants are required, sow in drills it 

 the end of April, and transplant in nursery beds after the 

 manner of Cabbages, in rows 18 inches apart. Kach plant 

 will then have room to developo itself and be of hardy con- 

 stitution, and such as scarcely any winter will harm. These 

 plants if finally planted in the autumn will, under a mild 

 spring, commence to flower at the end of March and continue 

 two months. Smaller plants, if such are required iu quantity 



