234 



GLENNYS HANDBOOK 



is SO nearly hardy that we have seen the old plants and 

 young se^'dlings from the self-sown seed standing side by 

 side after a mild winter. Mignonette, although an annual, 

 can be struck from cuttings, which in their turn do very 

 well, and almost assimilate the plant to a j)erennial. They 

 bloom more dwarf umier these circumstances, but they are 

 not the worse for that ; and as to foliage, generally speaking 

 that is not much to look at after the plant begins to bloom, 

 and does not improve the second year. Large quantities of 

 Mignonette are grown for the market, for which purpose it 

 is generally sown in pots, half a dozen seeds sprinkled in each 

 pot, and all of them submitted to the common garden frames 

 with lights : the seeds are sown about September, and the 

 plants have all the air that can be given all the winter. Of 

 course they keep growing except in frosty weather, and in 

 the spring months rapidly come forward. These plants show 

 bloom very early, before they have grown much, and are in 

 flower until others sown in February and March come in to 

 succeed them. The Mignonette may be had in bloom all the 

 year round by a succession of sowings. A sowing in July 

 brings plants that flower from November till March ; a sow- 

 ing the first week in September will carry on the blooming 

 from March to July ; and the spring-sown ones will do the 

 rest. No frost must reach the pots in the winter time, and 

 the earth must be occasionally stirred upon the surface to let 

 in the air. 



RESTHARROW. See Ononis. 



RHAMNUS. Buckthorn. [Rhamnaceae.] The most 

 important garden plants of this family are the evergreen 

 shrubs know^n as Alaternus. They are increased by cuttings 

 planted in autumn. Good garden soil. 



RHAPIS. [Palmaceae.] Greenhouse palms. Loam. 

 Suckers. R. arundinacea, R. aspera, R. cordata, and R. fla- 

 belliformis are all plants of ornamental foliage. 



RHEUM. Rhubarb. [Polygonaceoe.] Hardy perennials 

 of coarse habit, but having a fine efl'ect in rough borders, 

 and in situations where bold-looking striking plants are 

 desirable. Good garden soil. Division or seeds. 



RHODANTHE. [Composite.] A beautiful little half- 

 hardy annual, whose flowers are like so many pink stars 



