THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



AJUGA. 



423 



some soils. There is a white variety and 

 a double red one ; the last is a good 

 plant. The name is sometimes given to 

 the annual Viscarias. A. Githago is a 

 large annual, occasionally grown in 

 botanic gardens. A. JfW/f-t'rz is a hybrid 

 between A. coronaria and A. Flos-Jovis, 

 very compact, free flowering, and rich in 

 colour. 



AGROSTIS (Cloud Grass).— A large 

 family of Grasses, the best of which 



down annually, taking care to prevent it 

 from breaking into an irregular head. 

 Vigorous young plants and suckers in 

 good soil will produce handsome arching 

 leaves 5 ft. or more long, not surpassed 

 by those of any stove plant. Cuttings of 

 the roots. 



AIRA {Hair Grass). — Graceful grasses, 

 of which one of the prettiest is A.pulchella, 

 with many hair-like stems, growing in light 

 tufts 6in.high. Itisuseful forforming grace- 

 ful edgings, amongst plants in borders, or 

 for pots for rooms. Its delicate panicles 

 give a charm to the finest bouquets. Seed 

 may be sown either in September or in 

 April. This comes from South Europe, 

 and the British A. ccespitosa is handsome. 

 A. c. vivipara, with its innumerable 

 panicles of graceful viviparous awns, re- 

 sembles a miniature Pampas Grass. A. 

 flextiosa (the Waved Hair grass) is a 

 pretty and graceful perennial. Of easy 

 culture in ordinary garden soil. 



AJUGrA (Bugle).— A small family of 

 dwarf herbs of the sage order, flowering 

 in spring and early summer, and having 

 purplish flowers. They grow on mountain 

 or lowland pastures, are easily cultivated 

 and increased by division. A. geiievettsis 

 is among the best, and is distinguished 

 from the common native Bugle {A. 

 reptans) by the aljsence of creeping shoots. 

 The flower-stems are erect, from 6 in. to 

 9 in. high ; the flowers deep blue, and 

 in a close spike. It is suitable for the 



Young Ailantus tree with Cannas. 



in the garden are the annual kinds so 

 useful when dried. There are some 

 half-a-dozen annual kinds grown, the 

 best A. nebiilosa., which forms delicate 

 tufts about 15 in. high, and is useful for 

 rooms. If cut shortly before the seed 

 ripens and dried in the shade, it will keep 

 for a long time. The seed may be sown I 

 either in September or in April or May, 

 and lightly covered. A. Steveni., viulti- 

 flo?'a, and plumosa require the same 

 treatment. A. Spicavcnti is very grace- 

 ful, especially if grown from self-sown 

 seeds. A. pulcheUa is also useful for the 

 same purpose, dwarfer and stiffer than A. 

 nebidosa. 



AILANTUS (Tree of Heaven).— A 

 Chinese hardy tree, young plants of 

 which cut down every year give a good 

 effect. It should be kept when young 

 with a single stem clothed with its 

 fine leaves. This can be done by cutting 



Ajuga genevensis 



