436 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



beginning to glow with colour, we see 

 the earliest \\'indflowers in all their 

 loveliness. Those arid mountains that 

 look so barren have on their sunny sides 

 carpets of Anemones in countless variety. 

 These belong to old favourites in our 

 gardens — the Garland Windflower and 

 the Peacock Anemone. Later on the Star 

 Anemone begins, and troops in thousands 

 over the terraces, meadows, and fields of 

 the same regions. Climbing the moun- 

 tains in April, the Hepatica nestles in 

 nooks all over the bushy parts of the 

 hills. Farther east, while the common 

 Anemones are aflame along the Riviera 

 valleys and terraces, the blue Greek 

 Anemone is open on the hills of Greece ; 

 a little later the blue Apennine Anemone 

 blossoms. Meanwhile our Wood Ane- 

 mone adorns the woods throughout the 

 northern world, and here and there 

 through the brown Grass on the chalk 

 hills comes the purple of the Pasque- 

 flower. The Grass has grown tall before 

 the graceful Alpine Windflower flowers 

 in all the natural meadows of the Alps ; 

 while later on bloom the high alpine Wind- 

 flowers, which soon flower and fruit, and 

 are ready to sleep for nine months in 

 the snow. These are but few examples 

 of what is done for the northern and 

 temperate world by these Windflowers, so 

 precious for our gardens also. 



A. alpina {Alpine Windflower). — 

 On nearly every great mountain range 

 in northern climes this is one of the 

 handsomest plants, growing 15 in. to 

 2 ft. high. It grows more slowly in gar- 

 dens than most of the other kinds, and 

 should have deep soil. A. sulphiirea is a 

 fine variety. Many fail with it through 

 transplanting in autumn and winter. Seed 

 is the best way to increase it. Sow this 

 in November in a rather moist peaty bed 

 out-of-doors and allow the seedlings to 

 remain for two years. When growth 

 commences in spring transplant to where 

 they are to flower. Full exposure, good 

 drainage, and moisture in summer are 

 essential. 



A. angulosa {Great Hepatica). — 

 Larger than the Hepatica, with sky-blue 

 flowers as large as a crown-piece, and 

 five-lobed leaves. In rock-gardens, or 

 near them, it will succeed in spaces be- 

 tween choice dwarf shrubs in beds. Seed 

 and division. Transylvania. 



A. apennina {Apenjtine Windflower). 

 — A free blue and hardy kind scattered 

 among the native Anemones in our 

 woods, or making pictures with Daffodils, 

 adds a new charm to our spring. It is 

 readily increased by division, and grows 



about 4 in. to 9 in. in height. Besides a 

 white form there are others, not so im- 

 portant, however, as the wild one. Italy. 



^!^^ 





The Blue Apennine Windflower. 



A. blanda {Blue Winter Wind- 

 flower). — A lovely plant from the hills of 

 Greece, of a fine blue, and blooming in 

 winter and early spring. It should be 

 grown in every rock-garden, planted on 

 banks that catch the early sun, whilst it 

 may be naturalised in Grassy places in 

 warm soil. It is distinguished by round 

 and bulb-like roots ; increased by division 

 and seed, and varies in size and colour. 

 There are white, rose and pink \ars. 

 Greece, Asia Minor. 



A. coronaria {Poppy Anemone). — One 

 of the most admired flowers of our 

 gardens from earliest times. There are 

 many varieties, single and double. The 

 single sorts may be readily grown from 

 seed sown in the open air in April, 

 and, being varied in fine colour, they 

 deserve to be cultivated, even more than 

 many of the doubles. The planting of 

 the double varieties may be made in 

 autumn or in spring, or at intervals all 

 through the winter, to secure a continuity 

 of flowers ; but the best bloom is se- 

 cured by October planting. The Poppy 

 Anemone thrives in warm deep loam, 

 and the roots of the more select kinds 

 may be taken up when the leaves die 

 down. They are, however, seldom worth 

 this trouble, as many fine varieties 

 may be grown from seed sown in June. 

 Prick out the plants in autumn : they will 

 flower well in the following spring, so 

 that the plant is as easily raised as an 

 annual. Apart from the old florists' or 

 double Anemones and the single ones, 

 there are certain races of French origin 

 of much value — the Anemones de 

 Caen, for example. These are raised 



