CLADRASTIS. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



length, the leaves glaucous, rigid, and 

 often 4 ft. long. It is a water plant for 

 association with the taller sedges, Bulrush 

 and bolder water-side plants. 



CLADRASTIS, the Yellow-wood of 

 N. America. C. tiiictoria is a pretty lawn 

 tree of medium size and symmetrical 

 growth, but not a good flowering tree. Its 

 leaves, in autumn, turn to a rich yellow, 

 and remain bright for weeks until cut off 

 by frosts. The white pea-shaped flowers 

 are borne in loose clusters. Syn. Virgilia 

 hctea. C. amurensis is a shrub introduced 

 a few years ago from the Amoor Valley. 

 Its leaves resemble those of the Yellow- 

 wood, but are of thicker texture, 

 not so large, and of a duller green. 

 In late summer it produces a plentiful 

 crop of flowers, even when only a few 

 feet high. The spikes are denSe, the 

 blossoms white, inclined to yellow, 

 and endure a long time. Small bushes 

 flower freely. It is hardy in sandy 

 loams. 



CLABKIA. — These Californian plants 

 of the Evening Primrose and Fuchsia 

 Order are among the prettiest of hardy 

 annuals, robust, of easy culture, and flower 

 for a long time. There are two species 

 from which the numerous varieties now 

 in cultivation have been obtained. C. 

 elegans grows 2 ft. high, erect, much 

 branched, and bears long leafy racemes 

 of flowers with undivided petals, varying 

 from purple to pale red or a salmon 

 colour. The principal varieties of this 

 species have double flowers, and two — 

 Purple King (deep purple) and Salmon 

 Queen (salmon-pink) — have flowers pro- 

 duced freely on strong branching plants, 

 and are very effective border flowers. 

 The other species, C. pulc/wlhi, varies in 

 height from about i ft. in the Tom Thumb 

 sorts to 2 ft. It has magenta flowers 

 normally, but there is every variation 

 between deep purple and pure white, and 

 there are also several double-flowered 

 forms. Many varieties are mentioned 

 in seed lists, most of which are distinct 

 from each other, and well worth 

 growing where annuals are much 

 grown. 



Culture. — Their growth is much 

 affected by the nature of the soil. Like 

 all other hardy annuals, they may be 

 sown either in autumn or spring, and by 

 sowing in the beginning of September the 

 seedlings gain strength before the winter, 

 and flower well in early spring, but these 

 autumn sowings are lial3le to accident, and 

 should only be tried on warm soils. The 

 first spring sowing should take place in the 

 middle of March, when the plants would 



flower in July. Until about the middle 

 of June other sowings may be made for 

 flowering later. The best soil is ordin- 

 ary garden mould, not too rich or 

 dry. — G. 



CLAYTONIA.— A small group of the 

 Purslane Order, of which three species 

 are pretty garden plants. C. caro- 

 liniana is a spreading dwarf species bear- 

 ing in spring loose racemes of pretty rose 

 flowers, and C. virginica (Spring Beauty) 

 is a slender erect plant, with pink 

 blossoms. Both are suitable for warm 

 spots in the rock-garden in loamy soil, 

 but C. sibirka, also a dwarf species with 

 pink flowers, requires a damp peaty 

 soil. 



CLEMATIS ( Virgin's Botuer.)— V,ea.\x- 

 tiful climbing shrubs and herbs from north- 

 ern and temperate regions and of the 

 highest value for gardens. Among hardy 

 climbers there is no other group of plants 

 that equals the Clematis in variety and 

 in beauty. 



The Clematis vary in habit from her- 

 baceous plants little more than i ft. high 

 to woody climbers with stems 50 ft. or 

 more in length. Most of the climbing 

 species support themselves by means of 

 the leaf-stalks, which curl round twigs or 

 other slender objects near. The Clematis 

 flower possesses no true petals, but in 

 their place a coloured calyx consisting of 

 usually four, but sometimes as many as 

 eight sepals. 



The Clematis like an open loamy soil, 

 which should always be fairly rich, and 

 in the case of the largest-flowered kinds 

 even very rich in vegetable humus and 

 fertilising material. All of them appear 

 to succeed best in a chalky soil, and in 

 gardens naturally devoid of chalk or lime 

 it is well to supply it. An annual mulch- 

 ing with rotted manure given about 

 November is of benefit, especially on poor 

 soil. Such pruning as may be necessary 

 for these wild types should be done in 

 February. The stronger growers stand 

 pruning well, and if they grow up their 

 supports too high and form a thick 

 heavy tangle at the top, they may safely 

 be cut hard back. The weaker ones 

 rarely need pruning at all. The Clematises 

 may be used to cover walls, mounds, ar- 

 bours, pergolas and fences, and in the 

 open, where no other support is available, 

 rough Oak branches may be used for 

 them, either singly or set together to form 

 a pyramid, while the more vigorous species 

 will run over trees. 



C. sethusifolia.— A graceful climber, 

 with slender stems and branches. The 

 flowers have not bright colour, but are 

 K K 2 



