714 ONOCLEA. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



0, verna {Creeping Forget-me-7iot). — A 

 pretty little plant, bearing in early spring 

 handsome flowers of a deep clear blue 

 with white throats. The plant is useful 

 for borders and the rock and spring gar- 

 den : no plant is more worthy of naturalisa- 

 tion ; in cool, thin woods it runs about like 

 a native plant ; it thrives by woodwalks, 

 and also in open places, and in any position 

 is one of the prettiest plants. There is a 



as " flowering Ferns," from the fertile frond 

 being contracted so as to give it the 

 appearance of an unopened spike of flowers. 

 The fronds are a beautiful fresh green, 

 especially in spring. Though not very 

 fastidious as to soil, it succeeds best in a 

 cool and moist situation, such as the base 

 of the rock-garden, or in the American 

 garden, especially if a little sheltered by 

 neighbouring plants. If the fronds are 



Oleana Haabti. 



white variety, not so pretty as the blue 

 kind. 



ONOBRYCHIS {Sainfoin). — ^ few 

 graceful plants belong to this genus, but 

 they are not of much garden value, and 

 those in cultivation are best suited for the 

 rock-garden. 



ONOCLEA (Sensitive Fern). — O. 

 scnsibilis belongs to the group known 



allowed to remain on the plants until they 

 appear to be ripe, it will be found that the 

 spore-cases are open and the spores shed, 

 as they drop while the fronds look quite 

 green, therefore the best way is to cut off 

 the frond as soon as indications of burst- 

 ing are perceived, and to lay it in a sheet 

 of paper for a few days, when all the spores 

 will drop out. N. America. 



