POLIANTHES. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



POLYGONATUM. 



759 



cultivating. There is, however, a much 

 improved garden form, Richardsojtii, of 

 much stronger growth and with far larger 

 flowers, as many as a score of deep blue 

 bells with a yellow eye sometimes coming 

 in one cluster. There is also a white 

 form of Richardso7tii, and both kinds are 

 fragrant and good for cutting. N. 

 America. 



P. reptans is an American alpine plant, 

 and, though far inferior in beauty to P. 

 cofifertwii, is worth growing. Its stems 

 are creeping, and its slate-blue flowers 

 form a loose drooping panicle 6 or 8 in. 

 high. Snails devour it ravenously, espe- 

 cially the scaly root-stocks during winter, 

 and must be watched for. P. sibiricum, 

 grandi/lorum, and foliosissimum much 

 resemble P. ccsrtdeum, but are more 

 vigorous, with larger flowers. There are 

 several other species in cultivation, but 

 not important. 



POLIANTHES {Tuberose).— P_. tube- 

 rosa is a native of the East Indies, but 

 strong imported bulbs of this deli- 

 ciously fragrant plant, if inserted in 

 warm soil, will flower well in the 

 open air during August. In the neigh- 

 bourhood of London we have seen 

 the Tuberose flowering freely in the open 

 border, the bulbs in a light, sandy, well- 

 drained soil, in which they had remained 

 all the winter, slightly protected during 

 severe weather by ashes or other dry 

 material. 



POLYGALA {Milkivort).—i:\i^ hardy 

 Milkworts are neat dwarf plants, with 

 flowers much resembling those of the Pea 

 family. P. CJianicebuxus (Box-leaved 

 Milkwort) is a little creeping shrub from 

 the Alps of Austria and Switzerland, 

 where it often remains quite tiny. 

 In our gardens, however, on peaty 

 soil and fine sandy loams, it spreads 

 out into compact tufts covered with 

 cream-coloured and yellow flowers. The 

 variety purpurea is much prettier ; the 

 flowers are a lovely bright magenta- 

 purple, with a clear yellow centre. It 

 succeeds in any sandy, well-drained soil, 

 best in sandy peat and slightly shaded 

 from the mid-day sun. Even when out of 

 flower it is interesting owing to its dwarf 

 compact habit, bright shining evergreen 

 leaves, and olive-purplish stems. A new 

 species belonging to this shrubby ever- 

 green section is P. Vayredae., a little plant 

 of dwarf habit, with rich rosy flowers 

 continued during many weeks. P.pau- 

 cifolia is a handsome North American 

 trailer, 3 to 4 in. high, with slender 

 prostrate shoots and concealed flowers. 

 From these shoots spring stems, bearing 



in summer one to three handsome flowers 

 about three-quarters of an inch long, 

 generally rosy -purple, but sometimes 

 white. It is suited for the rock-garden, 

 in moist leaf-mould and sand, and for use 

 in half-shady places with Linna^a borealis, 

 Trientalis, Mitchella. The finest of the 

 American kinds is lutea, with bright 

 yellow flowers, but this is still very 

 scarce with us. Some of the British 

 Milkworts, especially P. calcarea and 

 vulgaris., are interesting and easily grown 

 in sunny chinks of the rock-garden 

 if in calcareous soil. They form neat 

 dressy tufts of blue, purple-pink, and 

 white flowers, borne profusely in early 

 summer. Seed may be gathered from 

 wild plants and sown in sandy soil. 

 Plants carefully taken up from their native 

 positions have also been established in 

 gardens. 



POLYGONATUM {Solomoris Seal).— 

 Graceful tuberous perennials, distributed 

 chiefly in the north temperate regions, 

 and with very few exceptions quite hardy 

 with us. There are nine distinct species 

 in cultivation, and perhaps as many 

 varieties, and although there is some 

 similarity amongst them, all are distinct 

 as garden plants. They thrive in almost 

 any position in good sandy soil and with 

 an occasional dressing of leaf soil. It 

 is in shady nooks of the wild garden, 

 however, under deciduous trees, that they 

 are seen to the best advantage. They 

 are increased by seeds, which, sown as 

 soon as gathered in autumn, germinate 

 in early spring : the creeping root-stocks 

 may also be divided, and in good soil 

 soon form nice tufts. A few kinds are 

 used for forcing for early spring use 

 in the greenhouse ; these are generally 

 imported instead of being grown at 

 home, as they might well be. It simply 

 requires singling out good crowns and 

 growing them in rich loamy soil, lifting 

 and potting when required. 



P. biflorum. — A pretty species from 

 the wooded hillsides of Canada and New 

 Brunswick, of slender graceful growth, the 

 arching stems i ft. to 3 ft. in height, the 

 small flower stems jointed near the base of 

 the flowers, which are greenish white, two 

 or three together in the axils of the leaves. 

 Syn. P. pubescens. 



P. japonicum. — A distinct species, 

 native of Japan, hardy in this country, 

 flowering in early April, growing about 

 2 ft. in height, the leaves of a very firm 

 leathery texture, the flowers white, tinged 

 purplish. 



P. latifolium, the old broad- 

 leaved Solomon's Seal, seems to be 



