SALPIGLOSSIS. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



833 



scharfenbergejisis is allied to the above, but 

 more elegant, and the branches tinged with 

 a bright russet-brown. It is much to be recom- 

 mended as a garden tree. 



S. ROSMARiNiFOi.iA {Greybush Willow) is 

 a graceful bushy Willow of a nice grey colour, 

 especially for groups near water or in moist 

 ground ; hardy and of easy culture. Europe. 



S. viMiNALis (Osier). — A distinct and 

 native Willow, frequent in wet places in woods 

 and osier beds, rarely planted in gardens, the 

 leaves and branches are very fine in form. It 

 is the Willow most used for basket making. 



S. VITELLINA [Golden Willoxv) is some- 

 times classed with the White Willow by 

 botanists, but from a planter's point of view it 

 is a distinct tree, never so large as the White 

 Willow, but effective in the colour of its yellow 

 branches and twigs in the winter sun. While 

 old trees of this often become good in form 

 and occasionally pendulous, there is of recent 

 years a distinctly pendulous variety, S. pen- 

 dula, which is very graceful and precious 



indeed, and quite hardy, which should never 

 be grafted. Some of the red twigged willows, 

 such as that called the Cardinal Willow, 

 belong to S. vitelliiia. The twigs are used 

 to a great extent for packing in nurseries 

 and tying fruit trees in gardens. 



SALPIGLOSSIS.— 5. j/«/m/a is a beau- 

 tiful plant of the Solanum family, and one 

 of the finest of half-hardy annuals ; it is 

 slender, and has an erect stem, i to 2 ft. 

 high, bearing large funnel-shaped blos- 

 soms that have dark veins on a ground 

 which varies from white to crimson, 

 yellow, orange, or purple, and intermedi- 

 ate shades. As the colour of the blos- 

 soms is so variable, the plant is known 

 as S. variabilis^ and its varieties have 

 Latin names according to their tints. It 

 is difficult to make a selection, but a 

 packet of mixed seeds will produce a 

 pretty variety of colours, and will yield a 

 fine display, lasting from late summer till 

 autumn. 6". sinuata thrives in light, rich, 



sandy loam, and should be treated as a 

 half-hardy annual. Chili. 



SALVIA {Sage).~Yox lighting up the 

 autumn garden, few plants are more use- 

 ful than the Sages, with their showy spikes 

 of lipped flowers. They are easilv raised 



Salpiglossis sinuata. 



from seed or cuttings, they grow in almost 

 any soil, and give good colour during 

 several months, according to the kitids 

 used. They are found in all parts of the 

 world, the tender shrubliy kinds in the 

 mountains of tropical America, and the 

 hardier perennial sorts in Europe and 

 Asia. Planted in groups, there are few 

 things prettier and more certain in their 

 effect while in flower, while the leaves 

 of many kinds are ornamental and often 

 agreeably scented. All the kinds are better 

 for free exposure in the garden during 

 summer, though many require to be 

 wintered under glass. The hardy peren- 

 nial species require only a little care in 

 the selection of a suitable situation and 

 soil ; the tender kinds are planted out 

 early in June. For glowing colour in 

 early autumn there is nothing to come 

 near masses of S. splendens — much im- 

 proved in its newer forms — and in blue 

 flowers there is nothing better than 

 S. patens^ S. cacaliaefolia., S. ajjgusfifolia, 

 S. azurea, and a few others. The follow- 

 mg kinds are those best worth growing : — 



S. ALBA CCERULEA. — A pretty shrubby kind 

 from Mexico, with fine blue and white flowers 

 in long spikes of about a foot in length, during 

 summer. It should be wintered under glass. 



S. ARGENTEA {Silvery Clary).— A plant 



from southern Europe which mostly dies after 



blooming once, though it sometimes lasts longer 



in light soils. Its pale pinkish-white flowers 



3 H 



