SAXIFRAGA. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



847 



and is lovely grown in pots in a cold 

 house or sunny frame. Its scapes are so 

 short that its rose and white flowers are 

 splashed by rains unless protected. 



A fine series of hybrid Megaseas is that 

 due to Mr. T. Smith, of Newry, resulting 

 from crosses between cordifolia -k purpu- 

 rascens, and with the good qualities of 

 both parents. The plants are all robust, 



although varying much in colour of flower 

 and in stature. Hybrida splendens-\s one 

 of the finest in the group, but the follow- 

 ing are all good : — 



Brilliant. — Leaves large, richly tinted 

 in autumn and winter ; flowers purple ; 

 calyces and pedicels crimson ; fine. Cani- 

 pana. — Very neat dwarf crowded foliage ; 

 scape \\ ft. with bell-shaped head of rosy- 

 lilac flowers. Corrugata. — Dwarf habit ; 

 large rough leaves ; flowers pink. Dis- 

 tinction. — Dwarf crowded habit, with enor- 



mous head of pale pink flowers. Natta. — 

 A miniature of hybrida splendens. Pro- 

 gress. — A free-growing plant, with tall 

 scapes of rosy purple ; bell-shaped blos- 

 soms, which are \\ in. across ; extra fine. 

 Sturdy. — Compact habit, with short stout 

 scape of rose-coloured flowers. 



One charm of these great Rockfoils is 

 their rich autumnal and winter colouring. 

 M. Stracheyi and M. pitrpurascois are 

 good in this way, and many of Mr. Smith's 

 hybrids also, when in exposed positions ; 

 with other fine-leaved plants they show to 

 advantage, some having leaves suffused 

 with crimson, red, and soft yellow, while 

 others are vivid crimson and brown. We 

 have here a group of fine-leaved and 

 flowering plants worthy of every attention, 

 for we do not believe that these hybrids, 

 fine as they are, offer the full measure of 

 possible improvement. We anticipate yet 

 finer plants, free from all cultural diffi- 

 culties — plants that a cottager may grow 

 in his garden, or a townsman in his win- 

 dow boxes, and handsome enough to be 

 worthy of care and attention in the garden 

 of a queen. — F. W. B. 



SCABIOSA {Scabious).— N.x^xiw?i\ bien- 

 nial, and perennial plants, forming by far 

 the largest proportion of the Teasel family 

 cultivated in our gardens. The old 

 English name of Pincushion Flower, from 

 the resemblance of the flower-heads to 

 that useful article, is perhaps a little more 

 appropriate than it is elegant, although it 

 serves its purpose very well, and, indeed, 

 we have been told these plants are known 

 by no other name in the country. Although 

 comprising a large number of species, 

 very few are found outside the botanic 

 garden, and were all the known kinds 

 hunted up, not a dozen would prove 

 worth growing. 



S. atro-purpurea {Sweet Scabious), the 

 commonest Scabious, grown in distinct 

 varieties, which add much to the beauty 

 of our mixed flower borders, as well as 

 being largely used for greenhouse and con- 

 servatory decoration. The normal colour 

 is said to be deep crimson, but under cul- 

 tivation all shades of crimson, purplish- 

 yellow, and white may be seen. Many 

 \'arieties have double flowers and are pre- 

 ferred by some growers, but I think the 

 single varieties are best, and they are also 

 extremely useful for cutting. Under the 

 name Saudade the flower-heads of this 

 plant are used for funeral wreaths by the 

 Portuguese and other nations ; indeed, the 

 white varieties are of such purity that 

 they might be so employed in our own 

 country, as they may be had at almost 

 any season if sown and grown under glass. 



