THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



871 



midsummer as the Pampas Grass is in autumn. 

 It is valuable ior grouping with other fine- 

 foliaged herbaceous plants. It thrives in ordi- 

 nary soil, but succeeds best in a deep moist 

 loam. lieautiful garden forms of this are 



bpiraea Aruncus. 



Kneiffi, with very finely cut leaves and dense 

 feathery heads of flower ; and phimosa, a good 

 dwarf variety. Division. Various parts of 

 Europe, Asia, and America. 



S. astilboides is a moisture-loving plant of 

 unusual merit, happiest on the banks of a 

 stream or pond. It is quite distinct, the in- 

 florescence much branched, and the flowers or 

 a creamy white closely packed on the stems. 

 A supposed cross between this plant and 

 Astilbe japoiiica, called S. astilboides Jlori- 

 bunda, is exceedingly vigorous and free in 

 flower. 



S. camtschatica may be described as a 

 gigantic Meadow Sweet, growing from 6 to 

 10 ft. high, with huge palmate leaves and 

 large fleecy bunches of white flowers crowning 

 the tall stems, Its place is in rich bottoms or 

 by water in deep soil. The variety elegans 

 carries branching heads of rosy flowers and 

 massive leaves a foot across. 



S. Filipendula (Dt-opwoi-i). — A British 

 species, i to 2 ft. high, with loose clusters of 

 yellowish-white flowers, often tipped with red. 

 When the flower-stems are pinched off" it 

 forms an eff'ective edging plant, its Fern-like 

 foliage being distinct. The double variety 

 {S. Filipendula fl. -pi.) is useful in the mixed 

 border and for cutting. Division. 



S. lobata {Queen of the Prairie) is one of 

 the best of the hardy Spirreas, 18 to 36 in. 

 high, with deep rosy carmine flowers in large 

 terminal cymes. It thrives in sandy loam in 

 the mixed border, on the margins of shrub- 

 beries, or grouped with the finer perennials. 

 Somewhat resembling this are the handsome 

 ^. Huiiiboldtiaxid S. digitata. Syn. S, vemista. 



S. palmata is a beautiful herbaceous species. 



and among the finest of hardy plants. It has 

 handsome palmate foliage, and in late summer 

 broad clusters of rosy-crimson blossoms. When 

 well-grown it is 4 ft. high, but often less, and 

 being considered tender, is grown largely in 

 pots ; but it is hardy, succeeding in moist deep 

 loam well enriched by decayed manure. It is 

 a fine plant for large rock-gardens, in borders, 

 or on the margin of shrubberies ; and being 

 strong enough to take care of itself it may be 

 naturalised. The variety elegans (said to be a 

 hybrid) with pale pink flowers, is altogether 

 inferior to the best forms of S. palmata. Other 

 forms are alba, with white flowers ; maxima, 

 in which they are tinted with rose ; and pur- 

 purea with purple foliage. A good effect is 

 got by planting the species by the edge of 

 streams or ponds : a mass of lovely colour is 

 presented to the eye, and too-often bare spots 

 are clothed with beauty, 



S. TJlmaria. —This common British Meadow 

 Sweet is seldom cultivated, but worse things 

 are often seen in borders. It deserves a place, 

 if only for the sake of variety, in the mixed 

 border, on the margins of shrubberies, or in 

 the rougher parts of pleasure grounds, where 

 it may be planted with other subjects which 

 do not require much looking after. Almost 

 any soil will suit it, but a moist one is best. 

 The variegated- leaved form is ornamental, and 

 there is also one with double flowers. 



Shrubby Meadow Sweets. 



S. arguta. — A garden hybrid of complex 

 origin, one parent being S. Thiinbergi, and 

 the other S. multiJlora—itseM a hybrid.- It 

 comes nearest the first named, blooming just a 

 little later, reaching a height of four feet, with 

 wiry arching sprays of snowy flowers so 

 densely clustered that the entire bush is robed 

 in white. The flowers come before the 

 leaves, which are a little late in unfolding ; 

 the plant is therefore best seen against a back- 

 ground of evergreens. 



S. Blumei is a rare and pretty little shrub of 

 about four feet, gracefully arching, with blunt 

 deeply-notched leaves and abundant white 

 flowers in June. Japan. This is rarely found 

 true to name, some allied kind such as 

 S. trilobata often doing duty for it. The two 

 come very close however, trilobata having 

 smaller and more rounded leaves, not infre- 

 quently three-lobed, and the flowers are a 

 little earlier. It is also hardier in cold 

 districts, coming from northern and central 

 Asia. 



S. bullata : — A neat shrub for the rock- 

 garden, only 12 to 18 inches high, with erect 

 and downy branches, rounded and wrinkled 

 leaves, and deep pink flowers in July and 

 August. Japan. Syn. S. crispifolia. 



S. cana is a neat dense shrub of i to 

 2 feet, with grey down-covered leaves which 

 give the plant a hoary appearance. The tiny 

 white flowers are borne upon arching sprays 

 throughout the summer, and quite freely even 

 on small plants. Its place is the rock-garden. 

 Central Europe. 



