THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



«75 



Even if the soil is good and deep, the 

 site for Spiraeas and suchUke shrubs 

 should be thoroughly trenched. Then 

 Spiraeas generally are lovers of moisture, 

 and wherever there are moist spots in a 

 garden, there they should be planted. 

 Spiraa Liiidleyana is a grand shrub for 

 the water-side planted in bold groups, and 

 masses of others might be made to fringe 

 a lake or stream in a beautiful way. 



These shrubby Spiraeas may be divided 

 into early and late flowering groups. The 

 early kinds, such as Thiinbergi., argiita, 

 hypericifolia, prinufoUa, confiisa. Van 

 Houttei, cantoiiciisis, etc., open their clus- 



fair success may be had with almost all 

 the kinds. Many sorts also ripen seed 

 with us, and may be increased in this way 

 where absolute purity is not essential, or 

 where it is desired to raise new forms. 



For a full account of the Spiraeas I 

 refer the i-eader to The Garden (Vol. XII.), 

 where about fifty kinds are described in 

 detail, and to the notes on Spiraeas scat- 

 tered through the many volumes of The 

 Garden. 



SPRAGUEA.— 5'. vmbellata is a singu- 

 lar and pretty plant allied to Claytonia, 6 to 

 9 in. high, with fleshy foliage, and spikes 

 of showy pinkish blossoms. If seeds are 



Spiraea Lindleyana. 



ters all at one time from April to June, 

 and then finish for the season. The late 

 kinds continue from June to early autumn, 

 their flowers coming as a succession of 

 spikes so long as the plants are in active 

 growth. To this group belong Spiraeas 

 bella., canescens, japonica and its forms, 

 salicifolia^ Doz/glasi, Billardii., and many 

 others. This distinction is a good guide 

 to pruning, anything in this way (though 

 not much is needed) being done imme- 

 diately after flowering with the early 

 group, and in early spring with the later 

 kinds. They are of easy increase from 

 cuttings of the young wood rooted under 

 glass in spring, or from layers or cuttings 

 of the ripened wood in the open air, put 

 in from early autumn. Some species root 

 in this way far more freely than others, 

 but with patience and a good sandy soil 



sown in heat early in February, then pot- 

 ted singly, and planted out in May, the 

 plants will bloom in August and Sept- 

 ember ; if sown in May, the plants will 

 not flower till the following summer. In 

 light soils the plants will stand an ordinary 

 winter, but they are safer in a frame. The 

 difficulty is that like most tap-rooted 

 plants, they do not bear moving well, ex- 

 cept while small. California. 



STACHYS ( Woimdwort). — Few of 

 these perennials are worth notice. The 

 common 5. lanafa, a woolly-leaved plant 

 used for edging, thrives in any soil. S. 

 coccinea is a rather pretty perennial with 

 spikes of red flowers about i ft. high, and 

 succeeds in a partially-shaded border 

 anywhere in the south ; coming from 

 Mexico, it is not hardy everywhere. S. 

 grandijiora, from Asia Minor and Siberia, 



