892 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



B. liitea from Peru and Chili, B. violacea, B. 

 Vati Hoiittei, B. atrata, B. ciirvata, B. bticci- 

 fera, and B. Patsctiaro(}), all from Mexico. 



Tigridia pavonia alba immaculata. 



TILIA {Lime; Linden).— Vio<->\\y sum- 

 mer leafing trees of northern and tem- 

 perate regions. The common Lime is 

 cut into ugly shapes in continental gar- 

 dens. It was, no doubt, the readiest tree 

 to hand in the old times when this fashion 

 was more common ; but if we sought such 

 effects now we have many trees that 

 would be better for this purpose than 

 the Lime, which, from its vigorous growth, 

 takes much mutilation to keep it in the 

 desired shape. By far the best effect of 

 the tree is when it is allowed to take its 

 natural shape, and its fragrance is often 

 welcome on the lawn. The " pleached " 

 alleys of old English gardens were often 

 made of this tree, but it is much easier 

 to get them now from various trees better 

 in colour and leaf, such as the fine leaved 

 Acacias or graceful fruit trees like the 

 Japanese and other crabs, which, while 

 giving us the shade we seek, also give 

 beautiful flowers in season. Some of the 

 Limes are very handsome trees, hardy, 

 fine in form and leaf, and good on the 

 lawn or in grove. 



T. AMERICANA (Basswood) is a vigorous 

 round-headed tree covered with ruddy bark, 

 the leaves larger, more pointed, and of darker 

 green than in the Common Lime, while the 

 flower bracts are also larger and come about 

 ten days later, giving place to yellow pea-like 

 fruits. The tree needs space, being apt to 

 spread, and it bears drought better than the 

 Limes of Europe. Some of its varieties, such 

 as macrophylla and Moltkei bear large leaves, 

 upwards of 12 ins. long and wide. T. puhes- 

 cens comes near this — a smaller tree with much 

 smaller leaves, and not nearly so valuable. 



T. ARGENTEA {White Lime).— A. stately 

 tree sometimes 80 ft. high, but mostly about 

 half that height, with heart-shaped leaves of a 

 fine silvery colour underneath, and lasting fresh 

 much longer than in the Common Lime. This 

 is a precious tree for grouping where its fine 

 colour can tell in open park-land or upon the 

 fringes of woodland, but it is out of place in 

 any confined space. Grafted trees of this kind 

 are always unsatisfactory, ugly swellings coming 

 at the point of union. There is a variety with 

 variegated foliage. Syn., T. tomeiitosa. 



T. CORDATA. — A neat native tree of 15 to 

 20 ft., well suited to small gardens and form- 

 ing a dense round head while the lower 

 branches sweep the turf The leaves are like 

 those of the Common Lime, but thin and much 

 smaller, and they shrivel early. The flowers 

 are abundant, late in coming, and conspicuous 

 with ample leafy bracts. A good tree for low 

 shelter belts, growing well on poor soils. 

 Syns., T. parvifolia and T. ulmifolia. 



T. DASYSTYLA {Crivieaii Lime). — A hand- 

 some tree from S. Russia, with lustrous 

 dark -green leaves on bright green twigs, last- 

 ing fresh longer than in the Common Lime. 

 The young growths give pretty tints of red and 

 yellow, and the pale flowers come early in 

 August, after all the others have done flower- 

 ing. A good and uncommon kind for streets 

 and avenues, as hardy and as easily increased 

 as any. 



T. PETIOLARIS {Weeping White Lime). — 

 Though the silvery eff'ect of this tree is fully as 

 beautifiil as that of the White Lime, it is very 

 diff"erent in habit, every shoot drooping grace- 

 fully while the leaf-stalks are fully twice as 

 long as in T. argentea. It is a strong grower 

 even on poor soils, reaching a height of 60 feet 

 or more, and resisting drought fairly well. The 

 flowers are large, produced in July, and fol- 

 lowed by small warty fruits. The leaves are 

 large, rounded, and so twisted as to show the 

 hoary underside even in repose. To enjoy its 

 full eff'ect the tree needs space and a command- 

 ing position, and is then one of the most scarce 

 and beautiful of weeping trees. Crimea. Syn. 

 T. argentea peiidnla. 



T. PLATYI'HYLLOS {Broad-leaved Lime). — A 

 variable tree, attaining at maturity a height of 

 90 feet, with dense ample leaves, sometimes 

 downy on both sides and always underneath. 

 It is the first of the Limes to bloom, the 

 flowers coming in June and followed by hairy 

 thick-celled capsules. The effect of this stately 



