OUR JUNE FLOWEHS. Ill 



plants of that old favourite, the Lmum flavum, are now glittering with their bright yellow blossoms, 

 having fortunately escaped the frost, although in rather damp soil ; whilst older plants in a much 

 drier situation perished. The blue Linum montanum, and the blue and white varieties of the 

 common perennial Flax, are also in flower. The Potentate Menziesii displays its fine orange scarlet 

 blossoms side by side with the handsome Geranium pratense with bluish violet flowers. This 

 species, and the dwarf-spreading G. satiguineum, are both very ornamental, the latter succeeds well 

 in sandy soils, and is excellent for covering a bank. Another beautiful dwarf plant for the front of 

 the borders, the Dandelion-leaved GEnothera, is now expanding its large white flowers with each 

 returning evening, and the yellow (E. prostrata has just commenced flowering. The interesting 

 little Oxalis fioribunda makes an exceedingly gay appearance in the sunshine, with its numerous 

 bright pink flowers ! It is so hardy, and blossoms for so long a period, that we venture to 

 recommend it as a plant of some value for the front rank of the beds or borders. And although so 

 common, we must not overlook the different varieties of the Jacob Ladder, Polemonium cxruleum, 

 those with pale violet blossoms are the most ornamental, and contrast prettily with the pinnated 

 foliao-e. These two new Borage-worts will prove very useful as early bloomers,— the Batschia 

 canescens, with rich orange flowers, and the Cynoglossum montanum, with dense racemes of bright 

 blue blossoms. The last grows about one foot high, the other is rather dwarfer ; both do best in 

 poor soils, as in rich composts the leaves become too luxuriant and conceal the flowers. The 

 double Rockets, Henperis matronalis, are all in bloom; the white and crimson varieties are 

 beautiful plants when grown in a rich soil, and the Cheiranthus Mar.shallii is a fitting companion to 

 them, though not double ; if the flower stalks of this plant are removed as soon as the blossoms 

 begin to fade, it will often yield a second crop at the end of the summer. 



For a dry, sandy bank, where few plants will grow, still less flourish, the common dwarf 

 Sun-rose, Ilelianthanam vulgarc, is a valuable plant ; indeed it succeeds much better in sandy 

 loam, than in any richer material. The Saponaria ocymoides is a charming little trailer, most 

 prodigal of its pink flowers, and the Silene Schafta is almost equal to it. Both are excellent plants 

 for the rockery. Of different habit, and more specious, is the flaunting Oriental Poppy, Papaver 

 orientate, with large orange coloured blossoms ; its crumpled petals are marked at the base with a 

 lar"e black spot ; the little P. alpinum is a much humbler species with neat white flowers. The 

 P. bracteatum is perhaps even more showy than the orientate, and is easily distinguished by having a 

 large bract just beneath the calyx. The Poppies do not bear transplanting. A very remarkable 

 species of Primula is now finely in bloom in the border ; the P. Sikkimensis, with an umbel 

 of drooping yellow flowers, nearly eighteen inches high. This plant we noticed briefly at page 18 of 

 the present Vol. It is a beautiful hardy plant, and one of the least delicate to cultivate. The 

 Corydalis nobilis is a pretty Fume-wort, with delicate cut foliage, and racemes of rather large 

 yellow flowers, tipped with dark purple ; the little yellow C. lutea is more common, and becomes 

 a perfect weed in light soil, springing up from self-sown seeds. 



One species of Salvia is already in bloom, and appears likely to flower throughout the summer, 

 the blue and white 8. bieolor, more than once recommended by us as a good hardy species, and 

 deserving more attention than it receives. The Gentiana scptemfida has just opened its large blue 

 bell-shaped flowers, but it is often later in the season before it blossoms; this species is a good 

 and cheap hardy plant, and purchasable at any of the London Florists for a shilling. As tastes 

 proverbially differ, every amateur may not discover merit in the Erodium hymenodcs, whose 

 clusters of pink flowers are now glittering in the sun, the two upper petals looking as if covered 

 with spangles. It is very hardy, although an African plant, and flowering for half the year has, 

 we think, strong claims to notice. The Mimulus ktteus and its varieties, several of which are now 

 in bloom, will unite all suffrages; they may indeed be classed with the most valuable of our hardy 



