38 PERENNIALS. [March. 



lemon yellow ; Etna, dark-brown ; Hero, rosy crimson ; 

 King, pale rose ; Perfection, lilac ; Queen, blush ; Tri- 

 umphant, buff and white ; Venus, rose ; Win. Penn, large 

 creamy white ; Marshal Messena, yellow and red ; Indica 

 rubra, very dwarf early red ; IVheelerii, large purple ; 

 sanguinea, a beautiful crimson. To grow these in perfec- 

 tion, they require rich light soil ; and about the end of this 

 month the roots should be lifted, divided and planted into 

 fresh soil, either by giving them a new situation, or chang- 

 ing the earth they were in. Two or three stems together 

 are quite sufficient. The flowers, by the above treatment, 

 will be much larger, more double, and finer in colour : 

 where they are wanted to grow low and bushy, top them 

 in June, but not later than the first of July. Where the 

 soil is rich, and the plant having only one stem, by topping 

 it, makes a beautiful bush. They are in flower from the 

 first of October until severe frost ; thus beautifying our 

 gardens at a season when they would be destitute of one 

 single attraction. If the season be dry, to water them with 

 liquid manure will add to their vigour. They are all na- 

 tives of China, and greatly esteemed by the Chinese, who 

 only allow a few blooms to come out on the top of each 

 stem, thereby having the flowers much finer. 



Within these three years, hundreds of varieties of this 

 winter flower have been produced from seed in Europe ; 

 many of them very superb, and having more luxuriant 

 foliage and greater diversity of colour. 



Clematis, Virgin's-bower. A few species are good her- 

 baceous plants, of upright growth, and blue flowers, C. 

 integrifolia ; C. ungustifolia ; and C. erecta; they grow 

 best in light soil. 



Coreopsis, chiefly native plants, and free-flowering ; co- 

 lour principally yellow; flowers rayed. C. tenuifolia, C. 

 verticillata, C. discolor, and C. tripteris, are the finest of 

 the genus, and will grow in any common garden soil. 



Delphiniums. There are some showy border flowers of 

 these, of strong growth. The leaves are much divided ; 

 the flowers in terminal spikes ; colour blue, purple, pink, 

 white and yellow, with various shades. D. grandiflorum, 

 and its varieties, are the best of the genus. D. interme- 

 dium, and its varieties, D. datum, Bee Larkspur, from 

 the ringent part of the flower being very like a bee, and 



