THE 



VOL. VI.] 



OCTOBER, 1883. 



[No. 10. 



HAKDY HEKBAOEOUS PLANTS. 



There are many very beautiful hardy 

 plants that can be grown in the flower 

 border which require but little attention 

 as compared with the growing of an- 

 nuals, and yet one seldom finds them 

 even in the gardens of those who are fond 

 of flowers. One of these hardy plants is 

 shown in the colored plate that adorns 

 this number. It is the Dicentra Specta- 

 bilis, the Chinese counterpart of one of 

 our native wild-wood flowers which is 

 commonly known by the name of 

 Dutchman's breeches. This showy 

 flower was introduced into this country 

 many years ago, creating a gi-eat sensa- 

 tion on its first arrival and selling at 

 very high prices. It is not only very 

 hardy, but yields more and finer flowers 

 if kept in the open ground over the 

 winter, exi)Osed to hard freezing than 

 if kept in a place free /rom frost. 

 Those who plant it in pots for early 

 spring forcing have learned that in 

 order to the best results for forcincr 

 purposes, it is necessary to expose the 

 plants to severe freezing. 



In the older horticultural works this 

 plant will be found described under the 

 name of Dielytra Spectabilis. It was 

 found by Mr. Fortune in the gardens 



the spring of 1846 to the London 

 Horticultural Society, England, and 

 esteemed at that time the most brilliant 

 hardy plant added to our collections for 

 many years. It flowers in the spring, 

 the stalks rising to a height of about 

 two feet, with flower spikes from six 

 to eight inches in length, which hang 

 gracefully curved to one side. It de- 

 lights in a rich loamy soil, where it 

 will soon form a large plant, which, if 

 desired, may be divided very early in 

 the spring as the buds begin to appear 

 above the surface, and thus the number 

 of plants increased. 



Its graceful style of growth, com- 

 bined with the brilliant coloring and 

 unusual form of its flowei-s, and its 

 perfect adaptation to our Canadian 

 climate, make it woi-thy of a place in 

 every cottage garden of the land. 



The blue flower which is shown in 

 the colored plate is a very fine variety 

 of the Heliotrope, which is so univer- 

 sally admired for its delicious i)erfume. 

 It is not a hardy plant, and therefore 

 must be brought into the house on the 

 approath of frosts. It will grow well 

 in the kitchen window provided it be 

 not allowed to freeze on cold nights. 



in northern China, and sent by him in i During the summer it can be planted 



