FOR GARDEN DECORATION 45 



and the diversity of opinion that exists respecting the 

 better sorts for garden decoration. Doubtless most 

 growers would regard Dorothy Eckford as a splendid 

 white kind for the purpose under notice. It is a free- 

 flowering robust plant with a good habit, that flowers 

 continuously in good form, and is most effective. The 

 same may be said of the bright crimson self King 

 Edward VII. Most growers would give this variety a 

 vote were they asked to do so. Countess Spencer, 

 notwithstanding its variableness of colour, makes a 

 handsome garden Sweet Pea. When in true form the 

 blossoms are pale pink with darker edges, and are very 

 pretty and effective. Helen Lewis and Evelyn Byatt, as re- 

 presenting the orange tones of colour, are excellent indeed, 

 the rosy wings in both cases adding to their effective dis- 

 play. The robust character of Black Knight, together 

 with its freedom of flowering and the fine quality of its 

 shining deep maroon, self-coloured blossoms, stamps it as 

 one of the very best of its colour for the garden. The old 

 and ever popular pale lavender Sweet Pea, Lady Grisel 

 Hamilton, is still regarded with considerable favour. It 

 is a good all-round sort, although small now by com- 

 parison with others. This plant is wonderfully free- 

 flowering. A good companion to the last-named variety 

 is Frank Dolby. This is a larger flower of Unwin form 

 and is of a lavender-blue colour, that is rather disposed 

 to be sportive. We like this newer kind very much. 

 Mrs Collier has superseded the once popular Hon. Mrs 

 E. Kenyon as a so-called primrose self. The newer 

 variety is a fine Sweet Pea that blossoms continuously 

 and freely. We have had some wonderful flowers of 

 this fine garden variety. It is astonishing how readily 

 many growers will speak of Helen Pierce as a good 

 garden variety. The pretty, blue-marbled colouring on 

 a white ground makes it a beautiful flower, but it is 

 hardly as effective as a good self would be. In some 



