54 THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



night-smelling Stocks will appeal to some, but are rather too strong 

 in odour for others. The annual Hibiscus when well grown are 

 .-effective plants, and the same may be said of the Hollyhock, for 

 which probably the best way is to raise it from seed, as in that 

 way we can fight better against the fungus. The Single 

 Hollyhock is worthy of much care and is often very effective. 

 The Flaxes are very pretty annuals, red and blue, and even the 

 common cultivated Flax is a beautiful plant. The beauty of the 

 Ice plants, of which we see so little in our country, is fairly shown 

 by the little annual one. In our day quite a series of beautiful forms 

 of Mignonette have come to add to the charms of that always 

 welcome plant. The annual and biennial Evening Primroses are 

 often extremely valuable and showy. 



The Sweet Scabious are pretty and varied in colour and so 

 fragrant. Of Sweet Peas there is a delightful series in our own 

 day, when so many kinds have been raised that one could easily 

 make a garden of them. No words can exaggerate their value, 

 either in mixed or separate colours, and they should be both 

 autumn and spring sown, so as to get a chance of those fine tall 

 hedges of Sweet Peas which come where we sow in autumn and 

 get the plants safely through the winter, and they are doubly 

 valuable owing to the many beautiful new kinds. Zinnia is extremely 

 .fine in colour, but in our country it wants warm soils and the best 

 positions in order to do well. In Italy, Austria, and South Germany 

 it is much more beautiful and vigorous than with us. 



Some annual plants, like the Cornflower, Sweet Sultan, Sweet 

 Pea, Scabious, are precious for cutting for the house, and may be 

 grown with the hardy flowers for this purpose where there is room 

 for it ; others are good for trellis-work, and others for surfaces we 

 wish to adorn with pretty climbers, such as Canary Creeper, 

 Maurandya, Adlumia, Gourds, Convolvulus. 



The various French and African Marigolds, and the prettier forms 

 of the pot Marigold, are very showy plants, and, for those who 

 love much colour, are almost essential, and the same may be said 

 of the various annual Calliopsis. The China Aster used to be 

 grown much better than it is generally now, and there is no doubt, 

 where people do not get much colour from other plants, such as 

 Roses and the finer perennials, the China Aster in its many forms 

 is useful. But more important by far are the various kinds of 

 Stock, which have the added charm of fragrance, and which do 

 so well in many gardens with light and warm soils in the north 

 and in Scotland. Cosmos are pretty plants worthy of a place, and 

 the best of the annual kinds of Datura are picturesque and distinct. 

 Chinese Pinks are very beautiful and charming in variety. The 



