376 



CAtTHA. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. CAMELLIA. 



spots at the edges of Pine woods in the 

 moss in Cranberry swamps, and in 

 wet grassy marshes, and occasionally 

 seen on solid ground in low, wet 

 woody situations in N. America. 



CALTHA (Marsh Marigold). The 

 Marsh Marigold (C. palustris), that in 

 early spring " shines like fire in swamps 

 and hollows grey," and is one of our 

 good plants, though it is so frequent in 

 a wild state that there is little need 

 to give it a place in country gardens. 

 Its double varieties are good in a moist 

 rich border, or by the water-side. 

 There is a double variety of the smaller 

 creeping C. radicans, about half the 

 size of the common plant. There are 

 double-flowered forms bearing beautiful 

 golden rosettes Tyreman's variety 

 is a good showy one. There are 

 also C. leptosepala, a Calif ornian kind, 

 and C. purpurascens, distinct and hand- 

 some, about i foot high, with purplish 

 stems, and bright orange flowers, the 

 outside of the petals flushed with a 

 purplish tinge. The various Marsh 

 Marigolds in groups or bold masses are 

 effective, polypetala being the finest 

 kind ; they are easily grown in shallow 

 water or boggy soil, and increased by 

 division. 



CALYCANTHUS (Allspice Tree}. 

 N. American shrubs with flowers of 

 pleasant fragrance. C. occidentalis is 

 from 6 to 8 feet high, with large 

 maroon - crimson flowers of fine fra- 

 grance, and is worthy of cultivation. 

 C. floridus is smaller and not so dense, 

 with purplish-red flowers, strongly- 

 scented. The two described are hardy, 

 the Carolina species having been grown 

 since 1757. They flourish best when 

 somewhat shaded by other trees and 

 where the ground is damp. The 

 Winter Sweet, Chimonanthus, is some- 

 times included among these shrubs in 

 lists. 



CALYPSO. C. borealis is a pretty 

 little hardy Orchid, with rosy-purple 

 sepals and petals, and a white lip, 

 heavily blotched with cinnamon brown, 

 from the cold regions of N. America. 

 It succeeds in half-shady spots on the 

 margin of the rock garden or bog, or 

 in a select spot among choice shrubs in 

 light, moist vegetable soil, covered 

 with Cocoa fibre to keep the surface 

 open. 



Calystegia. See CONVOLVULUS. 



CAM A SSI A (Quamash). N. Ameri- 

 can plants of the Lily order, hardy, 

 handsome, and of easy culture. 



C. CUSICKI, from the Blue Mountains of 

 Oregon, has been described as the most 

 vigorous species yet found with large 

 broad leaves, a stout flower-stem growing 

 3 feet high, and flowers of a pale delicate 

 blue, large and spreading. 



C. ESCULENTA (Quamash) is a native of 

 meadows and marshes in N.W. America, 

 from i to 3 feet high, its stalks bearing a 

 loose raceme of from ten to twenty flowers 

 about 2 inches across, the colour from 

 deep to pale blue. There is also a pure 

 white, and various other forms thriving 

 in moist situations in a deep light soil. 



C. FRASERI (Eastern Quamash). A 

 native of the States east of the Missis- 

 sippi, its flowers are rather smaller than 

 those of the western species ; about i feet 

 high, the scape bearing a raceme of ten 

 to thirty pale blue flowers, each about i 

 inch across. It is later in flowering than 

 other Camassias, thriving in a light rich 

 soil. 



C. LEICHTLINI (White Camassia) This 

 often grows on sandy ridge-tops, and is 

 found in dry spots in ravines ; its bulbs 

 are generally deep in some stiff soil. The 

 flower-spike is large, bearing creamy white 

 flowers, the stem 3 to 4 feet high. It is 

 vigorous, but not so handsome as the 

 above. British Columbia. 



CAMELLIA. Handsome shrubs of 

 the Tea order, mostly grown under 

 glass in our country, but in the Isle of 

 Wight and the southern coasts of 

 England and Ireland it is often laden 

 with flcwers. Most people who have 

 Camellias in the open air find that they 

 flower well five out of every six years, 

 and that the plants are hardier than 

 many shrubs that make their new 

 growth early in the year. Their 

 greatest enemy is fierce winds. In 

 planting them out for the first time 

 it is well to plant first some of the 

 commoner kinds, and in sheltered 

 spots ; then, when these thrive, to 

 continue* with more valuable ones. 

 The best aspect for Camellias is a south 

 or south-west one, sheltered by a bank 

 or wall, but in some districts they 

 thrive on north walls. Planting from 

 pots may take place at any period, 

 but about July is the best time, as 

 the wood is then well ripened. The 

 Camellia is hardier than some more 

 popular things, such as the Bay, or 

 even the Cherry Laurel, and will not 

 only grow in the south of England and 

 Ireland, but in many other parts as 

 well. When I first came to Gravetye, 

 I put a group in what was then a copse, 

 rather carelessly, and they have thriven 

 ever since that is to say, for twenty- 

 ive years certain, and have never 



