FENZLIA. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. FORSYTHIA. 471 



September, or soft cuttings rooted 

 under glass. 

 FENZLIA DIANTHIFLORA. A 



fragile Californian annual, very attrac- 

 tive with its exquisitely formed flowers 

 and dwarf growth. It is precious for 

 bare spots in the rock garden or the 

 margins of choice beds. Sown in the 

 open in April, it should have a light, 

 well-prepared soil. In cold soils a 

 good way is to sow in boxes and plant 

 out when small near dwarf plants only. 

 It is now classed among the Gilias, 

 but I keep to the old name. 



FERULA (Giant Fennel}. Very 

 graceful umbelliferous plants long 

 known in our botanic gardens, their 

 charm consisting in large tufts of the 

 freshest green leaves in early spring. 

 The foliage is apt to fade in summer. 

 Where bold spring flowers are natur- 

 alised, a group of Giant Fennels will 

 be effective, with their fine plumes in 

 early spring. They are among the 

 true hardy plants of the northern 

 world, never suffering from cold. 

 Their fine forms in summer or autumn, 

 when they throw up flowering-shoots 

 to a height of 10 feet or so, are remark- 

 able enough ; but their appearance 

 when breaking up in spring charms 

 us most. The plants do not bear 

 division well, though with care they 

 may be transplanted. One of the 

 most valuable is F. tingitana ; it takes 

 several years to form strong plants that 

 look like massive plumes of filmy 

 Ferns. F. communis is also a good 

 species, and others, including F. glauca, 

 neapolitana, Ferulago, and persica, may 

 be added where variety is sought. 

 S. Europe and N. Africa. Seed. 



FESTUCA (Fescue Grass). Annual 

 and perennial grasses, containing few 

 species for the garden. A variety of 

 Sheep's Fescue (F. ovina), named 

 glauca, is a pretty dwarf hardy grass, 

 forming dense tufts of leaves of a 

 glaucous hue or soft blue, and on this 

 account sometimes called " blue " 

 Grass. It makes good edgings, and 

 when it is used for this purpose the 

 flower-spikes should be cut away. F. 

 ovina viridis is also a pretty edging 

 plant, and being of slow growth, does 

 not require renewal for years. 



FICARIA (Pileworf). Plants of the 

 Crowfoot family, much resembling 

 some kinds of Buttercup. F. ranun- 

 culoides (Lesser Celandine) is a common 

 British plant, 3 to 6 inches high, bear- 

 ing glossy yellow flowers in early 

 spring. It is so common that it would 

 not be mentioned but for its pretty 



double and white varieties. A good 

 plant for growing under trees, in moist 

 borders, in any soil. Division. 



F. GRANDIFLORA (Great Pilewort). A 

 large-flowered kind, about twice the size 

 of our native kind. It is easily grown 

 and showy, and gould be naturalised, 

 especially on sandy and free soils. S. 

 Europe. 



FITZROYA PATAGONICA (Fitz- 

 roy's Cypress). A graceful, and in its 

 own country, stately evergreen forest 

 tree, with some claim to hardiness in 

 Devon, Cornwall, and the south and 

 sea-coast of Ireland. There are beau- 

 tiful examples of it at Fota, Killerton, 

 and other southern gardens, but its 

 use is limited to these and sheltered 

 coast gardens, and there it will thrive 

 best on' open free soils. Andes of S. 

 America. 



FORSYTHIA (Golden Bell) .Beau- 

 tiful spring-flowering shrubs, especially 

 F. suspensa, whose long, slender, 

 wand-like shoots are studded for a 

 considerable distance with bright gol- 

 den blossoms. Being of a rather loose 

 habit, it is suited for training on walls 

 or banks ; indeed, few subjects are 

 superior to it for a sunny spot, where 

 the wood will thoroughly ripen. When 

 rambling about in a free state, or when 

 hanging over a bank or a cutting, this 

 Forsythia is seen to very great advan- 

 tage. F. viridissima, another species, 

 is quite a shrub. It needs a spot fully 

 exposed to the sun, so that a good 

 display of bloom may be ensured. A 

 certain Forsythia was sent here from 

 the Continent two or three years 

 since under the name of F. intermedia, 

 and was announced as a hybrid be- 

 tween F. suspensa and F. viridissima. 

 Though at first very little disposed 

 in its favour, I have recently seen it 

 in a better light. Its general appear- 

 ance is about midway between its 

 alleged parents. F. i. densi flora and 

 F. i. spectabilis are well-marked forms 

 of this plant, the last named with- 

 out doubt the most beautiful of all 

 known Forsythias. Forsythias may be 

 flowered under glass in the greenhouse 

 or the conservatory during the early 

 months of the year, and if so treated 

 they will bloom well. Owing to the 

 time the blossoms expand, when in the 

 open ground, very little forcing is 

 necessary to have them in bloom quite 

 early. Fortunei and Sieboldi are names 

 often used ; but these represent only 

 vigorous forms of F. suspensa. Shoots 

 of the rambling kinds root from the 

 points almost as readily as ajbramble, 



