498 HELONIOPSIS. THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. HEMEROCALLIS. 



soil it thrives as a border plant. N. 

 America. Syn. H. latifolia. 



HELONIOPSIS. Dwarf perennial 

 plants of the Lily order, from Japan, 

 forming neat tufts of erect lance-shaped 

 leaves of a few inches high, and carry- 

 ing short spikes of flower in early 

 spring. In H. breviscapa they are 

 6 or 8 inches long, white with deep 

 lilac stamens, the whole turning a 

 pretty rose-red before fading. In H. 

 japonica the flowers are larger, but 

 only two or three on a stalk, their 

 colour a deep rose with blue anthers. 

 The plants thrive in moist peaty soil 

 and in sunny sheltered nooks ; H. 

 breviscapa also does well in partial 

 shade. Increase by division late in 

 summer, or seeds sown in a cold 

 frame. 



HEMEROCALLIS (Day Lily}. The 

 Day Lilies, though not numbering 

 many distinct species, are varied both 

 in habit and flower, and are very useful 

 in the mixed border and in groups by 

 the water-side. Few plants surpass a 

 strong, well-flowered clump of Hemero- 

 callis fulva, as we have seen it, mixed 

 with a group of male Fern near a 

 brook. The leaves of this Day Lily 

 were overhanging the banks of the 

 stream, intermingled with the Fern 

 fronds, while the flower-heads, tall and 

 straight, were towering upwards. If 

 the ground is well broken up and some 

 lasting manure supplied at planting 

 time, they maybe left undisturbed for 

 years. The forms of H. disticha, both 

 single and double, are also useful for 

 clumps by water, or intermixed with 

 other robust or bold-foliaged plants ; 

 indeed, there seems no reason why all 

 the Day Lilies could not be treated 

 in this picturesque way, the trouble 

 entailed being small, and that chiefly 

 at planting time only. For cutting, 

 H. flava, minor, and Dumortieri are 

 useful, the flowers lasting a few days 

 and the buds opening well in water. 

 The fragrance of these flowers is 

 delightful ; they are readily increased 

 by division, and grow with such 

 rapidity that in the course of a few 

 years they may be increased to almost 

 any extent. 



The following are the species as they 

 are now recognised, with the principal 

 varieties : 



H. AURANTIACA MAJOR. This is the 

 name given by Mr Baker, of Kew, to a new 

 and handsome kind from Japan, and of 

 which a coloured plate was given in The 

 Garden, 23rd November 1895. It is one 



of the finest new hardy plants of recent 

 years, and reminds one of H. fulva (syn. 

 H. disticha}. The new kind has bold 

 leafage, a glaucous tinge overlying the 

 deep green body colour ; the flowers, of 

 a rich apricot colour, open out widely, and 

 are of great substance. 



H. DUMORTIERI (Dumortier's Day Lily). 

 This valuable kind is the first to flower 

 of all the Day Lilies. Coming from Japan 

 and W. Siberia, it is hardy in the open air, 

 requires no protection during winter, and 

 we have never known it fail to bear freely 

 its charming and fragrant flowers. The 

 blooms are shcrt-lived, but the reserves 

 are so numerous as to keep up the succession 

 for a long time. This Day Lily dwindles 

 in vigour of the plants and size of the 

 flowers if allowed to remain too long in 

 one place. If the plants are examined, 

 the centres will be found to be matted 



Yellow Day Lily (Hcmerocallisjlava}, 



together, the stronger shoots appearing 

 on the outside. If the plant is divided 

 and replanted it will amply repay the 

 trouble by increased vigour and larger 

 flowers. It, is closely allied to H. minor, 

 also known as H. graminea, but it is a 

 much stronger plant, however, with leaves 

 twice as broad, the flower-stems short, 



