IDESIA. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



ILEX. 



I. SEMPERVIRENS. The commonest 

 perennial Candytuft, half-shrubby, dwarf, 

 spreading, evergreen, and perfectly hardy, 

 it escapes where many plants are destroyed 

 by cold ; and in April and May its neat 

 tufts of dark green change into masses of 

 snowy white. Where a very dwarf ever- 

 green edging is required for a shrubbery, 

 or for beds of shrubs, it is one of the best 

 plants known, as on any soil it quickly 

 forms spreading masses almost as low as 

 the lawn-grass. 



I. TENOREANA. A dwarf kind, with 

 white flowers, changing to purple. It has 

 not, however, the hardiness of the white 

 kinds, and perishes on heavy soils in 

 winter ; on light sandy soils in the rock 

 garden it is pretty. It is easily raised 

 from seed, and should be treated as a 

 biennial. S. Italy. 



I. UMBELLATA (Annual Candytuft). 

 This and its ally (I. coronaria) are the 

 hardy annual Candytufts. They are 

 varied in colour, and are among the most 

 useful of annual flowers. They may be 

 sown at all seasons, but, as in the case of 

 most other hardy* annuals, the finest 

 flowers are from autumn-sown plants, 

 which flower from May to July. They 

 like a rich soil and plenty of room to flower 

 freely. There are a great number of 

 varieties, differing both in growth and 

 colour. What are known as the dwarf 

 or nana strain are neat and dwarf in 

 growth, are abundant bloomers and showy. 

 /. umbeUata nana rosea and alba are two of 

 the most distinct, being about 9 inches 

 high ; the dark crimson, carmine, lilac, 

 and purple sorts, about i foot high, are 

 also fine. The Rocket Candytuft (/. coro- 

 naria) in good soil grows 12 to 16 inches 

 high, with pure white flowers in long dense 

 heads, and there is a dwarf variety of it 

 (pumila), 4 to 6 inches high, forming 

 spreading tufts i foot or more across. The 

 Giant Snowflake is also an excellent 

 variety. These Rocket Candytufts re- 

 quire the same treatment as the common 

 varieties. 



IDESIA. /. poly car pa is a Japanese 

 tree of recent introduction. It has 

 large leaves, bright green above, and 

 whitish beneath. The flowers form 

 long, drooping, branched racemes, and 

 are fragrant. The colour is not bril- 

 liant, but their effect, combined with 

 the red leaf stalks, the varying green 

 of the leaves, and their drooping habit, 

 is good. There are male and female 

 forms, and, although the tree may be 

 increased by cuttings, it is better 

 raised from seed. 



ILEX (Holly}. Beautiful evergreen 

 shrubs of northern temperate countries, 

 of which the most precious is our 

 own native Holly, Ilex aquifolium. It 



would be difficult to exaggerate the 

 value of this plant, whether as an 

 evergreen tree, as the best of all fence- 

 shelters for our fields, or as a lovely 

 ornament of our gardens. No other 

 shrub known to us may be so often 

 used with good effect near the house 

 and garden, and it will be clear, there- 

 fore, how much one should consider 

 the common Holly in all its forms and 

 ways. Valuable as many varieties are, 

 probably none are quite so good as 

 seedlings of the common kind. Good 

 seedling plants are the easiest to trans- 

 plant and establish. The ait of graft- 

 ing most delusive as well as most 

 curious of arts should be carefully 

 guarded against as regards Hollies. 

 Hitherto the way has been to graft the 

 many variegated kinds on the common 

 Holly, and although we often see good 

 results in that way, it is by far the safer 

 plan to insist on the variegated and 

 curious kinds being raised from layers 

 or cuttings. It will perhaps take a 

 long time to recognise the immense 

 superiority of own root plants, but if 

 purchasers inquire for and insist upon 

 getting them, it will very much hasten 

 progress. Old plants grafted are ex- 

 tremely difficult to move with safety, 

 and, generally, Hollies and other trees 

 are best not moved when old. It is an 

 expensive and troublesome business, 

 and often a failure. Young healthy 

 bushes, seedling or layer, will in a few 

 years beat old grafted trees that at 

 least is my experience. Very often old 

 specimens from the nursery live for a 

 number of years, but their appearance 

 is deplorable, whereas healthy, well- 

 grown young plants, from 3 to 5 feet 

 high, when transplanted in May, are 

 often beautiful from the first. No 

 doubt healthy seedling plants might be 

 transplanted at various times, but 

 experience has proved that there is a 

 distinct gain in transplanting Hollies 

 in May ; and if we transplant them 

 carefully at that time we shall probably 

 see good healthy growth the same year. 

 As regards the uses of the Holly, they 

 are so many in the garden that it is 

 difficult even to generalise them. As 

 shelter in bold groups, dividing lines, 

 hedges, beautiful effects of fruit in 

 autumn, masses of evergreen foliage, 

 bright glistening colour from variegated 

 kinds variegation in the Holly, unlike 

 other shrubs, being quite consistent 

 with health and beauty ; elegant 

 groups of the most beautiful varieties 

 every kind of delightful use may be 

 found for them in gardens, 



