MYRSINE AFRICANA. THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. NARCISSUS. 577 



in compound umbels. Suitable for 

 naturalising near wood walks and in 

 open shrubberies in any soil, and may 

 be used among fine-leaved perennials. 

 Division. 



Myrrhis odot-ata (Sweet Cicely). 



MYRSINE AFRICANA. A curious 

 little evergreen found in many parts 

 of the world India, China, etc. and 

 of very neat habit. Thrives in the 

 rock garden. 



MYRTUS (Myrtle). In southern and 

 coast counties the Myrtle is hardy 

 enough to be planted as a bush, for if 

 its shoots are killed by frosts it often 

 recovers the following season. But 

 the common Myrtle is most gener- 

 ally grown as a wall-shrub, and house 

 walls could not have a more beauti- 

 ful covering, especially if some pretty 

 Clematis or other graceful climber be 

 allowed to ramble amongst the Myrtle. 

 There are many varieties of the 

 common Myrtle, every one with sweet- 

 smelling leaves, and all with white 

 flowers. The chief sorts are the Dutch, 

 Italian, Roman, Rosemary or Thyme- 

 leaved, Nutmeg, Box - leaved, and 

 Andalusian. Besides these there are 

 some with variegated leaves, the leaves 

 being striped with gold or silver, or 

 spotted and blotched. In planting a 

 Myrtle against a wall, choice should, 

 if possible, be given to a space pro- 

 tected from northerly and easterly 



winds, which in spring are injurious 

 to the leaves. S. Europe. 



NANDINA (Heavenly Bamboo). N. 

 domestica is a distinct and graceful 

 shrub with dark leathery leaves, often 

 flushed with red towards autumn. 

 The flowers are small and whitish, in 

 panicles, the berries about the size of 

 peas, of a fine red. In our climate, it 

 does not produce these freely, but it 

 thrives in southern and western gar- 

 dens, and is best grouped with Ameri- 

 can plants on peaty or free soil, best 

 in half-shade. China and Japan. 



NARCISSUS (Daffodil). Beautiful 

 bulbous flowers of mountain and alpine 

 pastures, plains, or woods, thriving 

 admirably in most parts of our island ; 

 if anywhere, better in the cooler nor- 

 thern parts and in Ireland, though 

 excellent in cool soils in the south. 

 They are to the spring what Roses, 

 Irises, and Lilies are to summer, what 

 Sunflowers and Chrysanthemums are 

 to autumn, and what Hellebores and 

 Aconite are to winter. No good garden 

 should be without the best of the 

 lovely varieties now known. Narcissi 

 vary so much in form, size, colour, and 

 in time of flowering, that a most attrac- 

 tive spring garden could be made with 

 them alone ; provided one had suitable 

 soil, and a background of fresh turf, 

 shrubs, and trees. The best of the 

 commoner kinds should be planted by 

 the thousand, and, indeed, in many 

 cases this has been done with the best 

 results. On grassy banks, on turfy 

 bosses near the roots of lawn - trees, 

 or in meadows near the house, their 

 effect is delightful. All the best Nar- 

 cissi, and practically all the forms of 

 the yellow and the bicolor Daffodils, 

 may be planted in June, July, or 

 August, in three ways in the lawn 

 or meadow, in the beds and borders 

 of the garden, or in 6 or 8 -inch pots. 

 Five bulbs should be planted in a 

 pot and covered over with coal-ashes 

 or sand until January, when they may 

 be placed in a sunny frame, pit, or 

 greenhouse, or even in a sunshiny 

 window, and a crop of flowers can 

 be secured earlier than on the open 

 ground. The main points in beginning 

 the culture of Narcissi are to get sound 

 and healthy bulbs as early as possible 

 after June, and to plant or pot them 

 at once in good fibrous, sandy, or 

 gravelly loam, or in any virgin soil. 

 They like fresh deep-tilled loam, and 

 the strongest of the bicolor and star 

 Narcissi do not object to soils rich in 



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