PENNISETUM. THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. PENTSTEMON. 615 



VII., King of Bedders, Lady Bailey, 

 Mons. Myriel, Mrs Holford, Mrs R. 

 Cannell, Omphale, Paul Crampel, 

 Phyllis, Queen of Whites, Sam Jacoby, 

 Snowdrop, Surprise, Swanley White, 

 Vesuvius, and West Brighton Gem. 

 These are all with single flowers, but 

 a few of the double kinds are also 

 useful, such as Double Jacoby, Hermi- 

 one, F. V. Raspail, Gustav Emich, 

 Jean Viaud, King of Denmark, and 

 Ville de Poitiers. Several of these 

 are also excellent for blooming under 

 glass during the winter, among the 

 best in this way being Countess of 

 Dudley, Carmaina, Aldenham, Helen 

 Countess of Radnor, Mrs Lawson, 

 F. V. Raspail Improved, Hall Caine, 

 Hermione, King of Denmark, King 

 Edward VII., Lady Roscoe, Mary 

 Beaton, Mrs Chas. Pearson, Mrs Law- 

 rence, Prince of Orange, Sirdar, and 

 Ville de Poitiers. 



Of the -Ivy-leaved sorts and their 

 hybrid varieties the following are 

 useful as bedding plants for their 

 double flowers of fine colour : Achieve- 

 ment, Col. Baden-Powell, Galilee, Her 

 Majesty the Queen, Mme. Crousse, 

 Mrs Hawley, Souvenir de Chas. Turner. 

 Bridal Wreath and Dolly Varden are 

 older single-flowered kinds, and Duke 

 of Edinburgh and Aureum margina- 

 tum varieties with variegated leaves. 

 These Ivy-leaved sorts are invaluable 

 for vases, balconies, and for pegging 

 down on the surface of beds. There 

 is now coming out a new series of 

 hybrids combining the fine glossy 

 foliage and bright flowers of the ivy- 

 leaved kinds with the sturdy erect 

 habit, and often the distinct leaf- 

 marking of the zonal section. As yet 

 one cannot say much as to their 

 garden value, but such kinds as Ching- 

 foid Beauty, belonging to this class, 

 seem to promise well for the future. 



PENNISETUM. P. longistylum is 



one of the most elegant of grasses, i to 

 1 1 feet high ; the flower-spikes, borne 

 on slender stems, are from 4 to 6 inches 

 long, of singular twisted form, and 

 enveloped in a purplish feathery down. 

 It is useful for cutting, as it lasts a 

 long time, is perennial and hardy, 

 growing in free garden soil. Easily 

 raised from seed, or root division in 

 early spring. P. fimbriatum is a 

 similar species, equally desirable. P. 

 japonicum is a taller kind with long 

 narrow leaves and a dense rounded 

 spike. P. macrourum, like a miniature 

 Pampas Grass, is a tall perennial from 



the mountains of S. Africa, with spikes 

 of flower a foot long. P. latifolium 

 from S. America is a noble plant in the 

 summer garden, but will not stand 

 our winters in the open. 



PENTSTEMON (Beard Tongue]. 

 For their varied colour, profuse flower- 

 ing, and graceful habit, Pentstemons 

 have a high value for our flower-beds, 

 especially as their beauty covers five 

 months, commencing in June with the 

 charming blue P. procerus, and finish- 

 ing with the endless varieties of P. 

 Hartwegi in shades of rose, scarlet, 

 and crimson, whose beauty holds its 

 own even in November, after more 

 fragile plants have perished. 



Pelargonium "Pretty Polly." 



As regards culture, the species have 

 the reputation of being difficult to 

 manage, as some of the shrubby section 

 die when apparently in health. To 

 ensure success, drainage is often essen- 

 tial, as they fear moisture at the roots 

 more than cold. The best soil is friable 

 loam, with a mixture of well-decayed 

 leaf mould and sharp sand. It is well 

 to have a few plants in cold frames, 

 to fill any gaps in the borders. They 

 may be grown from cuttings or seeds. 

 Seed should be sown in February 

 or March on a gentle hot-bed under 

 a frame, in seed-pans well drained 

 with broken plaster and filled with a 

 compost of peat soil and sand. In 

 April the seedlings should be pricked 

 out under a frame, and these, planted 



