62O 



PHALARIS. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



PHILADELPHUS. 



bearing oval leaves curving upwards at 

 the edges, and loose spikes of pale violet 

 flowers three-quarters of an inch across. 



P. DOUGLASII. A neat spreading plant 

 with the habit and appearance of Nemo- 

 phila insignis, its hairy and much-cut 

 leaves gathered near the base of the 

 stems, and the bell-shaped flowers half 

 an inch across. 



P. HUMILIS. An alpine species, coming 

 from a height of 5,000 to 6,000 feet in the 

 mountains of California. Though of erect 

 habit, it is only a few inches high, branch- 

 ing freely from the base. The leaves are 

 spoon-shaped, and the rich indigo-blue 

 flowers carried freely as locse spikes. 



P. MENZIESII. Of erect habit and 9 to 

 12 inches high, covered with rough grey 

 hairs ; leaves long, narrow, and stemless. 

 The flowers come freely in clusters of 

 bell-shaped deep violet or white blossoms, 

 half to three-quarters of an inch across, 

 rich and lasting. A good and easily 

 grown kind. 



P. PARRYI. From S. California, is a 

 compact plant of 6 to 12 inches, with 

 oval leaves, hairy on both sides and some- 

 what sticky. The flowers are shaped 

 like a shallow bell, with a spreading mouth 

 an inch across, their prevailing rich purple 

 colour relieved by five pure white spots. 

 This with me was almost as pretty as the 

 Gentianelle. 



P. SERICEA. A perennial species from 

 Colorado, with leafy stems of 6 or 8 inches, 

 leaves cut into narrow leaflets, and dense 

 heads of violet-purple flowers. A pretty 

 plant, best suited to the warm soils of 

 pur southern shore gardens, proving tender 

 in colder soils and inland. 



P. VISCIDA. From open spaces near the 

 Pacific coast ; is a hairy, gum-covered 

 plant of i to 2 feet, with rounded and 

 toothed leaves i to 3 inches long ; the 

 flowers are deep blue or purple with a 

 white centre. Syn. Eutoca viscida. 



P. WHITLAVIA. A loosely-branched 

 plant of I to 2 feet, with angular toothed 

 leaves, and large rich blue flowers nearly 

 an inch across, the corolla divided into 

 five spreading lobes. There is a white 

 form and a variety gloxinioides, in which 

 the flowers are spotted. 



PHALARIS (Ribbon Grass). Gar- 

 den grasses useful in the wild garden 

 or beside water, where the spreading 

 roots can do no harm. The forms 

 commonly grown are those striped 

 with yellow or creamy-white, and 

 known as arundinacea variegata and 

 elegantissima. These grow about 4 feet 

 high, and are best in rather poor soils, 

 but are not particular, doing well 

 almost anywhere, and also in shallow 

 water. The Canary Grass, P. canari- 

 ensis, is a pretty annual kind, with 



graceful variegated seed spikes. Syn. 

 Digraphis. 



PHELLODENDRON (Eastern Cork 

 Tree) . Hardy summer - leafing trees 

 about 50 feet high, from China and 

 Japan, spreading in habit, and with 

 large leaves cut into many leaflets. 

 Of quick growth, they soon make a 

 low round head, and thrive in all save 

 wet soils. The bark is thick, light 

 grey, and corky. They are being used 

 in America for street planting, but are 

 little known in this country. Increase 

 by seeds and root-cuttings rooted in 

 sand. The Chinese P. amurense is the 

 hardier and more vigorous kind, P. 

 japonicum being perhaps a form of it, 

 and P. sachalinense, a promising 

 kind, the last to come. 



PHILADELPHUS (Mock Orange). 

 Beautiful flowering shrubs from the 

 temperate regions of the northern 

 hemisphere, summer-leafing, and with 

 few exceptions hardy. There are 

 several wild kinds so much alike in 

 flower that some confusion of name has 

 arisen, and no garden need contain 

 more than the best kinds, which are 

 now fairly well known. Of more im- 

 portance than the natural species are 

 the new hybrid forms, valuable for 

 their neat habit and the fact that they 

 bloom in a small state, whereas the 

 wild kinds seldom flower well until 

 large. These tall kinds are of fine 

 effect when allowed to take their 

 natural form as masses of 15 to 20 

 feet, loaded with white flowers in 

 May, June, or early July. By growing 

 several kinds we secure a succession of 

 flower. They do best in light and 

 rather dry soils, and some do not 

 bloom freely in rich moist land. Some 

 kinds thrive in partial shade, and all 

 are good town plants, but they are 

 finest when well exposed, and such 

 kinds as microphyllus, Coulter i, and 

 mexicanus enjoy a hot place, the last 

 two being tender, save upon a wall. 

 All should have plenty of room to 

 spread and droop, and if they grow too 

 large it is better to cut them to the 

 ground and start afresh than to cut 

 them into ugly forms. There is a 

 golden-leaved form of the Common 

 Mock Orange, which retains its 

 colour well and does not burn if 

 planted where it gets a little shade 

 at mid-day. Increase is by suckers, 

 layers, or cuttings of soft wood rooted 

 under glass during summer, or ripened 

 stems inserted in the open during 



