7 I2 



SAXIFRAGA. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



SCABIOSA. 



Seguieri, S. stelleriana, and 5. tricuspidala, 

 all suitable for clothing the bare parts of 

 the rock garden and slopes, but require 

 moist soil and cool positions. Division 

 in spring or the end of summer. 



S. UMBROSA (London Pride). -This is 

 abundant on the mountains round Killar- 

 ney, and has long been grown in our 

 gardens. It is naturalised in several parts 

 of England, and grows freely in dwarf her- 

 bage or in rocky parts of woods. 



Saxifraga sarmentosa. 



There are other good kinds, but less 

 important than the foregoing, such as 

 S. mutata, S. florulenta, very difficult to 

 grow, the London Pride-like S. Geum, 

 the native S. Hirculus, and the small 

 grey tufted S. aspera. 



HYBRID ROCKFOILS. A fine series 

 of hybrid Megaseas is that due to 

 Mr T. Smith, of Newry, resulting from 

 crosses between cordifolia x purpuras- 

 cens, and with the good qualities of 

 both parents. The plants are all 

 robust, although varying much in 

 colour of flower and in stature. 

 Hybrida splendens is one of the finest 

 in the group, but the following are 

 all good : 



Brilliant. Leaves large, richly 

 tinted in autumn and winter ; flowers 

 purple ; calyces and pedicels crimson ; 

 fine. Campana. Very neat dwarf 

 crowded foliage ; scape i feet with 

 bell-shaped head of rosy-lilac flowers. 

 Corrugata. Dwarf habit ; large rough 

 leaves ; flowers pink. Distinction. 



Dwarf crowded habit, with enormous 

 head of pale pink flowers. Nana. A 

 miniature of hybrida splendens. Pro- 

 gress. A free-growing plant, with tall 

 scapes of rosy purple, bell-shaped 

 blossoms, which are i^ inch across ; 

 extra fine. Sturdy. Compact habit, 

 with short stout scape of rose-coloured 

 flowers. 



SCABIOSA (Scabious). Annual, bi- 

 ennial, and perennial plants, forming 

 by far the largest proportion of the 

 Teasel family cultivated in our gardens. 

 The old English name of Pincushion 

 Flower, from the resemblance of the 

 flower-heads to that useful article, is 

 perhaps a little more appropriate than 

 it is elegant, although it serves its 

 purpose very well, and, indeed, we 

 have been told these plants are known 

 by no other name in the country. 

 Although comprising a large number 

 of species, very few are found outside 

 the botanic garden, and were all the 

 known kinds hunted up, not a dozen 

 would prove worth growing. 



S. ATRO-PURPUREA (Sweet S.). The 

 commonest Scabious, grown in distinct 

 varieties, which add much to the beauty 

 of our mixed flower borders, as well as 

 being largely used for greenhouse and 

 conservatory decoration. The normal 

 colour is said to be deep crimson, but under 

 cultivation all shades of crimson, purplish- 

 yellow, and white may be seen. Many 

 varieties have double flowers and are 

 preferred by some growers, but I think 

 the single varieties are best, and they are 

 also extremely useful for cutting. Under 

 the name Saudade the flower-heads of this 

 plant are used for funeral wreaths by the 

 Portuguese and other nations ; indeed, 

 the white varieties are of such purity that 

 they might be so employed in our own 

 country, as they may be had at almost any 

 season if sown and grown under glass. To 

 secure gay groups for the flower borders, 

 order mixed packets of seeds, which should 

 be sown in the reserve ground along with 

 other annuals in May, or even later, to 

 bloom the following year. If sown earlier, 

 however, the Scabious will bloom the same 

 year, for though considered a biennial by 

 many growers, we have always looked 

 upon it as a hardy annual. By sowing 

 the seed in the open towards the end of 

 March and thinning out as required, the 

 plants will bloom well towards the latter 

 end of summer. To get earlier bloom, 

 those sown the previous autumn may be 

 transplanted in early spring to their 

 flowering quarters ; the succession will 

 then be continued from early summer 

 until late autumn. S.W. Europe. 



S. CAUCASICA. The finest perennial in 

 my garden, it flowers from early summer to 



