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TROPJBOLUM. THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. TROPJEOLUM. 



T. PENTAPHYLLUM. A rapid-growing 

 climber, 6 to 10 feet high, with greenish- 

 red flowers. It will cover pillars, walls, 

 chains, bowers, and revels in sunshine, 

 succeeding well on the south wall of a 

 greenhouse or in any warm aspect. It 

 does best in light and warm loams or 

 calcareous soils. Division or seed. Chili. 



T. POLYPHYLLUM. One of the most 

 beautiful trailers introduced. While its 

 foliage may form a dense carpet on a 

 bank, its wreaths of yellow flowers follow in 

 windings and groupings, its leaves glaucous 

 and cut into fine leaflets. In a warm rock 



Tropcpolum polyphyllum. 



garden the stems creep about, snake-like, 

 through the neighbouring vegetation, 

 sometimes extending 3 or 4 feet. The root 

 is tuberous, and increases in the earth 

 borders. It springs up early, and dies 

 down too soon after flowering its only 

 fault. It is hardy in my garden, and 

 thrives in various positions. Chilian 

 Cordilleras. 



T. SMITHI. A beautiful plant from a 

 great elevation in the Andes of north- 

 western S. America. It is a twiner of free, 

 robust habit, bearing smooth glossy leaves 

 deeply cut into five broad lobes. The 

 flowers are large and funnel-shaped, ending 

 in a long green-tipped spur ; the calyx 

 is rich ruby red, with finely fringed and 

 lobed petals of orange veined with bright 

 red. Flowers in June and July, and may 

 be raised from seed and treated as a 

 hardy annual during summer. 



T. SPECIOSUM (Flame Nasturtium). A 

 splendid creeper, with long and elegant 

 annual shoots, clothed with leaves from 

 the axils of which spring brilliant ver- 

 milion flowers. Quite a free grower in 



Scotland ; in the south it is best among 

 shrubs and in half-shady spots, also often 

 thrives in hedgerows. It makes its way 

 through evergreen shrubs, and enjoys a 

 deep, rich, and rather moist soil, in cool 

 places, or near the sea, where no pains 

 should be spared to establish it. At 

 North Walsham (5 miles from Cromer), 

 the curtains of growth, flower, and fruit 

 against the high walls are among the 

 features of these well-known gardens. 



A correspondent wrote to The Garden : 

 " This beautiful climber dislikes hot sun 

 and a dry atmosphere, and this accounts 

 for many failures in growing it. Several 

 years ago a friend who knew nothing of 



I the plant received some roots from the 

 fine old plant at Lismore Castle. By 

 my advice some were planted against a 

 west wall, in front of which grew some 



! good - sized Nut - bushes and Apple - trees, 

 so that in the hot summer weather the 

 sun could only reach the plants for a 

 couple of hours daily. The remaining 

 roots were planted against a north wall 

 with scarcely any sun, and at the west end 

 of the dwelling-house, where the full force 

 of the afternoon sun was felt. In all 

 these cases the soil was alike. The plants 

 behind the Nut-bushes and Apple-trees 

 grew remarkably well, and bloomed as 

 freely as could be expected in the first 

 year of planting. On'the north wall the 

 growth was good, though the flowers were 

 not so numerous ; but in the sunny 

 position, although the roots made a little 

 growth, they withered away as soon as 

 the sun made itself felt. There could be 

 no better proof that success with the 

 Flame-flower is a matter of position, and 

 that, even in the southern counties, there 

 are probably few gardens where its require- 

 ments cannot be met. 



" When a position is selected, the soil 

 should be made light, deep, and free by 

 leaf-mould, peat, fibry loam, and sand, 

 according to the nature of the ground. 

 Mulch in summer with an inch or two of 

 leaf-mould or manure to prevent excessive 

 evaporation ; and whatever manure is 

 used, it must be well decayed. The young 

 plants should be planted in spring, the 

 roots being inserted 6 or 8 inches in the 

 soil and well watered." Division and 

 seed. 



T. TUBEROSUM. A distinct and beau- 

 tiful tuberous-rooted climber from Peru, 

 with slender stems 10 to 12 feet high, and 

 a profusion <5f showy scarlet and yellow 

 flowers on slender stalks. It flowers late, 

 so as to be often spoiled by frost, but in 

 sheltered places and a mild autumn will 

 bloom into November. It should be 

 grown in open spots in the poorest of soils, 

 with its branches supported or allowed to 

 trail along the ground. As it is not hardy 

 in all soils, lift the tubers in autumn, and 

 store in a dry place till spring. 



