VANCOUVERIA. THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. VERBASCUM. 763 



severe frosts. The outdoor culture of 

 this plant deserves more attention 

 than it has hitherto had. Cape of 

 Good Hope. There is a beautiful 

 variety in which the flowers are white. 

 S. Africa. 



VANCOUVERIA. V. hexandm is a 

 most graceful and distinct plant, 10 to 

 1 8 inches high, with light fern-like 

 leaves and slender spikes of pale 

 flowers, and is a charming plant for 

 the fernery and rock garden, best in 

 peaty soil. It is apt to perish in some 

 heavy soils, and thrives best in peaty 

 ones. Vancouver. Division. 



VENIDIUM. V. calendulaceum is a 

 beautiful half-hardy plant of dwarf 

 spreading growth, with in summer 

 showy yellow Marigold-like blossoms, 

 2 inches across and good for cutting. 

 A good effect is gained by putting out 

 several plants on a warm sunny border, 

 or even on the top of a wall or a raised 

 stone edging. Cuttings inserted in 

 August root freely, and may be win- 

 tered in the greenhouse if kept fairly 

 dry, otherwise they will damp off. 

 Seeds germinate freely in a hot-bed 

 in early spring. S. Africa. 



VERATRUM (White Hellebore] V. 

 album is a handsome erect pyramidal 

 perennial, 3^ to 5 feet high, with large 

 plaited leaves and yellowish-white 

 flowers in dense spikes on the top of the 

 stem, forming a large panicle. The 

 root is exceedingly poisonous. V. 

 nigrum has more slender stems, nar- 

 rower leaves, and blackish-purple 

 flowers. V. viride resembles V. album, 

 except that its flowers are green. 5. 

 californicum has stout stems of 5 to 

 7 feet, with branched and tapering 

 spikes of greenish-white bell-shaped 

 flowers, followed by ornamental fruits. 

 Division. These plants do best in 

 moist half-shady places in the wild 

 garden, rarely attaining their full 

 beauty in dry sun-scorched soils. 

 France. 



VERBASCUM (Mullein}. These are 

 stately plants, mostly of biennial dura- 

 tion, but the best are so handsome and 

 long flowering as to be welcome in the 

 garden, where in many cases once 

 introduced they come year after year. 

 The finer kinds merit good treatment 

 and planting in bold groups. 



V. CHAIXI (Nettle-leaved M.). A peren- 

 nial species, 10 feet in height and very 

 imposing when well grown. The bright 

 green leaves come up early ; the flowers 

 are large, yellow, with purple filaments, 



and last a long time. There is also a 

 handsome variety with white flowers. It 

 is a native of Europe. 



V. CUPREUM. A beautiful cross between 

 V. phceniceum and V. ov all folium, coming 

 near the first-named in habit, hardy, a 

 true perennial, with slender spikes 2 to 

 3 feet high of copper-coloured flowers from 

 May to August. Other hybrids related to 

 it are V. hybridium, Daisy Hill, a cross 

 between V. phceniceum and V. cupreum, 

 with short spikes of bright copper and 

 orange-coloured flowers ; and Lewanika, 

 from the same cross, a taller plant with 

 flowers of a peculiar shade of bronze- 

 purple, produced during a long season. 



V. NIGRUM. Native of Britain, a true 

 perennial with yellow flowers, but rarely 

 more than 3 feet high. A handsome form 

 of it, now grown in gardens, with pure 

 white flowers, is a good plant. S. Europe. 



V. OLYMPICUM. One of the grandest 

 of the family, strong flower-stems attain- 

 ing 6 to 10 feet in height, the flowers rich 

 yellow, and woolly leaves forming bold 

 rosettes. A biennial from the Orient. 

 V. phceniceum (Purple-leaved Mullein), one 

 of the best perennials for borders in small 

 gardens, is very variable, there being 

 white, violet, lilac, rose, and purple- 

 flowered varieties, flowering from May to 

 August. S. Europe. 



V. PHLOMOIDES. Best of all Mulleins, 

 5 to 9 feet high according to the richness 

 of soil, its yellow flowers continue nearly 

 the whole season through. It will grow 

 in almost any soil, and should be grouped 

 boldly among shrubs and the larger hardy 



Elants, or naturalised in chalk}' or sandy 

 anks. France and S. Europe. 



