768 VERONICA. THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN, 



VERONICA. 



silvery-white, effective as an edging in 

 warm soils. The newer kinds are 

 Autumn Glory, a bushy plant with 

 small purplish leaves and violet-blue 

 flowers in autumn and winter ; Bolide, 

 with red flowers and a good habit ; 

 Conquete, white and mauve ; Coquette, 

 very long pale lilac spikes ; Daimant, 

 crimson-purple ; Evaline, soft pink 

 with prominent white anthers ; Fleur 

 de Roses, white ; Gauntletti, with very 

 long spikes of salmon-pink ; La Seduis- 

 ante, dark magenta-purple with white 

 anthers ; Le Merveilleux, bright 

 mauve ; Meldensis, light purple ; 

 Mont Blanc, pure white ; Mont Rosa, 

 rosy-pink ; Newryensis, rosy-grey 

 flowers in spring ; Queen of Whites, 

 white tinged mauve ; Redruth, rich 

 red ; Snowflake, long spikes of pure 

 white ; Valiere, bright violet with 

 white anthers ; and Vulcan, rich 

 claret-red with reddish-green foliage. 



Among dwarfer kinds, V. verbenacea, 

 V. fruticulosa, V. alpina, V. aphylla, 

 V. nummularia, V. Guthrieana, V. 

 austriaca, V. ineisa, V. bellidioides, 

 and V. Dabneyi are suited for a rock 

 garden. The pink variety of V. offi- 

 cinalis forms dense patches of pink 

 blossoms, sometimes raised 3 inches 

 above the ground. These mentioned 

 are so hardy that they may be divided 

 or moved at all seasons. Such kinds 

 as V. longifolia need frequent division 

 to prevent crowding. Most kinds 

 ripen and sow their own seed, and the 

 seedlings vary in colour and form. 



V. CHAM^DRYS (Germander Speedwell). 

 Used for covering beds where late-flower- 

 ing bulbs are grown. A curious variety, 

 named pedunculata, is quite distinct, and 

 a neat plant with white flowers. 



V. GENTIANOIDES. One of the earliest of 

 the Speedwells, and flowers in May. Three 

 forms are common the type with grey 

 flowers, a variety with white flowers and 

 bright glossy leaves like the Gentianella, 

 and another with handsome variegated 

 leaves. All are worth growing. 



V. INCANA. Also called V. Candida, is a 

 dwarf plant with silvery leaves, and dark 

 rich purple flowers. It is used with good 

 effect in bedding, its grey leaves being 

 a contrast to most other foliage. A form 

 of this named elatior has spikes of twice the 

 normal length. V. neglecta is similar but 

 inferior. Division. 



V. PECTINATA. A pretty trailing kind, 

 with serrated downy leaves and blue or 

 rosy flowers. It is well suited for dry 

 spots in the rock garden, the margins of 

 borders, and other places. 



V. PROSTRATA. A very dwarf plant, 

 which is really a form of V. Teucrium, but 

 commonly known under this name or as 



V. rupestris. There afe varieties with 

 rose-coloured and white flowers, which 

 appear in early summer, the type being 

 deep blue, hardy and pretty, blooming 

 so freely that the spreading tufts 4 inches 

 high are often quite obscured by the 

 flowers. C. and S. Europe ; on stony 

 hills and dry grassy places. 



V. REPENS. Clothes the soil with a soft 

 carpet of bright green foliage, covered in 

 spring with pale bluish flowers. It thrives 

 well on moderately dry soil, but delights 

 in moist corners of the rock garden. 

 There is a variety with white flowers. 



V. SATUREIOIDES. One of the best of the 

 Speedwells, though somewhat rare, with 

 flowers about the size of those of V. 

 saxatilis, of the same intense blue, and 

 in abundant upright racemes. 



V. SAXATILIS. A native of alpine rocks 

 in various parts of Europe, and also a 

 few places in Scotland. It forms neat 

 trailing tufts 6 or 8 inches high, the 

 flowers little more than inch across, of 

 a pretty blue, striped with violet, and with 

 a narrow but decided ring of crimson near 

 the bottom of the cup, the base of which 

 is pure white. 



V. SPICATA. A dwarf native plant, not 

 more than 5 or 6 inches high, useful for 

 bare corners of rock gardens, but seldom 

 flowering before the end of July. V. 

 corymbosa is a name given to varieties 

 of two or three species, but the best 

 seems to be a form of V. spicata, with 

 deep blue flowers. It is one of the best 

 plants for rock gardens, being profuse 

 and continuous in bloom. V. hybrida is 

 generally classed as a variety of it, but 

 seems quite distinct, since it is far more 

 robust, and its flowers vary in colour from 

 dark purple to lavender and light rose. 

 It grows wild in profusion on mountain 

 limestone hills near Llandudno and in 

 other of the north-western counties. 



V. SPURIA. Is 12 to 1 8 inches high, but 

 should be cut down in autumn, as it trails 

 untidily. In June it produces many 

 terminal racemes of bluish-purple blos- 

 soms. Syn., V. amethystina. 



V. SUBSESSILIS. Best of the hardy 

 Veronicas, and flourishes in spite of spring 

 frosts and cold summers. Its large dense 

 spikes of deep purple-blue flowers are 

 effective, and it should always have a 

 position among the choicest hardy flowers 

 in a good deep loamy soil and open situa- 

 tion. Japan. Readily increased by cut- 

 tings in spring. 



V. TAURICA. A dwarf, wiry, and almost 

 woody species from Tauria, forming neat 

 dark green tufts, under 3 inches high ; 

 its fine Gentian-blue flowers borne abun- 

 dantly. It is, perhaps, the neatest kind 

 for forming spreading tufts, in level 

 spots of the rock garden, or drooping 

 from chinks, and for association with 

 the dwarfest alpine plants. Division or 



