780 



WAITZIA. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



WEIGELA. 



erect on short stems, coming in succession 

 on the tuft for more than two months in 

 May and June. 



W. PUMILIORUM. The rarest form, and 

 although little different from W. Pumilio, 

 it gives us another shade of colour, smaller 

 and narrower leaves, a more straggling 

 habit, and longer-tubed flowers. It is an 

 excellent hardy plant for the rock garden, 

 where on raised mounds of free gritty soil 

 it grows and flowers vigorously. 



W. SAXICOLA. A beautiful species from 

 the mountains of New Zealand, with leaves 

 in close tufts and pretty flowers which 

 first appear in June and keep coming in 

 succession till November. It is easily 

 raised from seed, and varies greatly from 

 white to deep blue. The best forms can 

 be increased by division. 



W. TENUIFOLIA. A dwarf compact 

 growing species, with hairy stems, short 

 slender leaves and small flowers, six to 

 ten in a head, violet-blue or whitish-purple. 



WAITZIA. Half-hardy annuals 

 from Australia. The four kinds in 

 cultivation are all valuable for their 

 pretty flowers grown for winter 

 bouquets. W. acuminata has a variety 

 with purple flowers, and another with 

 yellow flowers. W. aurea has bright 

 yellow flowers. W. corymbosa has 

 white and purple flowers, and the 

 flowers of W. grandiflora are like those 

 of W. aurea, but finer. All grow about 

 i foot high, and should be treated like 

 other tender annuals, such as Rho- 

 danthe. They succeed best in an open 

 position in sandy peat. Seeds. The 

 seedlings should be potted before 

 planting out in May. They flower in 

 August and September. 



WALDSTEINIA (Barren Straw- 

 berry}. Dwarf rosaceous plants, three 

 of which, W. geoides, W. fragarioides, 

 and W. trifolia are in cultivation. The 

 last is the best, but not one is orna- 

 mental enough for border culture, but 

 only for banks and dry walls. 



WATSONIA (Bugle Lily}. Beau- 

 tiful bulbous plants of the Iris family. 

 In the southern counties some of them 

 succeed in open borders, but elsewhere 

 they are tender. There are about a 

 dozen species and about as many 

 varieties, half of which are variations 

 from W. Meriana. All are from S. 

 Africa, their headquarters being the 

 Cape. There is much variety of colour, 

 and " mixed " selections are offered 

 by the growers. The commonest 

 species seem to be W. Meriana, 

 W. coccinea, W. iridifolia, W. rosea 

 alba, W. humilis, W. angusta (also 

 known as W.fulgida), and W, aletroides. 



Choice kinds with pure white flowers 

 are W. Ardernei, where they are borne 

 on long branched stems, and W. iridi- 

 folia O'Brieni, which is like W. rosea 

 except in colour. These are true 

 Watsonias, and have finer flowers than 

 the other sections of the genus. The 

 white Watsonia (W. alba] is a lovely 

 plant, flowering in early summer. 

 Treatment similar to that recom- 

 mended for the early Gladioli will 

 suit them. 



WEIGELA (Bush Honeysuckle}. 

 Graceful and hardy flowering shrubs, 

 summer-leafing, with showy clusters 

 of bloom ranging from pure white to 



dark crimson. They have long been 

 deservedly popular, being elegant, 

 quick in growth, and beautiful in 

 bloom. A multitude of varieties have 

 sprung from W. floribunda, W. grandi- 

 flora (known also as W. amabilis], 

 W. rosea, and W. hortensis. These, 

 natives of China and Japan, have been 

 introduced within the last fifty years, 

 and so much hybridised that they are 

 rarely found pure. The most valuable 

 sorts have come from W. grandiflora, 

 which has the largest flowers, while the 

 smaller, but more numerously-flowered 

 kinds, have originated from W. rosea 

 and W. floribunda. The varieties have 

 been raised chiefly on the Continent, 

 as may be inferred from their names. 



