Winter good plan to pick the curled seed vessels when ripe and sow 



Aconite them at once in pots, which should be placed in a cold frame ; 



and early re Pt them when they have thrown up their first tiny leaves, and 



Shrubs k ee P under glass till they are strong enough to be trusted out of 



doors. Cyclamen Neapolttanum prospers on the same bank, 



forming a pretty contrast to Cyclamen Coum. The leaves are 



mottled green and white, very handsomely marked, heart-shaped, 



and rather serrated at the edge. Unfortunately, no dainty white 



flowers are to be found on it now : this plant divides its 



beauties, the flowers being in perfection in the early Autumn, 



and the leaves in the Winter and Spring. 



Winter Aconite (Erantbis Hyemalis] is another invaluable 

 plant for this season. It flowers from January to March, and 

 is easily naturalised in woods or thin grass ; beneath big trees 

 where even grass will not grow, this tuberous rooted perennial 

 forms a carpet of yellow under low sweeping boughs. Grown 

 with Snowdrops it gives beautiful and simple effects of colour 

 in the wood, but it is as well to keep it away from the neigh- 

 bourhood of the Cyclamen, as the pink and yellow are too gaudy 

 a combination and spoil each other. The early Grape Hyacinths, 

 Muse art Axureum and Heavenly Blue, also look well with 

 Snowdrops, and are quite hardy. 



Two very charming shrubs are in flower now Cbimon- 

 antbus fragrant and Winter Jasmine Jasminium nudiflorum. 

 The Chimonanthus needs a South wall, and then from January 

 to March will bear strange little faintly-coloured flowers close 

 to the woody stems with a very sweet smell ; they are delicious 

 for picking, but insignificant on the plant. In a good season 

 the Jasmine can be counted on for a gay bit of colour all 

 through the Winter, but this year the frequent rain has never 

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