/. bis trio is perhaps the loveliest of all, with bright blue standards, March, 

 cream falls and blue markings ; /. histrioides also very blue Hepaticas 

 and /. persica purple scented like Violets. j n "Wood 



In some gardens Hepaticas Anemone hepatica are now 

 a feature, but they do not thrive very well with us. One longs 

 for them to grow as they do in the Pine forests and low woods 

 of Switzerland. Under the Pines they do not flower so freely 

 as in less shady places, but make up for the failure in number 

 by bearing much larger flowers, longer in the stalk and fuller in 

 colour. In one lovely spot I remember they were surrounded 

 by tufts of shining white Violets, while not far away in a wood of 

 Oak-scrub the ground was mauve and yellow with them and 

 Primroses, making, with the old brown leaves above, a lovely 

 picture worth a great effort to imitate at home. I brought back 

 several dozen roots, and have planted them on a wooded bank, 

 hoping to prove myself a successful rival on a small scale. They 

 will get light shade in Summer, and sun in Spring when it is 

 needed to open the buds and expose the pretty circle of white 

 stamens. The soil should be light and rich, with plenty of leaf 

 mould and well drained ; when once planted they should be 

 left alone, and will grow in time to fine tufts bearing a profusion 

 of flowers. The single ones can be increased by seed, but will 

 not flower for three years. Hepaticas may be had double or 

 single in pink, white, or mauve, but the double white is new 

 and still very rare. 



Anemone blanda must be considered our greatest early 

 Spring success, particularly as it will not grow well in all 

 gardens and so gratifies our pride with the sight of the lovely 

 patches of blue. It really is nearly a true blue, certainly degrees 

 nearer it than the many flowers which are described as such. We 



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