GARDEN FL O WERS. 



197 



GOLDEN-ROD. 



(SOLIDAGO CANADENSIS.) 



tain parts of the flower garden few more striking plants can be 

 set out for autumnal effect. The species rigida, Shortii, and 

 Canadensis are among the best, the 

 last growing fully five feet higher. 



Stokesia cyanea, from the South- 

 ern States, is one of the rarest and 

 handsomest of native plants. The 

 flower-heads, three or four inches 

 across on strong plants, are a fine sky- 

 blue, somewhat like a large China 

 aster. It blooms till frost. Ver- 

 tionia Noveboi'ocensis, New York 

 iron-weed, grows two to six feet high, with dark-purple clus- 

 ters of flowers at the end of straight stems. It should also 

 be given plenty of room and kept rather in the background. 

 There are of course plants suited for carpeting portions 

 of the flower garden and rock garden that are not used for 

 their flowers, which are generally 

 insignificant. Such are most of 

 the Sempervivums, or house-leeks. 

 There is 8. araclmoideum, cobweb 

 house-leek, an alpine plant, with its 

 small rosettes covered with cob- 

 webby hairs ; tectorum, the common 

 house-leek, and, one of the finest and 

 largest of all, S. calcareum. The last 

 named has regular bluish leaves 

 tipped each with a purple spine. 

 Before closing this brief list of hardy herbaceous peren- 

 nials I must refer to the Christmas roses, Helleboms niger, 



NEW YORK IRON-WEED. 

 (VERNONIA NOVEBORACEN8I8. ) 



