PART II.] 



ALPINE FLOWERS FOR GARDENS 



161 



quality of a hardy alpine plant ; should 

 be grown in every rock-garden, planted 

 on bare banks that catch the early sun ; 

 when plentiful, may be naturalised on dry 

 and bare banks. Increased by division 

 and by seeds. Frequent on the hills 

 of Greece. 



Anemone coronaria (Poppy Anemone}. 

 A showy handsome plant, grown in our 

 gardens from the very earliest times, and 

 of which there are a great number of 

 varieties, both single and double. The 

 single sorts may be readily grown from 

 seed. These double varieties may be 

 planted in autumn or in spring, or at 

 intervals all through the year, to secure 

 a succession of flowers ; but the best 

 bloom is secured by September or October 

 planting, where the winters are not severe. 

 The Poppy Anemone does best in a rich 

 deep loam, but is not very fastidious. It 

 flowers in April and May, and often 

 through the winter, but though vigorous 

 011 many soils, is not quite hardy on 

 heavy soils in cool districts. For the 

 rock-garden choose the best single uni- 

 coloured forms. The ordinary mixed 

 kinds are for borders. Seed or division. 



The Greek Anemone (A. blanda). 



A. fulgens (Scarlet Windfiower}. A 

 brilliant, hardy, vigorous kind, the large 

 scarlet flowers on stems about a foot 

 high, springing from a dwarf mass of 

 hard, deeply-lobed leaves. It does well 

 as a border plant, thrives in the rock- 

 garden, and I find it grows readily in 

 Grass. The flowers, borne in April and 

 May, are vivid scarlet. There are various 

 forms of this. Division or by seeds. 



A. halleri (Holler's Wind/lower). This 

 is one of the finest, as well as perhaps 

 the rarest, of the alpine Pasque-flowers. 



The deep lilac flowers grow singly on 

 lorigish slender stems, and are larger than 

 those of any of the same group. It does 

 best in well-drained soil, rich, and not 

 too heavy. It was first found by the 

 gentleman whose name it bears, in the 

 Valley of St Nicholas, in the Upper 

 Valais, and since then, though sparingly, 

 in the Eastern Pyrenees. 



Anemone hepatica (Hepatica^ A, 

 beautiful mountain plant, long known in 

 our gardens It is hardy everywhere, is not 

 fastidious as to soil, though it loves a 

 Warm loam, and presents a diversity of 

 colour single blue, double blue, single 

 white, single red, double red, single pink 

 (Carnea), single mauve-purple (Barlowi\ 

 crimson (splendens\ and lilacina. Every 

 variety of the Hepatica is worthy of care 

 and culture, but I think the best of all 

 is the wild plant with its lavender-blue 

 flowers so free and so pretty, early in 

 the year. The plant, a native of many 

 hilly parts of Europe, is usually found 

 in half shady positions, which will be 

 found to suit it best in a cultivated state 

 also. It is readily increased by division 

 or by seed, the double kinds by division 

 only. 



A. nemorosa (Wood Anemone}. In 

 spring this native plant adorns our woods, 

 and also those of nearly all JEurope -and 

 Asia. In heavy soils in the" open fields 

 it does not vary, but in woods, where the 

 soil is gritty and free, it often varies 

 much ; so that we may now and then 

 gather several varieties from the same 

 place, and so large forms worthy of 

 culture have been obtained. There is 

 a large white form in cultivation, as well 

 as the blue and purplish ones. 



A. palmata. Distinct, with leathery 

 leaves and large handsome flowers in 

 May and June, glossy, yellow, only open- 

 ing to the sun. A native of N. Africa 

 and other places on the shores of the 

 Mediterranean, this fine plant should be 

 grown in deep turfy peat, or light loam 

 with leaf -mould, placed on level spots, 

 where it can root deeply and grow into 

 strong tufts. There is a double variety. 

 Increased by division or seed. 



A. patens (Woolly Pasque-flower}. This 

 blooms early in March in England, and 



