210 



ALPINE FLOWERS FOR GARDENS 



[PART II. 



and obtuse leaves, each stem bearing a 

 solitary flower, deep rose spotted with 

 crimson, and often so freely, as to hide the 

 leaves. In poor, moist, and sandy loam it 

 thrives and forms a dwarf carpet, the 

 flower-stems little more than 1 inch in 

 height. Wireworms, rather than unsuit- 

 able soil, often cause its death. It should 

 be in an exposed spot, and guarded against 

 drought. It comes true from seed, and 

 is not difficult to increase in that way, 

 or by division. Alps of Austria, flower- 

 ing in summer. 



Alpine Pink (Dianthus alpinus). 



Dianthus Atkinson!. This is one of 

 the richest coloured of all the family, its 

 flowers crimson and very striking in the 

 early summer. Owing to its flowering so 

 freely, shoots for cuttings are very few, 

 and it is well to reserve some plants for 

 stock, not allowing them to flower. 



D. arenarius (Sand Pink). A neat, 

 compact rock plant, about 6 inches high, 

 with very dense foliage, and white, fim- 

 briated or fringed flowers. It blooms in 

 May and June, and should Lave a dry 

 sunny position. North Europe. 



Dianthus csesius (Cheddar Pink). One 

 of the best of the dwarf Pinks with which 

 rocky places are studded over so great an 

 area of northern regions. The short 

 leaves are very glaucous, and the fragrant 

 rosy flowers borne on stems 6 inches in 

 height in summer. In winter it may 

 perish in the ordinary border, but thrives 

 and flowers abundantly on old walls, as 

 at Oxford. It is a native plant, and grows 

 011 the rocks at Cheddar, in Somersetshire, 

 To establish it, the best way is to sow 

 the seeds on the wall in a little cushion 

 of Moss or a little earth in a chink. 

 It may also be grown in calcareous or 

 gritty earth, and placed in a chink between 

 stones. Increased by seeds. 



D. callizonus is 'one of the most dis- 

 tinct of the alpine Pinks, a native of 

 Transylvania, and has the habit of D. 

 Plumarius, with the flowers of D. Alpinus, 

 but larger. It strikes readily from cut- 

 tings, and may be raised from seed, which, 

 however, it ripens sparingly. The flowers 

 are bright rose-purple. 



D. caryophyllus (Carnation). The 

 parent of all the races of Carnations, 

 Picotees, and Clove Pinks, so variously 

 coloured, so fragrant and profuse in 

 flower, as to make them among the 

 most valuable of our hardy border flowers. 

 The plant occurs in a wild state on old 

 castles or city walls in various parts of 

 England, and more abundantly in similar 

 places in the West of France, the flowers 

 of the wild form being usually red or 

 white. The wild plant is worth a place 

 on the rock-garden or on walls. 



D. Caucasians. Flowers bright rose, 

 on stems 12 inches high ; foliage glaucous, 

 very compact. 



D. cruentus. This European Pink 

 has sparse foliage, but its crowded heads 

 of deep crimson fragrant flowers are at- 

 tractive. It is one of the easiest to grow 

 in the border or rock-garden. Seeds 

 freely, and by this means the plant, may 

 be grown to any extent in gritty loam. 

 Height 15 inches. 



D. deltoides (Maiden Pink). This 

 native of Britain forms close spreading 

 tufts of smooth, pointless leaves, and 

 bright pink-spotted or white flowers on 

 stems from inches to 12 inches long 



