ALPINE FLOWERS FOR GARDENS 



[PART II. 



Potentilla calabra (Caldbrian Cinque- 

 foil). A silvery kind, particularly on the 

 under sides of the leaves ; the shoots pro- 

 strate, with lemon-yellow flowers about 

 three-fourths of an inch across. It is 

 chiefly valuable from the hue of its leaves ; 

 it flowers in May and June, and flourishes 

 freely in sandy soil. It is worthy of a 

 place in the rock-garden, and wherever 

 dwarf Potentillas are grown. S. Europe. 



Totentilla niticla. 



P. nitida (Shining Cinque/oil). A 

 pretty little plant, about 2 inches high, 

 with silky-silvery leaves ; the flowers of a 

 delicate rose, the green sepals showing 

 between the petals. This native of the 

 Alps is well worthy of a place in the 

 choice rock-garden, and is of the easiest 

 culture and increase. There are several 

 varieties pretty in colour. 



P. pyrenaica (Pyrenean Cinquefoil). 

 A dwarf but vigorous kind, with large 

 yellow flowers, the petals round, full and 

 over-lapping. A native of high valleys 

 in the Pyrenees, easily increased by 

 division ,or seeds, and thriving without 

 any particular attention. 



P. fruticosa (Shrubbij Cinquefoil).A 

 pretty neat bush, 2 to 4 feet high, bear- 

 ing in summer clusters of showy yellow 

 flowers. It is suited for dry banks among 

 rock shrubs. 



PRATIA ANGULATA. A pretty 

 plant for the rock-garden, creeping 



over the soil like the Fruiting Duck- 

 weed ; the flowers white, and like a 

 dwarf Lobelia, numerous in autumn, 

 giving place to violet- coloured berries 

 about the size of peas. It is hardy. 

 New Zealand. Syn., Lobelia littoralis. 



PRIMULA (Primrose). Alpine, 

 mountain, pasture, marsh, or water- 

 side dwarf perennials, of the greatest 

 interest and much beauty, inhabiting 

 all the great northern continents and 

 the mountains of India in numbers 

 sometimes enough to impart their own 

 lovely colour to the landscape in 

 mountain ground. Coming as they 

 do from an immense variety of situa- 

 tions in mountain ground, their culture 

 is of more complexity than that of most 

 alpine plants, though not especially 

 those of marshy ground. Among the 

 best of them is our native Primrose, 

 which in our northern woods is perhaps 

 more beautiful than any one known 

 kind. In nature many of these plants 

 are deeply covered by snow for a long 

 season, and thus enjoy a rest, which 

 they cannot have in this country, 

 where, in our open, green winters, the 

 growth goes on, and the plants become 

 more stalky than they do in nature. 

 It is necessary, therefore, now and 

 then to divide and top dress in the 

 spring, in order to keep them in health. 

 In the case of the high alpine kinds, 

 in our dry summers, it is necessary to 

 see that they are kept moist. In the 

 southern parts of our country these 

 kinds should be grown on the north 

 and west sides of the rock-garden. 

 Some of the fine Indian kinds thrive 

 in ordinary soils, especially in the 

 north and in moist districts, and 

 some, like the Indian rosy Primrose (P. 

 rosea), and the Japan Primroses, may 

 be grown almost at the water's edge. 

 The kinds we describe here are those 



