H4 AUGUST 



aniline tint that is commonly seen. Cosmos is 

 one of the newer and disappointing annuals. If 

 the flower was as good as the foliage it would be 

 excellent ; but the habit is tall and straggling, the 

 flowers are sparse, and frequently bad in colour, 

 and the plant is unworthy of consideration in com- 

 parison with many older things. An annual which 

 is not yet sufficiently known is nemesia the 

 strumosa Suttoni variety, which has hardly a bad 

 tint in the whole of its range. It lasts well, too, 

 and where a few varieties of annuals only can be 

 grown, this is indispensable. So is the gorgeous 

 phacelia campanularia, which is the best and bright- 

 est of all. Its colour is the true gentian blue ; it is 

 the earliest to bloom of all the best annuals, and 

 should consequently be sown late if wanted for 

 August. I should like to grow this with a border 

 of some pale mauve flower, such as the palest 

 ageratum, and near at hand I should have nothing 

 but a bed of white phlox Drummondi, and one of 

 pansies of the faintest maize colour. Blue to be 

 seen at its best should be associated with other cool 

 colours. Petunias, for instance, would destroy half 

 its charm if they came too near. Ageratum, on the 

 contrary, if sufficiently delicate in tone, would help 

 the phacelia on to the white phlox, which again 

 might lead the way to warmer tints. 



Another excellent blue flower which I have 

 mentioned before is the commelina celestis, rarely 

 seen in gardens. I suppose this is because it is, 

 strictly speaking, a tender perennial, and as such 

 has been discredited by growers of hardy flowers ; 

 but if treated as an annual it is all that can be 



