Hardy and Half-hardy Plants 5 



May and June the usual bedding-out season. Being an annual, it must 

 be raised from seeds sown in February or March, in a temperature of 

 60-70 F., afterwards pricking out or potting up for sale. Other species 

 grown in nurseries are A. montanum, 2-4 in. high, with grey -green hairy 

 leaves and yellow flowers; A. podolicum, 2 in., white; A. pyrenaicum, 

 3 in., white; and A. saxatile, 4-6 in., yellow, with its lemon-yellow variety 

 citrinum; A. plenum is a double form, sulphureum has pale -sulphur 

 flowers, and "Tom Thumb" has silvery tufts, 2-3 in. high, with rich-yellow 

 flowers. These all flourish in good gritty soil, and are easily increased 

 by seeds or division. 



Amaranthus. A fairly good trade is done in spring in seeds, and 

 later on in small plants in pots or boxes. A. melancolicus will grow 

 3 ft. high in rich soil and produces large tail-like masses of small flowers. 

 A. caudatus ("Love-lies-bleeding") grows 2-3 ft. high, and has long tassels 

 of deep-crimson flower spikes. There are several colour varieties including 

 a yellow one; and one called gibbosus, in which the little flowers are col- 

 lected in separate clusters on the drooping spikes. A. hypochondriacus 

 the " Prince's Feather" has deep carmine flowers arranged on dense erect 

 spikes, and has leaves with a purple under surface varying to deep purple 

 all over. A. tricolor has the leaves tinted with reddish purple or deep 

 carmine from base to middle, the upper half being yellow tipped with 

 green. There are several forms of it. A. salicifolius is remarkable for 

 its masses of very narrow, wavy, and twisted leaves of a bronzy green, 

 turning to a bright red at the base with age. A. sanguineus has blood - 

 red foliage, and has a dwarf variety nanus still deeper in colour. A. 

 speciosus grows from 3 to 4 ft. high, and has leaves tinged with red and 

 large feathery plumes of deep carmine purple. The variety aureus has 

 yellow plumes. 



Amaryllis Belladonna (BELLA- 

 DONNA LILY). Bulbs of this lovely 

 South African plant are offered for 

 sale every year, and are common 

 enough to find their way on to the 

 costermongers' barrows in Farring- 

 don Street. The beautiful rosy bell- 

 shaped flowers appear in August 

 and September, after the broad 

 strap-shaped leaves have died down. 

 The best variety is the Kew one, 

 which has many more flowers than 

 the type (fig. 182). There is a new 



kind called Parkeri, with a white- Fig . 182 . _ The Kew Be iiadonna Lily 



flowered variety. 



Anchusa. Of the thirty or more species in this genus the most 

 popular is A. italica, and especially the "Dropmore" variety, which has 

 tall branching trusses of brilliant blue flowers. It is a lovely border 



