Hardy and Half-hardy Plants 



of the florist's China Aster. It is a half-hardy Chinese annual 1-2 ft. 

 high, with rigid roughly hairy stems, ovate toothed leaves, and large 

 beautiful mauve-purple flower heads, 2-4 inches across with a conspicuous 

 yellow centre. There are many 

 varieties, single and semi-double, 

 of various shades, but not one 

 equals in beauty the true species 

 itself. As a market flower it is 

 valuable, and good blooms sell 

 freely during the season. They 

 should be cut with the stems as 

 long as possible and made up in 

 bunches of a dozen. Stood in 

 water for an hour or two after 

 cutting, the flowers travel well 

 and last a long time. The plants 

 are easily raised from seed sown 

 in February or March, the seed- 

 lings being pricked out about 

 two dozen in a shallow box to 

 be ready for planting out in 

 May. The plants may also be 

 sold in the same way as the 

 China Aster. 



Caloehortus (MARIPOSA LILY, rig. isQ.-caiiiste P hus hm-tensi* 



STAR TULIP). A genus of pretty 



bulbous plants from North America, requiring warm sunny places and 

 gritty well -drained soil. There are many kinds, one of the best being 

 venustus with yellow hairy flowers stained with crimson and blotched. 

 There are several varieties of it, all beautiful. 



Caltha palustris. This is the common British Marsh Marigold or King- 

 cup, sold for planting by the sides of lakes, streams, &c. It flourishes in 

 rich muddy soil on river banks and streams, and the large bright-yellow 

 Buttercup-like flowers are picked and sold in bunches in spring by 

 costermongers. There are a couple of double-flowered forms. 



Campanula. A very large genus of annuals, biennials, and perennials 

 of varying size and habit. Very little trade is done in the annual species, 

 but a little seed of C. macrostyla, C. drabcefolia, C. Erinus, and G. punctata 

 is sometimes sold. The first-named is the best, having large cup-shaped 

 purple flowers conspicuously veined with violet. 



Besides the above species, nurserymen do a flourishing trade with lovers 

 of rock gardens and flower gardens generally, in many other species and 

 varieties of Campanula specially adapted for those purposes. Among the 

 dwarfer growing varieties for rock gardens may be mentioned: abietina, 

 9-15 in., purple red or pale blue, May to July; Allioni, 4 in., blue (rarely 

 white); alpina, 3-9 in., deep blue; ccespitosa, 4-6 in., deep blue (with a 





