Commercial Gardening 



in the throat. /. grandiflora is a somewhat similar plant, quite as vigorous, 

 and with much deeper coloured rose-purple flowers. Both kinds are sold 

 to lovers of choice hardy flowers, and realize good prices, but the trade 

 is limited. They flourish in any good garden soil in warm sunny spots, 

 and may be raised from seeds sown under glass, and by division of the 

 rootstocks in early autumn. /. Koopmanni, mauve pink; /. Olgce, rose 

 purple; /. lutea, yellow; and /. variabilis, rose purple, are other species, 

 Inula glandulosa. This ornamental Caucasian hardy perennial grows 

 in any garden soil, and is easily increased by seeds, division, and from root 

 cuttings under glass. It grows about 2 ft. high, and has oblong serrate 

 leaves, and large bright-orange Marguerite-like flower heads in July and 

 August; valuable for cutting. Other species are grandiflora, Helenium, 

 Hookeri, and Oculus-Christi all 2-3 ft. high, and with yellow flowers. 



Iris (FLAG). A large genus of beautiful-flowering herbaceous plants 

 having either bulbs or rhizomes. For market purposes the German (/, ger- 



manica) and Florentine (/. 

 florentina) are the best. They 

 grow in any soil and are easily 

 accommodated in out-of-the- 

 way borders, or between rows 

 of standard and half-standard 

 fruit trees. They are chiefly 

 valuable for the large splendid 

 purple and pale-lilac or white 

 flowers which are produced in 

 great profusion in May, and 

 generally sell well, although the 

 individual flowers do not last a 

 long time. With the German 

 and Florentine Irises market 

 growers would do well to as- 

 sociate other " bearded " and 

 gaily coloured kinds as follows: 

 aphylla, with frilled flowers 

 having bright colours on a 

 white ground; amoena, with 

 white standards, and falls of 

 various shades; neglecta, with 

 standards varying from lavender 

 to purple ; pallida, with flowers 

 mostly of lavender, blue, or rosy 

 shades; squalens, shades of 

 copper, bronze, and pale brown; variegata, standards yellow with claret- 

 brown falls. In each of these sections there are numerous varieties (some 

 with fancy names), and they may be all regarded as valuable market 

 plants chiefly for cut flowers, but also for the " roots ". 



ig. 211. Iris Icevigata (Kcempferi) 



