OLD-FASHIONED GARDEN FLOWERS. 49 



old stems of which, form ample supports for the climber ; more- 

 over, they are rendered less unsightly from being thus furnished 

 anew with leaf and flower, even though not their own. Another 

 method is in early summer to place a short twiggy branch over 

 the pushing growths ; it will soon become covered, and if not too 

 large, the ends of the shoots will slightly outgrow the twigs and 

 hang down in a pleasing manner. The plant should be started 

 in light sandy loam and have a warm situation, otherwise flowers 

 will be scarce and the whole specimen have a weedy appearance. 

 When once it becomes established, it will be found to spread 

 rapidly by means of its running roots, which, unless checked, 

 will soon become a pest. I simply pull out all growths except 

 such as shoot up in the desired position, and so continue to treat 

 them as weeds throughout the growing season. Stems furnished 

 with flowers a yard or more long, in a cut state, make rich 

 festoons ; single blooms (the smaller ones) look well as " button- 

 holes," being neat and effective, without gaudiness. I ought to 

 state that a succession of flowers is kept up for fully three 

 months ; this fact adds not a little to the value of this handsome 

 flesh-coloured bloomer. Boots may be transplanted at any time ; 

 the smallest piece will produce a blooming plant the first season, 

 if put into a proper soil and situation. 

 Flowering period, July to September. 



Campanula Grandis. 



GREAT BELLFLOWER; Nat. Ord. CAMPANULACE^;. 

 A HARDY herbaceous perennial from Siberia, growing to a height 

 of 3ft. Its flowers are large, bright, and numerous ; well-estab- 

 lished clumps will present masses of bloom for more than a 

 month with average weather. As a large showy subject there 

 are few plants more reliable, or that can in any way excel it, 

 more especially for town gardens. It is a rampant grower, 

 quickly covering large spaces by means of its progressive roots ; 

 in gardens or collections where it can only be allowed a limited 

 space, the running habit of the roots will doubtless prove 

 troublesome, and often such free growers, however handsome 

 they may be otherwise, are esteemed common, which should not 

 be. The proper thing to do would be to give these vigorous and 

 fine flowering subjects such quarters as will allow them their 

 natural and unrestrained development. 



The flowers of C. grandis are more than lin. across the corolla, 

 the five segments being large and bluntly pointed, of a trans- 

 parent purple-blue colour, and very enduring ; they are arranged 

 on short stalks, which issue from the strong upright stems. 

 They form little tufts of bloom at every joint for a length of 

 nearly 2ft. ; the succession, too, is well kept up. Buds continue 

 to form long after the earliest have opened. The leaves are 4in. 



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