OLD-FASHIONED GARDEN FLOWERS. 55 



varieties, all rampant growers, very hardy and perennial. They 

 are in every way superior to the annual kind, which is so largely 

 grown, the flowers being more than twice the size, and produced 

 two months earlier; the blooming period is maintained until 

 late autumn. 



The flowers, as before hinted, are thistle-shaped ; the pericline 

 or knob just under the florets is cone-shaped, covered with evenly 

 set and pointed scales, green, edged with a brown margin, set 

 round with short bristle-like teeth. The florets of the outer ring 

 are l|in. long, tubular half their length, the wider portion being 

 five to seven cut ; the centre florets are short and irregular, 

 richly tinted with pink at their bases ; the whole flower or ray, 

 when expanded, is 3in. across. They are produced on stems 

 over 2ft. long and of a somewhat procumbent habit, angular 

 and branched near the tops ; the leaves are Sin. to 6in. long, 

 lance-shaped, entire and decurrent, giving the stems a winged 

 appearance. They are of a greyish colour nappy whence the 

 name Knapweed. 



This vigorous species, with its white and pink varieties, may 

 be grown in any kind of soil. It requires plenty of room ; a two- 

 year-old plant will form a specimen a yard in diameter under 

 favourable conditions. The effect is good when all the three 

 colours are grown near each other in bold pieces. They yield an 

 unfailing supply of flowers, which are of a very useful type ; in 

 fact, the more they are cut the more they seem to bloom, and it 

 is a good plan to cut short half the stems about June. They will 

 (in a week or two) produce new shoots and large flowers in abun- 

 dance, the gain being flowers of extra size during autumn. 



Propagated by division of the roots any time. 



Flowering period, June to September. 



Centranthus Ruber. 



Syn. YALERIANA RUBER RED VALERIAN ; Nat. Ord. 



YALERIANACE^;. 



THIS is a strong and vigorous garden plant, with a somewhat 

 shrubby appearance ; it is herbaceous, perennial, and sometimes 

 classed as a British species, therefore hardy; but though its 

 classification among British plants is justifiable, it is only so on 

 the ground of its being a naturalised subject, its original habitats 

 being in the South of Europe . It is . a favourite and " old- 

 fashioned" flower, and it fully justifies the estimation in which it 

 is held, the flowers being produced in large bunches of a fine rich 

 colour, which are very durable. Its shrubby habit is not one of 

 its least recommendations ; seen at a distance which it easily 

 can be it might be taken for a ruby-coloured rhododendron, to 

 which, of course, it has no resemblance when closely inspected. 

 It grows 2ft. high or more. 



