92 HARDY PERENNIALS AND 



flowers in winter, the bright golden blossoms suddenly appearing 

 during sunshine close to the earth. A little later the involucrum 

 becomes developed, and is no unimportant feature. It forms a 

 dark green setting for the sessile flower, and is beautifully cut, 

 like the Aconite. There are other and very interesting, traits 

 about this little flower that will engage the study of botanists. 



It enjoys a moist soil, somewhat light; also a little shade. 

 In such quarters not only do the tubers increase quickly, but 

 the seed germinates, and if such positions are allowed it, and 

 garden tools kept off , there will soon be a dense carpet of golden 

 flowers to brighten the wintry aspect of the open garden. Many 

 things in the way of deciduous flowering shrubs may be grown 

 with them, their bareness in winter and shade during summer 

 favouring their enjoyment and growth. Early in the summer 

 they die down. From that time the tubers may be lifted and 

 transplanted. Such work should be finished in early autumn, 

 or the roots will not have time to establish themselves for the 

 first winter's bloom. 



Flowering period, December to February. 



Erica Carnea. 



WINTER HEATH; Nat. Ord. ERICACEAE. 



A WELL-KNOWN, hardy, evergreen shrub, belonging to a genus 

 comprising many hundreds of species and varieties, which, for 

 the most part, however, are not hardy in this country, being 

 natives of the Cape. The genus is most numerously and beauti- 

 fully illustrated in Loddige's Botanical Cabinet. This might be 

 thought to have no claim to consideration in this book, but 

 I introduce it because of its great value in the spring garden, 

 and because in all respects it may be cultivated like an ordinary 

 border plant, which is saying a deal for one of the Heath family. 



Erica carnea comes to us from Germany, but it has so long 

 been grown in this country that it would appear to have become 

 naturalised in some parts. In the latter part of March it is to 

 be seen in its full beauty ; the flowers are reddish-purple, abun- 

 dantly produced on short leafy stems, and arranged in racemes, 

 drooping; the foliage is of the well-known Heath type; the 

 whole shrub has a procumbent habit, rarely growing more than 

 a foot high ; its fine deep green foliage, compact habit, and 

 bright enduring flowers are its chief recommendations; the 

 latter often last six weeks in good form and colour, so that 

 little more needs to be said in its praise. 



It can hardly be planted in a wrong position on rockwork, 

 in borders, or shrubberies, fully exposed, or otherwise, it proves 

 a cheerful object, whilst as an edging shrub it is second to none, 

 excelling box by the additional charm of its flowers. Not long 

 since I was struck by the way in which the common vinca had 



