224 HARDY PERENNIALS AND 



part of winter it affords a goodly amount of flowers ; it is then 

 stopped for a while, though its buds can be seen during the 

 whole winter, and when the longer days and vernal sunshine 

 return, it soon becomes thickly covered with blossoms, which are 

 of the most desirable kind for springy gathering. 



Its flowers need no further description beyond that already 

 given ; but I may add that the stalks are somewhat short, which 

 is an advantage, as the bloom is kept more amongst the leaves 

 and away from the mud. The foliage is truly handsome, short, 

 finely toothed, rolled back, pleasingly wrinkled, and of a pale 

 green colour. It is very hardy, standing all kinds of weather, 

 and I never saw it rot at the older crowns, like so many of the 

 fine varieties, but it goes on growing, forming itself into large 

 tufts a foot and more across. 



It has been tried in stiff loam and light vegetable soil; in 

 shade, and fully exposed ; it has proved to do equally well in 

 both kinds of soil, but where it received the full force of the 

 summer sun the plants were weak, infested with red spider, 

 and had a poorer crop of flowers. It would, therefore, appear 

 that soil is of little or no importance, but that partial shade is 

 needful. It is not only a variety worth the having, but one 

 which deserves to have the best possible treatment, for flowers in 

 winter and such flowers are worth all care. 



Flowering periods, late autumn and early spring to June. 



Pulmonarias. 



LUNGWORTS; Nat. Ord. BORAGINACE^J. 



IN speaking of these hardy herbaceous perennials, I should wish 

 to be understood that the section, often and more properly called 

 Mertensia, is not included because they are so very distinct in 

 habit and colour of both flowers and foliage. Most of the 

 Pulmonarias begin to flower early in March, and continue to do 

 so for a very long time, quite two months. 



For the most part, the flowers (which are borne on stems 

 about Sin. high, in straggling clusters) are of changing colours, 

 as from pink to blue ; they are small but pretty, and also have 

 a quaint appearance. The foliage during the blooming period is 

 not nearly developed, the plants being then somewhat small 

 in all their parts, but later the leaf growth goes on rapidly, and 

 some kinds are truly handsome from their fine spreading habit 

 and clear markings of large white spots on the leaves, which are 

 often 9in. or lOin. long and Sin. broad, oblong, lanceolate, taper- 

 pointed, and rough, with stiff hairs. At this stage they would 

 seem to be in their most decorative form, though their flowers, 

 in a cut state, formed into " posies," are very beautiful and really 

 charming when massed for table decoration ; on the plant they 

 have a faded appearance. 



