DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE BEST KINDS 239 



entire and prickly foliage, with light blue flowers. M. 

 Wallichii, the Satin Poppy, is an old inhabitant of our 

 gardens,' and one of the most useful kinds. Native of Sikkim, 

 it reaches a height of five feet or more, and in June bears 

 numerous flowers on branching panicles. Like some of 

 the others, the flowers vary in colour from purple to a 

 lovely blue. Also a biennial, this plant dies after flowering, 

 and as it takes two years usually to reach flowering stage, 

 it is necessary to raise plants every spring and have them 

 coming on in pots ready to plant out when of sufficient 

 size. The annual H. heterophylla may be sown in the open 

 sunny border in April. 



Mertensia. Attractive plants of easy cultivation in 

 ordinary soil, and belonging to the Borage family (Borag- 

 ineae). The most popular is M. sibirica, native of Siberia ; 

 it grows twelve or fifteen inches high, and has rough 

 leaves, and bears in May and June purplish-blue flowers 

 which become rose-coloured. M. virginica, native of 

 North America, of similar height, has bluish flowers, and 

 M. echioides, which grows only some six inches high, 

 bears small blue blossoms, both in early summer. They 

 may be increased by division in September or by seeds 

 eown then or in spring. 



Morisia hypogaea. A beautiful little plant, native 

 of the island of Sardinia, and belonging to the Wallflower 

 family (Cmciferae). It forms quite a miniature tuft of 

 finely divided leaves, and bears, in April, showy little 

 bright yellow flowers. It needs a light, sandy, well- 

 drained soil, and a sheltered though not shady nook. 



