,554 DODECATHEON. THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



DORONICUM. 



hardy, requiring a cool situation and light 

 loamy soil. The nature of the soil is, 

 however, of small importance, as they 

 grow almost as freely in peat or leaf-mould 

 as in loam ; situation is the principal point. 

 In borders where Primulas and Soldanellas 

 thrive, Dodecatheons will soon establish 

 themselves. All the kinds grow freely in 

 sandy loam, and soon form large tufts, 

 which should be divided every third or 

 fourth year. The best time for trans- 

 planting them is the end of January or 

 the beginning of February, when the roots 

 are becoming active ; but care must be 

 taken not to divide them into pieces too 

 small, for fear of losing the plants while 

 they are in a weakly condition. All may 

 be easily raised from seed. 



D. inf egrifolium. A lovely flower ; the 

 petals have a white base, and spring from 

 a yellow and dark orange cup, the flowers 

 deep rosy crimson, on stems from 4 to 6 in. 

 high, in March. It is a native of the Rocky 

 Mountains, and a choice plant for the 

 rock-garden, if planted in sandy peat or 

 sandy loam with leaf-mould. It is easily 

 grown in pots placed in the open air in 

 some sheltered and half-shady spot during 

 summer, and kept in shallow cold frames 

 during winter. Strong well-established 

 plants produce abundance of seed, which 

 should be sown soon after it is gathered. 

 Careful division. 



D. Jeffreyanum. A stout kind, more 

 than 2 ft. high in good soil, with larger 

 and thicker leaves than D. Meadia, red- 

 dish midribs strong and conspicuous, and 

 the flower somewhat larger and darker. 

 D. Jeffreyanum is a hardy and distinct 

 plant, thriving in light, rich, and deep loam, 

 in a warm and sheltered spot, where its 

 great leaves are not broken by high winds. 



D. Meadia (American Cowslip}, a grace- 

 ful plant and a favourite among old border 

 flowers, its slender stems from loto 16 in. 

 high, bearing umbels of elegantly droop- 

 ing flowers, the purplish petals springing 

 up vertically from the pointed centre of 

 the flowers, something like those of the 

 greenhouse Cyclamen. It loves a rich 

 light loam, and is one of the most suitable 

 plants for the rock-garden, for choice mixed 

 borders, or for the fringes of beds of Ameri- 

 can plants. In many deep light loams it 

 thrives without any preparation, but where 

 a place is prepared for it, it is best to add 

 plenty of leaf-mould and plant in a some- 

 what shaded and sheltered position,though 

 it often thrives in exposed borders. It is 

 best increased by division when the plants 

 die down in autumn ; but if seed is sown, 

 it should be sown soon after it is gathered. 

 There are numbers of pretty and distinct 



varieties, differing more or less in height 

 of plant and size and colour of flower. 

 Among the best are D. giganteum, elegans, 

 albiflorum, and violaceum. D. californi- 

 cum, though sometimes thought a species, 

 is probably only a variety of D. Meadia. 

 It is, however, a distinct and pretty plant, 

 and worth growing. 



DONDIA (D.-Epipactis) is a singular 

 and pretty little herb, 3 to 6 in. high, having 

 small heads of greenish-yellow flowers in 

 spring, and suitable for the rock-garden, 

 margins of borders, or banks ; increased 

 by division after flowering. A model rock 

 plant, a native of Carinthia and Carniola. 

 Syn., Hacquetia Epipactis. 



DORONICUM (Leopard's Bane}. - 

 Showy plants of the order Composite, of 

 which half-a-dozen species are in gardens, 

 all of vigorous growth, flowering in spring, 

 and thrive in any soil ; they are therefore 

 excellent for rough places, for naturalising, 



Doronicum plantagineum excelsum. 



or for dry banks, where little else will thrive. 

 All are readily increased by division of the 

 roots. They range in height from 9 to 12 

 in., and have large, bright yellow Daisy- 

 like flowers. The best species are D. 

 austriacum and caucasicum, both of which 

 are neater than the rest and produce in 

 early spring a profusion of blossoms that 

 enliven the borders besides being useful 

 for cutting. The other kinds are D.Clusi, 

 carpetanum, Columnae, Pardalianches, and 

 plantagineum, all natives of Europe. D. 



