EPILOBIUM. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN, 



ERANTHIS. 



in small clusters, which exhale a rich 

 odour, and appear in spring. Its natural 

 home is under trees, and it would be well 

 to plant some of it in the shade of Pines 

 or shrubs. It was at one time lost to our 

 nurseries and gardens, owing to the habit 

 of planting all things in the same kind 

 of exposed situation. It is a charming 

 plant for the wild garden, in sandy or 

 peaty soil under trees, growing only a few 

 inches high. Ericaceae. 



EPILOBIUM (French Willow). Yw 

 of these plants are worthy of cultivation, 

 but some are important, and the best 

 perhaps is the showy crimson native E. 

 angustifolium, of which there is a pure 

 white variety. This plant runs in a border 

 so quickly as soon to become a trouble- 

 some weed, but is fine when allowed to 

 run wild in a rough shrubbery or copse, 

 where it may bloom with the Foxglove. 

 It is a native of Europe and many parts 

 of Britain. Division. Other kinds some- 

 what less vigorous are E. angiistissimiiin, 

 E. Dodonati, and E. rosinarinifolium. 

 The common native E. hirsututn is stouter 

 than the French Willow, and is only 

 useful by the margins of streams and 

 ponds, associated with the Loosestrife 

 and such plants. There is a variegated 

 form. The Rocky Mountain Willow 

 Herb (E. obcordatuni) is a beautiful rock- 

 plant. The Willow Herbs of our own 

 latitudes are very tall and vigorous, but 

 on the dreary summits of the Rocky 

 Mountains and the Californian Sierras one 

 species has succeeded in contending 

 against the elements by reason of its very 

 dwarf stature ; it has imitated the Phloxes 

 and Pentstemons of the same region ; 

 though not more than 3 in. high, it has 

 retained the size and beauty of flower of 

 the finest species, the colour being rosy- 

 crimson. It is hardy, and thrives in 

 ordinary sandy soil in the rock-garden. 

 Some of the small New Zealand species, 

 such as glabellum, nummulariccfolium, and 

 longipes, are very useful for draping stones 

 on rock-gardens. D. 



EPIMEDIUM (Barren- wort]. Inter- 

 esting and, when well grown, elegant plants 

 of the Barberry Order, but not shrubby. 

 E. pinnatum is a hardy dwarf perennial 

 from Asia Minor, 8 in. to i\ ft. high, with 

 handsome leaves, and bearing long clusters 

 of yellow flowers. The old leaves remain 

 fine until the new ones appear in the 

 ensuing spring. It is not well to remove 

 them, as they shelter the buds of the new 

 leaves during the winter, and the plants 

 flower better when they are allowed to re- 

 main. Cool peaty soil and a slightly shaded 

 position are most suitable. Other species 



are alpinum, macrantlium, Miisschianum, 

 purpiireuin, rubrum, nivciuu, and iriola- 

 ceum, all loving half-shady spots in peat, or 

 in moist sandy soil. None are so valuable 

 for general culture as the first-mentioned. 

 Known species. E. alpinuin, Europe, con- 

 cinniim, Japan, elatum, Himal. macranthttui, 

 .Japan. Miisschianuni, do. Perralderianuin, 

 Algeria, pinnatum, Persia, pteroceras, Caucas 

 pnbesoens, China, pubigerum, Caucas. rubrum^ 

 Japan, sagittatu/n, do. 



EPIPACTIS ( Marsh E.}.E.palnstrix 

 is a somewhat showy hardy Orchid, I to i^ 

 ft. high, flowering late in summer, and bear- 

 ing rather handsome purplish flowers. A 

 native of moist grassy places in all parts of 

 temperate and southern Europe. A good 

 plant for the bog -garden, or for moist spots 

 near a rivulet, in soft peat. In moist dis- 

 tricts it thrives very well in ordinary moist 

 soil. 



EQUISETUM (Giant Horse-tail\E. 

 Telmateia is a tall British plant, of much 

 grace of habit when well developed, and 

 from 3 to 6 ft. high in moist peaty or clay 

 hollows in woods. The stem is furnished 

 from top to bottom with spreading whorls 

 of slender branches, slightly drooping, the 

 whole forming a graceful pyramid. It is fit 

 for the hardy fernery, shady peat borders, 

 near cascades, or among shrubs, and 

 grows in any moist soil. Division. E. 

 sylvaticum is another native Horse-tail, 

 much dwarfer, but graceful when well 

 grown, 8 to 1 5 in. high, and being covered 

 with slender branches, but usually these 

 plants are not fit for garden culture. 



ERAGrROSTIS (Love Grass). Grasses 

 some of which are worth cultivating for 

 their elegant feathery panicles. E. 

 cegyptiaca, with silvery-white plumes, 

 maxima, elegans, pilosa, amabilis, pellu- 

 cida, capillaris, plumosa, are all elegant 

 annuals. They are useful for cutting for 

 the house during summer. Seed may be 

 sown in autumn or spring in the open air, 

 on or in a slightly heated frame. For 

 preserving, the stems should be gathered 

 before the seeds are too ripe. 



ERANTHIS ( Winter Aconite}. E. 

 hyemalis is a pretty early plant with yellow 

 flowers surrounded by a whorl of shining 

 green. It is 3 to 8 in. high, and flowers 

 from January to March. It is seen best in 

 a half-wild state, under trees or on banks 

 in woody places, though it is occasionally 

 worthy of a place among the earliest! 

 border flowers. It often natura ises itself 

 freely in Grass, and is very beautiful when 

 the little yellow flowers peep out in early 

 spring. We may therefore enjoy it with- 

 out giving it positions suited for more 

 delicate plants, or taking any trouble 



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