FARFUGIUM. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



I-'ORSYTHIA. 



575 



them in this country. F. Betuloides, an 

 evergreen one, is a very graceful, low 

 tree, and so is F. Cunninghami. F. Sietoldi 

 is a Japanese kind with willow-like leaves, 

 and others probably will be found in 

 antarctic regions. 



If they will only thrive in our climate 

 their distinct habit will be a great gain 

 to us. 



FARFUGrlUM. A vigorous perennial, 

 F. grande having fleshy stems i to 2 ft. 

 high, and with broad leaves of light green 

 variously streaked, spotted with yellow 

 in one variety, and having white and rose 

 in another. It does best in a half-shady 

 position in free moist soil. During the 

 heats of summer it requires frequent 

 watering, and at the approach of winter 

 it should be moved to the greenhouse, 

 except in mild districts. In colder parts 

 it is scarcely worth planting out, as 

 it grows slowly ; but where it thrives 

 it is handsome in borders, or on the 

 margins of beds. Multiplied by division in 

 spring ; the offsets being potted and kept 

 in a frame until they are well rooted. 



FERULA ( Giant Fennel), Very grace- 

 ful umbelliferous plants long known in our 

 botanic gardens, their charm consisting in 

 large tufts of the freshest green leaves in 

 early spring. The foliage is apt to fade 

 in summer. Where bold spring flowers 

 are naturalised, a group of Giant Fennels 

 will be effective, with their fine plumes in 

 early spring. They are among the true 

 hardy plants of the northern world, never 

 suffering from cold. Their fine forms in 

 summer or autumn, when they throw up 

 flowering-shoots to a height of 10 ft. or 

 so, are remarkable enough ; but their ap- 

 pearance when breaking up in spring 

 charms us most. A good way is to place 

 them in small groups, just outside a shrub- 

 bery, or isolated on a rough Grass bank, 

 where their verdure may be seen in early 

 spring. Ferulas are readily raised from 

 seed, which as soon as gathered should be 

 sown in a nursery bed in the open air. 

 The plants do not bear division well, 

 though with care they may be transplanted. 

 One of the most valuable is F. tingitana; 

 it takes several years to form strong plants, 

 that look like massive plumes of filmy 

 Ferns. F. communis is also a good species, 

 and others, including F. glauca, neapoli- 

 tana, Ferulago, andfarstca, may be added 

 where variety is sought. The flower-stems 

 developed the second or third year from 

 seed are 6 to 10 ft. high, are branched, 

 and bear numbers of small inconspicuous 

 flowers. S. Europe and N. Africa. 



FESTUCA (Fescue Grass). Annual 

 and perennial Grasses, containing few 



species for the garden. A variety of 

 Sheep's Fescue (F. ovina), named glauca^ 

 is a pretty dwarf hardy Grass, forming 

 dense tufts of leaves of a glaucous hue or 

 soft blue, and on this account some- 

 times called "blue" Grass. It makes 

 good edgings, and when it is used 

 for this purpose the flower-spikes should 

 be cut away. F. ovina viridis is also a 

 pretty edging plant, and, being of slow 

 growth, does not require renewal for years. 



FICARIA (Pileworf). Plants of the 

 Crowfoot family, much resembling some 

 kinds of Buttercup : F. ranunculoides 

 (Lesser Celandine) is a common British 

 plant, 3 to 6 in. high, bearing glossy 

 yellow flowers in early spring. It is so 

 common that it would not be mentioned 

 but for its pretty double and white 

 varieties. A good plant for growing 

 under trees, in moist borders, in any soil. 

 Division. 



F. grandiflora (Great Pilewort).^ 

 large-flowered kind, about twice the size 

 of our native kind. It is easily grown 

 and showy, and could be naturalised, espe- 

 cially on sandy and free soils. S. Europe. 



FICUS (India-rubber Plant). F. elas- 

 tica is not only in fair health in the open 

 air in summer, but sometimes makes a 

 fair growth under our northern sun. It 

 is best suited for select mixed groups, 

 and must have stove treatment in winter. 

 It should be put out at the end of May. 

 In all cases it is best to use plants with 

 single stems. The trailing F. repens and 

 F. stipulata also thrive in the open air in 

 summer, and have a pretty effect, trailing 

 up stems of trees in the sub-tropical gar- 

 den. In mild districts they are hardy 

 against walls or rocks. Cuttings. 



FITZROYA PATAQONICA (Fitz- 

 roy's Cypress). A graceful, and in its 

 own country stately evergreen forest tree, 

 with some claim to hardiness in Devon, 

 Cornwall, and the south and sea-coast of 

 Ireland. There are beautiful examples 

 of it at Fota, Killerton, and other south- 

 ern gardens, but its use is limited to 

 these and sheltered coast gardens, and 

 there it will thrive best on open free soils. 

 Elsewhere we must seek such effects as 

 such Cypress-like trees afford from hardy 

 trees. Andes of S. America. 



FORSYTHIA (Golden Bell). Beauti- 

 ful spring -flowering shrubs, especially F. 

 suspensa, whose long, slender, wand-like 

 shoots are studded for a considerable 

 distance with bright golden blossoms. 

 Being of a rather loose habit, it is suited 

 for training on wall or banks ; indeed, few 

 subjects are superior to it for a sunny 

 spot, where the wood will thoroughly 



