IDESIA. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



617 



to be very slight varieties of /. semper- 

 virens ; it, however, seeds more abund- 

 antly, and is less spreading. /. superba, 

 another variety, is of good bushy habit, 

 and bears many large dense heads of 

 pure white flowers. 



I. Tenoreanais a dwarf kind, with white 

 flowers, changing to purple. It has not, 

 however, the hardiness of the white kinds, 

 and perishes on heavy soils in winter ; on 

 light sandy soils in the rock-garden it is 

 pretty. It is easily raised from seed, and 

 should be treated as a biennial. S. Italy. 



I. umbellata (Annual Candytuft*}. 

 This and its ally (/. coronaria) are the 

 hardy annual Candytufts. They are 

 varied in colour, and are among the 

 most useful of annual flowers. They 

 may be sown at all seasons, but, as in 

 the case of most other hardy annuals, 

 the finest flowers are from autumn-sown 

 plants, which flower from May to July. 

 They like a rich soil and plenty of room 

 to flower freely. There are a great 

 number of varieties, differing both in 

 growth and colour. What are known as 

 the dwarf or nana strain are neat and 

 dwarf in growth, are abundant bloomers 

 and showy. /. umbellata nana rosea and 

 alba are two of the most distinct, being 

 about 9 in. high ; the dark crimson, 

 carmine, lilac, and purple sorts, about 

 I ft. high, are also fine. The Rocket 

 Candytuft (/. coronaria) in good soil 

 grows 12 to 1 6 in. high, with pure white 

 flowers in long dense heads, and there 

 is a dwarf variety of it (pumila\ 4 to 6 in. 

 high, forming spreading tufts I ft. or 

 more across. The Giant Snowflake is 

 also an excellent variety. These Rocket 

 Candytufts require the same treatment as 

 the common varieties. 



IDESIA. /. polycarpa is a Japanese 

 tree of recent introduction, growing out of 

 doors in mild districts ; but we have no 

 proof of its hardiness for our country 

 generally. It has large leaves, bright 

 green above, and whitish beneath. The 

 flowers form long, drooping, branched 

 racemes and are fragrant. The colour is 

 not brilliant, but their effect, combined 

 with the red leaf stalks, the varying green 

 of the leaves, and their drooping habit is 

 good. There are male and female forms, 

 and, although the tree may be increased 

 by cuttings, it is better raised from seed. 

 There is a crisp-leaved form. Syn. 

 flacourtia. 



ILEX (Holly). Beautiful evergreen 

 shrubs of northern temperate countries, 

 of which the most precious is our own 

 native Holly, Ilex aquifolium. It would 

 be difficult to exaggerate the value of 



this plant, whether as an evergreen tree, 

 as the best of all fence-shelters for our 

 fields, or as a lovely ornament of our 

 gardens ; whether grown naturally or 

 clipped as it must be to form fences ; 

 embracing also in its numerous varieties 

 the most enduring of variegated shrubs 

 known, variegation in most other things 

 being mere disease, whereas in the Holly 

 it is quite consistent with health and 

 beauty. No other shrub known to us 

 may be so often used with good effect 

 near the house and garden, and it will be 

 clear, therefore, how much one should 

 consider the common Holly in all its 

 forms and ways. Valuable as many 

 varieties are, probably none are quite so 

 good as seedlings of the common kind. 

 Good seedling plants are the easiest 

 to transplant and establish. The art of 

 grafting most delusive as well as most 

 curious of arts should be carefully 

 guarded against as regards Hollies. 

 Hitherto the way has been to graft the 

 many variegated kinds on the common 

 Holly, and although we often see good 

 results in that way, it is by far the safer 

 plan to insist on the variegated and 

 curious kinds being raised from layers 

 or cuttings. Nurserymen are very apt, 

 having large quantities of stocks of com- 

 mon things, to graft indiscriminately ; 

 and though time seems at first to be 

 gained by it, it is dead against the cul- 

 tivator in the end in almost every case. 

 It will perhaps take a long time to 

 recognise the immense superiority of 

 own-root plants, but if purchasers in- 

 quire for and insist upon getting them, 

 it will very much hasten progress. My 

 own experience is that old plants grafted 

 are extremely difficult to move with 

 safety, and, generally, Hollies and other 

 trees are best not moved when old. It is 

 an expensive and troublesome business, 

 and often a failure. Young healthy 

 bushes, seedling or layer, will in a few 

 years beat old grafted trees, that at 

 least is my experience. Very often old 

 specimens from the nursery live for a 

 number of years, but their appearance is 

 deplorable, whereas healthy well-grown 

 young plants, from 3 to 5 ft. high, when 

 transplanted in May, are often beautiful 

 from the first. No doubt healthy seed- 

 ling plants might be transplanted at 

 various times, but experience has proved 

 that there is a distinct gain in transplant- 

 ing Hollies in May ; and if we transplant 

 them carefully at that time we shall 

 probably see good healthy growth the 

 same year. 

 As regards the uses of the Holly, they 



