618 ILEX. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



IMPERATA. 



are so many in the garden that it is 

 difficult even to generalise them. As 

 shelter in bold groups, dividing lines, 

 hedges, beautiful effects of fruit in 

 autumn, masses of evergreen foliage, 

 bright glistening colour from variegated 

 kinds ; elegant groups of the most 

 beautiful varieties, every kind of delight- 

 ful use may be found for them in 

 gardens. 



According to the late Mr. Shirley 

 Hibberd, who was a very keen observer 

 of the Holly, the following is a good 

 selection of varieties. In the selection 

 of Hollies it will be well to bear in 

 mind that the variety known as Scotica 

 answers best of any plant near the sea. 

 The variety known as Hodgins's is the 

 most free in growth in a town garden, 

 being less affected by smoke than most 

 others. The most fruitful varieties are 

 catalogued 3LS/cemtna,glabra, madeirensis, 

 balearica, lutea, and flava. The most 

 distinct and beautiful of the variegated 

 kinds are Golden Queen, Silver Queen, 

 Painted Lady, Broad-leaved Silver, Gold 

 Milkmaid, Watereriana, and argentea 

 marginata. The following classification of 

 Hollies in relation to their several char- 

 acters will be useful : 



" MALE-FLOWERING HOLLIES. Cili- 

 ata, Heterophylla, Latispina, Laurifolia, 

 Tortuosa, Gold Tortuosa, Beetii, Cookii, 

 Gold Cookii, Cornuta, Doningtonensis, 

 Ferox, Feroxfol. arg., Ferox aurea, Foxii, 

 Furcata, Ovata, Picta marginata, Golden 

 Queen, Longifolia aurea, Longifolia 

 argentea, Watereriana, Gold Few-spined, 

 Silver Queen, Shepherdii. 



" FEMALE - FLOWERING HOLLIES. 

 Angustifolia, Angustifolia aurea pendula, 

 Angustifolia media picta pendula, Bal- 

 earica, Broad leaf, Dark shoot, Fisherii, 

 Flavo fructo aurea, F~cemina, Golden 

 Milkmaid, Glabra, Handsivorthiana, 

 Silver Handsworthiana, Heterophylla, 

 Hodginsii, Latifolia argentea, Lattfolia 

 attrea, Lutea, Madame Briot, Madcirensis, 

 Madeirensis nigrescens, Madeirensis 

 variegata, Myrtifolia, Milkmaid, red 

 berry ; Milkmaid, yellow berry ; Moon- 

 light, Perry's weeping, Picta aurea, 

 Platyphylla, Scotica, Watereriana, Weep- 

 ing. 



" HERMAPHRODITE-FLOWERING HOL- 

 LIES. Shepherdii, Smithiana, Silver 

 Queen, Heterophylla, Hodginsii, Lauri- 

 folia, Handsivorthiana, Lutea, Flava, 

 Scotica, Balearica, Rotundifolia" 



By far the best of all known Hollies is 

 our native Holly, but there are other 

 Japanese and American kinds worth 



growing, such as Ilex crenata, and the 

 fine /. latifolia. This, however, requires 

 our most temperate districts to thrive. 



ILLICIUM. An interesting half-hardy 

 evergreen shrub from the Southern States 

 of N. America, /. floridanum bearing 

 fragrant flowers of a deep red, like those 

 of the Carolina Allspice. /. religiosum, 

 also known as /. anisalum, from China 

 and Japan, with pale yellow flowers, is 

 also interesting, and may be grown 

 against walls or as bushes in warm 

 places. 



IMPATIENS (.fia/ttw*). The species 

 of Impatiens that thrive-in the open air are 

 all annual and hardy, and sow themselves 

 freely where they get a chance. The best 

 are the common I. glandulijera, which 

 attains a height of 4 to 6 ft., and bears 

 numerous flowers, varying in colour from 

 white to rose. It will soon take possession 

 of the shrubbery if not checked ; and it is 

 seen to advantage in cottage gardens. 

 /. longicornu is beautiful, and has the 

 same habit as glandulifera, but the lower 

 part of its helmet-shaped flowers is bright 

 yellow, marked by transverse lines of dark 

 brown ; while the upper part is rose colour. 

 /. Roylei is much dwarfer than the 

 preceding, and has blossoms of a deep 

 rose. /. cristata has light rose-coloured 

 blossoms. 



I. balsamina (Garden Balsam] may be 

 grown in the open air, and makes a pretty 

 display in warm places. The plants 

 should be raised in a frame and trans- 

 planted. Soil which is too rich should be 

 avoided ; but soil manured for a previous 

 crop, and which has been well pulverised 

 by forking, gives the finest flowers and a 

 less sappy growth. Colours arid markings 

 in any good and valued strain include the 

 following, and probably a few others, as 

 some sorts sport continually : Pure white, 

 buff-white, rosy-white, lavender-white, pale 

 mauve, peach, pink, carmine, scarlet-cerise, 

 crimson, violet, purple, purple-white blotch, 

 scarlet-white blotch, and others. 



IMPEEATA SACCHAEIFLOEA. 

 A hardy Grass, from the Amoor, with 

 graceful foliage, forming a tuft, about 3 ft. 

 high, that throws up numerous flower- 

 spikes, about 5 ft. in height, bearing 

 silvery plumes of flowers. The leaves 

 are of a lively green, with a broad white 

 stripe down the mid-rib. 



INCAEVILLEA (PERENNIAL TRUM- 

 PET FLOWERS). Among the most dis- 

 tinct and handsome plants of recent 

 introduction. All are perennials, some- 

 times with a fleshy root and soft tissues, in 

 others woody and sub-shrubby in charac- 

 ter. Their flowers are large, handsome, 



