690 



MULGEDIUM. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



MULGEDIUM (Blue Thistle]. M. 

 Phimieri is a native of the Pyrenees, where 

 it is 4 or 5 ft. high, but in our borders and 

 in deep strong soils it is frequently as much 

 as 8 or 9 ft. high. Its foliage is beauti- 

 fully varied in outline, and it should be 

 planted in the rougher parts of the wild 

 garden, and left to itself, as nothing seems 

 to interfere with its rapid growth. As an 

 isolated plant on Grass its remark- 

 able foliage at once arrests observation, 

 while its blue flowers are pretty. M. 

 alpinum is a smaller plant. Seed or 

 division. Syn., Lactuca. Some of the 

 kinds are very difficult to get rid of once 

 planted in good garden soil, and the place 

 for them is the wild garden or shrubbery. 



over the roots. In February the roots 

 are examined, planted in trenches, and 

 subjected to an increased temperature, 

 when new roots soon form and begin to 

 grow afresh. In June, after being 

 gradually hardened, the leaves are tied 

 up, the plants are lifted with as good 

 balls as possible, and placed in their 

 summer quarters. M. Ensete is the kind 

 generally used in the open air, and in form 

 is one of the noblest plants. Any one 

 with a warm house may grow it, and when 

 planted out in June, in deep, warm, rich 

 soil, and a sheltered position, it will grow 

 well during summer ; such, at least, is 

 our experience in London and the home 

 counties, but such tender plants must 



MUSA (Banana]. These fine tropical 

 plants are seen in our parks during summer, 

 but less frequently in private gardens. In 

 the London Parks, Musas, especially the 

 smaller ones, are often plunged in the 

 ground in their pots during the summer, 

 but the larger ones are planted out. 

 When they are lifted in autumn, those in 

 pots are stored in houses, but the larger 

 ones are lifted with small balls of earth 

 and placed on shelves in houses with a 

 temperature of not less than 45. Here they 

 are laid on their sides, their leaves being 

 kept close together, and remain through- 

 out the winter, with only a mat thrown 



ever have a limited use in our country. 

 M. Basjoo, a graceful Japanese species 

 that has some pretensions to hardi- 

 ness, has been tried as a plant for the 

 open, but it is not hardy enough for our 

 winters except in Cornwall, where I have 

 seen it very fine in the open air at Caerhays. 

 MUSCARI (Grape Hyacinth']. Pretty 

 bulbs of the Lily family, all of the easiest 

 culture and flowering in spring and early 

 summer. Their proper position is either 

 the front row of the choice border or the 

 rock-garden, but they may be advantage- 

 ously grown as window-plants in pots or 

 boxes. In all cases they thrive best in 



