THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



PRIMULA. 773 



not be confused with the variety of P. 

 denticulata commonly called by the same 

 naTie of P. purpurea. 



P. rosea (Rosy Himalayan Primrose} 

 is a bright Primrose, with flowers of the 

 loveliest carmine-pink. Its pale green 

 leaves form compact tufts, and the flower- 

 stems, 4 to 9 in. high, appear in early 

 spring. It is hardy and grows vigorously in 



five pale rosy-red flowers encircled by long 

 bracts. Arctic regions of Asia and North 

 America. 



P. Sieboldi. This is one of the 

 showiest of the Primulas, and is as easy 

 to grow and as hardy as many others. 

 Since its introduction from Japan nume- 

 rous beautiful varieties have been raised, 

 some of the most distinct being clarkiae- 



almost any soil, preferring, however, a deep 

 rich loam in a moist shady part of the 

 rock-garden. Good garden forms are 

 grajuliflora, with larger blooms, and 

 spltndens, with flowers of an intense 

 colour. 



P. sibirica. A pretty little plant of a 

 few inches high, akin to the pale-flowered 

 P. invohicrata. It carries rather deeply 

 cut leaves and small clusters of three to 



flora, lilacina-marginata, fimbriata oculata, 

 vincaeflora, coerulea-alba, Mauve Beauty, 

 Lavender Queen, laciniata, and maxima. 

 These possess a great diversity of colour, 

 and some have the petals beautifully 

 fringed. One of the chief merits of these 

 Primulas is that they bloom early, flower- 

 ing about the month of April when other 

 flowering plants are rare ; and another is 

 that they are remarkably free bloomers, 



