512 



CYSTOPTERIS. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



DAHLIA. 



mat of fleshy roots. The plant is hardy, 

 and succeeds if planted out in a deep, 

 rich peaty soil, with a few nodules of sand- 

 stone or rough sandstone grit mixed with 

 the soil. It also thrives in turfy loam on 

 a moist bottom ; in any case, however, 

 deep planting is necessary, as the roots 

 are then cool and moist during the hot 

 weather, and do not suffer from frost in 

 the winter. 



CYSTOPTERIS (Bladder Fern). The 

 cultivated kinds of this native group are 

 small elegant Ferns of delicate fragile 

 texture. They grow on rocks and walls, 

 chiefly in mountainous districts. The 

 best-known are : C. fragilis, which has 

 finely cut fronds about 6 in. hig'h. It 

 is of easy culture, succeeding in an 

 ordinary border, though seen to best 

 advantage on shady parts of the rock- 

 garden in a well-drained soil. There are 

 two or three varieties, Dickieana being 

 the best. C. alpina is much smaller, and 

 when once established not difficult to 

 cultivate or increase, but more affected 

 by excessive moisture than C. fragilis. 

 A sheltered situation in a well-drained 

 part of the rock-garden suits it. C. mon- 

 tana is another elegant plant requiring 

 the same treatment as C. fragilis. 



CYTISUS (Broom}. The few kinds of 

 hardy Cytisus are all valuable ornamental 

 shrubs. Common as the British Broom 

 (C. Scoparius) is, it should certainly be 

 in gardens in places where it does not 

 grow wild ; and in company with Heath 

 and Furze it is 

 most useful for 

 dry sandy banks 

 where other 

 shrubs would 

 fail. It is easily 

 raised from seed. 

 C. Andreanus is 

 a hands ome 

 form of the com- 

 mon Broom well 

 worth growing, 

 and coming fair- 

 ly true from seed. 

 The White Por- 

 tuguese Broom 

 (C. albus) is well 

 known as one of 

 the finest of all early-flowering shrubs. 

 A strong bush, particularly in light soils, 

 and frequently 10 ft. high. Towards the 

 end of May every slender twig is wreathed 

 with small white flowers. The Spanish 

 Broom is a handsome and distinct shrub, 

 often flowering a long time on dry banks. 

 C. nigricans is also a beautiful shrub. 

 The purple Broom is naturally a long 



Cytisus nigricans. 



trailing shrub with purplish flowers, but is 

 generally seen grafted mop fashion on 

 Laburnum stems. It is really an alpine 

 shrub, and its place is among' rocks and 

 boulders, where its wiry branches can fall 

 over and make dense cushion-like tufts. 

 The foregoing are the most important 

 kinds. Others, suitable fora fuller collec- 

 tion, are C. austriacus, biflorus, sessilifolius, 

 capitatus, monspessulanus, purgans, and 

 C. Ardoini. The last is a pretty alpine 

 shrub a few inches high, and suitable for 

 the rock-garden ; its tufted growth is 

 covered in summer with yellow flowers. 

 There is a great number of names and 

 synonyms, but the above are the most 

 generally accepted and embrace the best 

 varieties. 



Dabcecia. See ERICA. 



DACEYDIUM (Huon Pine). A tree of 

 the Pine order of exquisite grace, but not 

 hardy in Britain except in the Cornish and 

 Devon gardens, and others of the south of 

 England and Ireland, where it is occa- 

 sionally very beautiful. In other parts of 

 the country if people want them they 

 must be grown in the cool greenhouse or 

 winter garden, but in the face of the 

 number of beautiful hardy Pines we have 

 that is a doubtful practice except in botanic 

 gardens. There are two species, D. Frank- 

 lint (Huon Pine] and D. cupressinuni 

 New Zealand Cypress), a common New 

 Zealand tree attaining nearly 100 feet in 

 height, like the other kind. 



DACTYLIS (Cocks/oof). The varie- 

 gated forms of this native Grass are attrac- 

 tive to those concerned much with bedding 

 out, D. glomerata variegata being one of 

 the most useful of edging plants, and 

 easily increased by division in autumn or 

 spring, thriving in almost any soil, but if 

 the soil be too poor the plant is apt to 

 look rusty in dry autumns. There are 

 several other variegated forms graceful as 

 edgings to beds, as carpets or mixtures, 

 or as tufts in borders. The graceful 

 leaves should not be clipped. 



DAHLIA. The Dahlia group is not a 

 large one, so far as wild plants go, and 

 every species is a native of Mexico. It 

 is valued chiefly for the many beautiful 

 varieties that have been raised from seed, 

 the garden varieties being separated in 

 various classes. When well placed in 

 the garden the Dahlia is superb, its pro- 

 fusion of bloom creating fine masses of 

 colour in the late summer and autumn 

 months, especially when the best forms 

 of the Cactus sectipn are used. Distinct 

 beds of Dahlias present a fine aspect, if 

 the colours are well contrasted, and 

 many otherwise good effects are spoilt by 



