564 FUCHSIA. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



protection than in the flower garden proper, 

 and yet have full opportunity to make 

 growth in the open air the great point 

 to be attained. In many places refuse 

 plants may be turned to good account in 

 this way. Nothing is simpler than to 

 make of these standards for the flower 

 garden by cutting away the lower and 

 middle side-shoots and leaving the head. 

 All may be freely propagated from cut- 

 tings in spring or autumn. There are 

 about a dozen more or less hardy kinds 

 that succeed in the open air in the south 

 and midland counties, and many more in 

 warm seaside localities ; in fact, there is 

 not a Fuchsia in cultivation that will not 

 thrive in the open air in summer ; if used 

 judiciously they give an air of grace 

 afforded by no other plants. The follow- 

 ing are among the hardiest kinds : 



F. coccinea. A well-known bushy 

 plant, graceful and beautiful in growth 

 and bloom, readily adapting itself to any 

 locality, unless the soil be of the wettest 

 and coldest description, and even then a 

 slight covering of coal ashes after the 

 stems are cut down in autumn will pro- 

 tect the roots in winter. In favourable 

 situations it is often 6 ft. high. From the 

 axils of the leaves, which are a fine green, 

 beautifully tinged or veined with red, the 

 flowers, which before they fully open are 

 not unlike crimson drops, are produced 

 in profusion during the greater part of the 

 summer. Chili. 



F. conica. A vigorous compact species 

 3 to 6 ft. high, but not such a free flowerer 

 as some of the others. The flowers have 

 scarlet sepals, and dark purple petals. 

 Chili. 



F. corallina. A beautiful plant, taller 

 and more slender than the others, and 

 therefore specially suited for walls and 

 houses. The flowers are large and of a 

 showy red colour, and the plant is a 

 vigorous grower and free bloomer. 



F. discolor is a dwarf variety with 

 numerous small scarlet flowers. It is the 

 hardiest of all, not being injured by the 

 winters in the milder parts of Scotland if 

 treated as a herbaceous plant. F. pumila 

 is similar, but more slender, and equally 

 desirable. 



F. globosa. One of the best of the 

 hardy Fuchsias. The flowers are globose 

 in bud, and retain their shape for some 

 time after they begin to expand, on 

 account of the petals continuing to adhere 

 at the tips. It is a profuse bloomer, and 

 the flowers are richly coloured. It forms 

 a sturdy and often a large shrub in sea- 

 shore districts. There is no reason why 

 it should not be grown in drier districts, 



even if cut down by frost every year, as 

 it is always handsome. 



F. gracilis. A very distinct slender 



! plant, with flowers on remarkably long 



! slender stalks. The young shoots are a 



purplish - red, the calyx is a brighter 



scarlet, and the corolla has a greater 



infusion of red than other hardy kinds. 



In mild and moist districts it is nearly 7 ft, 



| high, from 12 to 15 ft. in circumference, 



j and is of rapid growth. In some winters 



it is not cut down by frost. There is a 



j variety called multiflora, which is very 



free - flowering, and which has shorter 



I flowers and of darker crimson. F. tenella 



is a seedling variety of F. gracilis. Chili. 



F. Riccartoni. One of the prettiest 



and hardiest sorts, growing well without 



protection even in parts of Scotland. It 



is compact and twiggy, and in summer 



j bears many bright red blossoms. A 



| garden hybrid. 



Besides these, other kinds are in cul- 

 I tivation, such as procumbens a curious 

 I little New Zealand species serratifolia, 

 magellanica, thyrnifolia, and rnicrophylla, 

 I and nearly all the hybrid kinds do out-of- 

 i doors in summer, and bloom well, though 

 I they may be cut down in winter. Among 

 \ the most distinct and pretty are the 

 j dwarf and fragile kinds, such as F. rnicro- 

 phylla, F. pumila, and several hardy 

 i hybrids of the globosa section, all of 

 | which seem to flourish unusually well 

 | near the sea, and to grow almost any- 

 ! where. 



Fuchsias are mostly S. American plants, 

 chiefly from Brazil, Bolivia, Chili, Ecuador., 

 ! Peru, New Grenada, and Venezuela, but some 

 from Mexico, some viz. Colensoi, Eucliandra, 

 Kirkii, procumbens from N. Zealand, and 

 I one, racemosa, from the Island of San Do- 

 mingo. The known species arc : 



P. alpestris, ampliata, apetala, arborescens, 

 ayaovacensis, bacillaris, boliviana, cancscens, 

 caracasana, chonotica, coccinea, Colensoi, con- 

 fertifolia, cordifolia, corymbiflora, ctrviflora, 

 deciissata, denticulata, dependens, Ettcliandra, 

 excorticata, fulgens, globosa, Harlivegii, hir- 

 sitta, hirtella, insignis, integrifolia intermedia, 

 Kirkii, Lenneana, longiftora, lo.vcnsis, ia- 

 crantha, macropetala, niacrostejnina, niacro- 

 stigma, menibranacea, microphylla, miniata, 

 ininiwiflora, niinntiflora, mixta, vwntana, 

 nigrieans, Notarisii, ovalis, parvijlora, petio- 

 laris, procumbens, pubescens, quittduensis, race- 

 mosa, rosea, salidfolia, scabriusciila, serrati- 

 folia, sessilifolia, simplicicaulis, spcctabilis, 

 spinosa, splendent, sylvatica, thymtfolia, tri- 

 phylla, iimbrosa, venusta, verrucosa, virgata. 



FUNKIA (Plantain Lily}. Valuable 

 Japanese plants of the Lily Order, of which 

 there are about half-a-dozen species and 

 numerous varieties. The different species 

 are free-flowering herbaceous plants, with 



