IRERIS. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



ILEX. 



599 



I. semperflorens. A shrubby plant, 

 with large dense corymbs of white 

 flowers, and not suited for border culture, 

 but hardy enough to stand our winters 

 when grown at the foot of a south wall 

 or in a very sunny corner of the rock- 

 garden. Under those favourable con- 

 ditions it forms a pretty evergreen bush 

 in bloom nearly all the year. Sicily and 

 other Mediterranean islands. 



I. sempervirens. The common rock 

 or perennial Candytuft, and as often seen 

 as the yellow Alyssum and the white 

 Arabis. Half-shrubby, dwarf, spreading, 

 evergreen, and perfectly hardy, it escapes 



Iberis jucunda. 



where many plants are destroyed by cold ; 

 and in April and May its neat tufts of 

 dark green change into masses of snowy 

 white. Where a very dwarf evergreen 

 edging is required for a shrubbery, or for 

 beds of shrubs, it is one of the best 

 plants known, as on any soil it quickly 

 iforms a spreading mass almost as low as 

 the lawn-grass. Like all its relatives, it 

 should be exposed to the full sun rather 

 than shaded Readily increased by seeds 

 or cuttings. Its common garden name 

 is I. saxatilis. I. Garrexiana is not 

 sufficiently distinct to be worthy of cul- 

 tivation ; in fact, it and several other 

 Iberises prove, when grown side by side, 

 to be very slight varieties of I. semper- 

 virens ; it, however, seeds more abund- 

 antly, and is less spreading. I. superba, 

 another variety, is of good bushy habit, 

 and bears many large dense heads of 

 pure white flowers. . - *&MZ 



I. Tenoreana is a dwarf species, with 

 white flowers, changing to purple. As 

 the commonly-cultivated 'kinds are pure 



i white, I. Tenoreana will be more valuable 

 | from its purplish tone as well as its neat 

 1 habit. It has not, however, the perfect 

 | hardiness of the white kinds, being very 

 j apt to perish on heavy soils in winter ; but 

 ' on light sandy soils and in well-drained 

 positions on the rock-garden it is pretty. 

 1 Where no rock-garden exists it should be 

 I placed on raised beds or banks, and is 

 | easily raised from seed ; it should be 

 i treated as a biennial. S. Italy. 



I. umbellata (Annual Candyttiff). 

 i This and its ally (I. coronaria) are the 

 hardy annual Candytufts. They are 

 varied in colour, and are among the 

 most beautiful of annual flowers. They 

 may be sown at all seasons, but, as in 

 the case of most other hardy annuals, 

 the finest flowers are from autumn-sown 

 plants, which flower from May to July. 

 They like a rich soil and plenty of room 

 to flower freely. There are a great 

 number of varieties, differing both in 

 growth and colour. What are known as 

 the dwarf or nana strain are neat and 

 dwarf in growth, are abundant bloomers 

 and showy. I. umbellata nana rosea and 

 alba are two of the most distinct, being 

 about 9 in. high ; the dark crimson, 

 carmine, lilac, and purple sorts, about 

 i ft. high, are also fine. The Rocket 

 Candytuft (I. coronaria) in good soil 

 grows 12 to 1 6 in. high, with pure white 

 flowers in long dense heads, and there 

 is a dwarf variety of it (pumila), 4 to 6 in. 

 high, forming spreading tufts i ft. or 

 more across. The Giant Snowflake is 

 also an excellent variety. These Rocket 

 Candytufts require the same treatment as 

 the common varieties. 



IDESIA /. polycarpa is a Japanese 

 tree of recent introduction, growing out of 

 doors in mild districts ; but we have no 

 proof of its hardiness for our country 

 generally. It has large leaves, bright 

 green above, and whitish beneath. The 

 flowers form long, drooping branched 

 racemes and are fragrant. The colour is 

 not brilliant, but their effect, combined 

 with the red leaf stalks, the varying green 

 of the leaves, and their drooping habit is 

 good. There are male and female forms, 

 and, although the tree may be increased 

 by cuttings, it is better raised from seed. 

 There is a crisp-leaved form. Syn. 

 flacourtia. 



ILEX (Holly}. Beautiful evergreen 

 shrubs of northern temperate countries, 

 of which the most precious is our own 

 native Holly, Ilex Aquifolium. It would 

 be difficult to exaggerate the value of 

 this plant, whether as an evergreen tree, 

 as the best of all fence-shelters for our 



