KONIGA. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



LANTANA. 621 



recently been introduced from China, but 

 it has not yet been established sufficiently 

 long in this country to enable us to judge 

 of its value. 

 Koniga. See ALYSSUM. 



LABURNUM (Golden Ram}. Flower- 

 ing trees of Europe of singular beauty 

 and quite hardy and vigorous in our 

 islands, and giving fine effects, all the 

 more so if placed with some care as to 

 position and surroundings. 



L. alpinum (Scotch or Alpine L.}. A 

 very beautiful hardy tree, a native of the 

 hill forests of France, Central Europe, 

 reaching a height of nearly 40 ft. The 

 natural form is a very beautiful tree, and 

 from it varieties of the highest value have 

 been raised and increased from time to 

 time, among the best Parkesi, Watereri, 



Laburnum. 



autumnalis, biferum^ grandiflorum ; Mr 

 sutum, pendtilum, Vossi. The Alpine 

 Laburnum and its best varieties may be 

 known from the other European species 

 by its longer raceme, broader and deeper 

 green leaves and later bloom. Syn. : 

 Cytisus alpimis. 



L. vulgare (Common L.}. Also a 

 beautiful flowering tree of mountain 

 woods on calcareous soil, but growing 

 freely in any soil in our gardens, flowering 

 densely and earlier than the Alpine 

 Laburnum, and like it reaching almost 

 tree-like stature 30 to 40 ft. in the best 

 conditions. It has several varieties, 

 among them Carlieri intermedium, pen- 

 dulum, semperflorens, and quercifolium, 

 and the inevitable worthless variegated 

 variety. 



L. Adami is a curiosity, a graft -hybrid. 

 The same tree, and even the same branch, 



bearing racemes of both yellow and purple 

 flowers, and sometimes flowers of a dull 

 purple. Old trees of these are quaint 

 and not without beauty, though it is far 

 from having the effect of the natural 

 species and their varieties. 



LAGUEUS (Harts-tail Grass], A 

 pretty annual Grass, about I ft. high, L. 

 ovatus having hare's-tail-like plumes, use- 

 ful for bouquets. It should be sown in pots 

 in August, wintered in frames, and divided 

 and transplanted in spring, or sown in 

 open ground in April. It flowers from 

 July to September, and it is pretty in the 

 flower garden in large patches as a relief 

 to showy-flowering things. 



LAMABCKIA. L. aurea is a small 

 hardy annual Grass, with silky plumes, 

 becoming golden as they mature. It is 

 suitable for bouquets, and may be dried 

 for winter use. Seeds should be sown 

 in spring or autumn, in the open border in 

 light soil. Syn. : Chrysurus cynosuroides. 

 S. Europe, N. Africa. 



LAMIUM (Dead Nettle}. Perennial 

 herbs of which there are a few plants 

 occasionally worth a place in poor dry 

 soils, where little else will grow such as 

 are found on dry banks or beneath trees. 

 L. garganicum, from I to i^ ft. high, has 

 in summer whorls of purplish blossoms. 

 L. Orvala is taller and has deep red 

 flowers in early summer. L. maculatum, 

 a native plant, has leaves blotched with 

 silvery-white. Of this species the variety 

 aureum is one of the best golden-leaved 

 plants for edgings. It does not withstand 

 the full exposure that suits the yellow 

 Feverfew, but in sandy or moist soils its 

 peculiar tint is unequalled by any other 

 hardy plant, and its blooms are pretty. 

 It does not require to be constantly 

 trimmed like the Feverfew. 



LANTANA. S. American plants, usu- 

 ally grown in greenhouses, and also in the 

 summer garden. The Verbena-like heads 

 of bloom are rich and varied in colour, 

 and range from crimson, through scarlet, 

 orange, and yellow, to white, the colours 

 varying in the same head. They flower 

 freely for about nine months, and are 

 easy to grow, requiring the protection 

 of the greenhouse during winter after 

 being lifted in autumn. Propagated in 

 spring by cuttings or seeds, the plants 

 being grown in rich light soil till planted 

 out in a warm position. There are many 

 sorts grown, and a selection should in- 

 clude Phosphore, Don Calmet, Distinc- 

 tion, Eclat, Victoire, La Neige, Feu 

 Follet, Pluie d'Or, Ver Luisant, Ne Plus 

 Ultra, Eldorado, and Heroine. Like 

 many dwarf half-hardy plants, they have 



