696 OTHOXXA. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN 



OXALIS. 



apparently thrive equally in all places, 

 and is often disappointing. Seeds ger- 

 minate readily in a cold frame, but a few 

 years elapse between sowing and flower- 

 ing. 



OTHONNA (Barbary Ragwort}. O. 

 cheirifolia is a distinct Composite plant, 

 with whitish-green tufts, 8 in. to I ft. high, 

 or on rich soils perhaps more. It is a 

 spreading evergreen, flowering sparsely 

 on heavy and cold soil, but on light soils 

 often blooming freely in May ; the flowers 

 yellow, about i^ in. across, but not pretty. 

 It is useful from its distinct aspect on 

 the rough rock-garden or in the mixed 

 border. Cuttings. Perishes in severe 

 winters, at least on clay soils. Barbary. 



OURISIA. O. cocdnea is a bright 

 dwarf Chilian creeper, bearing in early 

 summer scarlet blossoms in slender clus- 

 ters, 6 to 9 in. high. Though hardy, it is 

 reputed difficult to grow, and it should 

 be placed against a block of soft porous 

 stone in a moist place, such as the foot of 

 a wall with an east aspect. Its creeping 

 stems will soon run over the stone, and it 

 will flower freely. 



OXALIS (Wood Sorrel]. Dwarf and 

 often pretty perennial or annual plants, 

 for the most part more happy and free in 

 temperate countries, but some hardy with 

 us on warm borders and on the rock- 

 garden. They all thrive best in a sandy 

 soil in the warmest and driest place 

 in a garden. The following are the best 

 kinds for our gardens : 



0. Bowieana. A robust species, form- 

 ing rich masses of leaves, 6 to 9 in. high, 

 and umbels of rose flowers continuously 

 throughout the summer, suitable for warm 

 borders at the foot of a south wall. In 

 cold soils it seldom flowers, but on very 

 sandy, warm, and well-drained soils it 

 flowers abundantly, and when this is the 

 case it may be used with effect as an 

 edging to beds of autumn - blooming 

 plants, and where it does well it is one 

 of the most precious of hardy flowers. 

 Division. Cape of Good Hope. 



0. flpribunda. A free-flowering kind, 

 hardy in all soils ; for months in succes- 

 sion it bears numbers of dark-veined rose- 

 coloured flowers. The white-flowered 

 variety flowers as freely as the rose- 

 coloured form, and both are very useful 

 for the rock - garden and for margins of 

 borders, and are easily increased by 

 division. O. floribunda appears to be the 

 commonest kind of Oxalis in cultivation. 

 America. 



0. lasiandra. A distinct and beautiful 

 kind, with large dark green leaves, and 

 in early summer umbels of bright rose- 



coloured flowers, and useful for warm 

 borders and the rock-garden. Mexico. 



0. lobata. A stemless little plant with 

 three deeply-lobed bright green leaflets, 

 and blossoms about f in. across, rich 

 yellow, the centre delicately pencilled 

 with chocolate. A free-flowering bright 

 little plant during sunshine, thriving 

 in warm sandy loam on well - drained 

 borders. It survives mild winters un- 

 protected. Chili. 



0. luteola is one of the prettiest, 

 forming a compact tuft ; the flower-buds 

 \ in. in length, and a soft creamy-yellow, 

 but when open they are as large as a half- 

 crown, and pure white, shading to yellow 

 towards the centre ; it is not hardy, but 

 in light sandy soil will survive a winter if 

 protected. 



0. Acetosella (Studworf, Wood Sorrel}. 

 The prettiest of the kinds known so 

 far for our gardens is our native Wood 

 Sorrel, which bore in old times the better 

 name of " Stubwort " a name which 

 should be used always. This grows itself 

 in such pretty ways in woody and shady 

 places that in many gardens there will be 



Oxalis Acetosella. 



no need to cultivate it. Where it must 

 be cultivated it will be happy in the hardy 

 fernery or in shady spots in the rock- 

 garden, or under trees, or the lawn, or in 

 any shady or half-shady places in ground 

 not dug. 



There are other species worthy of a 

 place, especially on very dry sandy soils, 

 and among them are O. Smithi, rosea, 

 Deppei, speciosa, arborea. violacea, 

 versicolor, incarnata, tetraphylla, venusta, 

 and corniculata. O. corniculata rubra 

 is sometimes used for bedding, and 

 should always be encouraged where 

 there are old quarries and rough rocky 



I places, especially in a calcareous district, 

 for this handsome plant speedily covers the 

 most unpromising surfaces. In gardens, 

 however, this Wood Sorrel becomes a 



! troublesome weed. If a collection be grown, 



