PELARGONIUM. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. PELARGONIUM. 703 



half of the globe, all of them 

 being hardy plants. The 

 genus Pelargonium contains 

 many species, which botanists 

 have divided into several sec- 

 tions, and many kinds will 

 grow and flower in the open 

 air during summer, although 

 unable to withstand our 

 winters. 



Of all varieties of the flower 

 garden the "zonals" are the 

 most useful, and they are sup- 

 posed to be descended from 

 two distinct species, P. zonale 

 and P. inquinans. As bedding- 

 out plants they are of great 

 importance ; and the facility 

 with which they yield improved 

 forms has led to the intro- 

 duction of numerous beautiful 

 varieties, of nearly all shades 

 of colour, from white to in- 

 tense scarlet ; while the richest 

 purple* and violet shades are 

 also to be found, and these 

 would almost appear to foretell 

 the advent of even a blue Zonal 

 Pelargonium. The Zonal Pe- 

 largonium, on account of the 

 brilliancy of its bloom, has 

 sometimes been too freely used 

 in the flower garden, but these 

 matters are now better under- 

 stood. Among the Zonal 

 varieties there are many with 

 variegated and beautiful foli- 

 age, this particularly being the 

 case in that section of the 

 Zonals known as Tricolors, 

 which, on account of their not 

 succeeding so well in some 

 soils as might be desired, are 

 less grown out-of-doors than 

 they deserve. Where they 

 succeed, however, they form 

 very attractive beds, when 

 grown for the sake of their 

 foliage, the trusses of bloom 

 being removed from time to 

 time as they appear. The 

 varieties known as the 

 " bronze zonals " are also 

 beautiful outdoor plants, the 

 free exposure intensifying the 

 rich tints of the leaves. 



No plants are more easily 

 increased than these : cuttings 

 may be inserted whenever they 

 can be obtained, and will root 

 freely in any ordinary light or 

 sandy soil, in the open air 

 during summer and autumn, 



Passiflora Constance Elliot. 



