POLEMONIUM. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



POLYGALA. 



725 



against walls in the Isle of Wight in the 

 garden of the Rev. H. Ewbank who writes 

 of it in the Garden : " The foliage gives it 

 very much the look of an Acacia at a little 

 distance, and it is often mistaken for one 

 of them. But no Acacia that I have ever 

 seen has such splendid blossoms. My 

 great surprise has been in its well doing 

 to such an extent in the open ground that 

 I have now no fear for it at all, and during 

 the worst frost we have had here during 

 the last twenty or thirty years it was 

 entirely uninjured. A very great recom- 

 mendation for it in my eyes is the time of 

 year when it is accustomed to blossom. 

 All spring things have gone by, and the 

 wealth of flowering shrubs and trees has 

 become exhausted when this very beauti- 

 ful object makes full compensation for 

 any loss that has been sustained. More- 

 over, it goes on for such a very long 

 time blossoming, it is true, in an inter- 

 mittent sort of way but still remaining 

 an attraction in the highest degree in the 

 garden for week after week/' Such a 

 handsome and graceful thing deserves 

 trial in warm southern gardens especi- 

 ally where the soil and subsoil is open 

 and warm, and always against south 

 walls. 



POLEMONIUM (Greek Valeria?!).^ 

 small family of Phloxworts, mostly from 

 North America. A few of them are familiar 

 in gardens, and among the best are the 

 following : 



P. cceruleum (Jacob's Ladder] most 

 people are familiar with. Besides the 

 original blue-flowered species, there is a 

 variety with white blossoms, and another 

 handsome form with variegated foliage, 

 which on good garden soil is almost as 

 easily grown as the common one. It 

 thrives best in deep, rich, but well-drained 

 loam. To propagate it, dig up well- 

 established plants, pulling them to pieces, 

 and planting immediately in early autumn 

 in a bed of good soil. Where merely 

 required for borders and rock-garden, take 

 up, divide, and replant the old stools where 

 desired, in the old-fashioned way of deal- 

 ing with herbaceous plants. As the 

 variegated variety is grown for leaf- 

 beauty alone, the flower-stems should be 

 removed. 



P. confertum. This is one of the 

 finest of all, with slender deeply-cut 

 leaves, and dense clusters of deep blue 

 flowers on stoutish stems, about 6 in. high. 

 It requires a warm spot in the rock-garden 

 and a well-drained, deep, loamy soil, rather 

 stift than otherwise. Though it requires 

 plenty of moisture in summer, excessive 

 dampness about the roots in winter is 



hurtful. It should be allowed to remain 

 undisturbed for years after it has become 

 established. Rocky Mountains. 



P. humile is a truly alpine pretty plant 

 with pale-blue flowers on stems a few 

 inches high. In a dry situation and a 

 light sandy soil it is hardy, but on a damp 

 subsoil is sure to die in winter. P. mexi- 

 canum is similar but larger, and being 

 only of biennial duration is scarcely worth 

 cultivating. N. America. 



P. reptans is an American alpine plant, 

 and, though far inferior in beauty to P. 

 confertum, is worth growing. Its stems 

 are creeping, and its slate-blue flowers 

 form a loose drooping panicle, 6 or 8 in. 

 high. Snails devour it ravenously, espe- 

 cially the scaly root-stocks during winter, 

 and must be watched for. P. sibiricum, 

 grandiflorum and Richardsoni much 

 resemble P. cceruleum, but are more 

 vigorous, with larger flowers. There are 

 several other species in cultivation, but 

 not important. 



POLIANTHES (Tuberose}. P. tube- 

 rosa is a native of the East Indies, but 

 strong imported bulbs from Italy and 

 France of this deliciously fragrant plant, 

 if inserted in warm soil, will flower well in 

 the open air during August. In the 

 neighbourhood of London we have seen 

 the Tuberose flowering freely in the open 

 border, the bulbs in a light, sandy, well- 

 drained soil, in which they had remained 

 all the winter, slightly protected during 

 severe weather by ashes or other dry 

 material. 



POLYGALA (Milkw0rf).'Zh* hardy 

 Milkworts are neat dwarf plants, with 

 flowers much resembling those of the Pea 

 family. P. Chamasbuxus (Box-leaved 

 Milkwort) is a little creeping shrub from 

 the Alps of Austria and Switzerland, 

 where it often forms but very small 

 plants. In our gardens, however, on 

 peaty soil and fine sandy loams, it spreads 

 out into compact tufts covered with 

 cream-coloured and yellow flowers. The 

 variety purpurea is much prettier ; the 

 flowers are a lovely bright magenta- 

 purple, with a clear yellow centre. It 

 succeeds in any sandy, well-drained soil, 

 best in sandy peat, if slightly shaded 

 from the mid-day sun. Even when out of 

 flower it is interesting owing to its dwarf 

 compact habit, bright shining evergreen 

 leaves, and olive-purplish stems. P. pau- 

 cifolia is a handsome North American 

 I perennial, 3 to 4 in. high, with slender 

 I prostrate shoots, and concealed flowers. 

 From these shoots spring stems, bearing 

 | in summer one to three handsome flowers 

 i about three-quarters of an inch long, 



