SOLIDAGO. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



SPARAXIS. 819 



renders S. montana weak also. S. pusilla 

 has kidney-shaped leaves, with the corolla 

 not deeply cut into fringes. The very 

 small S. minima, with its minute round 

 leaves and its single flower, fringed for a 

 portion of its length only, is rare. Both of 

 these plants thrive under the same condi- 

 tions as the others ; but, being much smaller, 

 require more care in planting, viz. in a mix- 

 ture of peat and good loam with plenty of 

 sharp sand, and associated with minute 

 alpine plants. They require plenty of water 

 in summer. S. Clusii and S. Wheeleri are 

 similar to those mentioned above. (Prim- 

 rose order.) 



SOLIDAGO (Golden Rod}. These N. 

 American Composites in borders exter- 

 minate valuable plants, and give a coarse, 

 ragged aspect to the garden. They are 

 also such gross feeders as to impoverish 

 any good border. They hold their own, 

 however, in a copse, or a rough open 

 shrubbery among the coarsest vegetation. 

 Forafull collection the best are S. altissima, 

 S. canadensis, S. grandiflora, S. nutans, S. 

 multiflora, S. rigida, and S. Virgaurea. 



SOPHORA (New Zealand Laburnum}. 

 S. tetraptera is a large tree in its own 

 country, and makes a charming wall- 

 plant here. The variety grandiflora 

 has larger flowers and is more robust, 

 while the variety microphylla is remark- 

 able for finely-divided leaves and smaller 

 flowers. In sheltered gardens against 

 walls in the southern and the mild 

 parts all may be grown, though they 

 may need extra protection in severe 

 winters. Another species in cultivation 



Sophora japonica 



is S. chilensis, which also needs protec- 

 tion. Syn.. Edwardsia. 



S. japonica (Pagoda Tree}. One of 

 the finest of flowering trees, elegant in 

 foliage, and, in September, covered with 

 clusters of white bloom. It is one of the 



largest of trees, and when old has a wide- 

 spreading head with huge limbs. Its 

 long pinnate leaves retain their deep- 

 green colour until autumn. Where space 

 is limited it may be kept in bounds by 

 hard pruning. There are several varieties 

 a drooping kind, which is one of the best 

 of all pendulous trees, and a variegated- 

 leaved kind, which is not satisfactory, as 

 the variegation is seldom good. 



SPARAXIS. Charming bulbous plants 

 from the Cape of Good Hope, the many 

 varieties coming chiefly from S. grandiflora 

 and S. tricolor. They are about I ft. high, 

 of slender growth, and bear large showy 

 flowers which vary from white to bright 

 scarlet and deep crimson, usually having 

 dark centres. Sparaxis are valuable for 

 early-summer flower, and should be treated 

 like Ixias. S. pulcherrima (the Wand- 

 flower), is so distinct that its claim to be a 



Sparaxis pulcherrima (Wand Flower). 



Sparaxis has often been made the subject 

 of comment. Its tall and graceful flower- 

 stems rise to a height of 5 or 6 ft., and wave 

 in the wind, but, though slender, are so 

 tough and wiry that they are never broken 

 3 G 2 



