82O SPARTIUM. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



SPIR.^A. 



in a storm, like the much stouter and much 

 stronger-looking stems of the Pampas 

 Grass. For six or seven weeks S. pul- 

 cherrima has lovely Foxglove - shaped 

 bells on almost invisible wire-like lateral 

 foot-stalks. Though the flowers of the 

 type are usually rosy-purple, there are 

 forms which are nearly white, and some 

 of almost every intermediate shade, while 

 others are beautifully striped. S. pul- 

 cherrima is finer and more elegant than 

 S. Thunbergi, which is stiffer and much 

 dwarfer its erect flower-stems being sel- 

 dom more than 2^ ft. high and its flowers 

 have very short stalks, whilst they are 

 not pendulous. The best position for S. 

 pulcherrima is in clumps among shelter- 

 ing shrubs. In such a position it might 

 be associated with Tritonia aurea, as the 

 two plants flower together, S. pulcherrima 

 is about as hardy as Tritonia, Montbretia 

 Pottsi, and similar plants, and, though 

 more difficult to establish, well repays 

 a little care during the first year or two. 

 It has a great objection to removal, and, 

 if necessary, this should be done as soon 

 as the flowers begin to fade. It succeeds 

 in dry as well as damp positions, if it has 

 a rich friable soil, or if when beginning to 

 grow it is well watered. 



SPARTIUM (Spanish Broom}. S. 

 junceum is a South European shrub, 

 blooming in July, August, and September, 

 when shrubberies are usually flowerless. 

 It is thin-growing, 8 or 10 ft. high, and its 

 Rush-like shoots have so few leaves as to 

 appear leafless. It bears erect clusters of 

 fragrant bright yellow flowers shaped 

 like Pea-blossoms, is perfectly hardy, and 

 useful for dry, poor soils, where, like the 

 common Broom, it does well, coming 

 freely from seed scattered broadcast 

 where we wish it to grow. 



SPECULAR! A ( Venues Looking-glass}. 

 These are similar to Campanulas, and 

 often placed with them, though distinct 

 enough for garden purposes. S. Specu- 

 lum, with numerous open bell-like bright 

 violet-purple flowers, is one of the show- 

 iest of our annuals. Besides the large- 

 flowered form called grandiflora, some- 

 times purple and sometimes white, there 

 is a double-flowered kind which comes 

 true from seed, also a dwarf compact 

 form with violet-blue flowers. S. penta- 

 gonia is another favourite, its flowers 

 larger, but less abundant than those of S. 

 Speculum, purple in colour, with a deep 

 blue centre. S. Speculum and S. penta- 

 gonia generally scatter seed, which ger- 

 minates year after year, and no trouble is 

 necessary, except to prevent the plants 

 getting too plentiful. Both are hardy. 



SPHENOGYNE. S. spedosa is a beauti- 

 ful half-hardy Mexican annual Composite of 

 slender, much-branched growth, about I 

 ft. high. The flowers, produced from July 

 to September, are yellow with a brownish 

 centre encircled by a conspicuous black 

 ring, the centre being orange in the variety 

 aurea. S. speciosa will succeed if sown 

 in the open in spring, but it does better 

 as a half-hardy annual, sown in early 

 spring in heat, in any ordinary light soil. 

 S. anthemoides, introduced last century, 

 and also called sometimes Arctotis 

 anthemoides, differs from S. speciosa in 

 having the underside of the florets pur- 

 plish instead of yellow. Though a large 

 and varied family, these are the only kinds 

 to our knowledge in cultivation. Svn., 

 Ursinia pulchra. 



SPIGELIA ( Worm Grass}. S. Maril- 

 andica is a beautiful native of North 

 America, distinct from all other hardy 

 plants. It forms a dense tuft of slender 

 stems about I ft. high, eachbeingterminated 

 by long tubular flowers which are deep red 

 outside and deep yellow inside. The plant 

 is rare in gardens, being considered diffi- 

 cult to cultivate. In its native country it 

 grows in sheltered situations, the roots 

 finding their way deep down into a body 

 of rich vegetable mould. These natural 

 conditions should be imitated ; and if the 

 soil be not good, take it out 2 ft. in depth 

 and fill up with a well-sanded mixture of 

 loam, leaf-mould, and peat. Partial shade 

 in summer, with abundance of moisture 

 in hot weather, is essential, whilst it is 

 suitable for borders, the lower parts of the 

 rock-garden, or for margins of beds of 

 American plants. 



SPIREA (Meadow Sweet}. Beautiful 

 plants in nature, and important for the 

 garden, of easy culture, distinct habit, and 

 often of fine form. They grow well in 

 rich soil in borders, and are also excellent 

 for the margins of water. There are also 

 a number of shrubby species of the highest 

 value. 



S. Aruncus (Goafs-beard} is a vigorous 

 perennial, 3 to 5 ft. high, beautiful in 

 foliage and habit as well as in flower. Its 

 flowers are freely produced in summer in 

 large gracefully - drooping plumes. S. 

 Aruncus is as good in midsummer as the 

 Pampas Grass is in autumn. It is valu- 

 able for grouping with other fine-foliaged 

 herbaceous plants. It thrives in ordinary 

 soil, but succeeds best in a deep moist 

 loam. Division. Various parts of Europe, 

 Asia, and America. 



S. astilboides is a new species, and of 

 unusual merit for borders. 1 1 is a moisture- 

 loving plant, and will be found more 



