ON THE CANARY CREEPER 45 



both the dwarf (Tom Thumb) and tall hardy annual Nas- 

 turtiums, which bloom so brightly in summer and far into 

 the autumn, flowering when almost every other annual 

 has gone. They certainly bloom more profusely on chalk 

 than on rich, strong soil ; and the colours are excep- 

 tionally brilliant. The explanation of the more abun- 

 dant bloom is the less vigorous and succulent growth. 

 Leaving out Sweet Peas, they are my best late annuals 

 on chalk, only the Candytufts and Love-in-a-mist making 

 a real effort to vie with them. The suburban gardener 

 soon proves their worth on his often poor and baked 

 soil. The Lilliput strain of dwarfs is almost better than 

 the Tom Thumb, as the flowers are thrown up more 

 boldly above the leaves. This habit is particularly 

 valuable in rich soil. The strain can be had in separate 

 colours, like the Tom Thumb, or in mixture. 



In the Queen of Tom Thumbs, in Variegated-leaved, 

 and in Cloth of Gold, we get coloured foliage. These 

 are attractive before any flowers appear. 



Colour of flower and marking of leaf are both re- 

 peated in the tall (majus) section, the members of which 

 are excellent for training over rough ground, as well 

 as over trellises, arbours, and railings. There is an 

 Ivy-leaved variety with yellow flowers that is very 

 pretty. 



The reader who has never tried orange, salmon, and 

 yellow Nasturtiums for table decorations should do so. 

 If cut with long trails of stem and bloom, they will give 

 beautiful and uncommon effects. 



Two or three of the species of Tropceolum are 

 grown in the garden, notably polyphyllum, a prostrate 

 perennial with yellow flowers, thriving in dry, warm 

 spots if left alone ; and speciosum, the Flame Nasturtium. 

 The latter is a glorious rambler in Scotland, and one 



