36 FAMILIAR GARDEN FLOWERS. 



some winter foliage, and there should be a few clumps of 

 each in spots where they are likely to be seen during 1 a 

 walk round on a sunny winter day. 



A few beautiful garden varieties have lately been intro- 

 duced from the Continent, and have found much favour 

 with English amateurs. They are mostly of German 

 origin, and are produced by crossing the purple and green 

 flowered species, the result being in some cases flowers 

 richly spotted, and of various shades of greenish-white, 

 maroon, purple, and purplish-rose. The conspicuous yellow 

 stamens, which contribute so much to the beauty of the 

 white-flowered Christmas rose, are distinct and welcome 

 features of these new varieties of Lent roses, adding an 

 element of cheerfulness that compensates for their other- 

 wise dull colouring, for the colours of the petals are in 

 all cases toned down by infusions of green and purple that 

 render them impure. A collection of hellebores may now 

 be looked for in every garden of hardy plants, to combine 

 with the daffodils to "take the winds of March with 

 beauty." 



