WANING SUMMER 



more tolerant of drought than Newmani. It grows 

 about four feet tall and bears large blossoms of a curious 

 dead pink, with a protruding golden-brown cone. This 

 plant is rather hard to associate well and I feel that full 

 justice is not given it here, though the fleecy bloom of 

 Polygonum compaction and masses of blue-green Rue, 

 which are its neighbours, are very good with it. It is 

 rather a sombre-looking plant, but as desirable for its 

 good habits and long period of bloom as for its numer- 

 ous dull-pink flowers. 



The Sunflowers, Helianthus, are conspicuous mem- 

 bers of both annual and perennial garden society at this 

 season, but there are only a few which seem to me to 

 have any great attraction, save in half-wild places. 

 Their roots are most unrestrained and one must ever be 

 weeding them out. To one sort, however, I can give the 

 most enthusiastic praise Helianthus multiflorusfl. pi., 

 which grows about five feet high, is compact and con- 

 trolled as to growth, has rich, dark foliage and many 

 golden globes of bloom. It makes a good background 

 for the heavy-headed white Phlox, and before its season 

 closes the earlier hardy Asters colour effectively in its 

 neighbourhood. There is a variety called Soleil d'Or 

 which is also a splendid plant, with the same firm, com- 

 pact habit and rich orange-yellow, double flowers. I 

 do not care much for the single-flowered Sunflowers, 

 though Miss Mellish is a good sort. However, she 

 grows nine feet tall in our garden in her determination 



