HARDY HERBACEOUS PLANTS 77 



strong flower stems are thrown up, rising, in the case of the fine 

 variety Harpur Crewe, nearly two feet high. The colour is bright 

 yellow. We have few more " handy" plants than these Doronicums, 

 for they will grow almost anywhere, they are hardly planted before 

 they begin to flower, and they remain in bloom a long time. They 

 are propagated by division. 



Evening Primroses (Oenotheras\ The Evening Primrose is char- 

 acterised by great profusion of bloom, and it is a bright border 

 plant. The principal drawback is a tendency to straggle, but this 

 is not so marked in one or two of the 

 modern varieties. The species biennis and 

 its variety grandi flora (which is often grown 

 under the name of Lamarckiana) are both 

 large flowered yellow plants, but seedsmen 

 sell a variety under the name of taraxaci- 

 folia alba which is white. The most com- 

 pact Evening Primroses are the species 

 fruticosa and its variety Youngii, both 

 yellow flowered. The latter is perhaps the 

 most useful that we can have, as in addi- 

 tion to its closeness of growth it has the 

 merit of producing a great mass of bril- 

 liant flowers. Evening Primroses thrive in most well-cultivated 

 garden soil, and they do extremely well on cool, clayey land. 

 They may be propagated by division, but can be increased in 

 quantity more rapidly from seeds, which should be sown out of 

 doors in late spring, the same as Wallflowers. 



Forget-me-nots (Myosotis). The little blue Forget-me-not is a 

 cheap but precious flower, which we should be very ill-advised to 

 banish from our gardens because it is "common." If it comes 

 to that, Roses are "common," Sweet Peas are "common," all 

 popular flowers are "common." We must grow the Forget-me- 

 not for its own sake for the thick cushions of sparkling blue 





LIFTING AND DIVIDING CLUMPS 



Roots A, A are not broken when a 

 fork is used ; B, B, outside fibrous 

 roots preserved. 



