138 



BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS 



attractive and inexpensive. Acre, 

 yellow, glaucum, pink, and lydium, 

 pink, are all well worth including. 

 Propagation is by seed or division, 

 (i) Sempervivums (Houseleeks). Useful low 

 evergreens, equally attractive for their 

 leaves and flowers. They are very 

 distinct and interesting plants. There 

 is a large number of species, and a 

 collection may be formed by those 

 who develop an interest in them 

 after starting with one or two of 

 the best, such as arachnoideum and 



tectorum, both with red flowers. Pro- 

 pagation is by division. 



(i) Silene (Catchfly). Charming little 

 plants, which grow almost anywhere, 

 flower freely, and have very bright 

 colours. Maritima, white, and Schafta, 

 rose, are special favourites. Propa- 

 gation is by seed or division in spring. 



Thyme. The woolly Thyme (Thymus 

 lanuginosus) is worth mentioning. 



Veronicas. The two blue species, teucrium 

 and rupestris, should be selected. 

 They bloom very freely. 



AUTUMN AND WINTER FLOWERS 



Few Alpines are autumn or winter bloomers, and to get flowers 

 at those seasons we shall have to turn to bulbous and allied plants. 



(i) Colchicum (Meadow Saffron]. That 

 cheerful, Crocus-like plant, Colchicum 

 autumnale, should be grown in quan- 

 tity, for it costs little, and makes a 

 very bright break of bloom in the 

 autumn. The purple flowers are 

 borne before the leaves. Bulb-mer- 

 chants supply it. 



(i) Crocuses. Several of the most beautiful 

 species of this popular flower bloom 

 in the autumn, and the following, 

 which the larger bulb-merchants will 

 supply, might be procured: iridiflorus, 

 blue ; longiflorus, lilac ; speciosus, 

 purple ; and zonatus, lilac-rose. They 

 ought to be planted in July or 

 August. 



( i ) Cyclamens. Coum and europaeum, which 

 have been mentioned in a previous 

 section, will probably give flowers 

 in autumn and winter. 



(i) Irises. This large and valuable genus, 

 which has been specially dealt with 

 under Herbaceous Plants, includes 

 winter-flowering species, and fortu- 

 nately they are among the most beau- 

 tiful, notably Bakeriana, violet and 

 white; histrio, lilac; persica Held- 

 reichi, lavender and yellow ; reticulata, 

 violet and yellow; and Rosenbachiana, 

 purple and yellow. Large bulb- 

 dealers supply them. 



(i) Snowdrops. These graceful little 

 flowers love cool places, but comfort- 

 able homes can be found for them 

 on the rockery. Galanthus Elewesii 

 is one of the best. All the finest 

 Snowdrops can be bought from bulb- 

 dealers, most of them very cheaply. 



Sternbergia lutea. A charming dwarf 

 plant, with lemon-coloured flowers, 

 which bulb-dealers supply. 



