236 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 



resemble those of A. japonica but are much larger 

 and of greater substance. Hybridists in France and 

 Germany have employed these and other species in 

 the breeding of a new and beautiful race of hybrid 

 Astilbes of which A. Arendsii is the type, and there 

 are many named varieties on the market. These 

 Astilbes are easily propagated by division of the root- 

 stock and the species may be raised from seeds with- 

 out difficulty. 



Well fitted for planting alongside Astilbes, or on 

 wet humus-clad rocks are Rodgersia aesculifolia, R. 

 pinnata, var. alba, and R. sambucifolia. These are 

 strong-growing plants with broad thyrsoid panicles, 

 each from a foot to eighteen inches long, of fragrant 

 flowers borne well above the foliage on spikes from three 

 to five feet tall. In R. sambucifolia the leaves are 

 truly pinnate but in the others they resemble in form 

 and texture those of the Buckeye (Aesculus). The 

 flowers are of the purest white. Rodgersias are easily 

 raised from seeds but they grow slowly; the rootstock 

 is a stout rhizome and it is best to commence with 

 strong established roots. 



The Rhubarbs are well known and their bold foli- 

 age and tall flower spikes make them noble ob- 

 jects yet they can scarcely be classed as choice 

 herbs. Very unlike an ordinary Rhubarb, however, 



