168 



ALPINE FLOWERS FOR GARDENS 



[PART II. 



with the tips of the petals creamy -white, 

 the spur curved backwards towards the 

 stalk, the sepals dark blue, large, and 

 nearly oval, with a long footstalk. A 

 native of the Altai Mountains, and one 

 of the best kinds for the rock-garden, 

 in well-drained, deep, sandy soil. In- 

 creased by seed and by very careful 

 division of the fleshy roots, when the 

 plant is in full leaf. Mr William 

 Jennings informs me that, if divided 



sowing, and when full grown is impatient 

 of removal, but if not transplanted when 

 more than two years old, it continues to 

 flower for at least five or six years, some- 

 times for more. Those who can get true 

 seed of this fine plant will do well to 

 raise it with care and plant out when 

 very young into well-prepared beds of 

 moist, deep peaty or sandy soil, putting 

 some of the plants in a northern or cool 

 position. It would be well, also, to sow 



Flower of Blue Columbine. 

 (Aquilegia ccerulea). 



when it is at rest, the roots are almost 

 certain to perish at least, on cold soils. 

 The Forres Nurseries, in Morayshire, 

 have long been famed for the successful 

 growth of this plant ; it has no special 

 care there, and there is no secret about 

 the culture, which is wholly in the open 

 air. The soil is described as "a rich 

 mellow earth, partaking a little of bog 

 or peat earth, and rather cool and moist 

 than otherwise." It flowers the year after 



some seeds where the plants are to remain, 

 and in various other ways to try and 

 overcome the difficulty which has hitherto 

 generally attended the culture of this 

 lovely plant. The seeds of other Colum- 

 bines have a bright perisperm, while those 

 of this species are unburnished, arising 

 from little corrugated markings with 

 which the microscope shows them to be 

 covered. 



Mr Brockbank writes : " I have referred 



