244 



ALPINE FLOWERS FOR GARDENS 



[PART II. 



of its peculiar beauty for adorning 

 bare spots on the rock-garden devoted 

 to very minute alpine plants. As it 

 sows itself, the cultivator will have 

 no more trouble with it than with a 

 hardy perennial. It frequently flowers 

 at 1 inch high, and rarely exceeds 2 

 inches, the small flowers being of a 

 pale violet tinge, and the leaves 

 roundish and compactly arranged. 

 It will flower a couple of months 

 after being sown ; and, when sown 

 in spring in the open ground, the 

 self-sown seeds of the summer flowers 

 soon start into growth, and the second 

 crop flowers in autumn, and far into 

 winter. A native of Portugal and 

 Morocco. 



IRIS (Flag}. Of these wonderfully 

 varied and beautiful plants, the 

 majority are too vigorous for the rock- 

 garden ; but a certain number of the 

 dwarf species might well find a home 

 on it, such as the little American 

 crested Iris. Also some of the new 

 cushion Irises may there find condi- 

 tions that suit them. The various 

 forms of the Dwarf Flag (/. pumila), 

 are often very pretty in colour, and 

 are easily grown. 



Iris cristata (Crested /.). A dwarf and 

 charming Flag, usually running about 

 with its creeping and rooting stems ex- 

 posed on the surface, not rising above the 

 ground more than a few inches, having 

 flowers, however, as large as many of the 

 coarser species. It flowers in May ; blue 

 with spots of a deeper hue on the outer 

 petals, and a stripe of orange and yellow 

 variegation down the centre of each. The 

 plant is readily distinguished at any 

 season from any other dwarf species by 

 the creeping stems growing well above 

 the ground. Even young tufts push so 

 boldly out of the ground that a top- 

 dressing of an inch of fine soil placed 

 around them cannot fail to help the 

 roots. It loves and flourishes luxuriantly 

 on rich but free and light soil, in a warm 



position. I have never seen it do so well 

 as in the Glasnevin Botanic Gardens, but 

 have seen it thrive both to the north and 

 south of London. On the rock-garden, 

 it thrives best on level sandy spots. A 

 native of mountainous regions in North 

 America, with all the gem-like loveliness 

 of the choicest Swiss alpine flowers ; was 

 introduced by Mr Peter Colliiison, so long 

 ago as 1756. 



Iris pumila (Dwarf Crimean I.}. Often 

 flowering at 4 inches, the dwarf Iris, even 

 in favourite soils, rarely exceeds 10 in 

 height ; the stems usually bear one or 

 two deep-violet flowers, large and beautiful 

 in April and May. It thrives in ordinary 

 garden soil, the lighter and deeper the 

 better ; the finest specimens I have ever 

 seen were in a deep sandy peat, and they 

 were twice the ordinary size. There are 

 several varieties : yellow, white, light blue, 

 and deep dark violet, respectively. known 

 under the names of /. pumila, lutea, alba, 

 ccerulea, and atroceerulea. Each of the 

 varieties is worthy of cultivation, and 

 easily increased by division of the 

 rhizomes. 



I. reticulata (Early Bulbous /.). Dis- 

 tinct from other early Irises, and perhaps 

 the most valuable of all, considering its 

 early bloom, violet scent, and rich colour. 

 The root is a tuber ; leaves four-angled 

 and rather tall when fully developed ; and 

 the flowers, borne on stems 3 to 6 inches 

 high, are of the most brilliant purple, each 

 of the lower segments marked with a 

 deep orange stain. It blooms in early 

 spring, long before any other Iris shows 

 itself, and loves a deep sandy soil and a 

 warm well-drained position. There is 

 no more beautiful plant for a sunny bank 

 on the lower slopes of the rock-garden. 

 Southern Europe, Asia Minor. Increased 

 by division. 



I. Stylosa (Algerian Flag). A. lovely 

 winter-blooming Iris, quite hardy on all 

 warm, dry soils, but its flowers are of 

 delicate texture, and suffer from rough 

 gales. There are several varieties having 

 flowers of lighter or darker shades of soft 

 lilac or lilac-purple, and there is a white 

 form with golden-crested petals. All are 

 beautifully and easily grown in the open 

 air, but it only flowers well in warm 



