PART II.] 



ALPINE FLOWERS FOR GARDENS 



245 



.sandy soil, and therefore where such soil 

 does not occur naturally, the best place 

 for it is the rock-garden, in well-drained 



Iris stylosa (Algerian Flay). (Eugraved from 

 photograph by Mr S. W. Fitzherbert.) 



and warm slopes, where its tufts of grassy 

 leaves will look well throughout the year. 



Dwarf Bulbous Iris. Apart from the 

 .above older plants of our gardens of recent 

 years, a number of dwarf bulbous Iris 

 have come into cultivation, for which the 

 rock-garden will often afford a good place. 

 Of these, some of the prettiest are : 



Iris Bakeriana. A charming little 

 hardy Iris about 5 inches high ; standards 

 pale blue, falls white with purple spots 

 and a rich black purple lip ; flowering 

 in February. It is sweet-scented. 



I. Boissieri, lilac dark blue, with yellow 

 blotch, very charming species. 



I. Danfordiae, brilliant yellow, with 

 small greenish spots, very dwarf, early 

 spring flowering, quite hardv. 



I. Histrio, blue, streaked yellow and 

 blotched deep purple. Not only one of 

 the hardiest of the Irids, but one of the 

 earliest, being earlier than /. reticulata. 



I. Histrioides. A beautiful dwarf Iris ; 

 the early flowers are bright ultramarine, 

 with markings on a white ground. 



I. orchoides, bright yellow, hardy and 

 free on many soils. 



I. Persica (Persian Iris). Light blue, 

 blotched with purple, and lined with 

 orange, early, sweet-scented. 



I. Persica purpurea, a most beautiful 

 variety, of a rosy purple colour. 



I. Rosenbachiana, short upright leaves, 

 flowers deep violet, very long falls, which 

 are marked blue and yellow. 



Iris Sophenensis, beautiful dwarf Iris, 

 in the way of /. reticulata, bright blue 

 flowers. 



I. Willmottiana. Lavender blue, white 

 and dark blue spotted, a pretty new 

 Turkestan Iris. 



ISOPYRUM THALICTROIDES 



(Meadow-rue /.). A graceful little 

 plant allied to the meadow-rues, with 

 pretty white flowers, valuable for its 

 maidenhair-fern-like foliage. It is use- 

 ful as an elegant ground-plant below 

 rock shrubs as well as for its own 

 sake, is hardy, and easy to grow on 

 any soil. Comes from the Pyrenees 

 and mountainous parts of Greece, 

 Italy, and Carniola, is easily propa- 

 gated by division or by seed. The 

 leaves rarely rise more than a few 

 inches high, the flower-stems from 10 

 to 14 inches. 



JANK^A HELDREICHI. This 



is the prettiest of the Ramondia family, 

 and is a native of the mountains of 

 South Macedonia, growing in ravines 

 and dells. Owing to failures in its 

 cultivation, it has been considered a 

 miffy plant, dying away in our gardens 

 in spite of the most careful handling. 

 It likes to be moderately moist at the 

 roots and have shade and moisture in 

 the air. The blooms are of a deep 

 and bright blue, somewhat nodding, 

 and shaped like those of a Soldanella. 

 Their beauty is heightened by the 

 silver-grey leaves. 



JASIONE (Sheep's Scabious). Dwarf 

 perennials and annuals of the Bell- 

 flower family, interesting, but not of 

 highest importance for the rock-garden. 

 J. humilis is a creeping tufted plant, 

 about 6 inches high, bearing small 

 heads of pretty blue flowers in July 

 and August. Though a native of 

 the high Pyrenees, it often succumbs 

 to the damp and frosts of our climate, 



