268 



ALPINE FLOWERS FOR GARDENS 





[PART II. 



1 foot in height, with a few glaucous 

 leaves near the ground ; the lip of 

 the flower is of a rich velvety brown, 

 with yellow markings, so that it bears 

 a fanciful resemblance to a bee. It 

 is usually considered very difficult to 

 grow, but this is by no means the 

 case, and it may be grown easily in 

 rather warm and dry banks in the 

 rock-garden, planted in a deep little 

 bed of calcareous soil, if that be con- 

 venient ; if not, loam mixed with 

 broken limestone may be used. It 

 will be found to thrive best if the 

 surface of the soil in which it grows 

 be carpeted with the Lawn Pearlwort, 

 or some other very dwarf plant, and, 

 failing these, with 1 inch or so of 

 cocoa-fibre and sand, to keep the soil 

 somewhat moist and compact about 

 the plants. Flowers in early summer. 

 Other interesting species to cultivate 

 in a collection of hardy Orchids are 

 Q. musctfera, arachnites, aranifera, and 

 Trolli. 



OPUNTIA (Prickly Pear). A large 

 group of plants of the Cactus order, 

 mostly American, but often growing 

 far north into many cold as well as 

 dry regions in California, Utah, and 

 Nevada. Like most Cactuses, they 

 might at first be thought too tender 

 for our country, but some kinds have 

 proved hardy, and the country they 

 come from has severe winters. A most 

 interesting series of species and 

 varieties have been introduced by 

 Mr Spath, of Berlin, who writes of 

 them in the Garden, as follows : 



"The hardiness of these species, 

 varieties, and natural hybrids, even 

 in the often trying winters of Berlin, 

 is proved beyond all doubt, having 

 stood in the open for several years 

 without protection. As to soil, they 

 are not particular, but they are thank- 

 ful for slight manuring, which develops 



sturdy and healthy specimens in a few 

 years. These produce fine large flowers. 

 When, during the month of July, the 

 plants are covered with their con- 

 spicuous flowers, varying through all 

 shades, from light yellow to orange 

 and salmon, from a tender rose to 

 deep and brilliant carmine, they pre- 

 sent a picture of unrivalled beauty. 



The collection of Colorado Opuntias, 

 as far as they have flowered and been 

 named here, is as follows : 



" 0. camanchica lutea, c. orbicvlaris, 

 c. rubra, c. salmonea. These four 

 varieties have large and thin joints 

 of roundish shape. 0. fragilis, f. 

 ccespitosa, /. tuberiformis. 0. Missouri- 

 ensis, m. erythrostema, m. salmonea. 

 0. pachyarfhra flava. 0. pacliyclada 

 rosea, p. spoefhiana. 0. rhodantha, 

 r. brevisptna, r. flavispina, r. pisci- 

 formis, r. schumanniana. 0. Schwerini. 

 0. xanthostema, x. elegans, x. fulgens, 

 x. gracilis, x. orbicularis, x. rosea." 



Some of them have been grown with 

 success in England. On dry slopes 

 on and partly protected under project- 

 ing ledges of rock, they are curious, 

 and the flowers often beautiful in 

 colour, but of tropical associations 

 that hardly go well with alpine plants, 

 and so would be better grouped apart, 

 where they might get some winter 

 protection where needed, and all the 

 sun and warmth could be got for them 

 in our climate. Their nomenclature 

 is still far from clear, and it is probable 

 those arid and cold regions have other 

 hardy and handsome kinds worth 

 introducing. 



ORCHIS (Orchid). Perennial 

 ground Orchids often beautiful, hardy, 

 being mostly European or natives of 

 cold countries, not difficult to grow. 

 These are essential for the bog-garden. 

 Some of our native Orchis are de- 

 serving of a place, but few sue- 



