PART II.] 



ALPINE FLOWERS FOR GARDENS 



279 



rate plant for rocks or walls. In 

 September nearly covered with flowers 

 in close trusses at the end of the 

 shoots, and of a fine blue, afterwards 

 changing to violet the calyces being 

 of a reddish violet. The bloom usually 

 lasts till the frosts. I have seen this 

 plant live in cold soils, but it is in 

 all cases best to give it a warm, sandy 

 or other light soil, and a sunny warm 

 position, as under these conditions 

 the "dry" bloom is finer. In con- 

 sequence of the semi-prostrate habit, 

 it is well suited for planting above the 

 upper edges of vertical stones or tops 

 of walls. A native of China ; increased 

 by division of the root. 



POLEMONIUM (Greek Valerian}. 

 Herbaceous perennials, some pretty 

 dwarf mountain plants among them. 

 The tall kinds are not fitted for the 

 rock-garden. 



Polemonium confertum. A pretty 

 plant, with slender deeply-cut leaves and 

 dense clusters of deep blue flowers on 

 stoutish stems, about 6 inches high. It 

 requires a warm spot in the rock-garden 

 and a well-drained, deep, loamy soil, 

 rather stiff than otherwise. It should 

 be undisturbed for years after planting. 

 Rocky Mountains of North America. 



P. humile is a truly alpine plant, with 

 pale-blue flowers on stems a few inches 

 high. In a dry situation and a light 

 sandy soil it is hardy, but on a damp 

 sub-soil is sure to die in winter. North 

 America. 



P. reptans is an American alpine plant, 

 its stems creeping, and its slate-blue 

 flowers forming a loose drooping panicle, 

 6 or 8 inches high. Snails devour it, 

 especially the scaly root-stocks during 

 winter, and must be watched for. 



POLYGALA (Milkwort}. The hardy 

 Milkworts are neat dwarf perennials, 

 some true Alpine plants among them. 



Polygala Chamsebuxus (Box - leaved 

 Milkwort) is a little creeping shrub from 

 the Alps of Austria and Switzerland, where 



it often forms, but very small plants. In 

 our gardens, however, on peaty soil and 

 fine sandy loams, it spreads out into 

 compact tufts covered with cream-coloured 

 and yellow flowers. The variety purpurea 

 is prettier ; the flowers are a bright 

 magenta-purple, with a yellow centre. It 

 succeeds in any sandy, well-drained soil, 

 best in sandy peat. Even when out of 

 flower it is interesting, owing to its dwarf 

 compact habit, bright shining evergreen 

 leaves, and olive-purplish stems. 



Polygala calcarea (Chalk Milkwort). 

 A native plant found in the south of 

 England, generally on chalky debris, and 

 pretty, usually with blue, but sometimes 

 with pink or whitish flowers, about a 

 quarter of an inch long, in compact 

 racemes ; Mr Syme says this has no 

 connecting links with the common Milk- 

 wort (P. vulgaris). It is known by the 

 flowering shoots rising from rosettes of 

 leaves, and by the leaves on those shoots 

 becoming abruptly smaller and narrower 

 than those below them. It is the 

 handsomest and the. easiest to grow of the 

 British species, and does very well in 

 sunny chinks, planted in calcareous soil, 

 forming tufts of violet-blue and white 

 flowers, and blooming in early summer. 

 It should be allowed to sow itself if 

 possible, or the seed may be gathered from 

 wild plants and sown in sandy soil. 



P. paucifolia (Fringed Milkwort) is 

 a handsome North American perennial, 

 3 to 4 inches high, with slender prostrate 

 shoots and concealed flowers. From these 

 shoots spring stems, bearing in summer one 

 to three handsome flowers, about three- 

 quarters of an inch long ; generally 

 rosy - purple, but sometimes white. 

 It is suited for the rock-garden, in 

 leaf-mould and sand, and for association 

 in half-shady places with Linncea borealis, 

 Trientalis, Mitchella. 



In this enormous genus there are 

 probably handsome hardy plants not yet 

 in cultivation. 



POLYGONATUM (Solomon's Seal). 

 Perennials of graceful form not in 

 the ordinary "hard-and-fast rockery," 

 but which come in well among the 

 rock shrubs in the rock-garden in 



