184 The Amateur's Book of the Dahlia 



around their feet, to plant a touch of palest 

 pink godetia, sweet balsam, petunia. 



There are not many lavenders of dependable 

 colour. Bianca, a beautiful hybrid cactus, 

 Shudow's Lavender, and Mme. Bijstein have 

 never failed for me. They are free flowering 

 and graceful. Millionaire and Lucy Langdon, 

 one large, the other medium sized but always 

 covered with bloom, are liable to have white 

 centres in the hot weather, but when nights be- 

 come cool again are a wonderful shade of pinkish 

 lavender. Attraction, the aristocrat of all laven- 

 ders, is for most people a shy bloomer, but the 

 refinement of the bloom and grace of its carriage 

 well repays the space it may take. When Le 

 Grand Manitou turns truly purple he is glorious; 

 and with Meyerbeer, though of pendulous habit, 

 also J. K. Alexander, can make the dark touch in 

 the picture. 



Clear pink is the rarest of colours in a dahlia. 

 There is but one truly clear pink, a charming 

 medium-sized decorative called Delice. Of 

 French origin, it has been a favourite for many 

 years. Newport Wonder, a giant single, runs it 

 a close second, and Crystal, an incurved cactus, 

 free and graceful, though tipped with white, is 

 almost spring-like in its airy daintiness. In the 

 mixed border plant them with boltonia, with 



