Gardening for Amateurs 



145 



should be sown in light sandy soil in a cold 

 frame, preferably in autumn, as soon as 

 they are ripe. The seedlings may remain 

 in shallow boxes, if they were sown thinly, 

 until April or May, and then be planted on 

 a border out of doors. About September or 

 early October place the young plants in 

 the positions where they are to flower the 

 following summer. As excessive moisture 

 at the roots of Eryngiums in winter causes 

 them to rot, avoid planting in badly-drained 

 soils. Sifted coal ashes placed above the 

 roots in autumn will be found beneficial. 



The best kinds are the following : 

 E. alpinum (the Alpine Sea Holly), 2 to .'J 

 feet high, with steel-blue stems and bracts, 

 lavender-blue flower heads, will thrive in 

 partial shade; E. amethystinum, about 

 1 feet high, has light blue flower heads 

 E. Bourgatii, 1 to 2 feet 

 high, has white, spiny foliage 

 and purpl is h -blue flower 

 heads ; the flower heads of 

 E. giganteum (the Giant Sea 

 Holly or Ivory Thistle) are 

 bluish-white, on a branched 

 inflorescence this is best 

 treated as a biennial, seeds 

 being sown in June ; E. hy- 

 bridum is a prettily branched 

 sort, 2 to 3 feet high, with 

 metallic-blue flower heads ; 

 E. maritimum (the Common 

 Sea Holly) grows about 1 

 foot high, it has glaucous- 

 blue flower heads and silvery- 

 grey foliage : E. Oliverianum, 

 3 feet high, with glistening 

 light blue stems, bracts and 

 flower heads, is one of the 

 finest of all ; E. planum, 

 about 2J feet high, with 

 thi>tle -like, round, blue heads, 

 is free blooming, and easily 

 L r ni\\n if space can only be 

 found for one Sea Holly grow 

 this kind ; E. pandanifolium 

 is distinguished by tall, can- 

 delabra-like inflorescences 

 feet or more high, which are 

 remarkably handsome this 

 is worth planting singly an 

 the lawn as one plants the 

 10 



Pampas Grass ; E. tripartitum, 3 feet high, 

 is a pretty branching plant with steel-blue 

 flower heads. 



Funkia (Plantain Lily). The Japanese 

 Plantain Lilies are valuable alike for their 

 handsome foliage and attractive flowers. 

 There are many places for them in the garden 

 as they grow freely in sun or shade, particu- 

 larly if the soil is moist. As an edging to a 

 border in the town and suburban garden. 

 or for filling a large bed. the Plantain Lilies 

 are very satisfactory. They are suitable 

 also for planting by the water-ide. and in a 

 bog garden in association with hardy ferns. 

 The ornamental foliage develops in early 

 spring, and is followed in summer or in 

 autumn by slender Lily-like spikes of 

 flowers. The plants vary in height from 

 6 inches to 1 foot, and the flower spikes 



Plantain Lily, or Funkia. 



