Gardening for Amateurs 



385 



Harpur Crewe). This handsome border plant 

 ought to find a place in the smallest garden, 

 it is so good-natured, thriving in sun or 

 shade, and particularly useful in town and 

 suburban gardens. It grows about 3 feet 

 high, and the long -stalked yellow flowers 

 are much prized for cutting. D. austriacum 

 is an early flowering sort, about 1J feet in 

 height, with yellow blooms. A bed of this 

 Doronicum is very attractive in the spring 

 bedding schemes if Wallflowers and Poly- 

 anthus are associated with it. D. glaciale 

 (syn. D. Clusii) grows 2 feet high, and bears 

 rich yellow flowers very freely during May 

 and June. 



Echinops (Globe Thistle). The 

 popular name of this plant has reference 

 to the round, bristly flower-heads. Several 

 groups in the border form a pleasing change 

 from the usual perennial flowers. In the 

 shrubbery borders and wild garden the 

 Globe Thistles are very pleasing, and provide 

 quantities of flowers for cutting. A most 

 effective arrangement, and one of lasting 

 beauty, is to plant a group of Echinops Ritro, 

 the blue Thistle, and the double Gypsoplula. 

 The Globe Thistles succeed in ordinary 

 garden soil, and may be planted in autumn 

 or spring. Propagation is carried on by 

 dividing the roots in autumn or spring, 



\,\ Beeds -MUM ill a frame of prepared holder 



out of doors or in a heated greenhouse during 

 spring. If only one kind is grown E. Ritro, 

 the blue Thistle, is recommended, it grows 

 3 feet high, and the blue, globular heads are 

 very handsome. E. bannaticus (syn. ruthen- 

 icus) has fine steel-blue flower-heads, 4 feet 

 high ; E. humilis, bright blue, 2 feet high ; 

 E. niveus (syn. nivalis), white, 4 feet high ; 

 E. sphaerocephalus, pale blue, about 4 feet 

 high, and having much-divided silvery 

 foliage, are other good sorts. All flower 

 during summer and early autumn. 



Erigeron (Summer Starwort). This 

 free-flowering hardy perennial might very 

 well be described as a dwarf summer-flower- 

 ing Michaelmas Daisy. In fact, in addition 

 to the popular name of Fleabane, they are 

 <ometimes called tin- Summer Staruort-. 

 The Erigerons are valuable border plants, 

 and several of the shorter kinds find a 

 place in most rock gardens. The elegant, 

 Daisy-like flowers are also valuable to cut, 

 25 



the varieties of speciosus particularly. They 

 thrive in most garden soils, and will grow 

 in sun or partial shade. Propagation is by 

 division of the roots from October to March, 

 by cuttings which will root readily under a 

 handlight or in a cold frame in April, while 

 seeds may be sown in a cold frame in spring, 

 in a heated greenhouse during February, or 

 as soon as ripe in autumn ; the flowering 

 season is from June to September. The 

 chief kinds and varieties grown are : E. 

 Coulteri, white, with yellow centre, height 

 2 feet ; E. glaucus, soft lilac, golden centre, 

 height 2 feet ; E. macranthus, violet-purple, 



The Globe Thistle (Echinops 

 Ritro). 



rich yellow centre, height 1 foot ; E. phila- 

 delphicus, rosy-pink, yellow centre, height 

 1 foot to \\ feet; E. speciosus, lavender, 

 2J feet high, var. grandiflorus, large lavender 

 purple, 3 feet high, var. superbus, purple, 

 3 feet high, var. majus, large lavender 

 flowers, height 2$ feet ; all have prominent 



Vellnu centres to tile t|o\\ ej's. ThollL'll Hot 



very tall in growth Erigeron speciosus and 



its \arieties -hoiild I,,- Hipp. .rt d \>\ a feu 



twiggy itakee, otherwise heavy rains and 

 strong winds beat down the stems. E. 



Yill.u-sii ha- .soft 111. te coloured I.I....IMS. \\itl, 

 golden centre, height 1 foot. The Orange 

 Daisy (E. aurantiacus), though more often 



