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Gardening for Amateurs 



favourable weather, at which time any neces- 

 sary replanting may be done. Cuttings root 

 freely in spring, when the young shoots are 

 pushing up, if placed in pots of sandy soil in 

 a closed frame. The plants seed very freely. 

 Seed may be sown in a heated greenhouse 

 early in February to secure plants for 

 autumn flowering the same year, or on a 

 border outside at any time from April to 

 June to flower the following summer. 

 The best-known kind is L. Salicaria, a 

 British plant with purplish-rose flowers. 

 For garden purposes this is surpassed, par- 

 ticularly in colour, by several selected varie- 

 ties. L. Salicaria, however, is worth plant- 

 ing freely in the wild garden and by the 

 water side ; rosea (rich bright rose), su- 

 perba (deep rose, very rich in colour), and 

 Brightness (rose-pink) are improved varie- 

 ties. A second species, L. alatum, native of 

 North America, has purple flowers ; it is less 

 graceful than L. Salicaria and has fewer 

 flower spikes. L. virgatum Rose Queen is 

 one of the most attractive Loosestrifes for 



the herbaceous border ; the plants grow 3 

 to 4 feet high and yield long spikes of 

 bright rose-coloured flowers from July to 

 September. 



Malva (Mallow). Two perennial kinds 

 of Mallow find favour with hardy plant 

 growers the Musk Mallow (Malva moschata) 

 and the Vervain Mallow (M. alcea). Though 

 a British plant, the Musk Mallow is worth 

 growing extensively in borders. In its 

 deeply-cut leaves, musk scent, and bright 

 rose-pink flowers one finds much to admire. 

 It grows 2 to 3 feet high, and flowers are 

 freely produced from June to September. 

 There is a white variety, alba. The Vervain 

 Mallow (M. alcea) resembles a small Holly- 

 hock, grows about 4 feet high, branches freely, 

 and has rosy-purple flowers in summer. The 

 Mallows grow well in rather light, richly 

 manured soils. Seeds form a ready means of 

 propagation. To obtain plants to flower 

 the same year sow in a heated greenhouse 

 during February, or on a border outside 

 from April to June to flower twelve months 



ing Primrose (Oenothera speciosa). 



