Gardening for Amateurs 



447 



Phacelia. The flowers of Phacelia re- 

 semble those of Nemophila : it is a showy 

 annual. The best known is P. campanularia, 

 with bright blue flowers. Growing 9 inches 

 high, it is one of the first hardy annuals to 

 flower if sown outside during March. P. 

 congesta grows 1 foot high, having attractive 

 mauve blooms ; P. tanacetifolia, a blue- 

 flowered sort, is about 

 18 inches high ; P. 

 Whitlavia (sometimes 

 grown as Whitlavia 

 grandiflora) has 

 violet bell-shaped 

 flowers, 1 foot high, 

 and there is a white 

 variety, alba. P. 

 ( W h i 1 1 a v i a) gloxi- 

 nioides, with blue 

 and white tubular 

 flowers, is very pleas- 

 ing. Sow the seeds 

 along the front of 

 borders and beds 

 during March and 

 April, where the 

 plants are to bloom. 



Phlox Drum- 

 mondii. As a bed- 

 ding plant and for the 

 front of borders this 

 is one of the best 

 half-hardy annuals. 

 The plants vary from 

 6 to 18 inches high, 

 according to the 

 variety, there being 

 large-flowered sorts, 

 15 to 18 inches high, 

 for bedding, and a 

 dwarf compact strain, 

 6 to 8 inches high, 

 suitable for edging 



and ribbon borders. The chief colours 

 obtainable are white, delicate pink, scarlet, 

 rose, crimson, yellow ; violet, and salmon- 

 pink. A very pretty Phlox with fringed 

 flowers in various colours is named P. 

 cuspidata, or the Star Phlox. Seeds may 

 be sown under glass in March or outside 

 on a sheltered border early in April. The 

 soil should be fairly rich and the position 

 sunny. 



Polygonum (Knotweed). Two annual 

 Knotweeds are grown in gardens, P. capi- 

 tatum, a charming dwarf plant only 3 or 4 

 inches high, with pink flower-heads, suitable 

 for the rock garden, and P. orientale (Persi- 

 caria), growing 3 feet high, useful for grouping 

 in the flower border. The flowers, borne in 

 drooping racemes, are rosy-crimson. There 



Shirley Poppies. 



is also a white variety, alba. Selected forms 

 of these two plants have been appropriately 

 named Ruby Gem and White Gem. Sow the 

 seeds of the tall Knot weed under glass during 

 March or outside in April where the plants 

 an- to tlouer. Seeds of P. capitatum should 

 be sown during April in the rock garden or 

 as an edging to a border. 



Portulaca grandiflora (Purslane). 

 This half -hardy annual makes a glorious 



