6io 



Gardening for Amateurs 



overhead in winter. Its curious woolly- 

 looking flowers are produced in May and 

 June. 



Linaria (Toadflax). Useful plants with 

 small Snapdragon-like flowers. They thrive 

 in sandy soil in sunny or semi-shady positions. 

 Division, seeds or cuttings, in some cases, 

 are the means of propagation. Linaria 

 alpina, having grey leaves and purple, 

 orange blotched flowers, is a very dainty 

 plant, and is best raised from seed each 

 spring. Other sorts are Cymbalaria, 3 inches, 

 trailer, blue or white, May to September ; 

 hepaticaefolia, 3 inches, purple-blue, May 

 to September ; pallida, 3 inches, purple, 

 May to September. 



Lin um (Flax). The Flaxes are delight- 

 ful rockery plants of graceful growth, having 

 showy flowers, the blue sorts being especially 

 beautiful. They can be raised from seeds 

 or increased by division. Good kinds are : 

 alpinum, 9 inches, blue, May to September ; 

 arboreum, 12 inches, yellow, May to Septem- 

 ber ; flavum, 12 inches, yellow, June and 

 July ; monogynum, 12 inches, white, July and 

 August ; Narbonense, 12 inches, blue, May 

 to September ; salsoloides, 12 inches, white, 

 with purple blotch, June to August. 



Lithospermum. The trailing Lithosper- 

 mum prostratum is one of the finest rock 

 plants ; it has evergreen leaves and brilliant 

 blue flowers. Sandy loam and peat in a 

 sunny place are needed. The easiest to 

 grow are : L. canescens, 6 inches, yellow, 

 June to August ; graminifolium, 12 inches, 

 blue, June to August ; hirtum, 9 inches, 

 yellow, May to August ; petraeum, 9 inches, 

 blue, May to August ; prostratum and pros- 

 tratum Heavenly Blue, blue, 6 inches, May 

 to July. 



Lychnis (Campion). Some of the Cam- 

 pions are useful and pretty rock plants, 

 thriving in ordinary well-drained soil and a 

 sunny spot. Increased by seed or division. 

 Many are too tall for the rockery, but the 

 following should be represented: alpina, 

 6 inches, rose, April and May ; Lagascae (dry 

 wall or moraine), 6 inches, June to Septem- 

 ber ; pyrenaica, 6 inches, rose, June to Sep- 

 tember ; Viscaria splendens plena, 12 inches, 

 double rosy-pink, May to August. 



Mertensia. Pleasing rock plants with 

 drooping flowers of rich colour. Easily grown 



in loam soil and slight shade. Increased by 

 seeds or division. The following, which have 

 blue flowers, are the best : echioides, 9 

 inches, May and June ; elongata, 9 inches, 

 July and August ; primuloides, 9 inches, May 

 and June. 



Oenothera (Evening Primrose). 

 Among the low-growing Evening Primroses 

 there are several very beautiful flowers. 

 They need light, well -drained soil. With the 

 exception of Oenothera marginata they are 

 not at all difficult. Increase is by seeds or 

 division. Good sorts are : linearis, 6 inches, 

 yellow, April to August ; macrocarpa (Mis- 

 souriensis), 6 inches, yellow, June and July ; 

 speciosa, 12 inches, white or rose, June to 

 September ; taraxacifolia, 6 inches, white, 

 May to August. 



Phlox. There are some remarkably 

 showy flowers among the low-growing 

 Phloxes, especially varieties of the Moss 

 Pink (P. setacea or subulata). They thrive 

 in sandy loam and sand, and like to be well 

 above the ground level ; in a damp position 

 they often deteriorate in winter. P. divari- 

 cata and its forms will thrive lower down. 

 Propagation is by division, cuttings and seeds, 

 when the latter are obtainable. Good 

 rockery Phloxes are : amoena, 6 inches, 

 purple, May to August ; caroliniana and var. 

 ovata, 12 inches, pink, May and June ; 

 divaricata and var. Laphami, 12 inches, 

 lilac, April to June ; Douglasii, 6 inches, 

 lavender, May to June ; Stellaria, 9 inches, 

 lilac, May and June ; and subulata, 6 inches, 

 April to June. Good varieties of the last- 

 named are Nelsoni, white ; G. F. Wilson, 

 mauve ; and Brightness, rose. 



Potentilla (Cinquefoil). The Potentillas 

 are attractive low-growing plants, easily 

 grown in well-drained sandy soil and a sunny 

 position. One of the finest is P. nitida, 

 which forms a carpet of silvery-grey leaves 

 and bears white flowers in June ; this kind 

 like a little lime in the soil. Others are : 

 alchemilloides, 9 inches, white, May to July ; 

 ambigua, 6 inches, yellow, June to August ; 

 aurea, 6 inches, yellow, June to August ; 

 nivalis, 5 inches, white, April to July. 



Primula. There are some lovely flowers 

 among the hardy Primulas suitable for all 

 sorts of positions in the rock garden. For 

 planting in cool positions among rocks in 



