948 



Gardening for Amateurs 



white, with silver veins on the leaves ; 

 pubescens resembles it, and repens has also 

 whitish flowers. 



Gymnadenia. The Gymnadenias are 

 good plants with spikes of rose or white 

 flowers. G. conopsea and G. odoratissima 

 are in cultivation, and do well in one-third 

 leaf-soil and two-thirds loam. 



Habenaria. These are pretty Orchids, 

 bifolia being known as the Butterfly Orchis. 

 H. bifolia, white or yellowish ; chlorantha, 

 white ; ciliaris, orange-yellow ; dilatata, 

 pearl-white ; Hookeri, greenish-white ; and 

 psycodes, purple and white, may be grown. 

 Almost any soil will do, but they prefer 

 rather heavy loam. 



Ophrys (Bee Orchis). These comprise 

 some of the most singular and attractive of 



' 



A hardy Orchid, Cypripedium Calceolus 

 (yellow and brown) 



hardy Orchids, and present considerable 

 difference in the form of the flowers, which 

 are named on account of their supposed 

 resemblance to certain insects, etc. There 

 are O. apifera, the Bee Orchis, rose and 

 brown ; Arachnites, the Spider Orchis, rose 

 and brownish ; aranifera, also the Spider 

 Orchis, greenish and deep brown ; Bertolonii, 

 violet and purple ; fusca, green and brown ; 

 lutea major, yellow and purple ; musci- 

 fera, the Fly Orchis, greenish-browai ; and 

 tenthredinifera, the Sawfly Orchis, rose, 

 white and yellow. Loam, peat, sand, and 

 chalk or lime rubbish make the best soil. 

 A sunny place is best. 



Orchis. The Orchises are among the 

 most ornamental of flowers, and in damp 

 spots in good loam constitute a charming 

 feature of a rock garden or 

 border. They have good 

 spikes of effective flowers, and 

 the leaves of some are prettily 

 marked. Of the numerous 

 sorts the fine Madeiran Orchis 

 foliosa, rosy-purple, is the 

 best. O. fusca, purple and 

 rose ; hircina, the Lizard 

 Orchis, a curious green and 

 purple, an expensive flower ; 

 latifolia, our Marsh Orchis, 

 purple to white ; laxiflora, 

 purple ; maculata, purple, with 

 its white variety, and another 

 one known as superba, mauve 

 are all capital. Others are 

 O. mascula, purple ; militaris, 

 the Soldier Orchis, purple ; 

 I Morio, the Buffoon Orchis, 



purple and green ; pallens, 

 light yellow ; papilionacea, 

 the Butterfly Orchis, purple 

 and white. All of these can 

 be grown in moist soil. 



For most of these Orchids a 

 bed of loam and peat or leaf- 

 soil in a half-shady spot 

 should be prepared. Chalk 

 or lime can be added when 

 planting the flowers which 

 require it. Some limestone 

 blocks may also be inserted 

 here and there with great 

 advantage. 



