6 GARDENING FOR BEGINNERS 



widely used for grass planting. It thrives in almost any soil, and for 

 purposes of naturalising it is a better plant than A. blanda in damp or 

 wet soils. It has slender stems, bearing solitary blue flowers with paler 

 centres quite an inch across. Old-established clumps are remarkable 

 for the yield of flowers, which literally cover the leafage. Its white 

 variety is valued as a contrast, but its uses are more limited. Several 

 intermediate forms occur among seedlings. Height 6 inches to 9 inches. 



A. blanda is closely allied to the last species, and one may select 

 forms indistinguishable from it. It is mainly of stronger growth, bearing 

 blue flowers above an inch across, with a ring of white around the anthers. 

 It thrives best in dry soils in elevated gardens. The roots decay whole- 

 sale if very wet in early winter. As a " grass " plant it is inferior to 

 apennina, but in light soils likely to dry out in summer this will prove 

 the better plant to grow. White, lilac, and pale blue forms occur in 

 collected batches from Asia Minor, and some of these are now being 

 selected and grown. The Grecian plant is coloured blue. The variety 

 Scythinica, from Kurdistan, is a very distinct little plant of great value 

 for the rock garden. It has silvery flowers i inch across, the reverse of 

 each petal is tinted a dark steel blue, the leaves are narrower and nearly 

 prostrate. It flowers later than any other blanda. Taurica is the 

 Cilician form of greater vigour, varying in colour tint from white to blue. 

 It excels all others for border planting, and particularly for pot or pan 

 culture in cool frames for the decoration of apartments in spring. Inter- 

 media i a pretty natural hybrid between A. nemorosa and A. ranun* 

 culoides, found growing as a wilding intermingled with its parents. Its 

 habit is that of nemorosa, and the flowers are sulphur-coloured and 

 fragrant. A native of Silesia. 



A. nemorosa (Wood Windflower) is one of our daintiest native flowers. 

 It has slender stems and white saucer-shaped flowers borne singly. It 

 delights in the open copse, preferring a root-run of leaves, moss, and 

 vegetable debris. It makes stronger growth in soils overlying clay, and 

 it is generally found in its best character in Oak woods in partial shade. 

 Its forms are numerous, but all are exceedingly pretty. Flore pleno 

 resembles an old-time florist's Daisy in shape and size. It is good enough 

 for any garden use, appearing to better advantage in the hardy fernery 

 and the coarser kinds of rockwork. Bracteata is a curious form with a 

 ruff-like, ragged calyx. Robinsoniana is one of the most beautiful flowers 

 we have. Its growth is more vigorous, and the flowers are opal-coloured 

 and as large as a florin. It is worthy of the best place the garden affords 

 for its well-being, and it is becoming somewhat scarce. All the nemo- 

 rosas prefer slight shade and a cool rooting medium of vegetable debris. 

 Bracteata flore-pleno and rosea-pleno in white and rose colourings are 

 the only remaining double forms of worth. Height 6 inches to 10 inches. 



A. japonica (The Japanese Windftower) is an old garden favourite. 

 The older varieties, alba (Honorine Joubert) ; hybrida, rich silvery pink ; 

 Lady Ardilaun, a many-petalled white variety ; and Whirlwind, which 

 has a collar of greenish bracts around the flowers, require no extended 

 description ; but some of the newer ones are greatly-improved forms, 



