Iris, continued 



in early spring. Distributed naturally from Pennsyl- 

 vania and Kentucky, southward to Georgia. 



I. versicolor. BLUE FLAG. Stems 2 to 3 feet tall, leafy, 

 especially at the base, much overtopping the glaucous 

 leaves. Flowers violet-blue, variegated with yellow 

 and white, and veined with purple. Blossoms in late 

 spring and early summer. Grows naturally from 

 Canada to Florida and Arkansas. 



Lathyrus 



Lathyrus latifolius. EVERLASTING, OR HARDY SWEET 

 PEA. A rampant plant with long winged stems and 

 tendril-bearing glaucous green leaves. Native of 

 Europe. Flowers varying from white to various shades 

 of rose and purple, large and very showy, borne in 

 clusters on slender stems. Very hardy and of the 

 easiest culture, thriving in almost any soil. Needs lots 

 of space. Splendid for covering rocks or stumps, and 

 for planting above retaining walls. 



Lavandula 



Lavandula vera. TRUE LAVENDER. The sweet, fra- 

 grant Lavender is an old garden favorite of easy cul- 

 ture, producing numerous terminal spikes of "laven- 

 der" blue flowers of a soft and charming shade which 

 originated the name of the color. It is a native of South- 

 ern Europe a much-branched plant 2 to 3 feet tall, 

 densely leafy. The narrow leaves, often with tufts of 

 smaller ones in their axils, are silvery downy, with revo- 

 lute entire borders, persistent or nearly so. Thrives 

 best in a light well-drained soil, freely exposed to the 

 sun. Needs the protection of coarse litter or pine boughs 

 in the colder sections. 



Lespedeza 



Lespedeza japonica. WHITE-FLOWKRED LESPEDEZA. 

 A graceful and very floriferous plant with numerous 



Iberis sempemrens (see page 1 18) 



Lathyrus latifolius 



clustered stems, literally loaded in autumn with pure 

 white flowers in drooping racemes. Native of Japan. 

 A very desirable hardy perennial, forming large speci- 

 mens when well established. Leaves compound, bright 

 green, consisting of three oblong leaflets. 



L. sieboldi (Desmodium penduliflorum). SIEBOLD'S 

 DESMODIUM. Stems clustered, gracefully arching, 2 to 

 4 feet tall, literally loaded in early autumn with droop- 

 ing racemes of rose-purple flowers. Leaves rich green, 

 compound, consisting of three elliptic leaflets. Native 

 of Japan. A very showy hardy perennial, well adapted 

 for planting in front of shrubs. 



Lilium The Lilies 



The glorious Lilies, arrayed in stately splendor, 

 appeal more strongly to our sense of beauty than 

 any other of our garden plants. Many of the best 

 forms are among the grand old-fashioned plants 

 that have made the home grounds a paradise, 

 and reflect sweet memories and associations that 

 we love to live again. Lilies delight in a light 

 well-drained and fertile soil, with protection 

 from severe winds, and are admirably adapted 

 for planting in the herbaceous border or for 

 scattering among rhododendrons and other 

 shrubs. The bulbs should be deeply planted, a 

 foot is not too much for the larger ones, and a 

 top-dressing of well-rotted compost is ad- 

 vantageous. 



Lilium auratum. GOLDEN -BANDED JAPANESE 

 LILY. Stems 2 to 4 feet high, leafy up to the inflo- 

 rescence. Native of Japan. Leaves scattered, bright 

 lustrous green. Flowers spreading, with strongly 

 reflexed and sometimes twisted segments, pure 

 white, with crimson spots, and with a broad golden 

 band running through the center of each of the six 

 divisions. A superb Lily, but not as durable as 

 many others. 



L. tanadense. WILD YELLOW LILY. Sterns 2 to 4 

 feet high, slender, with leaves disposed in many 



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