UP-TO-DATE OLD-FASHIONED FLOWERS 



now offered by florists. I wonder if anyone still grows 

 the original Alkanet (Anchusa italica), when the two 

 varieties Dropmore, deep blue, and Opal, light blue, are 

 to be had ? I hope not, for the garden's sake. 



What lovely things there now are among the Spirseas, 

 so lovely that it is a thousand pities they are not more 

 widely known ! I refer especially to the newer forms of 

 Spiraea (or, more correctly, Astilbe) Arendsi e.g. Pink 

 Pearl, Salmon Queen, and others, all growing 5 feet or 

 6 feet high and bearing flower plumes in shades of rose, 

 pink, or white. I could never bring myself to decry the 

 charming old Scarlet Geum (or even to neglect it for the 

 apricot-coloured sorts that do not bloom so freely), for 

 it is one of the most prized among hardy flowers ; but I 

 do think the home garden ought to grow the still finer 

 variety called Mrs. Bradshaw. 



All who value blue-flowered plants must surely have 

 made the acquaintance of the Gromwell (Lithospermum 

 prostratum), but this, beautiful though it is, is now 

 eclipsed by the newer sort called Heavenly Blue. In 

 face of such a name it would be sad if it were not ; for 

 what flower could withstand a rival named Heavenly 

 Blue ? Not even the old Grape Hyacinth (Muscari) , 

 which has been supplanted in all up-to-date gardens by 

 a new-comer with this high falutin' name. But we should 

 not grumble too much at the name, perhaps, when it 

 distinguishes a beautiful flower. I might run through 

 the whole gamut of hardy flowers and point out new 



T2I 



