2ii FAMILIAK GARDEN FLOWERS. 



To beg-in with sun-roses is easy enough, and it is easy 

 to go on with them. The best place for them is the sunny 

 ledge of a good rockery, on a sandy or calcareous soil, where 

 the)' will take care of themselves, spreading and flowering in 

 the most delightful manner. But as we never know what 

 we can do until we try, it remains to be said as regards 

 the general subject of growing sun-roses, that they thrive 

 fairly -well on heavy soil and under the shade of large 

 trees. In the arboretum at Hermitage a consideraVjle col- 

 lection of Heliauthemums, generously supplied by Mr. 

 Ware for experimental purposes, were ])lanted on tlie 

 margin of a mound consisting of heavy loamy soil, beneath 

 the shade of ash and chestnut trees. The rock-roses stood 

 the trial well ; they grew with ^'igour, flowered ^vith free- 

 dom, were altogether delightful, and occupied their shady 

 mound for the space of nine years. The plants were very 

 small indeed when first put into the ground, but they spread 

 to the dimensions of many feet before their race was run. 

 They were not in completer shade, because the morning sun 

 reached them from open meadows skirting their side of the 

 garden, and with the sunshine came sweet air from the 

 east, which wc may .suppose they fully enjoyed. 



The common Helianthemum is a variable plant, and 

 may be varied beyond all present limits by the interesting 

 process of cross-breeding. The varieties in cultivation 

 comprise white, yellow, rose, crimson, and pm-jde flowers in 

 several shades, mostly single, but a few are double, and there 

 is one sort with variegated leaves. Nor are we restricted 

 in our choice to varieties of //. rii,lf/are, for //. rosinarini- 

 foliiiM, II. ji'ilosnm, and //. croceuin offer their several 

 attractions, and at least a hundred other species are avail- 

 able for such as seek for them and know where to find 



