COMMON GAEDEN FLOWERS. 



115 



ground in early spring. Venus' Looking-gkss, or 

 Ladies' Looking-glass {SpeculaHa speculum), formerly 

 called C. speculum, is so named from the resemblance 

 of its flowers, set upon their cylindrical ovary, to an 

 ancient mirror at the end of a handle. The name is 

 given by Spenser in his " Faerie Queene " to a magic 

 mirror, in which a lady might see her destined 

 husband. 



Among the biennial varieties a foremost place must 

 be given to Campanula Medium, Uie Canterbury Bell, 

 so named by Gerarde from growing very plentifully 

 in the low woods about Canterbury — ^in allusion, pro- 

 bably, to the bells so-called that were used by pilgrims 

 on their road to and from the shrine of St. Thomas. 

 It would appear that this came originally from Ger- 

 many or Italy. Of Canterbury BeUs there is now a 

 large group of very fine varieties, double and single, 

 varied in colour and singularly handsome. There is a 

 variety caReicalj/canthema, so named because the calj'x 

 has broadened out and become a broad saucer-shaped 

 secondary flower. There are the blue and white 

 varieties of this, and they deserve a place in every 

 garden. Canterbury Bells are increased by means 

 of seeds ; these should be sown in boxes or in the 

 open border in May, and planted out in the autumn 

 to flower the following sunmier. Seeds should be 

 sown every year, and the plants require to be 

 planted in good garden soil so as to secure good 

 heads of bloom. 



Of hardy perennial species and varieties, there is a 

 very numerous group. We will content ourselves 

 with indicating the most valuable of them. C. car- 

 patica, the Carpathian Haie-bell, forms neat, compact 

 tufts, about a foot in height, covered with large, 

 erect, blue flowers ; useful as an edging, bedding, or 

 border plant. Carpatica alba is a pure white variety, 

 similar in all other respects. They do well in any 

 good garden soil. C. garganiea, the Gargano Hare- 

 bell, from Italy, is £m excellent dwarf species, bearing 

 bluish-purple flowers, with white centres. It is well 

 adapted for rock-wort, and for borders of light 

 gritty soil. C. glmia-ata dahurica is a very fine 

 variety of the Clustered Harebell, a very desirable 

 and handsome plant, invaluable for cutting, or for 

 the decoration of the flower border. It grows about 

 eighteen inches in height, forming a number of 

 stems producing clusters of flowers in the axils of 

 the leaves, and terminating with large heads of rich 

 deep purple blossoms ; one of the finest hardy plants 

 in cultivation. This does well in any good soil ; so 

 does 0. grandis, the Great BeU-flower, a fine old- 

 fashioned perennial, forming a bush three feet in 

 height, composed of spikes thickly set with large 

 blue salver-shaped flowers; there is a fine white 

 variety of this also. C. grandiflora (more correctly 

 flatycodon grandijlorum) is the Noble Hare-beU, a 

 34 



very effective hardy border perennial, producing, 

 late in autumn, erect spikes of large salver-shaped 

 blue flowers ; this also has a, white variety, and 

 they are both distinct in habit and bloom Irom all 

 other Campanulas. C. Sendersonii is a hybrid BeU- 

 flower of great merit, possessing the characteristic 

 of flowering throughout the summer. The flowers 

 are large and very numerous, of a pretty mauve 

 colour, growing to about twelve inches in height, 

 forming a pjTamidal outline. It is very vigorous 

 in growth, perfectly hardy, and very distinct, doing 

 weU in a good loam. C. persicifoUa is the Peach- 

 leaved Campanula, growing two and a half to three 

 feet in height, and bearing large, broadly beU- 

 shaped, blue flowers ; there is a white variety also. 

 The double white-flowered form of this {C. persici- 

 foUa alba Jlorepleno) is one of the very best of the 

 genus; the flowers pure white, in long close 

 spikes ; very douljle, and exceedingly free-growing ; 

 reaUy a grand perennial. C. pulla, the Dai-k- 

 coloured Hare-bell, is one of the best of the dwarf 

 species, forming in cool shady situations carpets 

 of the loveliest verdure, and numerous stems two 

 inches in height, terminating with drooping deep 

 purple flowers ; very charming when seen in a mass. 

 C. turbinata, the Vase Hare-bell, is a sturdy little 

 kind, four inches or so in height, and bearing, 

 for the size of the plant, huge, very handsome, 

 deep purple, cup-shaped flowers. It is of the 

 character of C. carpatica, but dwarfer, and with 

 larger flowers. There are several fine varieties of 

 this, and all do well on warm sandy slopes or 

 borders. C. Tan Souttei is a very fine hybrid BeU- 

 flower, one of the finest and showiest of this exten- 

 sive genus, producing erect stems two feet in height, 

 bearing immense dark blue flowers, f uUy two inches 

 in length. A variety named pallida is a counterpart 

 of the preceding, but with pale lavender-coloured 

 flowers. 



Of the green-house section we may mention two 

 species only — one, C. Bai-relieri (BarreUer's Campa- 

 nula), a dwarf, trailing species, very suitable for 

 pots and baskets, bearing profusely large, pale, 

 greyish-blue, saucer-shaped flowers ; a plant that 

 can often be met with in exceUent form in cottage 

 windows ; and the great Chinmey Campanula, C. 

 pyramidalis, a noble plant for pot-culture, or the 

 back of the herbaceous border, forming a pyramid, 

 composed of numerous stems, four to five feet in 

 height, each stem being crowded with large, blue, 

 salver-shaped flowers. C. pyramidalis alba is similar 

 to the above in every respect, but bears white flowers. 

 These two do weU in good soil, which should be weU 

 manured in order to insure fine flowers ; both can be 

 raised from seeds. C. Barrelieri does best in a gritty 

 soil, and a plant of it wUl last many years. 



