36 FAMILIAR GARDEN FLOWERS. 
some winter foliage,-and.there should be a few clumps o: 
each in spots where they are likely to be seen during < 
walk round on a sunny winter day. 
A few beautiful garden varieties have lately been intro- 
duced from the Continent, and have found much favoui 
with English amateurs. They are mostly of German 
origin, and are produced by crossing the purple and green 
flowered species, the result being in some cases flowers 
richly spotted, and of various shades of greenish-white, 
maroon, purple, and purplish-rose. The conspicuous yellow 
stamens, which contribute so much to the beauty of the 
white-Howered Christmas rose, are distinct and welcome 
features of these new varieties of Lent roses, adding an 
element of cheerfulness that compensates for their other- 
wise dull colouring, for the colours of the petals are in 
all cases toned down by infusions of green and purple that 
render them impure. A collection of hellebores may now 
be looked for in every garden of hardy plants, to combine 
with the daffodils to “take the winds of March with 
beauty.” 
