LIST OF FLOWERS 



and will thrive in any soil, flowering late in summer and lasting for 

 many weeks. A long-continued frost is dangerous to it, but a cover- 

 ing of dry litter over the crowns wUl generally preserve it, even in a 

 hard winter. Some beautiful hybrids have recently been raised in 

 which the predominating colour is yeUow, ranging from that to 

 orange and scarlet. Among them is the Obelisk, vigorous and broad- 

 leaved, with spikes of pure golden yeUow; the Ophir, orange-yellow 

 and blooming freely; and the Matador, with unusually large spikes 

 of deep red. 



LACHENALIA. These bulbs are very useful for greenhouse 

 decoration and may be made most effective by planting them on 

 the outside of hanging baskets, where their flower-spikes will grow 

 upwards and their leaves hang down. They do well in a peaty soil 

 if kept thoroughly moist, and will flourish in a cold house so long as 

 the frost is not allowed to intrude. 



LADY'S SLIPPER. See Cypripedium. 



LANTANA. A half-hardy perennial which is useful as a summer 

 bedding plant, bearing heads of bloom something like the Verbena, 

 but smaller. The flowers are of many colours — ^white, yellow, 

 orange and crimson — and the plants bloom freely throughout the 

 summer. Though they cannot be raised in the open they are easily 

 propagated in the greenhouse, either from seed or cuttings, in the 

 early spring. There are many named varieties, and among the best 

 are Don Calmet, Eclat, La Neige and Ne Plus Ultra. 



LARKSPUR. See Delphinium. 



" LASTHENIA. A hardy annual which may be used to good 

 effect if sown in compact patches and afterwards thinned out. 

 Autumn sowing is the best, as it then blooms early the next year. 

 The two varieties, L. California and L. glahrata, are both good, the 

 first being of dwarf habit, growing about 6 inches high with bright 

 yellow flowers, and the latter being from 9 to 12 inches high with 

 rich orange-yeUow bloom. 



LATHYRUS {Everlasting Pea). This perennial is valuable as 

 a climber, being vigorous in growth and abundant in long-lastiag 

 bloom, while its long succulent roots will provide themselves with 

 nourishment for years without requiring attention. The gardener's 

 care should be to let the plants grow freely and naturally, and an 

 excellent effect may be obtained by allowing them to trail on a rough 

 bank, untrained in any way. L. latifolius is one of the hardiest of 



219 



