A YEAR'S GARDENING 



rich yellow and bold woolly leaves; while V. ciipreum, though smaller 

 and more slender, has the peculiarity of copper-coloured flowers. 

 There are many other named kinds, such as Pannosum, Blattaria, 

 Boerhavi, etc. 



VERBENA. A half-haxdy perennial of which there are many 

 fine varieties brilliant in colour, excellent in habit, and of long con- 

 tinuance in bloom. An objection to the cultivation of the Verbena 

 is its liability to disease, but in this connection it is well to bear in 

 mind that it will not tolerate excessive heat. Indeed, in a favourable 

 season; the Verbena may be raised from seed sown in the open in 

 March on a well-prepared bed, though probably the wiser method 

 is to sow in boxes (in March) put into a frame, the seedlings being 

 pricked out and potted as soon as large enough, and transferred to 

 a cool house until ready for planting out towards the end of May. 

 A well-manured, well-dug, sweet soil is essential for their welfare and 

 will do much to preserve them from disease, to which, indeed, seed- 

 raised plants are less liable than those grown from cuttings. More- 

 over, there is no difficulty in obtaining seed which wilj come true to 

 colovu-, such as white, purple, violet, rose, pink and scarlet, the last 

 named being especially good in colour and free in growth. 



VERBENA (Sweet). See Aloysia. 



VERONICA (Speedwell). A very large family embracing three 

 distinct groups, viz., large shrubby plants, vigorous perenni^s, and 

 hardy dwarf plants. Most oi the dwarf kind are weU suited for the 

 Rock Garden, such, for instance, as V. prostrata, spreading itself in 

 tufts only a few inches high and covered with a mass of deep-blue 

 flowers, and with varieties in either pink or white. V. repens is 

 another beautiful dwarf form, with foliage of bright green and flowers 

 of pale blue; while V. spicata is of somewhat bolder growth, with a 

 profusion of dark blue flowers lasting a long time. Among the per- 

 ennial kinds suitable for the garden botder are V. longifolia-suh- 

 sessilis, a handsome plant some 3 feet high with large flower 

 spikes of rich blue; and V. gentianoides, which flowers as early as 

 May and which may be had in different forms. 



VINCA {Periwinkle). A hardy trailing perennial, an evergreen 

 vigorous in grbwth and indifferent as to soil. As a covering for rough 

 banks or for patches of ground made bare by the shade and drip 

 from trees it is very useful. V. major is the common Periwinkle, 

 with glossy leaves and mauve-blue flowers; while V. minor is of 

 smaller and neater growth and has varieties in the form of a white 



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