ON ANNUALS AND BIENNIALS. 



239 



useful for the same purpose, the plants being literally covered 

 with flowers in the spring. 



Virginian Stocks. — Malcolmia maritima is a well-known free- 

 flowering annual, easy of culture in any ordinary garden soil. 

 If sown in April, it will flower in June, and by successional 

 sowings it may be had in flower from then until September. It 

 grows from 6in. to 12m. high, and has lilac, rose, red, and 

 white flowers. 



Viscaria (now in- 

 cluded under Lychnis) 

 is a genus which 

 yields several beauti- 

 ful plants suitable for 

 small beds or for 

 masses in the border. 

 In nurserymen's cata- 

 logues they are de- 

 scribed as hardy 

 annuals, whilst some 

 authorities prefer to 

 class them as peren- 

 nials. Seed may be 

 sown in autumn 

 for spring flower- 

 ing, and again 

 in spring for 

 summer display. 

 V. cardinalis has 

 brilliant magenta 

 flowers, and grows ift. 

 in height. V. oculata 

 has bright pink flowers, 

 with a purple eye. It 

 grows from 8in. to 

 i2in. high, and flowers 

 in July. A form having 

 scarlet flowers striped 

 with white is known as 

 the "Carnation-striped." 

 It grows lift. high. 



Whitlavia grandi- fig. 129.— Whitlavia grandiflora 



flora {Fig. 129) is a (Phacelia Whitlavia). 



profuse -blossoming 



annual, with pretty Gloxinia-like flowers, and is charming in beds 

 and borders during spring and summer. It grows ift. high, 

 and has numerous violet-purple flowers. The variety alba differs 

 only from the type in having pure white flowers. The variety 



