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PBAGTICAL GUIDE TO GABDEN PLANTS aquilegia 



A. Stuarti. — This is a splendid Colum- 

 bine, closely related to A. glcmdulosa, and 

 from a botanical point of view can only 

 be regarded as a form of that species. It 

 was raised by Dr. Stuart of Chirnside, 

 N.B., by fertilising A. vulgaris wittman- 

 niana with the pollen of A. glcmdulosa. 

 It is, however, a much finer plant than 

 the latter species, and produces its large 

 attractive flowers — each about 4 in. 

 across — in April and May. The sepals 

 are of a deep and brilliant blue, and in 

 striking contrast to the white and blue 

 tubular and shortly! spurred petals sur- 

 rounding a bunch of bright yellow stamens 

 in the centre. 



Culture amd Propagation. — This 

 beautiful border plant Ukes a rich and 

 deeply dug soil and is best raised from 

 seeds sown as soon as ripe in the places 

 where the plants are to bloom. Instead 

 of pricking out the seedlings, they may be 

 thinned out to 8 or 12 in. apart, in mild 

 showery weather. The thinnings may be 

 transplanted to other parts of the garden 

 if required. The plants should not be 

 disturbed for 3 or 4 years, but should 

 have a good mulch of well-rotted manure 

 every winter. 



A. thalictrifolia. — A downy plant 

 about 2 ft. high, from the Tyrol, having 

 leaves with 3-staIked segments out into 

 deep oblong lobes. Flowers in June and 

 July, 2-3 on a stem, lOac-blue, with oblong 

 acute sepals ^ in. long, and slender spurs. 



Culture dc. as above. 



A. transylvanica. — A beautiful and 

 free-flowering Transylvanian species 1-2 ft. 

 high. All its parts are quite smooth, and 

 the lower leaves are twice ternate, with 

 2-3-lobed segments. The bright rich 

 blue or purplish flowers are 2-3 inches 

 across, and appear in great profusion dur- 

 ing May and June, the ovate oblong 

 sepals being distinctly clawed. 



Culture dc. as above. It grows very 

 freely and may be increased by dividing 

 the roots in early autumn or spring. 

 Closely related to A. glandulosa. 



A. viridiflora (Green-flowered Colum- 

 bine). — A somewhat pretty and distinct 

 species from Siberia, 12-18 in. high, with 

 leaves. Flowers sage - green, sweetly 

 scented and very useful for cutting. 



Culture dc. as above. 



A. vulgaris (Common Columbine). — 

 A native of our woods and thickets and 



very valuable for its many pretty garden 

 forms. It grows 1-3 ft. high, with almost 

 smooth 2-3 ternate blue-green leaves. 

 The droopiDg flowers are borne in loose 

 corymbs from May to July, and are blue, 

 duU purple, white, or various shades, 

 including red in the garden forms. Spurs 

 hooked and knobby at the tips. 



There are very many forms — ^both 

 single and double-flowered — to which it 

 would be mere waste of time to give 

 distinctive names. Mention, however, 

 may be made of the following : alba, with 

 pure white single flowers ; alba flore 

 pleno, with white double flowers; cmrulea 

 noma fl. pi., very dwarf, with deep blue 

 double flowers ; hybrida, with hlac-purple 

 sepals and white petals ; vervceniana, 

 with variegated or yellow mottled foliage ; 

 and wittmanniana, a fine variety with 

 large bright lilac-purple sepals 1-1^ in. 

 long, white petals, and curved spurs. 



Culture dc. as above. 



ANEMONOPSIS. — A genus con- 

 taining only the following species : — 



A. macrophylla. — A pretty hardy per- 

 ennial 2-3 ft. high, native of Japan. It 

 has large smooth and twice ternate leaves 

 with coarsely toothed leaflets, and some- 

 what resembles an Actsea in appearance. 

 The flowers, which resemble those of 

 Anemone japonica, but are rather smaller, 

 appear in June and July in loose raceme- 

 like clusters. Each flower consists of 

 about 9 or more concave sepals, pale Hlac 

 inside, purple outside, and 12 or more 

 linear oblong petals with a nectajy-bear- 

 ing hoUow at the base. 



Culture amd Propagation. — This 

 Japanese plant is hardy in most parts of 

 the kingdom but may require a little pro- 

 tection with dry leaves, litter &o. over the 

 crowns in the coldest parts. It flourishes 

 in ordinary good and well-drained garden 

 SOU of a somewhat loamy and gritty 

 nature, and may be increased by division 

 of theroots about March. Seeds if obtained 

 may also be sown in cold frames as soon 

 as ripe, or in gentle heat in spring, and 

 the seedlings planted out in May. 



DELPHINIUM (Larkspur). — A 

 genus of about 40 species of erect annual 

 or perennial herbs, with alternate lobed 

 or cut leaves. Flowers in racemes or 

 panicles, blue, purple, pink, or white, 

 rarely yellow. Sepals 5, petal-like, 

 separate, or cohering below, the upper 



