233 



OASSELVS POPULAR GARDENING. 



them, viz., Upartita splendida, Maroccana, and reticu- 

 lata aurea purpurea, are cliarming subjects : the first 

 has purple flowers ; the second pint ; the third yellow 

 and maroon ; they grow to a height of about twelve 

 inches, and if the seeds are sown in light and fairly 

 good soil in early spring, charming masses of flowers 

 are formed, which are very effective. Then there is 

 a very dwarf form called muUipunctata, which does 

 not reach a height of more than four inches, and 

 bears orange flowers with black spots. 



Of those comprised as hardy perennials, there is 

 the pretty Alpine Snapdragon — Linaria alpina — a 

 lovely prostrate little Alpine, which is covered the 

 whole of the summer with deep violet flowers, having 

 the throat orange. This reproduces itseU freely from 

 seed, and it caimot be too highly recommended. L. 

 Cymbalaria maxima is the Giant Ivy -leaved Snap- 

 dragon, a somewhat comuion and elegant traihng 

 plant, producing its pale blue or lilac flowers all the 

 summer .through. It is sometimes found wild in this 

 country, althoiigh not regarded as a native plant. 

 L. origanifolia is the Mai'joram-leaved Linaria, a 

 native of the Pyrenees and South of France, the 

 flowers bluish-violet, with yellow throat. It is 

 of dwarf growth, and does well in the rock gar- 

 den, or in a light sandy loam. i. pallida is 

 distinguished by prostrate masses of deep green 

 leaves, covered with violet-purple flowers, lasting in 

 bloom the whole of the summer ; a fine plant for 

 covering banks, rookwork, &o. L. purpurea is a 

 rather tall form, growing two feet or so in height, 

 the flowers being purplish-blue, and produced during ^ 

 the summer ; it is a native of Southern Europe, 

 and it does well on ruins, on walls, and in stony 

 places. 



Linum (Flax). — This also includes a large num- 

 ber of speties and varieties— green-house evergreens, 

 hardy annuals and biennials, and hardy herbaceous. 

 Linum is iromZinon, "Flax." The common Flax of 

 Great Britain is Z. tcsifatisaimum, a plant said to be 

 originally from Egypt, but now naturalised through- 

 out the whole of Europe, and in many parts of 

 North America. 



Our purpose is to deal with a few only, and those 

 of a decided value for garden decoration. One of 

 the most popular of hardy annuals is Linum grandi- 

 fiorum rubrum, a native of Algeria, noted for its 

 brilliant colour and for its long continuance in 

 bloom. There are blue, white, and rose-coloured 

 varieties also. The seeds should be sown in March 

 or April in light free soil, and a rare display of 

 bloom will follow. Z. luteum corymbiflorum is the 

 Sulphur-flowered Crimean Flax, a pretty variety for 

 the garden. 



Of hardy perennials there are : L.flavmn or luteum, 



as it is sometimes called. This is an invaluable 

 border, rock, or bedding plant, forming neat sym- 

 metrical bushes a foot in height, covered for at least 

 two months with innumerable golden- yellow flowers ; 

 and it is not at all fastidious as to soil or situation. 

 It is a native of Austria and Hungary. L. alpinum 

 is the Dwarf Blue Alpine Flax, the flowers large dark 

 blue, a plant that does well in borders, and also in 

 the rock garden in sandy loam. It is a native of the 

 Alps, Pyrenees, and hUly parts of Europe. L. 

 Narbonnense is the Narbonne Flax, a beautiful and 

 rather large kind, flowers Jight sky-blue, with violet- 

 blue veins, growing from one and a, half to two 

 feet in height. This beautiful form is not quite 

 hardy, and should be planted in a warm border in 

 well-drained and deep sandy loam. i. provinciale is 

 in the way of L. narboimense, but of rather more com- 

 pact growth, and bears vivid blue flowers of a very 

 pleasing character. Z. acuminatum has an erect, 

 slender habit of growth, forming compact tufts, 

 surmounted in the summer with large bright blue 

 flowers more than an inch across ; the plant grows 

 to a height of about fifteen inches, and it does well 

 in a deep sandj' loam.' Z. perenne is the Perennial 

 Flax, a native species found in the Eastern counties 

 of England, and flourishing on borders and banks in 

 ordinary soil. The plant forms tufts a foot or so in 

 height, and produces, during the summer, bright 

 cobalt-blue flowers of a very pleasing character. 

 There are, it is said, a rose and also a white variety. 

 The latter is known in gardens as Z. Zewisii varie- 



Lithospermuin [Gromwell). — We get the 

 generic name from lithos, "a stone," and sperma, "a 

 seed " ; but why the common name — Gromwell — has 

 been bestowed, we cannot say. It is a genus com- 

 prising hardy annuals, hardy evergreens, and hardy 

 herbaceous plants ; but it is only with a very few 

 handsome and useful forms of the latter that we 

 have to deal. One of the best known is Z. prostratum, 

 the Gentian-blue Gromwell. This is a perfectly 

 hardy little evergreen spreading plant, having rich 

 and lovely blue flowers, with faint reddish-violet 

 stripes, about half an inch across, produced in greiit 

 profusion where it is well grown. A native of 

 Spain and the South of France. Easily propagated 

 by cuttings, very hardy, and peculiarly valuable as a 

 rock plant from its prostrate habit, and the fine blue 

 of its flowers. On dry and sandy soil it forms an 

 excellent border plant, and where the soil is deep 

 and good, as well as dry and sandy, it becomes a 

 round spreading mass a foot or more high. It 

 flowers in early summer, and continues in bloom for 

 a long time. Z. graminifolium forms ornamental, 

 evergreen, tufts of flrm grass-liko leaves, and branch- 



