H FAMILIAR GARDEN FLOWERS. 



remark on the sweetness of Reseda odorata without at the 

 same time giving it the name by which it is more com- 

 monly known. 



The mignonette is an annual or a perennial, at the com- 

 mand of the cultivator. At the moment of writing this 

 we have near at hand plants of gigantic stature, that have 

 flowered almost continuously winter and summer through 

 a term of seven years, and appear capable of continuing 

 the delightful performance for seven years more, if aided 

 with a reasonable amount of care. Any one who has a 

 greenhouse may easily grow mignonette to a great size, 

 say, for example, to the stature of a man, and of breadth 

 proportionate to form a noble tree, the two requisites being 

 a rich light soil and complete immunity from frost, in 

 a house well supplied with air and light. At the 

 moment of writing this we can see on a garden border a 

 patch of self-sown mignonette, and by this example we 

 can rank it with the weeds of the garden. Indeed, for 

 many years past we have always had as much outdoor 

 mignonette as we needed without sowing a single grain 

 of seed. The self-sown plants scatter seed freely, and we 

 have to destroy a considerable number of the plants that 

 appear uninvited and in excess of requirements. Thus we 

 have presented the two extremes of mignonette culture ; 

 but we must add that the pot culture of mignonette is the 

 most remunerative, for well-grown specimens are unique 

 in beauty, and their fragrance in the conservatory or 

 dwelling-house is invaluable. 



It was a happy thought of the man who first entered 

 upon the work of improving the mignonette. We call to 

 mind the time when only one sort was known, and now we 

 can find a round dozen. They are not all good ; but two 



