HARDY AND HALF-HARDY ANNUALS. 



tive small orange-red flowers from seeds sown in light 

 soil in March. Albi flora, white; linifolia, scarlet; and 

 myrtifolia, bright-red, are also worth growing. 



Alyssum maritimum. — Sweet Alyssum is a small annual 

 of cushiony habit, bearing in summer and autumn numer- 

 ous erect crowded umbels of small star- shaped white 

 fragrant flowers. A useful plant for edgings to borders, 

 or to cover the soil in small beds. It is worth a place in 

 the rockery, and we have seen it thriving on old walls. 

 Easily raised from seeds. It is also known as Kceniga 

 maritima. 



Amarantus (Love-lies-bleeding, Princes' Feather). — 

 The several annual species are easily grown and very 

 effective. The popular A. melancholicus, if sown on good 

 soil and allowed plenty of room, grows to a height of a 

 yard or more, and produces large tail-like flower-heads, 

 A. caudatus and its forms are equally effective. A. speci- 

 osus (pyramidalis) has erect flower - heads. These may 

 be sown in the open border in early spring. There are 

 several others, remarkable for the rich variegation of 

 their leaves, viz. A. tricolor, as effective as a Coleus, but 

 requiring to be raised in heat and planted out in May ; 

 other forms of it are bicolor, rubra, splendens, and sali- 

 cifolius, also worth growing for their leaves. 



Anagallis. — Several charming annuals of garden origin 

 have been obtained from A. grandiflora and A. liniflora ; 

 chief among them are caerulea, blue; Eugenie, light-blue 

 and white; Napoleon III, crimson. Seeds can be sown 

 in light soil in a sunny position in the open air. 



Argemone. — Two species of this Poppy-like genus — A. 

 grandiflora, white, and A. mexicana, light-yellow, are 

 worth growing in the herbaceous border, as they are 

 attractive both in leaf and flower. They grow to a height 

 of from 1 8 inches to 2 feet, and flower continuously in 

 summer. Seeds may be sown in the open ground in March. 



Asperula azurea setosa, related to the Common Wood- 

 ruff, is very effective when grown in a fairly light, rich 

 soil, attaining a height of 1 foot, and bearing freely pale- 

 blue flowers. 



Bartonia aurea, with its large golden-yellow flowers, 

 is a most showy plant when well treated, growing to a 

 height of about a foot, of bushy habit, and flowering pro- 

 fusely in any good garden soil. 



Brachycoma iberidifolia (fig. 487). — The Swan River 

 Daisy, of which there are blue and white varieties. They 

 form charming tufts a foot high, flowering in summer in 

 an open sunny position. The seeds should be sown in a 

 gentle hot-bed, and transplanted to the open in June. 



Browallia data. — An elegant, loose - growing plant 

 from Peru, of which there are several improved varieties. 

 They are best treated as biennials, sowing the seeds in 

 July, wintering them in a greenhouse, and planting in 

 the open in early summer. B. grandiflora, from Colombia, 

 and B. Roezli, from the Rocky Mountains, are also grown 

 from seeds. B. speciosa major produces large blue 

 flowers, and is cultivated as a greenhouse biennial for 

 blooming in winter and spring. 



Cacalia [Emilia) coccinea is a pretty Composite, with 

 brilliant orange-crimson flowers borne in clusters on erect 

 stems a foot and a half high, springing from a rosette of 

 ovate, stalked leaves, those on the stems being sessile. 



Calandrinia. — Annual species of this genus are C. dis- 

 color, rose and yellow; C. grandiflora, pink; C. Mcnziesii 

 {speciosa), purple crimson; and the Peruvian C. umbellata, 

 which is practically a biennial. Allied to the Portulaccas. 

 It is usual to sow the seeds on somewhat open, sunny spots 

 where they are to flower, as the corollas expand only in 

 bright sunshine, when they are very showy. 



Calendula officinalis, the Pot Marigold, and its varieties 

 are useful in the flower-garden in summer. The double 

 forms named Le Proust, nankeen; Meteor, yellow striped 

 with pale-lemon; and Prince of Orange, rich orange, are 

 worth a place in any garden. They grow rapidly, and 

 bloom profusely and continuously. As soon as the flowers 

 fade, the heads should be picked off to encourage the 

 production of bloom. There are several single varieties 

 ranging from pale-buff to orange, but the double forms 

 are most effective. C. pluvialis (Dimorphotheca) (Cape 



Fig. 487.— Brachycoma iberidifolia. 



Marigold) has white and purple flowers resembling those 

 of a Marguerite, and grows 18 inches high. 



Callirhoe. — Allied to the Mallows. Forms of C. 

 digitata and C. involucrata, commonly known as Poppy- 

 Mallows, although classed as perennials, are more fre- 

 quently treated as annuals, seeds being sown in spring in 

 the open, or else in pans and transplanted. The}- grow 

 and flower best in a light sandy soil. 



Callistephus chinensis (fig. 488), the China Aster. — 

 This popular garden annual is roughly divided into two 

 sections — the quilled and the flat-petalled. The former, 

 known as the German Aster, has by means of selection 

 been brought to a high state of perfection; the base of 

 the flower has one or two circles of flat ray florets, and a 

 symmetrical central cushion of quilled florets. They are 

 taller and more branched than the flat-petalled forms, 

 and are much esteemed for exhibition purposes; also 

 excellent for cutting. The flat-petalled section is sub- 

 divided into Chrysanthemum -flowered, the Victoria, and 

 the Mignon. Select strains of these are handsome, large. 

 and fully double. The Comet group has long ribbon-like 

 florets. The Mignon group is one of the best for cutting 

 purposes. The Crown-flowered Aster is also flat petalled : 

 the distinguishing feature of this group is that the blossoms 

 are two-coloured, a disc of white forming the centre, sur- 

 rounded by a marginal zone of some bright shade of rose. 

 crimson, purple, &c. What is known as Truffaut's 

 Paeony-flowered Aster has the florets incurved, and when 

 well grown they are almost hemispherical. As high cul- 

 ture is required to produce fine blooms this sort is not-so 



