256 



THE BOOK OF GARDENING. 



plants are all kept together, and if a spell of exceptionally hard 

 weather is experienced, they may be much more easily pro- 

 tected by having some dry leaves or other light material 

 thrown lightly amongst them, than if scattered about the beds 

 and borders. 



With regard to the after-treatment of biennials — uses, &c. — 

 the remarks under the head of " Annuals " may be taken as 

 applying equally to biennials, and will therefore not be repeated 

 here. A large number of hardy annuals are very often treated 

 as " biennials " by being sown in the autumn of one year for 

 flowering the following spring, and seeing that these have been 

 described under the head of "Hardy Annuals," only those plants 



of strictly biennial duration — and they 

 are far from numerous — ^are left for 

 description here. 



Anchusa capensis (Cape Forget-me- 

 Not) has intense blue flowers ; it is a 

 half-hardy biennial, requiring greenhouse 

 protection in winter. It grows from i2in. 

 to i8in. high, and flowers in June. 



Beta is a genus containing several 

 ornamental-foliaged biennials which are 

 invaluable for summer-bedding. Beta 

 Cicla variegata (Chilian Beet) has 

 very handsome variegated leaves, and 

 forms an effective plant in sub-tropical 

 bedding. Dell's Crimson-leaved Beet 

 grows Irom 6in. to i2in. high, and is 

 beautiful as an edging or in the mixed 

 flower-border. It has crimson leaves. 



Campanula Medium (Canterbury Bell) 

 (Fig. 145) is a handsome decorative 

 border plant, especially when grown as 

 a single specimen. It grows 3ft. or 4ft. 

 high, and in July produces an abundance 

 of flowers in shades of colour varying 

 from white to purple. The single forms 

 are popularly known as Cup-and-Saucer 

 Canterbury Bells, whilst the double ones 

 are known as the Hose-within-Hose 

 Campanulas. 



Celsia cretica is a popular biennial, 

 growing 3ft. or 4ft. high, and flowering 

 in June and July. It has bright yellow flowers marked with two 

 rusty spots at the bottom of the corolla on the inner side. 



Fig. 145. — Campanula 

 Medium. 



