THE BOOK OF GARDENING. 



Meconopsis. — M. nepalensis is a grand plant, 4ft. high, with 

 handsome foliage and large golden-yellow saucer-shaped flowers, 

 2in. to 3in. across, produced in abundance in June and July on 

 the tall flower-stem. It thrives best in a cool, moist, shady 

 situation, planted in rough, peaty soil. M. Wallichi (Blue 

 Himalayan Poppy) is a handsome biennial, 4ft. to 6ft. high, 

 producing its pale blue flowers in June. 



Papaver nudicaule (Iceland Poppy) is usually grown as 

 a biennial, being sown in late summer for flowering the following 

 season. It grows from i2in. to i8in. high, and produces flowers 



in very delicate shades of white, 

 yellow, orange, and scarlet. It is 

 an admirable subject for rockwork 

 or the front of borders, the cut 

 flowers being also highly prized. 



Stocks, grown as biennials, are 

 generally the " Bromptons " and the 

 " Queens." The seed should be 

 sown in July for flowering the 

 following May or June ; the seed- 

 lings should be wintered on a dry 

 border, or preferably in a cold frame 

 or greenhouse, and transplanted into 

 their flowering quarters about March 

 or early April. The Giant Brompton 

 is remarkable for its robust growth 

 and immense spikes of large double 

 flowers, in various shades of white, 

 scarlet, and purple. It grows to a 

 height of 2ft. The Queen Stock 

 is very like the Brompton, but as 

 a rule the underside of the leaf 

 is rough and woolly, whilst that of 

 the Brompton is smooth on both 

 sides. It grows i^ft. high, and, 

 like the Brompton, produces flowers 

 in shades of white, scarlet, and 

 purple. Both the Brompton and 

 Queen Stocks have originated from 

 the same species — Mathiola incana, 

 a species with purplish flowers which 

 grows wild on the cliffs in the Isle 

 of Wight. It is known as the Wallflower-leaved Stock. 



Sweet William {Dianthus barbatus) (Fig. 147) is usually treated as 

 a biennial, and, when well grown, forms an excellent border plant. 

 It attains a height of i8in., and about July produces a mass of 

 flowers of various colours. The Auricula-eyed have crimson 



Fig. 



147. — Dianthus 

 barbatus. 



