ON BEARING FLOWEKS. 



Ill 



dwarf habits, thus being suitable for the smallest gardens ; 

 they are also readily procured, as many of them are natives 

 of Britain. 



The flesh-coloured Heath {Erica carnea) is a most ele- 

 gant and interesting little shrub, since it blooms a good 

 part of the winter, and far on into the spring. Andromeda 

 jlorihunda blossoms at a similar season, and is extremely 

 beautiful, but scarce. It requires a peaty soil. The 

 hardy varieties of the scarlet or crimson Rhododendron 

 and the white-flowered kinds are particularly valuable ; 

 the former being so showy, and the latter blooming later 

 than any of the others. 



Laurestine, double furze, and genistas, likewise grow 

 best in an exposed situation, and will thrive in any loamy 

 soil ; the two former are sometimes injured by severe 

 frosts, but they will generally sprout again from the roots, 

 and should never be allowed to grow too large, for young 

 plants will flower much better, and maintain a much more 

 compact and healthy appearance than very large and old 

 ones. The two former of these, especially, should never 

 be absent from any garden, as they flower in most un- 

 bounded profusion. The various species of Daphne, which 

 are all more or less beautiful, require a rather light loamy 

 soil ; the spurge-laurel {D. laureola) will thrive best under 

 trees, or in a shaded situation ; but all the rest difi'er 

 from it in this respect. The garland-flower {D. cneoruni), 

 which is justly said to be one of the most lovely and 

 fragrant plants known in Britain, is rather difficult to 

 cultivate, and requires to be planted in an airy, exposed 

 situation, and in a soil composed of equal parts of light 

 loam and peat ; it may be procured for a very trifling 

 sum, and no garden should be without it, as it is very 

 dwarf, produces a great number of clusters of pretty 

 pink blossoms from April to September, and these are 

 most delightfully fragranf. 



The periwinkles will grow in almost any situation, and 

 any soil that is not too dry, and they are admirably 

 adapted for planting under trees and shrubs ; they readily 

 multiply themselves by suckers. All the evergreen 

 shrubs thus enumerated can be abundantly propagated 

 by layers ; many produce naturally an abundance of 



