114 



THE ELOWEB GARDEN. 



backed by a high wall, or trained against the wall itself, 

 it will not be difficult to shelter them and to keep frost 

 from their roots by a covering of litter. The variegated 

 red is one of the hardiest ; but the original single red 

 Camellia, on which the double varieties are mostly in- 

 arched, raised from seed, makes a splendid bush where it 

 can flower in the open air. In truth, however, the place 

 of Camellias, in the United Kingdom, is in conservatories 

 and living- apartments. They are house-plants, and as 

 such they must be considered, in spite of their occasional 

 and rare presence in the flower-garden : their culture 

 constitutes a peculiar and elaborate branch of greenhouse 

 gardening ; and their cut blooms form a considerable 

 item in the returns of nurserymen during winter and 

 spring in general, and at the periods of the Paris and 

 London seasons especially. 



Chinese JPceony. — See JBoeony, in the last section. 



Christ's Thorn — Wiamnus JPaliurus. — A shrub whose 

 branches are furnished, w T hen vigorous, with several series 

 of thorns, some straight like pins, and others bent like 

 fish-hooks. The foliage has a certain elegance, from the 

 regularity with which the small leaves are disposed along 

 the twigs. The small yellow flowers are inconspicuous, 

 while the berries have somewhat the shape of a low- 

 crowned broad-brimmed hat. Its chief interest lies in 

 being pointed out by the ancient tradition of the Roman 

 Catholic Church as at least one of the plants which com- 

 posed the Saviour's crown of thorns. The fact is far from 

 improbable, as the Christ's Thorn is a native of Syria. 

 In Italy it makes formidable hedges, through w T hich vine- 

 yard-pilferers can hardly pass without leaving a portion 

 of their garments, and perhaps sundry bits of skin and 

 drops of blood, behind them. To grow vigorously, it 

 requires a long hot summer. Here, it may be /kept alive 

 in a sunny nook, in a weak and starveling condition, 

 hardly recognizable by those who have seen it in the 

 South of Europe. 



Cistus ladaniferus, — the Grum Cistus, — with long, 

 lanceolate, viscous leaves, and large white flowers with a 

 dark red centre, is one of the handsomest shrubs we have. 



