annual Flowers — hardy kinds. 



i5 



CONVOLVULUS. 



like. 



Climbers.- The annual climbers arc of great beauty 

 and value, being so quick in growth, and covering in a 

 short space screens, arbours, and the like. The most useful 

 are Convolvulus major and minor ; Japanese Hop ( Humulus 

 japonicus), remarkably quick in growth, and of a pretty 

 green colour, its variegated variety with brightly-coloured 

 leaves ; Mina lobata (sow seeds in gentle heat in spring, 

 warm soil) ; Tropaeolum Lobbianum and the Canary 

 Creeper (T. canadensis), Sweet Peas, and Thunbergia 

 alata and varieties (warm soil and sunny position only ; 

 sow seeds in gentle heat in spring). Except when stated, 

 all may be sown in the open ground in spring. 

 Collinsias. — Charming annuals, and seed may be sown 

 in autumn and spring, as then a long succession of 

 flowers is gained. The plants seem quite happy in 

 town gardens, for which, as a rule, annual flowers are 

 not well adapted. Make good groups of them. Bicolor 

 is the best known, its flowers of a lilac and white colour. 



Carididissima is 

 while, and there 

 are grandiflora, 

 purple, and its 

 variety cat- 

 minata, carmine, 

 all the varieties 

 varying from gin. 

 to I ft. high. 



Convolvulus. — 



Of the hardy 

 annual forms are 

 the well-known 

 major and minor, 

 t h e f o r m e r of 

 climbing growth, 

 and useful for 

 beautifying trel- 

 lises, arbours, 

 pergolas, and the 

 Sow the seed in May in rich soil, and get a good 

 series of colours, which vary from white to deep purple. 

 Minor is dwarf, only reaching ift. in height, and as varied 

 in colour. 



Coreopsis, also called Calliopsis, including also the 

 beautiful C. grandiflora, which will flower from seed 

 sown the same year, although many flower gardeners 

 treat it as a biennial. Sow the seed in early April, and 

 if the soil is fairly rich and the plants are not crowded 

 together, a glorious display of flowers will result in the 

 autumn. This is one of the brightest and most graceful 

 flowers of the garden. Atrosanguinea is a very deep 

 brilliant yellow. Other beautiful kinds are Drummondi, 

 rich yellow, brown in the centre; Coronata, yellow : and 

 the yellow and brown tinctoria, delightful for their 

 unusual colouring. 



Cornflower. — See Centaurea. 



Datura. — There are two Daturas that may be treated 

 as hardy annuals, one named Cornucopia and the double 

 D. chlorantha. The first-named has conspicuous flowers, 

 sweet scented, and white and purple in colour ; it grows 

 less than 2ft. in height, and in full bloom is very distinct 

 and pleasing. When potted, the plants are useiul for 

 the greenhouse. D. chlorantha flore-pleno has yellow 

 flowers of trumpet shape and sweet smelling. It is a 

 few inches taller in growth. 



Delphinium. — See Larkspur. 



Erysimum. — Very bright annuals which may be sown i:i 

 autumn are E. Arksanum, which reminds one of the Wall- 

 flower, and rich yellow, and the orange, E. Perowskianum, 

 blooming in the spring when sown in autumn. 



Esehseholtzia. — This group should be regarded as 

 annual, as seeds sown in spring produce plants to flower 

 the same year. There are several kinds, but none more 

 pleasing than the old yellow Crocea, of which there are 

 double and while varieties. California is pale vellow, 

 Mandarin is orange and crimson, and Rose Cardinal is 

 of a rosy shade, as its name suggesis ; but many think 

 the self yellows the best. Sow seeds also in autumn. 

 '1 he Eschscholtzias are about lit. in height and gay 



flowers, varying a little in size, but always bright, the 

 yellows in particular. Little groups on a sunny 

 border are a distinct change from the other plants ; the 

 flowers open wide, and the greyish shoots tumble over the 

 margin, breaking up hard lines, and scattering colour 

 where one often least expects it. 



ElltOCa viscida. — Blue is a colour required in moderation, 

 but rarely got amongst annuals. This, however, is bright 

 blue, very free, and bees seek it. Height, ill. 



Gilia. — This is a useful race, especially when boldly used. 

 It should be sown freely near beehives, as bees appre- 

 ciate the flowers. Tricolor, white and lavender, and 

 nivalis, white, orange centre, are about i8in. in height, 

 and minima caerulea, useful for edgings, is blue. 



GlailCium lllteiim (Homed Poppy). — A group of this is 



owers are rich yellow 

 hould not be used too 



nd ti e leaves 

 much. Height, 



showy, as the fl 

 glaucous. It 

 2ft. 



Godetias. Rather a large family, and very showy in 

 summer. In poor land seedlings will stand the winter 

 and flower much earlier than those from spring-sown seed. 

 Godetias transplant well, better indeed than most annuals. 

 Even when a few seeds have been sown in September, a 

 further sowing should be made in March to provide a 

 succession ; but there w ill be no long continuance of 

 flowers unless the plants are thinned to not less than 6in. 

 apart as soon as they are large enough. When dry- 

 weather sets in, top-dress with a little rich compost, con- 

 sisting of an admixture of old leaf-mould, charred rubbish, 

 and old potting soil, all blended together and passed 

 through a half-inch sieve. Among the best varieties are 

 Bijou, white with dark red spots, very dwarf, being not 

 more than 6in. high, and effeciive in a bold mass; 

 Brides m a id, 



white, striped ■ . 



with rose; 

 Duchess of 

 Albany nana, 

 white, v e r y 

 dwarf, a good 

 bedding plant ; 

 Lady Albemarle, 

 carmine, edges of 

 the petals suffused 

 with lilac, very 

 dwarf ; Lady 

 Austin Rose, 

 glossy deep rose 

 pink, a charming 

 variety ; Princess 

 of Wales, ru I >v 

 crimson ; Rosea 

 alba, white with 

 rose centre, very 

 dwarf; White 

 Pearl, a fine 

 while ; Gloriosa, CODETTA. 

 in the vvav of 



Lad) - Albemarle, but of a darker colour, indeed at 

 present the darkest variety in the family. The white 

 Godetia is the most popular, which is not surprising. 

 Grasses, Annual. — Besides the perennial Grasses, there 

 are others of delicate beauty which may be raised from 

 seed sown in spring in the open ground. These are 

 Agrostis pulchella, a delicate and beautiful small Grass ; 

 the taller-growing A. nebulosa ; the fluffy Hair-tail Grass 

 (Lagurus ovatus), one of the most popular of all ; the 

 Large Quaking Grass (Briza maxima), and the smaller 

 B. minima ; the late and graceful Eragrostis elegans ; and 

 the Barley Grass (Hordeum jubatum). Sow the seed 

 early in April, and in the case of the finer kinds, such as 

 Agrostis pulchella, mix the seed with a little fine soil or 

 sand to distribute it more evenly. The seed should be 

 sown where the plants are to remain, and perhaps a 

 liltle thinning out will be advisable where too thick 

 sowings have been made. Eragrostis elegans is pretty 

 by water, and will frequently perpetuate itself. When 

 the Grasses are required for winter use, gather them 



