HARDY FLOWERS. 



«3 



flaked with maroon ; The Czar, yellow ground, heavily 

 edged purple ; and Melbourne, deep yellow, heavily 

 edged with red. 



Vellow ( 1 round 1'icolees. — II is Excellency, clear yellow, 

 narrow margin of red ; Mrs. Tremayne, deep yellow, 

 heavy scarlet margin ; Miss Violet, yellow, heavy rose 

 edge ; Mohican, deep yellow, narrow rosy red edge ; 

 Badminton, also of a yellow shade, with similar edge; 

 Cowslip, line yellow, edged bright rose ; Countess of 

 lersey, line yellow, heavy rose edge ; Dervish, primrose 

 yellow, margined rosy lilac ; Eldorado, rich yellow, 

 heavy red edge ; Empress Eugenie, rich yellow, nar ow 

 rose margin ; Florrie Henwood, clear yellow, rose red 

 edge ; Golden Eagle, rich gold, prettily edged red ; 

 Ilygeia, clear yellow, medium rose edge ; Ladas, good 

 clear yellow, scarlet edge ; Mr. Nigel, deep yellow, 

 heavy crimson edge ; Mrs. Robert Sydenham, the best 

 type of yellow Picotee ; Stanley Wrightson, deep yellow, 

 scarlet edge ; Voltaire, medium yellow, heavily edged 

 rose ; Wanderer, golden yellow, narrow rosy red edge. 



Show Carnations. — Scarlet Bizarres : Admiral Curzon, 

 Arthur Medhurst, Dr. Hogg, Duke of York, Othello, 

 Robert Houlgrave. Crimson Bizarres : Bruce Eindlay, 

 Edward Rowan, Arline, J. S. Iledderley, Master Fred. 

 Phoebe. Pink and Purple Bizarres : Harmony, Melody, 

 Princess Beatrice, Sarah Payne, Squire Penson, William 

 Skerving. Purple Flakes : Charles Henwood, Earl 

 Stamford, Magpie, fames Douglas, Mayor of Nottingham, 

 Gordon Lewis. Scarlet Flakes : Alisemond, Flamingo, 

 Guardsman, Matador, Miss Constance Graham, Sports- 

 man. Rose Flakes : John Keet, Mrs. Rowan, Rob 

 Roy, Lady Mary Currie, Thalia, Tim Bobbin. 



White Ground Picotees. — Heavy red edge : Brunette, 

 Dr. Epps, Ganymede, John Smith, Princess of Wales, 

 Norman Carr. Eight red edge : Emily, Mrs. Bowen. 

 Mrs. Gorton, Lena, Thomas William, Violet Douglas. 

 Heavy purgle edge: Amelia, Mrs. Chancellor, Muriel, 

 Mrs. Openshaw, Polly Brazil, and Zerlina. Light 

 purple edge : Ann Lord, Someihill, Ller Majesty, 

 Nymph, Harry Kenyon, Pride of Leyton. 



All the above-named varieties — although to get exhibi- 

 tion flowers it is almost necessary, except in the case ol 

 the border varieties, to grow them in pots — may be 

 planted out ol doors with every prospect of success. 

 Tney flower freely in the 

 open in the counties of 

 Northumberland and Dur- 

 ham, in the ordinary soil 

 of the garden. 



Centaureas. — The most 



important of this family 

 are the annual kinds, lor 

 amongst these are the 

 Cornflowers and the pretty 

 Sweet Sultan. But the 

 perennial kinds are very 

 handsome and stalely 

 plains, sending up strong 

 stems bearing, as a rule, 

 rich vellow flowers. They 

 are more fitted for the 

 rougher parts, as the 

 growth is big and coarse. 

 C. babylonica will grow 

 fully 10 t. high, and a tall 

 grower is C. macrocephala, 

 w hilst I he silvery - leaved 

 C. ragusina is welcome for 

 its prettily-co'oured foliage. 

 Of these the only perennial 

 kind that may be considered 

 a good mixed border plant is 

 C. monlana, of which there 

 are several varieties, one 

 with white flowers. This 

 is of comparativelv low 

 growth, about 2lt., ami the 

 flowers are like those ol the 



ower, lint much larger. Thev 

 The plant is readily increased 



common annual Cor 

 are useful lor cutting 

 I iy division or from seed. 

 CeraStilim tOinentOSUm is a plant used lor edging 

 flower beds, and was more popular a few years ago than 

 at the present time. It will stand very rough treatment, 

 grows freely, and makes dense m isses of silvery foliage ; 

 hence its name of Snow in Summer. Very easily 

 increased by division. 

 Chelone Obliqua is a good border plant, reminding one 

 strongly of a Pentstemon, the stems being over 3ft. 

 in height, and with intense pink flowers. It remains in 

 bloom lor many weeks, and will gro.v freely in rich 

 soil. C. barbita is generally grouped with the Pent- 

 stemon, and is a graceful and beautiful garden flower. 

 Propagation is easily managed by root division, and the 

 plants are readily raised, too, by cuttings or from seed. 

 Chionodoxas, The. Gems for the spring are the e 

 mountain flowers, which dye the pastures with blue. 

 Fortunately, the family is well known now, and the bulbs 

 are cheap. Plant them freely in masses in autumn to 

 get an effect impossible when dotted about without a 

 thought of ultimate results. The Glory of the Snow 

 (C. Lucilue) is the more familiar, having been intro- 

 duced longer lhan others. Its flowers rise a few inches 

 above the soil, and are pretty in their blue colouring 

 with while centre. Where opportunities exist, natural se 

 it in the grass, and plant it liberally in the border 

 margins, where, if the soil is faiily light, it will in time 

 sow itself, and form a natural colony. The flowers 

 vary somewhat in size and colour, some with more 

 white than others. C. granditlora is a very bold and 

 free form, the flowers soft blue, w ith a little whi e 

 in the centre, and very large. Its original name was 

 gigantea, since happily changed to grandiflora. C. 

 sardensis is intense blue, as blue as the Gentian, but 

 scarcely so free and robust as C. Lucili;t. There are 

 other kinds, C. Alleni and so forth, but the trio named 

 are the jewels of the family. Propagated by seed 01 

 bulblets. All are pretty in pots in the greenhouse, either 

 alone or mixed with other bulbs, as the Snowdrop. 



Chrysanthemums, Outdoor.— Of late yea.s one's 



thoughts have turned from the exhibition varieties of the 

 Chrysanthemum to those known to be hardy enough 

 for the open gaiden. The 

 Chrysanthemums flowering 

 gaily out of doors during 

 September, October, and 

 even into November in 

 fine seasons, are freer than 

 those from under glass, 

 and the many new varieties 

 raised of recent years have 

 given charming shades of 

 colour, brighter than any- 

 thing seen before. 

 Happily the growth of the 

 plants is dwarf and com- 

 pact, and though confined 

 hitherto to the Pompon 

 kinds, there are now 

 Japanese varieties of the 

 same free and graceful 

 character as those under 

 glass. Even after sharp 

 frosts the Chrysanthemum 

 flowers are unharmed, but 

 appear fresh and fair when 

 the midday sun diies the 

 petals. Cuttings may be 

 struck early in the new year, 

 but no time is better lhan 

 March, or even April and 

 May. It is well, however, 

 not to defer propagation 

 long after March. Take the 

 cuttings from the base of the 

 CENTAVREA. old plants, and they should 



