HARDY FLOWERS. 



99 



TUSSILAGO FRAGRANS. 



Helenium ailtumnale is a hardy plant that should he 

 ill every garden, large or small, in the country or other- 

 wise. It is one of those free-flowering, vigorous perennials 

 that are gay from summer until almost the time of frosts. 

 The type is tall, quite 6tt. and handsome, but more 

 useful for naturalising or to plant in the rougher 

 parts of the garden ; its flowers are yellow. The best 

 variety for gardens is Pumilum, which is about 15m. in 

 height, and almost hidden beneath the mass of yellow 

 flowers. This is a kind worth filling large beds with on 

 the turf, or to use in any way thought desirable. It 

 never fails. Grandiflorum and superbum are tall forms. 

 II. grandieephalum striatum is of tall growth, with a host 

 of rich brown and bronzy striped flowers. It is quaint 

 and curious, but an over-praised plant. Increase the 

 Heleniums by division of the roots in early spring or 

 in autumn, and they will succeed in almost any soil. 



HeliatlthemumS (Sun Roses) are valuable for warm dry 

 banks, which a good selection of varieties of the common 

 Sun Rose will clothe with spreading stems, studded in 

 summer with brilliant flowers. The common Sun Rose 

 is H. vulgare ; it beautifies many a dry wayside bank, 

 the wirv shoots hanging over chalk banks in full sunshine. 

 Secure a selection of the best colours, which vary from 

 white to deep crimson, some of the yellow and orange 

 shades being rich and attractive. Other useful kinds are 

 piloselloides, dwarf, with yellow flowers in masses ; 

 Tuberaria, which has yellow flowers measuring about an 

 inch across; umbellatum, white ; and H. rosmarinifolium. 

 The way to increase Helianthemums is by seed, or by 

 dividing the roots in early spring. 



HeliantllUS. —A brilliant race of hardy flowers is the 

 perennial Helianthus, so free, graceful, and hardy, that 

 when once established the strong rambling growth is 

 likely to encroach upon other things. It is necessary to 

 group them to obtain a rich mass of colour from the 

 flowers, which line the willowy stems, tossed about in 

 autumn winds. These perennial Sunflowers may be 

 planted amongst evergreen shrubs, just as one would use 

 the Asters or Lilies ; but no matter how small the garden 

 is, plant a group somewhere in a corner where if the 

 plants get unruly little harm will result. They appreciate 

 rich soil, but will grow in almost any staple, and should 

 be divided once in three or four years, otherwise the 

 growth becomes matted, and weakly flower stems are the 

 result. There are many poor weedy kinds, so restrict 

 the selection to the following, all of which gladden the 

 garden in autumn : H. decapetalus, height 5ft., soft 

 yellow flowers in profusion, delightful amongst shruDs ; 

 U. doronicoides, H. giganteus (6ft.), II. loetillorus, very 



handsome, rich yellow flowers; II. multiflorus, the must 

 familiar ol all, and its double variety, II. orgyalis (6ft. ) ; 

 H. rigidus, and its noble variety Miss Mellish, w hich has 

 very large semi-double rich yellow flowers, and strong, 

 tall stems. A large mass of this is imposing in the 

 autumn. II only two or three kinds are desired, choose : 

 H. decapetalus or [I. orgvalis ; II. mollis, a lug yellow 

 flower; II. lsetiflorus, H. rigidus, also known as 

 Harpalium rigidum ; and the taller variety Miss 

 Mellish. 



Heliotrope, Winter. — See Tussilago fragrans. 



Hellebores (Christmas and L'-nten Roses). — The Hellebore 

 family comprises about a dozen species, the majority of 

 which are far from effective. The Christinas Rose,, 

 however, raised from H. niger, and the Lenten Roses, 

 lor win, h II. orientalis is chiefly responsible, yield to no 

 plants lor their value in the winter garden, where they 

 flower from mid-October till April. A list of the species 

 lollows : II. ahchasieus, from the Caucasus, bearing 

 green or purplish flowers, 2in. in diameter, from January 

 to March; height, lit. H. atrorubens, a native of 

 Southern Europe, bearing dull purple flowers, with petals 

 1 in. long, in March; height, lift. H. caucasicus, from 

 the Caucasus, bearing pale green flowers; height, lift. 

 II. colchicus, from Asia Minor, flowers deep purple ; 

 height, lift. H. fcetidus, a European species, found in 

 England, bearing green flowers, and valuable for its deep 

 green abundant foliage. H. lividus, from Corsica, 

 bearing corymbs of ten to twenty green flowers. 

 H. niger, Christmas Rose, a native of Central and Eastern 

 Europe and Western Asia, bears white flowers, and is the 

 progenitor of the garden varieties of the Christmas Rose 

 of to-day. H. odorus, from Eastern Europe, produces 

 green, scented flowers ; height, lift. H. olympicus, 

 from Greece, bears purplish flowers, and attains a height 

 of 2ft. H. orientalis, from Greece, bears large rose 

 purple flowers 2in. in diameter ; height, 2ft. This 

 Hellebore is the chief progenitor of the Lenten Rose. 

 H. viridis, Europe, Britain, bears bright green flowers, 

 and grows lift. high. The Christmas and Lenten Roses 

 deserve separate consideration, the former being more 

 exacting in the matter of culture than the latter. 



Christmas Roses require deep, rich soil, and flourish 

 best in a partially-shaded situation, where shelter from 

 cutting and boisterous winds may be obtained. The 

 bed should be prepared at least 3ft. in depth, a thick 

 layer of cow-manure being placed at the bottom, and a 

 good portion of the same worked into the lower portion 

 of the soil, care being taken that it does not come into 

 contact with the roots. Large clumps should not be 



ERE.MURUS UIUALAICVS {see p. 9 c), 



