HARDY FLOWERS. 



not to clear away the withered foliage in the winter, as 

 this forms an excellent protection, both for the pushing 

 shoots and the corms themselves. A light, porous soil 

 is perhaps best adapted for the culture ol these subjects, 

 and in such a compos! they spread with wonderful 

 rapidity, soon forming a solid mass of conns and roots. 

 In such cases biennial, or at all events triennial, division 

 should be effected. Although a light soil is suggested as 

 being the best lor Montbretias, they grow and flower well 

 in very different staples, often being seen in flourishing 

 condition in heavy, adhesive loam, while in one case- 

 where their growth is exceptionally vigorous they are 

 grown by the side of a pond, with their roots below the 

 water level. In localities w here tiie w inter is very severe 

 it is well lo cover the bulbs with a mulching of cocoa-nut 

 fibre. Bulbs are seldom lost through the action ol host, 

 but occasionally batches perish owing to excessive 

 moisture rotting them. One particularly valuable quality 

 of the Montbretias is their capability of flowering well in 

 partial shade ; and as they are subjects thai lend them- 

 selves readily to naturalisation in the grass, pretty 

 pictures mav be made bv planting them in clumps in 

 grassy glades or in w jods ol thinly-growing deciduous 

 trees. Montbretia crocosmiseflora under favourable 

 conditions attains a height of from ;lt. to 4H., and bears 

 branching scapes of orange scarlet flowers. It is a 

 hybrid between M. I'otlsi and Crosmia aurea. M. Pottsi 

 has smaller flowers of a yellow-red tint. M. rosea is a 

 form in which the colour ol the flowers is of a distinct 

 rosy shade. The following will be found a good selection 

 of the newer hybrids: M. Bouquet parlait, yellow, 

 shaded vermilion ; Drap d'Or, golden, shaded apricot ; 

 Etoile de feu, orange red and yellow : Eldorado, yellow ; 

 Phare, crimson; Rayon d'Or, rich yellow, shaded brown ; 

 Solfaterre, primrose yellow ; Tigridia, yellow and brown ; 

 and Transcendant, bright orange vermilion. 



MllSCaris [Grape Hyacinths). — It is strange that certain 

 races of plants should be neglected in gardens, although 

 vigorous and beaulilul in colour. The Muscaris are in 

 this throng, but flower gardeners should plant them 

 freely, whether the garden i^ small or otherwise, as they 

 increase readily, forming in time quite carpets of leafage 

 and blossom. They max be increased by separating the 

 mass of bulbs on lilting them when this is considered 

 necessary, after the leaves have died. Use the Grape 

 Hyacinths as edgings to the border, in the lower parts 

 of the rock garden, and the more vigorous kinds may 

 be naturalised freel) in the grass, if not too long, 

 on a grassy bank and in suitable positions making 

 glorious sheets ol blue when spring flowers ol a 

 hundred kinds are in beauty. The deep blue M. conicum 

 is very rich; it is vigorous, spreading freely, and the 

 flowers are intense blue. A bank covered with the 

 flowers is delightful; they are fragrant too. Blooming 

 shortly after this is M. armenaicum ; then in early 

 February appears the little light blue M. a/ureum, and of 

 the well-known M. botryoides there are several forms. 

 The type is deep blue, but the varieties are of several 

 colours, according lo the distinctive names: thus album 

 is white, and pallidum very delicate blue. '1 he rich 

 sell colours are more effective. M. Heldreichi, blue tipped 

 with white, the Iragranl M. moschatum, M. neglectum, 

 or the Starch Hyacinth, very deep in colour, M. 

 paradoxum, and the curious feathery M. comosum 

 monstrosum, are also worth a place in the garden. 



Myosotis, The [Forget-me-not), though not a very large 

 family, is quite indispensable in the garden, owing lo its 

 beautiful blue, so valuable as a carpeting for spring bulbs 

 and for bringing soft colour into sequestered nooks and 

 corners. The propagation of the Myosotis is extremely 

 simple, as it is easily raised from seed sown, as soon as 

 ripe, in the open ground, and old plants of Myosotis 

 dissitiflora allowed to remain during the summer in the 

 positions they have occupied during the spring will in 

 the autumn be surrounded with sell-sown seedlings. They 

 may also be increased by division of the roots in the 

 spring, or by cuttings inserted in sandy. soil underashaded 

 fund-light during the summer. In the early spring the 



first flowers of Myosotis dissitiflora, the species most 

 generally in use in gardens, are in exposed situations 

 olten ol a bright pink on first expanding, and only 

 assume their azure colouring when the atmosphere 

 becomes more genial. In shady positions this species 

 will flower almost until midsummer. The nomenclature 

 of the Eorget-me-nots is at present in a very chaotic state, 

 no botanical dictionaries being in absolute agreement as 

 io what are species and what varieties, while the Ixcw 

 list does not elucidate the matter much. The most generally 

 recognised species are given in the following list : 



M. alpestris, a native of the mountains of Europe, is a 

 beautiful plant for the rock garden, flourishing in a moist 

 soil with which disintegrated granite has been incorpi irated. 

 ft is impatient of dryness at the root, and is averse to a 

 heavy non-porous soil. It forms a dense mat ol foliage, 

 which is covered during its flowering-time with blossoms 

 of the loveliest blue. 



M. azoriea is a native of the westernmost islands of the 

 Azores group. It produces flowers of a deep blue tint, 

 w hich are self coloured, not having an eye of different 

 hue. lis flowers are larger than those of the last-named 

 species, and are produced over a longer period of lime. It 

 is a rather tender plant, and should be grown in moist, 

 light soil in an exceptionally sheltered position. There- 

 is a white variety alba, while the form known as 

 [mperatrice Elizabeth is an extremely beautiful plant of 

 great merit, which, when subjected to pot culture, is very 

 effective. 



M. CSeSpitOSa is a spreading plant, of which the form 

 known as M. Rechsteineri is quite a gem, forming dense 

 mats of foliage on moist ledges of the rock garden and 

 bearing, 111 early summer, numberless turquoise blue 

 flowers. Like the rest ol the Eorgel-ine-not family, this 

 subject requires moist, porous soil, fairly rich, to show 

 itself in its true form. 



M. dissitiflora is the commonest of our garden Forget- 

 me-nots, its beaulilul breadths ol blue making lovely 

 spring pictures, especially w hen forming a carpeting for 

 the Poets' Narcissi, whose white blossoms are shown on 

 to best advantage by their a/ure setting. There are many 

 varieties of this Forget-me-not, among which may be 

 named M. d. alba, M. d. elegantissima, M. d. grandi- 

 flora, M. d. Weirleigh Surprise, with variegated (lowers, 

 and M. d. Victoria. 



M. litllOSpermifolia grows from [ft. to Oft. high, and 

 produces an abundance of flowers, which are larger than 

 those of other species. 



M. palustris [the Marsh Forget-me-not) is common by the 

 English streamsides. Its porcelain blue yellow-eyed 

 flowers are particularly charming, and may be enjoyed in 

 moist, shady spots well into the summer. In marshy 

 places it often exceeds a height of l8in., though in the 

 garden it usually assumes a creeping habit. M. semper- 

 (lorens is by some regarded as a variety of this Forget- 

 me-not. 



M. rupieola, though by some considered to be synonymous 

 with M. alpestris, has sufficient differences of form and 

 habit to entitle it to be classed as a species, being a 

 dwarfer plant with deeper blue flowers. M. Princess 

 Maud is a variety of M. rupieola. 



M*. Sliaveolens, an Australian species, bears white or 

 bluish white flow ers, but is not sufficiently hardy for open- 

 air culture in this , 1 mntry. 



M. sylvatiea [the Wood Foi get- iue-n:>l) grow s i ist situa- 

 tions to a height of from 1 : ft. to 2ft. It bears tall racemes 

 of blue flowers with yellow centres, their hue being inter- 

 mediate between that of M. dissitiflora and M. palustris. 

 Forms of this Forget-me-not are often used as annuals for 

 spring bedding. There are many varieties of this Myosotis. 

 M. nana and M. pygmjea, sometimes classed as species, 

 are probably varieties of it. As great divergences in 

 height and size ol flowers are met with in w ild forms as 

 in cultivated varieties. 



M. Traversi is a newly-introduced species, said to bear 

 yellow flowers. 



M. Welwitschi, from Portugal, bears bright blue flowers 

 with yellowish white centres, and grows to a height of 



