HARDY FLOWERb. 



127 



maroon ; Pnrily, 

 s 11 1 1 w white ; 

 K e i n e Eliza- 

 fa e t h , silvery 

 pink ; Robert 

 Fortune, rosy 

 crimson ; Sarah 

 Bernhardt, flesh 

 pink ; Sama- 

 rang, vermilion 

 red ; Triomphe 

 de Vandermael, 

 bright rose ; and 

 Ville de St. 

 Denis, mauve 

 and white; 

 while the fol- 

 lowing are ex- 

 cellent single 

 varieties: 

 Henry Irving, 

 dark crimson, 

 especially good ; 

 Jean de Reszke, 



white, an enormous flower, almost a foot in diameter; 

 Lord Iveagh, cerise red ; Mrs. J. W. Sinicox, salmon 

 rose; and Mrs. McMillan, deep rose. 

 Pansies {Violas). — The Pansy of the garden is a Violet, 

 because all Pansies belong to the same family as the 

 little fragrant blue flower of the shady hedgerow, and 

 the various species are described under the name ol Viola. 

 The Pansy is considered here because so familiarly known 

 by this name, but to call any one group by the name 

 Viola is misleading, for that is the title ol the entire 

 family. 



Tufted Pansy is so called because the growth is lulled 

 yet creeping, in opposition to those kinds with straggling 

 stems which rarely bloom for many weeks. The Pansy 

 is a good garden plant, and one to group freely in 

 conspicuous positions, by itself, or, better still, in 

 association with other things. Beds and borders may 

 be margined with it, or it may be planted amongst 

 dwarf shrubs, su h as hardy Azaleas, choosing always 

 rather damp spots, not exposed to the lull force 

 of a summer sun. It is the tufted kinds that must be 

 used for this purpose, not show, fancy, or other types, 

 which are seen frequently at exhibitions, yet in the 

 garden are of poor effect. Plant either in the autumn or 

 the spring, choosing the first-named season when an 

 early display of flowers is desired. Select early October 

 for the work, and make the soil moderately rich by 

 incorporating rotten manure with it, or, if very sandy, 

 cow manure is advisable. Prepare the surface in the usual 

 way by making it fairly line, and plant from 9m. to lit. 

 apart. If the garden is very low-lying and damp, never 

 plant in the autumn, otherwise the Pansies will suffer in 

 winter. It is even more necessary to dig the soil deeply 

 for spring planting, as then the plants withstand better a 

 dry summer. Put well-rotted manure deep down in the 

 trenches, leave the surface rough, dress if with soot, and 

 then after the frosts and rains of winter it will break up 

 finely, ready for the plants (o be put out in earl}- spring. 

 If when received from the nursery they are in any way 

 attacked with green-fly, dip them in a preparation of soft 

 soap, iooz. to a gallon of water. Keep the buds picked 

 off for a time, until the plants have become established, 

 and also gather decaying flowers, as these, of course, 

 produce seeds, the double strain proving too much lor the 

 plants. 



Propagation may be effected by seeds or by cuttings. 

 Charming variations in colour occur amongst seedlings 

 raised from the best seed, and not infrequently some 

 variety ot great beauly, distinct from anything else in our 

 gardens. Seed may be sown out of doors in some 

 prepared spot in July, and if the seedlings arc- 

 carefully pricked out, then transferred to their flowering 

 quarters, they will IiIm.hi] the following year. Or seed may 

 be sown in gentle warmth in February. Well harden the 



plants oil before 

 they are put out 

 in the open, anil 

 indeed in their 

 seedling stage ii 

 is well to trans- 

 fer I hem to the 

 garden. W an h 

 lor slugs, which 

 a 1 iprei iale juicy 

 Pansy seedlings 

 in pari ii ular. 1 1 

 named kinds are 

 to be perpetu- 

 ated, propaga- 

 tion by cuttings 

 is necessary. 

 Tli 



h 



a n d I a n c y 

 Pansies are not 

 very popular in 

 England. They 



TREE PjEOSW are often very 



beautiful in the 



cool climate of the North, and one reas m for their scarcity 

 in the South is that the plants are almost a failure. They 

 are seen at the exhibitions, but 10 enumerate the curious 

 points connoisseurs value would interest few flower 

 gardeners. It is the tufted kinds that bloom so 

 continuously and freely, and which one may gather to 

 fill small glasses upon the table. 



Selection of Varieties. — Tufted Pansies — Choose any of 

 the following : — Blue : Blue Gown, a beautiful shade, one 

 of the most charming of all Pansies, very pretty by an 

 old wall, or even on the wall itself — pansies, it must not 

 be forgotten, will flower well when upon walls ; 

 Ophelia, and the well -known Archie Grant, grown so 

 largely for market. Edged or margined flowers : 

 Duchess of Fife, Border Witch, and Goldfinch. Fancy or 

 blotched : Mrs. C. F. Gordon, Cottage Maid, and Isa 

 Ferguson. Rose : Maggie and William Niel. White : 

 White Empress, Ethel Handcock, Maslerpiece, and 

 Niphetos. Yellow : Pembroke, Princess Louise, Sir 

 Robert Peel, and Ardwell Gem. Other colours: 

 Florizel, lavender and blush ; Norah Mary, blush ; 

 Rosea pallida, very delicate blush ; and Devonshire- 

 Cream, cream. 



Miniature Flowered. — This is a dainty class, the 

 flowers quite small, as the name suggests, and as pretiy 

 as those of many of the alpine species. Of this group 

 the most charming are Violetta, while ; Lavinia, rosy 

 blush; Walter B. Child, white margined with lavender 

 blue ; Gold Crest, golden yellow ; and Blue Bell, soft 

 blue. 



Fancy Pansies. — The best of these are Agnes Mabel, 

 Col. M. R. Buchanan, feanie R. Kerr, Maggie McPhail, 

 Marmion, Mrs. D. Johnstone, Mrs. W. Watson, Tam- 

 worth Yellow, Bernard Doulton, Jeanie R. Lister, Maggie 

 Watson, and Constance Steel. 



Show Pansies. — Alex. Black, John E. Martin, Bessie 

 Smellie, Miss Cramb, Mrs. John Hunter, Winnie 

 Irvine, Col. Stirling, Jessie Thomson, and Agnes Kay. 

 PentStemon. — The Pentstemon family is known best by 

 th; beautiful hybrid kinds which flower so gaily in the 

 summer and autumn, furnishing material for cutting, and 

 gladdening the garden with colour. This race has been 

 obtained by hybridising, P. Hartwegi and P. gentianoides 

 being the foundation. Unfortunately the plants are not 

 very hardy, frequently collapsing in winter, but it is so easy 

 to raise seedlings lhat one is not concerned about a w ant oi 

 hardiness. Cuttings may be struck in autumn, wintered 

 in a cold frame, and planted out in April, or seed may be 

 sown in June in shallow pans, and the seedlings wintered 

 in a frame. These produce excellent tufts for flowering 

 the \ ear following sow ing ; in fact, this is treating 

 the Pentstemon as a biennial. There is yet another time 

 to sow seed, namely, in January in gentle warmth, when 

 the plants will bloom freely the same season. There is 



