132 



THE CENTURY BOOK OF GARDENING. 



Hovvers rise io about 2 It. 

 flow _rs of varying < olours. 

 crimson eye, ethers pure 

 bloom is lontr maintained. 



in height, bearing whorls o. 



some white, or with a deep 

 crimson, and a succession of 



Sow seed, as soon as ripe, in 



a shallow pan filled with light soil, which must be placed 

 in a cold, frame. It germinates very irregularly, and 

 therefoie llie soil must not be thrown away until every 

 seed has had a chance to germinate. This Primrose is 

 handsome in pots too. 



P. rosea (the rosy Himalayan Primrose) is easily raised 

 irom seed sown when ripe, and delights in a moist, 

 almost boggy, spot, where it will frequently spread 

 freely. It is hardy, and flowers in early summer, the 

 colouring varying considerably, sometimes deep crimson, 

 but generally of paler shades. Grandirlora is a beautiful 

 form. Another way to increase it is by dividing the 

 tufts ; but one shjuld not meddle with these unless 

 division is apparently needed. 



P. SikkimensiS. — A well-known Primrose with a profu- 

 sion ol yellow flowers in summer, and pretty planted 

 freely in the woodland or in the border, but must have 

 a peaty soil. It is a mistake to disturb it, although, as 

 it is short lived, ceasing to flower freely alter three or 

 four years, a new stock must be constantly raised from 

 seed sown in early summer, or whenever ri| e, under 

 glass. 



P. visCOSfl is a chaiming rock plant and very easy to 

 grow ; the flowers are purple, and appear in clusters. 

 Loam and broken sindstone suit it, not chalky or lime 

 formations. C. v. ciliata is a pretty varietv ; but per- 

 haps the most pleasing of all is the pure white nivalis. 



Other interesting Primulas are P. latifolia, requiring a 

 sunny spot in 

 the rock garden, 

 light soil, mois- 

 ture in summer, 

 but the reverse 

 i n w inter; 

 divide the tufts 

 for propagation. 

 The flowers are 

 violet, and frag- 

 rant. P . 

 luteola, yellow, 

 tall, and likes 

 moist tire and 

 sunshine; a 

 group on the 

 rock garden is 

 pretty. P . 

 marginata, very 

 pretty in the 

 rock garden, 

 choosing a 

 moist, open, 

 northern place : 

 the Mowers are 

 of a violet shade, 

 and the leaves 

 quite silvery ; 

 use for sod loam 

 mixed with peat 

 a n d b r o k e n 

 limestone. P. 

 minima is the 

 Fairy Primrose, 

 a delicate little 

 alpine, requiring 

 an open s| ot in 

 the rock garden 

 where the soil is 

 very light peat 

 and loam ; in- 

 creased by divi- 

 sion or seed, and 

 though the liny 

 flowers are not 

 produced freely, 



they are charming in colour (soft rose) and form. P. 

 imperialis is a noble Japanese kind, with whorls of 

 deep yellow flowers, but little is known of its 

 behaviour yet in the open garden. P. obtusifolia, 

 deep bluish purple; P. purpurei, or ciliata purpurea, 

 a beautiful variety, crimson-purple, loam and 

 broken stones ; P. Pan y i, purple, a very fine species, 

 requiring a moist and peaty spot in the rock garden ; P. 

 viscosa, a charming alpine species, with rosy-coloured 

 flowers formed in clusters. Loam and peat for soil. 



In the case of almost all the alpine Primulas it is wise 

 io mix broken limestone with the soil. 



Puschkinia labanotica eompaeta is a pretty April- 

 flowering bulb, the flowers I eing white with veins of 

 blue. It grows freely in the rock garden, and succeeds 

 in a 6in. pot, putting half-a-dozen bulbs in each. 

 Pyrethrums.— -The Pyrethrum is known best by the 

 series ot beautiful varieties which have come from 

 P. roseum. During the early summer months these 

 plants are gay with blossoms of many colours, which 

 not only add to the beauty of the garden, but are also 

 useful lor cutting. A vase filled with the flowers loosely 

 arranged makes a pretty adornment for the table or 

 other parts ot the room. The plants require a rich soil 

 and rather moist position. If in very dry soil the 

 growth is poor, it must be made good by thoroughly 

 incorporating with it plenty of well-decayed manure or 

 mulch round the tufts during hot sea-ons. When the 

 ground is very poor the flower stems and growths are 

 weakly. The best lime to propagate is early spring 

 when new growth has well started, carefully lifting the 

 clumps, and shaking all soil from the roots. Then 



divide so that 

 each tuft is a 

 healthy plant 

 with about ten 

 leaves. These 

 divisions may be 

 either potted up 

 to become 

 thoroughly 

 established or 

 planted out, the 

 latter course 

 being the most 

 simple. The 

 first year a rich 

 display offlowers 

 will result, 

 but richer still 

 during the two 

 following years, 

 after which the 

 better plan is 

 to lilt them and 

 divide. Flowers, 

 especially as 

 regards ground 

 plants, will he 

 produced in 

 autumn as well 

 as in the early 

 summer. There 

 are so many 

 varieties that it 

 is difficult to 

 make a careful 

 selection, but 

 t h e following 

 are distinct and 

 pleasing in 

 colour. Single : 

 Cassiope, purple 

 crimson; 

 Apollo, pink ; 

 Agnes Mary 

 Kelway, rose ; 



VYRE LHKUM6. J ames Kelway, 



