HARDY FLOW I RS. 



Violet (V. pedata), V. calcuata, the pale blue V. cornut i, 

 once so popular for bedding, before the tufted Tansies 

 came into force so prominently, and its while variely 

 alba must not be omitted ; V. cucullata, V. Mundyana, 

 a delightful blue-flowered Violet, the Rouen Violet 

 (V. rothomagensis), purple or white, and V. sylvestris and 

 its forms. No daintier flower group exists. Every kind 

 is precious to the flower gardener. 



Violets in Summer and Winter. — These fragrant 

 flowers are ever welcome, and to have them over a long 

 season the plants must be well grown, an important point 

 being to transplant them frequently. A close, thick bed of 

 Violets is charming in spring, but the flowers are usually 

 small, and the stalks short. The way to obtain a plentiful 

 supply of flowers is to select s'rong, healthy single 

 crowns in April or early May, and plant them I ft. apart 

 on ground 

 which h is been 

 1 i b e rally 

 manured and 

 deeply dug. 

 Trench the 

 ground in 

 winter, giving 

 at the same 

 time 



Periwinkle ; at least 

 ma or and V. minor, 



manu re 

 may be 

 able, or 



any 

 which 

 avail- 

 fresh 



manure will 

 suffice, and in 

 March give a 

 further dressing 

 of short decom- 

 posed hot-bed 

 manure, fork- 

 ing it in. Early 

 in April rake 

 over the 

 ground, and set 

 out the plants, 

 pressing the 

 roots firmly in 

 the soil. Keep 

 them free from 

 weeds and 

 runners, and if 

 the season is 

 dry mulch 

 between the 

 plants with old 

 compost of any 

 kind. Old 

 mushroom beds 

 broken up fine 

 and spread 

 evenly between 

 the plants pro- 

 vide excellent 

 materLl. This 

 saves watering 

 and encourages growth. The Giant or Czar grown in this 

 way, and planted at the end of September in a sheltered 

 position at the foot of a wall or warm hedge, will flower all 

 the winter. Marie Louise, Princess of Wales, or any other 

 variety, doubleor single, grown thus.and either potted up in 

 September or planted in frames, will flower throughout the 

 winter, the blooms produced under glass being clearer and 

 finer than anything from outside. The Improved Russian 

 varieties are frequently, however, very fine in sheltered 

 borders. Plants under glass, that is, in cold frames, will 

 need little water in winter, and they must be near the 

 glass. Remove the lights in warm, dry weather, as any- 

 thing like coddling treatment is fa' al to success, and pick 

 off dead or decaying leaves. As regards Violet growing 

 in the open air, it is a good plan to leave a bed or two 

 undisturbed the second season, because this produces such 

 a wealth of blossom, but after the second season Violets 

 want a change of soil, or they deteriorate. On hot soils 



XEROPHYLLUM A SPH ODELOIDES (Turkey's Bean!). 



red spider is often troublesome, but it may generally be 

 got rid of by mulching and an occasional soaking of water. 



The double Violets, namely, Neapolitan, Marie Louise, 

 and Comte de Brazza, are not successful out of doors, 

 unless in very sheltered gardens, but are the best kinds for 

 (lowering in frames. If planted out of doors, scatter a 

 handful of long straw over the beds on the approach of 

 sharp frosts; they bloom under this when otherwise the 

 buds would be destroyed. A scattering of straw during 

 severe frosts is always beneficial to all Violets. The finest 

 single kind is Princess of Wales, the flowers being very 

 fragrant, large, home on a long stem, and rich in colour. 

 It is finer than California. 

 Vinca. — This is the well-known 

 there are two popular kinds, V 

 which are of great use for clothing the ougher parts of the 



rock garden, 

 shady places in 

 the woodland, 

 and the margins 

 of shrubberies ; 

 indeed, these 

 vigorous, creep- 

 ing plants are 

 so hardy and 

 strong that they 

 will succeed 

 almost any- 

 where and in 

 anv soil. V. 

 major is, as its 

 name implies, 

 the larger Peri- 

 winkle, and 

 there are 

 charming varie- 

 gated varieties 

 of it which 

 keep their 

 colour well. V 

 minor has 

 given rise to 

 seveial forms, 

 one with 

 white flowers 

 and another 

 rich blue, this 

 perfectly 

 double. A 

 pretty kind is 

 the soft mauve- 

 f 1 o w e r e d V. 

 acutiloba, 

 which blooms 

 late. 



Water Gar- 

 dens. — See 

 Stream side 

 Gardens. 



Water-lilies.— 



See Nymphceas. 

 er Meconopsis. 



Welsh Poppy. — This is dealt with un 

 Willow Herb. — See Epilobium. 



Xerophylllim asphOCleloid.es.— This is the Turkey's 

 Beard, a quaint and uncommon grassy plant, which must 

 have a moist, peaty, and rather shady corner, where it will 

 produce a strong stem supporting a compact white raceme. 

 Moisture and peat are essential. It needs much the s.ime 

 treatment as the Trillium and Marsh Marigold. 



Yuccas will be described ill the chapter upon shrubs. 



ZailSChneria ealiforniea and its variety splendens must 

 hive a warm, sunny corner or border where the soil is 

 light. So necessary are these conditions that this brilliant 

 scarlet-flowered plant will even root into the crevices of 

 old walls. It is suitable for the Southern Counties of 

 England, and is sufficiently bright and pleasing to merit 

 more care than is usually given to perennials. Increased 

 in the usual wiy by root division in spring, or by seeds 

 sown in gentle warmth at the same time. 



