FUNKIAS. 



Beauty of leaves and flowers both considered, few 

 plants among the long lists of hardy perennials give, 

 year after year, more satisfaction than the funkias, ' 

 plantains or day lilies, as they are generally called 

 with us. To be appreciated they must be seen 

 growing to perfection, and that means leaving them 

 undisturbed in good soil until they form good- sized 

 clumps, which usually takes several years. We 

 have seen them forming perfect hemispheres of 

 green, every leaf as regularly placed as if by art, 

 and shedding water like a shingle roof. A well- 

 grown plant has a noble aspect and an elegant out- 

 line. Some varieties have a bold palm-like foliage ; 

 others are like the aspidistra. 



A Goon Plant of Siebold's Funkia : Front Gardciiiii"- ///iistr,i/i':/ 



They bear in profusion spikes of lily-like flowers, 

 with long graceful stems, exceedingly useful where 

 cut-flowers are wanted for jars and vases. They 

 last well in water, but the individual flowers are 



short Hv ed — must uf them flowers of a day ; but 

 others bloom daily, and the faded ones can be easily 

 removed, the fl(5wering stalks retaining their beauty 

 a long time in water. They are beginning to be 

 used for pot culture and are exceedingly attractive. 

 A good plant makes a fine subject for exhibition 

 purposes. They are fine for small lawns, borders 

 of shrubber)', rock-work and wild gardening, but we 

 do not think them adapted to edging beds, as is often 

 attempted ; well-grown plants take too much room, 

 while small, newly transplanted ones look weak and 

 thin. If wanted in winter they should be potted in 

 the fall and put in cold-frames, and brought grad- 

 ually on, forcing being done slowly if good foliage 



is wanted. The best 

 means of propaga- 

 tion is by dividing 

 tlie old clumps as 

 early as the frost 

 leaves in the spring. 

 Cut the clumps 

 clean through with 

 a sharp spade, leav- 

 ing several crowns 

 to each p o r t i o n . 

 There is some con- 

 fusion among bota- 

 -nists regarding the 

 g e n u s from the 

 n u m b e r of syno- 

 nyms and garden 

 \arieties. The va- 

 riegated-leaved va- 

 rieties of F. ovata 

 and F. lancifolia are 

 favorites for pot cul- 

 ture. F. Sicholdiaiia 

 has magnificent 

 i(.'aves, of a bluish 

 n:etallic green ; this 

 tone is intensified 

 by good soil and 

 cultivation. F. 

 gratidiflora, o v a t a 

 and FortiiiU'i are 

 considered the best other sorts. The flowers range 

 in color from violet to purest white. The fragrance 

 of some varieties is unexcelled and of a notable 

 delicacy. The genus is an admirable one. 



