February 10, 1912. 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



117 



dendron Xobleanum forms a low bush of the mealy appearance on. the leaves is cer- 

 tainly the eftect of dise^ise, may be rendered 

 dubious by the consideration that tlie pul- 

 verulenta is a much la rger and in every way 

 more robust plant, bearing flowers of 

 greater size^ and more in a bunch than tlio 

 caasinefolia, circumstances difficult to be 

 attributed to any malady, 

 was taken at Mr. Fraser's, in 

 Square, who, we believe, first introduced 

 it into this country. We receivixl spixn- 

 mens also from Messrs. Malcohn's Nuiserv 



Native of North Carolina, 

 F ay € ttc-to w n a nd 

 Flowers in June/' 



spreading habit, somewhat after the cha- 

 racter of the more familiar garden hybrid 

 rhodotlendrons ; it bears its flowers in erect 

 globular Jieads, the colour being a rich rose- 

 red, and it blooms in the open toward the 

 end of February or early in March, accord- 

 ing as the season is early or late. 



Of other shrubs worthy of a place on ac- 

 count of their earliness, are the various 

 forms of Cydonia japonica. When given 

 the protection of a w^all, and Av^ith the 

 branches widely trained and the side 

 growths spurred in, it flowers all along the 

 branches, 



Our drawing 



Sloane 



at Kensington 

 about 



d presents a picture of ex- 

 quisite beauty when in bloo-m, which fre- 

 q uen t ly oecu rs in Feb ru ary , a 1th ough 

 plants growing entirely in the open do not 

 flower until early in March ; it is thus pos- 

 sible, by varying the position, to prolong 

 the season in which tliis valiiable shrub may 

 be enjoyed in flower. 



Wilmington. 



DWARF CAMPANULAS. 



The bellflower family .provides a large 

 number of suitable plants for furnishing 

 the rock garden, and these hold an impoi- 

 tant |K)isition among other subjects. The 

 list of species and hybrids is an extensive 

 one, but a select collection is indispensable 

 to any rockery, llw colours are mostly 

 blue and wliite, with varying shades, some 

 of the flowers being bell-shaped, others 

 <>pen and flat like a saucer. The majority 

 are of easy cultivation, and providing a 

 sandy st>il is afFonliMl them in a 

 position,, they grow freely, produciuft^ a 



su n n V 



Coombe Court Gardens 



Thomas Smith. 



ZENOBIA SPEGIOSA. 



One of the most beautiful of those flower- 

 ing shrubs that .pass under the general title 

 of American plants is Zenobia speciosa. 

 It has not the gorgeoiisness of the decidu- 

 ous azaleas, or the grandeur of the finer 

 rhododendrons, but it possesses lan exquisite 

 grace and modest beauty that brings it 

 right into the forefront of shrubs cultivated 

 for their flowers. The flowers, produced in 

 little axillary clusters a'ong the branchlets, 

 are of the purest white^ and individually 

 they resemble the bells of a lily of the 

 vaJley. The leathery leaves vary in shape, 

 but are usually oblong-lanceolate, with cre- 

 nate or serrate margins. Peaty soil suits 

 Zenobia speciosa best, but moisture at the 

 roots is essential to its well being, and, like 

 the rhododendrons it does not like lime in 

 the soil. Propagation is readily effected by 

 layering the lower branches. 



It was about the year 1800 that Zenobia 

 «peciosa was introduced from the Southern 

 United States. In 1803 the variety Z. s. 

 pulverulenta, which has s. downy under-, 

 surface to its leaves, was figured in the 



Botanical Magazine (t. 667) under the 

 name of Andromeda pulverulenta, and-the 

 accompanying text reads: For -this 

 Taluable acquisition to our gardens '.we 

 are indebted to the indefatigable Mr. 

 ;t raser, of Sloane iSquare, w^ho found it in 

 ^orth Carolina, where, however it had 

 ^en observed long before by Mr. John Bar- 

 tram. It is capable of withstanding the 

 ■^>ld of our winters in the open air, but the 

 beautiful foliage is better preserve<l by the 

 shelter of a greenhouse ; nor, indeed, haVe 

 ^ve yet seen it produce its flowers in per- 

 J^ftion without some artificial heatrt1iou<Th 

 there js reason to bel ieve that older 

 J>lant.s may not stand in need of such 

 as^sistance.'' — 



At the end of 1806, in the same work, 

 ^enobia speciosa was figured (t. 970) under 

 ^Je name of Andromeda cassinefolia, and 

 jnere the question of whether the pulveru- 

 J^^nta character of the leaves of Z. s pu^- 

 } 01 ulenta was due to disease was discussed 

 Ihe writer says: - Whether this plant and 

 ^ne Andromeda pulverulenta ought in 

 reality to be considered as distinct species, 



merely varieties, may he doubted ; they 

 are certainly very nearly related, but this 



ih f^'""^^) ^ smaller, less robust shrub, 

 tne leaves are not so bluntly crenated, but 

 rathcTserrated, and quite entire at the base 

 lkbJ:i "^"^ .^^^ pulverulenta was pub- 



7.^' ''''^ Michaux^s work, or 



might have been induced to 



ZENOBIA SPECIOSA PULVERULENTA. 



A distinct and beautiful shrub; the flowers pure white 



Gloxinias. 



•^<Jopted 



have 



Yet his assertion that 



-All cornis still unpotted 



should now be brought out of store, and, 

 after shaking away the old soil, be repotted 

 and placed in a brisk temperature near the 

 light. A good compost consists of two parts 

 loam, one part peat, and one part leaf-soil, 

 adding sand, a little charred refuse, and 

 dried cow manure. Six-inch pots are large 

 enough for ordinary corms. Unless it is 

 desired to perpetuate any particular variety, 

 I do not advise keeping the old and large 

 corms. — H. T. Martin. 



wealth of blossom, which is highly appre- 

 ciated. 



C isophyi!a, C. i. alba, and C. i. Mayi 

 are excellent for tniiliiii: over a ledge of 

 stone, where t'heir slender growths are seen 

 to the best advantage. C. i. Mayi i> the 

 most rohuKt and fa.j^est growing of the 



trio, with whitish 

 flowers. 



i 



foliage and pale blue 

 rrowths uisuallv die back in 



the autumn, and new shoots take their 

 place in the following season. 0. fnagilis 



