Mat 4, 1912. 



■ 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



363 



CONVOLVULUS 



MAURITANICUS. 



The blue rock Bindweed, as this convol- 

 vulus has been called, is one of the most 

 beautiful and graceful of all the members 

 of its family. Entirely free from the ramp- 

 tendencies of 



land-grabbing 

 of its race, 



for its 



C . mauritanicus 



so 

 is 



persistent flowering 

 elegant habit. Although a 

 Northern Africa, it has 



of this 



ing, 

 many 



remarkable 

 and neat, 

 native of 



proved hardy in most parts 

 country, and is one of the 'best plants for 

 grouping that can be imagined. A dry, 



almost perpendicular bank entirely covered 

 with this oonvolvulus, each plant forming 

 a dense veil and throwing up innumerable 

 graceful, drooping shoots, studded along 

 their entire length by soft, lavender-blue 

 flowers labout the size of a florin, is one of 

 the most beautiful sights it is possible to 

 conceive. On a ledge of the rock garden, 

 where its blossom-laden, pendant growtlis 

 can hang freely down, it is seen at its best. 



Distinct as it is from any other species in 

 cultivation, it may be used with fine effect 

 in almost any situation in the garden. In 

 the warm, sunny crevices of the Tockery, in 

 a border with a southern exposure, or in the 

 summer flower-beds, this charming plant 

 will be found equally at home, while on a 

 raised mound it will have a delightful effect, 

 the long, drooping shoots falling gracefully 

 all round, and laden with their lavender- 

 blue flowers, forming an exquisite picture. 

 It is never seen to better advantage than 

 when creeping over some formal stone edg- 

 ing, which it converts from an eyesore to a 

 thing of beauty. A fine example, .such as 

 that shown in the accompanying illustra- 

 tion, which is four feet in length and three 

 feet across, bears myriads of blossoms. 

 Happily, too, it is not a flower of a week. 

 It commences its display early in July, in 

 August is a sheet of lavender-blue, and con- 

 tinues to flower with decreasing freedom 

 through the entire autumn. 



The leaves are ovate, abundantly pro- 

 duced, and deep green, harmonising well 

 with the pale blue flowers. To ensure satis- 

 factory growth the soil must be light, warm, 

 and well-drained, and the position sunny. 

 It may also be used with advantage for 

 hanging baskets, treating it in the same 

 way as the Creeping Jenny, that is^ allow- 

 ing the stems to fall d^wn and form a 

 fringe. It should certainly be used more 

 than it is for ornamental vases or baskets, 

 and may 'be employed with equal advantage 

 m or out of doors. It makes a most charm- 

 ing picture of soft, refined colour, such as 

 no other plants could provide, and should 

 be grown by all. 



It usually suf vives the winter, as its roots 

 are generally safe if growing in a soil from 

 which excess of moisture readily passes 

 away, but in cold districts it may be killed 

 m an exceptionally severe winter. For this 

 reason it is always advisable to insert a 

 batch of cuttings in sand and cover them 

 with a bell-glass in the autumn, as these 

 strike freely, and, planted out in the 

 •^prmg, make good plants, growing 

 blooming through the late summer 

 autumn. Tlio variety sabatius is 

 known to grow on one cape. It differs from 



and 

 M n d 

 onlv 



mauritanicus in its 



-colon re<l 



flowers with yellow centres, solitary oi- in 

 pairs, and crow^ded together at the ends 

 «1 the short hranclies. 



Wtndham Fitzhkrbebt. 



CAItKATlONS, PiCOTKES, AND PlNKS " Will 



tea you plainly how to grow these favourito 

 nowers to perfection. The work ie freely illus- 

 trated with plates of leading varieties, and ex- 

 Pianatory diagrams. Price 2s. 6d. net by post, in 

 2e. lOd., from W. H. and L. Collingridge, 

 and 149, Aldersgate Street, London. 



U8 



EUPATORIUM PURPUSI 



MONTICOLA. 



Several of the tender kinds of eupatoriuni 



appreciated for the embellishment of 

 the greenhouse during the autumn, winter, 

 and early spring months. Of those that 

 come in with the new year, I like this E, 

 purpusi monticola (syn. E. petiolare) the 

 best, it being exceedingly free flowering, 

 and more I'efined in appearance than some 

 other members of the genus. The flowers, 



may be cut for indoor decoration^ and these 

 last long in water. 



Another species— -Eupatoriuni vernale — 



has come a good deal to the front during 

 late years. It is very pretty for growang 

 into small plants, but for general decora- 

 tive purposes I prefer that at the head of 

 this note. For autumn, E. riparum and E. 

 (xloratum (known also as E. Weinmanni- 

 anum) are as far as mv experience extends, 

 the best. ' S. W. 



Largre-flowered Fuchsias.— A 



which are disposed in much-branched great many of the newer fuchsias have large 



V 



.V- 



4 • 



V 



-1 



1 



•4 



• : 



r 



i 



- ? 



I 



'm 



-1 



I 



I J 



4 



4 



9 



7 



■1 ^^^^^ 



Y 



-f 



C-M ,101 



1 



1 



1. ' 



CONVOLVULUS MAURITANICUS. 

 A beautifunrailing plant with lavender-blue flowers 



panicles, are arranged in small, rounded 

 heads, a gocxl deal suggest ive of a daisy. 

 When first expan<le<l they have a puikish 

 suffusion but after a time become almost, 

 if not quite, white. They also possess a 



pleasing fragrance. 



Like the rest of its class this eupatorium 

 is of very easy propagation and culture. 

 It may during the summer, be treated 

 much as a chrysanthemum. Although less 

 in stature than some kinds, it may be 

 grown as good-sized bushy specimens, m 

 pots seven to ten inches in diameter, while 

 neat litle examples in five or sis inch pots 

 will also flower well. Fairly long sprays 



double blossoms, which, though individually 

 showy, have some decided drawbacks. In 

 the first place thoy are not l^orne a^ freely 

 as the medium >izcd fiowvrs. next, owing to 

 their weight they are very apt to drop pre- 

 maturely, and the loss of two or tlii^ee blooms 

 is apt to leave a considerable gap. For such 

 reasons fuchsias of this class are not appre- 

 ciated by the market grower, as they woidd 

 not stand the shifting about inseparable 

 from plants that pass through many hands 

 before they are finally disposed of. Much 

 the same objections apply to their use out 

 of doors during the summer, as they are 

 more readily injured by rough winds.— 



1 

 ■ ^ 



