LOBELIA, Nat. Ord. Lobeliacece. 
Lobelias are a class of plants of great beauty and remarkably useful to the gardener, being 
adapted to a great variety of ornamental purposes. Some of the Lobelias are strong, hardy 
perennials, like our Cardinal Flower. The annual varieties are 
\ 111 \ WM ^^^'^^iT'^l mostly of a trailing habit, bearing immense 
\ -^r^^^KsR^ \J^^'^^<M^'i^I]mii^ A. numbers of small flowers, and are particularly 
adapted to baskets, vases, etc., where drooping 
plants look so graceful ; they are also freely used 
as edgings for beds of ornamental- leaved and 
other bedding plants. A few varieties form 
compact, almost globular, little plants, and one of these we have shown in the engraving. This 
style is superb for edgings of beds, pots, and like purposes, which the habit will suggest to the 
thoughtful florist. 
LUPINUS, (Lupine,) Nat. Ord. Leguminosce. 
The Lupins are a well-known genus of very conspicuous plants, and there are very few peo- 
ple that are not acquainted with some of the varieties. We have cultivated the Lupin for a 
couple of scores of years, have seen it in the best gar- 
dens of Europe , and yet we never realized its wealth of 
beauty until we met it in its California home. Here we 
saw the little, dwarf Lupin, scarcely six inches in height 
with its pretty, miniature flowers, and the mammoth 
plant full six feet, with flowering stems stretching 
themselves out like giant arms. Here we saw the white, . 
the yellow, the blue, the variegated, — Lupins of every 
hue. We returned with greater love than ever for this old-fashioned flower. All the Lupins are 
hardy, and seed can be sown in the open ground. The Lupin has a tap root and does not 
transplant well. 
LYCHNIS, Nat. Ord. Caryophyllacece. 
The Lychnis family are mostly perennials, but flower the first season under good treatment,, 
and endure the winter unusually well. Some, like Z. Chalcedonica, are old friends, but of late 
years florists have greatly improved this flower, and 
now give flowers as large 
of a ^ 
such 
the better varieties 
as Japan Pinks, and 
great variety of colors 
as rose, red, 
and white. 
To obtain 
good flowers 
the first sum- 
mer, seeds should be started under glass and transplanted 
as early as the weather will permit. The taller varieties 
are excellent for planting among shrubbery. A piece of 
shrubbery looks quite sombre a great part of the season, 
and the sooner we learn to light up our shrubberies with 
engraving on the right shows one of the improved, large varieties, Haageana 
cedoftica, both less than half natural size. 
bright flowers, the better. The 
at the left, Chai- 
