Every one 
Height one foot. 
LINUM, (Flax,) Nat. Ord. Linacece. 
acquainted with our common flax, which is a Linum, and has been cultivated 
for a good many thousand years, certainly since the time 
when Joseph gained such distinction in Egypt, for we 
read that Pharaoh clothed him in fine linen ; and we are 
also told in the history of the plagues that occurred in the 
time of Moses, that the flax was smitten. There are sev- 
eral varieties of ornamental flax well worthy of culture, 
however, which few people know. The plants are very 
graceful, the foliage and stems delicate, and the flowers 
on the light, spray-like plants, seem floating in the air. 
Seeds may be sown either under glass or in the garden. 
There are several varieties, white, blue, rose and yellow, and all desirable. 
PAPAVER, (Poppy,) Nat. Ord. Papaveracece. 
There are a few Perennial Poppies that are not only worthy of cultivation, but exceedingly 
valuable to the gardener. The Oriental Poppy, for 
instance, which is of the most intense scarlet, with 
a blackish or purplish blotch at the base of each 
petal, we have seen six inches in diameter. It is a 
monstrous single flower, and the flower stems gen- 
erally reach three or four feet in height. There are 
other varieties somewhat similar in character, but 
we have never found any better. All the perennial 
Poppies are perfectly hardy, and seed may be sown 
in the open ground. Our engravings show the 
appearance of the plant when in bloom, as well as 
the form of the flower, of course much reduced in 
size. The single large perennial Poppies are a 
great addition to the herbace- 
ous border, and are of great 
value among shrubbeiy, as they 
tend to relieve and lighten up 
the usual dark and sombre 
character borders or clumps of 
shrubbery assume after the 
early summer. A few plants of 
annual Poppies, and other free- 
growing hardy annuals, will give the shrubberies a cheerful and graceful wildness quite charming. 
PENTSTEMON, Nat. Ord. Scrophidariacece. 
The Pentstemon is one of the best of the perennial border plants. The very pretty long- 
tubed flowers grow in panicles, 
and are purple, blue, scarlet, 
rose and white. The Pentste- 
mons are all natives of Amer- 
ica, and are very popular in all 
parts of the world. Our en- 
gravings show the habit of the 
plant, and also a portion of a 
panicle, with flowers of natural 
size. Seeds may be sown in 
May, in a cool, shady place, or 
under glass. The flowers of 
different varieties present a great 
difference in appearance, some with a bold, open mouth and a generous throat, while others are 
of the form shown in the engraving. 
104 
