HARDY PLANTS. 
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places in Britain. It has pinnate foliage, grows 12 to i8in. 
high, and bears pretty blue flowers with golden anthers in 
June and July. Album is a white variety ; variegatum, a 
pretty form with golden and green foliage ; Himalayan, a lilac- 
blue ; Himalayan album, white ; and Campanulatum, also lilac- 
blue, but with golden anthers. The other species are : P. 
confertum mellitum, creamy-white, ioin., native of the Rocky 
Mountains; P. flavum, yellow, Sept., 2ft., new Mexico; P. 
reptans, blue, April, 6in., N. America; P. humile (Syn. P. 
Richardsonii, pale blue, summer, 6in., Rocky Mountains. 
The last-named is a charming little plant to grow on a sunny 
rockery. The foregoing plants do best in light, well-drained 
ordinary soil. In damp or heavy soils they are apt to succumb 
in winter. Plant in autumn or spring. Increased by seeds 
sown outdoors in April ; also by division in October or March. 
Polyg^ala (Milkwort). — The polygalas are shrubby or 
herbaceous perennials, belonging to the Nat. Ord. Polygalaceas. 
The species named below are suitable for growing in peat and 
loam on a shady rockery. The most attractive species is P. 
Chammbuxus (Bastard Box), a creeping shrubby plant, grow- 
ing 6in., and bearing creamy or yellow purple-tipped, fragrant 
flowers in spring and early summer. Purpurea is a magenta- 
purple form of it. P. paucifolia is a N. American species, 
growing 3m. high and bearing rosy-purple flowers in August. 
These may be planted in autumn or spring. Increased by 
seeds sown in peaty soil in a cold frame in spring, and the 
seedlings grown on till the following March, then planted 
out ; also by cuttings in a cold frame in summer. 
Polygonatum (Solomon’s Seal). — Hardy perennials, 
with tuberous or fleshy roots, and members of the Lily order 
(Liliaceae). The Common Solomon’s Seal (P. multiflorum) is 
a widely-grown plant, thriving well in town, suburban and 
country gardens. It is a native species, with herbaceous 
arching stems 2 to 3ft. long, and furnished on each side 
with long narrow leaves and greenish-white drooping flowers 
borne in clusters in the axils of the leaves. A splendid plant 
to grow in moist shady borders, and especially suitable for 
mixing with vigorous growing ferns. There is a double- 
flowered form named flore pleno ; a silvery variegated one, 
named variegatum ; and roseum, a rosy-flowered variety. There 
are several other species worthy of a place in larger gardens, 
namely, P. biflorum, a native of Canada, growing 2 to 3ft. 
high, and bearing greenish-white flowers in pairs ; P. japo- 
nicum, a Japanese species, growing 2ft. high, and bearing 
white flowers tinted with purple ; P. latifolium, a European 
species, with stems 4ft. long and greenish-white flowers; P. 
