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THE FLOWER GARDEN. 
Stachys (Woundwort).— Hardy perennials, of no special 
beauty, and suitable only for the wild garden, woodland or 
shrubbery borders. Lavender order (Labiatse). S. lanata 
(Lamb’s Tongue), a Caucasian species, with silvery-white 
woolly leaves, is sometimes grown as a permanent edging to 
borders, for which purpose it is well adapted. S. coccinea, a 
Mexican species, bears showy spikes of scarlet flowers in 
summer, and grows i to 2ft. high. Worth growing on a shady 
rockery or warm border. These do well in ordinary soil. 
Plant in spring or autumn, and increase by division at the 
same seasons. 
Statice (Sea Lavender). — Hardy annuals, biennials and 
perennials, belonging to the Thrift order (Plumbaginaceae). 
They bear small more or less membraneous flowers in branched 
corymbs or panicles, which are valuable for cutting for indoor 
decoration as well as for drying for the same purpose in 
winter. Elegant and pretty plants for border and rockery 
culture also. The annual species are : S. Bonduelli, a native 
of Algiers, golden-yellow, summer, min. ; S. Suworowi, a 
native of Turkestan, growing ift. high, and bearing masses of 
lilac blossoms in summer; S. superba, bearing rosy flowers in 
long spikes in summer, and growing 2ft. high; S. superba 
alba, white; and S. Thouini, yellow, i 8 in., a native of S. 
Europe. These are best treated as half-hardy annuals, raising 
them from seed in gentle heat in March, hardening off the 
seedlings in a cold frame early in May, and planting out at 
the end of May. Or seeds may be sown in a cold frame in 
September, the seedlings grown on in pots and planted out 
in April. S. sinuata, purple and white ; and S. sinuata hybrida, 
various colours, i 8 in., are elegant kinds best grown as bien- 
nials, i.e., reared from seed sown in a cold frame in September 
and planted out' the following spring. The perennial species 
are: S. eximia (Turkestan), lilac-rose, June to August, 1 ft. , 
and its variety superba, a seedling form of exquisite beauty ; 
S. Gmelini (Eastern Europe), blue, June to August, i 8 in., very 
fine; S. tartarica (Syn. S. incana), S. Europe, ruby-red, June 
to Sept., 1 ft., and its variety hybrida, pink to blue; S. latifolia 
(S. Russia), blue, June, 2ft., very handsome; S. latifolia alba, 
white; S. Limonium (British seashores), bluish-purple, July to 
Sept., 6 to min. ; S. Limonium alba, white ; S. spathulata (Bar- 
bary), purple, Aug., 1 ft. ; and S. tomentella'" superba, rich 
violet, summer, 2ft. There are others, but the foregoing are 
the most beautiful. There is also a mixed strain of hybrids 
sold by florists which are very pretty and varied in colour, and 
worth growing for ordinary border decoration and for yielding 
flowers for cutting. All the Sea Lavenders prefer a sandy soil 
