64 
BEAUTIFUL GARDEN FLOWERS. 
garden soil, and may be readily increased by division 
of the rootstocks in spring or from seeds. The follow- 
ing kinds grow 2 to 4 feet high, and are all orna- 
mental in July and August : — americana, cor difolia, 
dahurica , elata, foetida, japonica, racemosa, simplex, and 
verticillata. 
CLARKIA. — These showy annuals of easy growth 
are raised from seeds about March under glass or in 
the open ground in April and May, and are mostly 
1 to 2 feet high wdien fully developed. The blossoms 
of C. elegans are rich crimson, while those of C.pul- 
chella are rich purple. Many shades, however, have 
been evolved, so that white, pink, rose, and salmon 
colours abound both in single and double forms. 
CONVALLARIA majalis ( Lily of the Valley ). — 
This general favourite has slender creeping root- 
stocks, each with a pair of ovate lance-sliaped leaves 
6 to 8 inches long. In May and June the pure white 
drooping bell-shaped blossoms are borne on erect 
angular stems. There are many varieties of Lily of 
the Valley, the poor ones having only a few small 
flowers on a stem, the good ones having several 
large ones. Those known as Fortin’s and Victoria 
are probably the best. There is a double-flowered 
form ( fore pleno) and a blush one called rubra 
or rosea, neither of much value. Lilies of the Valley 
like a rich and well-drained sandy loam, and an 
open situation facing either north or west. The 
best time for planting is from the end of August to 
the end of September, when the leaves are yellow or 
fallen. Strong, plump “crowns” or “pips,” as the root- 
stocks are called, should be selected, as the thin wiry- 
