108 
THE AMATEUR'S FLOWER GARDEN. 
lea is exquisitely beautiful, and one of the choicest herbaceous 
plants known ; the flowei*s are of a delicate pale blue colour. 
A. glandulosa is a showy species, with blue and white flowers. 
A. SJcinneri is a good one, with red and orange-coloured 
flowers. They are all summer-flowering plants, making their 
first display in May, and continuing to bloom until June or July. 
Arabis. —The Rock Cress presents us with one of the best 
of all our spring flowers. A. albida , also known as A. can- 
casica and A. crispata. This plant forms a low-spreading tuft 
of glaucous leafage, which in the month of April is completely 
smothered with snow-white flowers. It will grow in any soil 
and situation, but does not flower freely unless enjoying a 
somewhat pure air and an open sunny situation. On a bank 
or rockery consisting of sandy earth it acquires a glorious 
luxuriance of growth, and should be allowed to spread if 
space can be afforded it; for though its season of flowering is 
brief, it is unique in its beauty, and throughout the summer 
and winter its close leafy growth is pleasing. It may be 
grown from seed, but that method is a waste of time. The 
best way to increase the plant is to tear it up in August or 
September, and dib the pieces into a bed of rather poor soil 
that has been well dug for the purpose. Showery weather 
should be chosen for this operation, or water must be given, 
and the plantation be kept shaded until rain occurs. The 
variegated-leaved variety is a valuable rock and bedding 
plant, scarcely so hardy as the common green-leaved plant, 
and is likely to be destroyed in a severe wunter or a damp 
soil. The other species of arabis are not useful border plants, 
but the variegated-leaved variety of A. lucida answers well 
for edging beds on dry sandy soils, and makes a handsome 
tuft on the rockery. 
Armeria (Thrift).—The pretty plants of this family thrive 
on rockeries and other similarly elevated positions, and on 
dry sandy borders. They will also thrive on any good border 
of the customary type, but a severe winter is likely to destroy 
them when they stand on a cold damp soil. They may be 
increased by division at any time during summer and autumn. 
The best are, A. alpina , very dwarf, flowers reddish purple ; 
A . cephalotes , a beautiful plant, with rosy crimson flowers ; 
A. vulgaris , the Common Thrift of the cottage garden, of 
which there are red, lilac, and white varieties. 
Aster (Michaelmas Daisy).—The plants of this family are 
