138 
TIIE amateur’s flower garden. 
adapted for forming a neat edging to beds in tbe spring 
garden. Z. Gibraltarica is a very fine species. The plant is 
smooth, the growth tufted, the flowers white, in very large 
heads. In cold damp soils it is not hardy, but in dry positions 
in the southern counties is not harmed by the severest winter. 
Z. Tenoreana resembles the last in growth, but is hairy, and 
the flowers soon change from white to lilac, or purplish 
red. 
Iris. —This is a great and grand family of garden plants, 
the real merits of which are at present known to but few, 
except the botanists, who, reversing the proper order of 
things, have obtained all the beauties of the family for their 
own enjoyment, while the world at large contents itself with 
the rubbish. A great tuft of common iris in a cottage garden 
is certainly no mean thing, but when we turn to the pre¬ 
tentious garden, the owner of which professes to have all the 
good things, we do not find the German iris, because it is 
“ common,” nor do we meet with such exquisitely beautiful 
plants as 1. reticulata , Z. susiana , or the pretty little I. pumila, 
or the variable and exquisitely painted “ English ” and 
u Spanish” iris. It has been truly said that amongst the 
species and varieties of iris occur flowers that rival the orchids 
in splendour of colouring, and may well stand in the stead of 
orchids in the garden where the costly exotics have not been 
domiciled. Fortunately the requirements of this family are 
few and of the simplest character, and admit, therefore, of 
being stated in very few words. 
The family may be divided into two classes, the Ehizo- 
matous and the Tuberous-rooted. In the first section the 
plants have fleshy, spreading, mat-like root-stocks orrhizomas ; 
the second have tuberous roots, and for the better under¬ 
standing of the distinction, may be termed bulbous-rooted. 
The mat-rooted sorts claim attention first, as they are the 
most accommodating. They will thrive in any good garden 
soil, but when special attention is given them, the soil should 
be a deep, rich, moist loam. They thrive equally in sun and 
shade, but rarely attain to full development unless enjoying 
a few hours’ sun from April to October. They are admirably 
adapted for planting in semi-wild places, and a few of them 
are especially valuable to adorn the margins of streams, and 
to fill up moist inlets about a lake or mere. Usually they 
produce plenty of seed, which should be sown as soon as ripe 
