144 
THE AMATEURS FLOWER GARDEN 
may Ibe added to enrich, the collection, but they are not hardy 
enough for the universal garden. 
Lychnis. —The British species that flowers in the hedge¬ 
rows, almost outshine the best that belong to the garden. Still 
we must have a few, and grow them in moist light loam, in 
positions half shady. To multiply the best of them, cuttings 
of the flower-sterns and division of the roots must be resorted 
to, but the least choice can be obtained from seeds. L. aljpina 
is a charming little rock plant, with pink flowers; L. chalce- 
donica , 3 feet, flowers scarlet; the double variety better 
than the single; the white variety worthless. The double 
variety of L.jlos cnculi is a charming plant, both white and 
red worth growing. L. fulgens is well known for its fine 
head of dazzling scarlet flowers. The double form of L. 
viscaria is also a first-rate border plant. 
Lystmachia. —The pretty “ moneywort,” or “ Creeping 
Jenny,” L. nummularia , is a capital plant for a shady, damp 
corner, and to plant on an old tree-stump, or on the edge of 
a vase. There is a golden-leaved variety good enough for a 
bedding plant. L. thyrsijlora and L. verticulata are good rustic 
plants for damp, shady borders. 
Lythrum. —The lovely purple panicles of L. salicaria , 
rising from a watery nook or margin of a stream, have a 
peculiarly charming effect in autumn. The plant may, how¬ 
ever, be grown in the border, if a moist, deep soil can be 
provided for it. 
Meconopsis. —A near relation of the poppy, handsome and 
interesting. The species are few in number and peculiar in 
constitution. They will prosper best in light sandy loam and 
partial shade. M. cambrica , 1 foot, flowers pale yellow, is a 
fine plant. M. Wallichi, 3 feet, flowers pale blue, is a re¬ 
markably fine plant, difficult to grow, and probably a biennial. 
M. Nepalensis , 5 feet, flowers yellow, two or three inches in 
diameter. If tractable, this will prove one of the grandest 
of herbaceous plants. Those who dwell in the better climates 
of Britain, and have deep sandy or calcareous soils to deal 
with, should look after the species of Meconopsis as likely to 
prove of great value in the flower. 
Mimulus (Monkey-flower).—These are all lovers of a 
moist, rich soil, and do well in shady situations; provided 
they are not heavily overhung by trees, they increase fast 
enough for ordinary purposes by the spread of their roots, 
