July 28, 1892. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
71 
W ITH the beauty of July around us ive long for a portion at 
least of that gift -which enabled the late Richard Jefferies 
to write thus of the Birdsfoot Lotus —“ Here by me is a praying 
rug just wide enough to kneel on, of the richest gold inwoven 
with crimson. ... It is, indeed, too beautiful to kneel on, for the 
life in these golden flowers must not be broken down even for 
that purpose. They must not be defaced, not a stem bent ; it is 
more reverent not to kneel on them, for this carpet prays itself. 
I will sit by it, and let it pray for me. It is so common, the 
Birdsfoot Lotus, it grows everywhere ; yet if I purposely searched 
for days I should not have found a plot like this—so rich, so 
golden, so glowing with sunshine.” 
CORONILLA IBERICA. 
It is some months since I read the above words, and to-day, 
looking round my garden and examining a good plant of Coronilla 
iberica, which bears a considerable resemblance to the Lotus, they 
flashed across my mind, and I could not refrain from searching for 
them and quoting them here. This trailing Coronilla, though 
lacking to a great extent the crimson which mingles with the gold 
of our native plant, has beauty in plenty to excite our highest 
feelings of admiration as we see its deep yet bright green pinnate 
foliage trailing over the rockery and bearing many Lotus-like 
flowers arranged in the form of a crown, whence the name Coronilla 
from corona, a crown. C. iberica is one of the best of our yellow- 
flowered rock plants, beginning to bloom here in June, and con¬ 
tinuing in flower for a considerable period. As the specific title 
would lead us to infer, it is a native of Iberia, whence it was 
introduced in 1822. It is deciduous, and grows freely in any 
light soil, being seen to best advantage if planted where it can 
hang over a stone. I have not yet propagated from my plant, 
although I have had it for some years. Although propagation 
by means of cuttings is said to be practised, it does not look as if 
it would lend itself readily to this method of increase, and I 
should prefer raising it from seeds. It seems to remove readily 
in early spring. 
Campanulas. 
Many of the Campanulasor Bellflowers are in bloom at present, 
and many of my readers will agree with me that we have few more 
attractive flowers of the month. The species and varieties are so 
numerous that a detailed notice of those I have grown must be 
left until another time. There is one, however, I have under the 
name of C. cenisia, the Mont Cenis Harebell, which is so attractive 
that I feel constrained to speak of it briefly, although it is possible 
that I may have it under a wrong name. Fancy a little plant with 
somewhat hairy foliage, and when in full flower only about 2 inches 
high and bearing many solitary flowers which, when in bud, look 
like large, porcelain-coloured, enamelled beads, and are when fully 
open about 1 inch deep and 1£ inch across and of a pale yet 
bright blue. There is a strong resemblance in some respects to 
C. turbinata, but at the same time the plants are quite distinct, 
the flowers being deeper and of a different form, although, like 
those of C. turbinata, they are erect. C. cenisia is said to 
prefer slate in the soil, and my plant is growing in a pocket 
of the rockery which has the surface of the soil “ mulched ” 
with pieces of slate broken small. A writer on Alpine flowers 
No. 631 .—Vol. XXV., Third Series. 
has said that C. cenisia did not seem to be an attractive kind 
in its native home. Whatever may be the case there it is one 
of the most beautiful I have yet seen. Another pretty variety 
for rockwork is one I have under the name of C. Porten- 
schlagiana and which is said to be synonymous with C. muralis. 
This has bright green smooth foliage and small deeply cut semi- 
pendent flowers of a bright blue. It is a good grower and gives 
very little trouble. 
As regards its identity with C. muralis, I have for some time 
been endeavouring to get hold of plants under the latter name, and 
in every case they have been identical with C. Portenschlagiana. 
Another plant is, however, figured in Maund’s “ Botanic Garden,” 
and in the notes accompanying the illustration the question of the 
identity of C. muralis and C. Portenschlagiana is discussed. It is 
said to have been named C. Portenschlagiana by the German 
botanists Roemer and Schultes, but to be quite distinct from that 
species as figured in the “ Flora Grseca.” Another excellent illus¬ 
tration of C. muralis appears in Wooster’s “Alpine Plants,” and 
the plant there figured seems to be identical with that given by 
Maund. Wooster says : “ Two states of this species (which i3 
sometimes found under the name of Portenschlagiaua) are described 
by M. Alphonse de Candolle, the one quite smooth, the other 
velvety with down.” The plants I have had under the names of 
Portenschlagiana and muralis are, however, quite distinct from 
those figured in the above works, as the flowers are more campanu- 
late and more uniform in colour. I should, however, be glad to 
have any information regarding the C. mui’alis of Maund and 
Wooster. 
Though July has many gems in the way of flowers for the 
rockeries, her glory is more fully revealed in the many more showy 
flowers she reveals to our admiring eyes. Carnations, of which 
Shakespeare says, 
“ The fairest flowers of the season 
Are our Carnations and streaked Gillyflowers,” 
begin to open their beautiful and fragrant blooms to enchant us 
with their form, their colour, and their perfume. The Lily, too, 
has her standard bearers of various forms and colours, and very 
decorative are many of these in the borders. Alexander Mont¬ 
gomery speaks of the Lily — probably the Madonna Lily, 
L. candidum—in glowing terms, saying :— 
“ I love the Lily as the first of flowers 
Whose stately stalk so straight up is and stay ; 
To whom tli’ lave ay lowly louts and cowers 
As bound so brave a beauty to obey.” 
Eryngiums. 
Curiously beautiful are some of the Eryngiums or Sea Hollies, 
which one is glad to find so rapidly gaining ground in public favour. 
One of the finest of the blue-tinted forms, and one of the easiest 
to grow, is E. alpinum, the Alpine Eryngo. This has somewhat 
large leathery leaves and heads of fine deep blue, so beautifully 
feathered and cut as to look as if made of feathers coloured with 
blue. Scarcely less attractive, if not equally fine, is E. Olivierianum ; 
it is of a different shade of blue and with deeply cut leaves. It is 
unfortunate that there exists a good deal of confusion regarding 
the names of the various Sea Hollies. My plant of E. Olivierianum 
was received under the name of E. amethystinum, which is a 
small-headed species, and I saw a short time ago two or three plants 
of Eryngiums received for amethystinum, which, although not in 
flower, appeared to be distinct from each other. 
(Enothera Youngi. 
In fitting contrast to the blue of the Eryngiums and of the 
taller Bellflowers is the beautiful GSnothera Youngi, one of the 
best of the taller perennial Evening Primroses. It grows here t° 
about 3 feet in height, and is very conspicuous at present with 
bright green leaves, crimson stems and calyces, and bright golden 
No. 2287.—Vol. LXXXVII., Old Series. 
