July 31, 1886. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
761 
petals than others, C. S. platytffinum, and all the 
other Borneo Cypripediums, are very free growing 
if kept in a warm shady moist house, the only change 
they require being a sojourn in the Cattleya-house 
while in bloom. The cold house they never accom¬ 
modate themselves to .—James O'Brien. 
■ -- 
HARDY PLANTS IN FLOWER. 
The month of July has its complement of hardy peren¬ 
nial and bulbous plants in flower, and week by week as 
they come and go, much varied in general aspect and 
much more so in their strikingly brilliant or otherwise 
handsome flowers, one cannot help but recall the many 
pleasing and valuable subjects which for a while have 
passed away, while thoughts glide on into the future 
in anticipation of others to come. Nothing of which 
we can boast in the flower garden at this season can 
equal much less excel the gorgeous and brilliant flowers 
flowers, which render additions to the already numerous 
list the less needful, and thus it is, speaking for myself, 
that I all the more welcome the combination of colour 
which makes these flowers so conspicuous wherever 
they are seen. Only a few days ago I had on exhibition 
at a local show a handful of its flowers, G. grandiflora 
and the variety maximus being those which represented 
the group. My modest little collection of hardy peren¬ 
nials created quite a sensation among the amateur 
cottagers, none of whom passed without passing a 
well-deserved compliment on the Gaillardia ; no variety 
I have yet seen anything approaches the last-named, 
either for size or intensity of colour, it measures fully 
4 ins. across when well grown, and should be included 
in all collections of hardy flowers. 
For another brilliant lot of colour, let us turn to 
Gladiola insignis, which now is so rich and effective 
that one wonders why it is not more often seen in 
collections of hardy flowers. Can it be possible that 
with violet-purple anthers, which detract much from 
the purity of the flowers as a whole. 
But to proceed, and for the moment to set aside the 
desire for gay colours, let us dwell on the lovely 
nodding blossoms of Papaver nudicaule, for in its 
varieties we find a charming trio of colours, each par¬ 
taking of the same satiny substance which marks the 
type, while in colour we have white, yellow (type), and 
orange. They are all extremely pretty and most 
effective, suitable either for the rockery in groups or in 
the border ; 1 ft. or 15 ins. high is the maximum at¬ 
tained, and they continued to yield an abundant 
supply of flowers. Easily grown from seeds, and trans¬ 
ferred to permanencies in the border when large enough 
to handle, they constitute a small still highly attractive 
little group of summer flowers ; and then, for another 
dwarf companion, let us select Delphinium nudicaule, 
with scarlet flowers on spikes 15 ins. high, also good 
for small colonies and easily managed from seeds. 
A, Cypeipediuii Stonei ; B, Cypeipedium Stone! platytenum. 
of the Gaillardia ; where these exist in large clumps 
their value has no limit. The flowers embrace almost 
every shade of orange, crimson and scarlet, in some 
flowers the colour is self, and 'invariably when this 
occurs crimson or orange predominate ; none more pic¬ 
turesque, few more floriferous and profuse, lasting as 
they do far into the autumn months, when flowers of 
such gaudy hue are seldom seen, and are in consequence 
of greater value. 
The culture of Gaillardias is simple, they may be 
grown from seeds with a little care and patience, or if 
effect is desired in less time than seedlings could per¬ 
form it, then I would recommend established plants in 
pots ; these are easily procurable from most hardy plant 
nurseries, and if planted at once will (not flower this 
season probably, unless there is some signs of flowering 
at the present time) make excellent plants for flowering 
early next year, when you may honestly expect an 
abundant supply of their gorgeous flowers. There are 
many varieties of undoubted excellence now being 
offered to the public, all of which are sure to give 
satisfaction, excepting perhaps those whose flowers are 
inclined to be yellow seifs. During summer and 
autumn we have a preponderance of yellow composite 
such a lovely flowering bulb is comparatively little 
known. As an instance of the especial value of it at 
this time, I venture to remark that in every collection 
of a hundred herbaceous and bulbous plants this 
should always be included. Flowering at this time, I 
need hardly add that it belongs to the early-flowering 
section, and is included in the varieties of G. ramosus. 
Quite recently I have learnt that this makes an ex¬ 
cellent sub-bog plant. At present I have not tried it, 
but I fully intend so to do, not that I doubt the 
authenticity of the information I have received, but 
rather with a view of gaining information myself upon 
the subject. Taken as a whole, the genus Gladiolus 
will generally succumb to excessive moisture at the 
roots in winter time ; but if in this we have an excep¬ 
tion to the general rule, we shall have a valuable 
addition to bog plants, especially so in point of colour, 
of which there is abundant room for improvement. I 
spoke of the pearly white form of G. Colvilli in a 
recent issue, but omitted one particular respecting it— 
viz., that there are two whites in cultivation, one 
much superior to the other in point of purity. The 
best variety has very pure white flowers and white 
anthers ; the inferior kind has also good white flowers, 
Again leaving the gaudy, we find a most singularly 
interesting and pretty group in Cyclobotlira. C. pul- 
chella is now in flower, growing 8 ins. high, and 
having drooping yellow flowers remarkable for the 
dense bearding of the interior. C. alba is a charming 
kind with drooping white flowers. To grow them well 
use equal parts of peat and loam made rather sandy, 
and to which may be added well-rotted manure to 
about one-sixth that of the soil. The bulbs are best 
dried throughout the winter, and may be planted 
during February and March. 
If we seek a bit of blue, we have it supplied in 
Polemonium Bicliardsoni, an ever flowering plant, 
dwarf and compact in habit, and pleasing in its colour, 
and suited at the same time to any good ordinary soil. 
For rose-coloured flowers we must refer to Achillea 
millsefolia rosea, and Lathyrus latifolius roseus, both 
valuable well known and easily grown subjects, the 
latter, as is well known, ranking still among the best 
of old-fashioned hardy flowers, valuable in a cut state, 
or for the embellishment of the rock garden, or in semi¬ 
wild places where natural beauty may receive no check. 
And if we would wish for white flowers we cannot do 
better than turn to the white form of the latter species, 
