720 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
September 10, 1904. 
grown under favourable conditions and wbm exposed to light 
and air. 
Linaria alpina. 
In speaking of a Toad Flax, or Linaria, for covering walls, 
we are more likely to think of L. Cymbal-aria than a,ny other; 
nevertheless therei are several others well adapted for planting 
on. walls and rocky situations in the rock garden. The 
specimen which we here 'illustrate shows how well adapted 
L. alpina is for the purpose. Only a very thin layer of soil 
could have been at the command of the roots, yet the plant 
grew and flowered quite as well as if it had been in a pocket 
of rich soil on the rock garden. The flowers are of a. dark 
blue-purple, with an orange palate, and the short stems well 
furnished with leaves of a dark glaucous-green, hue, giving the 
Toad Flax a more refined appearance perhaps than any other 
in cultivation. There are species with larger flowers, but this 
one when grown under suitable and proper conditions is as 
valuable, attractive, and interesting a® any of them. It is a, 
shortrlived species, but easily renewed by means of seeds. The 
photograph -shows 'the plant growing under the conditions 
described in the rookery at- Ivew. 
The Herbaceous Border. 
Plants in Bloom. 
Veronica subsessilis. 
At one time the above Japanese plant was. considered a 
variety of the European V. lo-ngifolia, but it well merits being 
regarded as a distinct species on account of the broad and 
massive character of the heart-shaped, elongated, 'but stalk less 
leaves-. The large dark blue flowers are produced in strong 
racemes at the t-o-p- of plants that vaiy fro-m 1| ft', to 2J ft-. 
in height, according- to the character of the so-il in which it 
is planted, and the treatment given it. It is- well worth plant¬ 
ing amongst the most select collections, where space is limited, 
but at the same- time it might be us-ed to- great advantage in 
forming beds upon the grass in the flower garden o-r pleasure 
grounds, where- it supplies something o-f good colour 1 in the 
later part o-f the -season when blue flowers are no-t over-plentiful. 
The plant- do-es no-t grow very rapidly, but if a. sufficient number 
o-f specimens for any desired object cannot b-e obtained by 
division recourse- must be made t-oi cuttings, which could be 
rooted in summer in a cold frame. 
Lysimachia clethroides. 
Of the several -species now in b-loom, preference should be 
given to those having white flowers. None of them are more 
handsome, howeve-r, than, that abov-ei'mentioned, which comes 
from Japan and grows to- a height of 11, ft, to 2 ft. under 
ordinary conditions in t-he herbaceous border. In proportion 
to the size of the plant, one would have expected a greater 
number of flower-bearing branches-, but this usually, produces 
only one long no-dding raceme, which gradually rises up and 
straighten® out as- the flowers- reach perfection,. When grown- 
in a fairly moist so-il the oblong dark green, leave® thickly 
clothe the- -stem® and give the plant an interesting and fur¬ 
nished appearance, even when the plant is not in, bloo-m. With 
regard to cultivation, all I should advise the grower to- do- is 
to- select a'fairly moist situation in- the border, whe-re the plant 
will no-t feel the effects of drought- in chy -summers during 
July and August, Providing moisture is secured, the plant 
always lo-oks well, and amply deserves the space it occupies. 
A sufficient number o-f plants can always be obtained by 
division 1 . 
Pentstemon campanulatus. 
The stems o-f this plant vary from H ft, to 2| ft. in height, 
and usually branch freely in the upper pari-. All pari® of the 
plant are slender and the leaves' narrow, so that- it makes a 
very graceful border plant -of recent introduction fro-m Mexico-. 
The flowers are suddenly inflated above the short tube, and 
are bell-shaped, with five- short spreading segments. The- o-uter 
face of the flower is- rose and the inner much paler, with purple 
lines in the throat. Already there are several varieties of it 
in cultivation, presumably raised from seeds, but the plant I 
have -seen under the name of P. c. albus do-es not seem to 
be the same thing. I strongly sus-pect it is a mere white 
variety of the species most generally cultivated in gardens and 
improved by the florist. The tube is long and relatively 
slende-r, the inflated portion being gradually narrowed to- the 
base. The leaves are also- bro-ader. Until the hardiness of 
P. campanulata has bee-m definitely -as-certained, it would be 
well t-o- secure a stock o-f yo-ung plants from cuttings inserted 
in s-a-ndy soil at the present' time, either in boxes or seed nans. 
Coreopisis lanceolata. 
Within recent ye-ars considerable attention has been given 
to the cultivation of C. grandiflora, but in my experience this 
is not such -a. durable plant as C. lanceolata, rvhieh is strictly 
perennial and long-lived, without requiring any special atten¬ 
tion- in the matter o-f cultivation after it has been established 
in the border. The golden-yellow flowers are scarcely inferior 
in- size to the- large-flowered one, while* in colour it- is certainly 
equal- The- leaves are lanceolate, as the name would imply, 
tho-uglrso-me o-f them are shorter and broader, but in all cases 
undivided. In the case- of C. grandiflora- m-any o-f the leaves 
are more- or less divided at the base. For mere border culture 
a- sufficient number of young plant® can always be obtained by 
division of the cro-wns in March. 
Althaea ficifolia. 
Single' Hollyhocks-, even of the common specie-s, are received 
with/more or less favour a-t present, but that -under notice is 
well worthy of attention on account- of the beautiful ba-sin- 
shaped primrose-yellow flowers, which are somewhat smaller 
than-'those o-f the- common Ho-llyhoick, but c-eriainly choice on 
account o-f the beautiful shade o-f colour which the-y introduce. 
The leaves are three to five lobed, the divisions being usually 
much narrower than t-hoise of the common specie®, and have 
been compared to- those of the Fig. The species- is a native 
of Siberia and perfectly hardy, but should have well-drained 
soil. Propagation may be effected in precisely the same way 
as- is- done with -the common Hollyhock, in- cold frames or even- 
o-ut o-f doors in a -shady place if done in- July, o-r at- any time 
before the middle o-f August-. After that the aid of a, c-o-ld 
frame would be advantageous to- secure ro-ots before the advent 
o-f winter. 
Astilbe davidiana. 
Sinc-e- the introduction of this fine plant from Western China 
we now obtain much more liigldy-ooloured flowers than pre¬ 
viously existed in the genus-. In most cases- the flowers- are 
white "or creamy-white, but- ini this instance we get -a- decided 
amount o-f colour. The very s-lender petals are lilac, and being 
longerithan any other part of the flower serve to give a s-p-ike 
o-f them a fluffy appearance. The -sepals are o-f a much deeper 
pink, while the anther® are violet -and sufficiently numerous to 
have an effect u-pon the colour when seen from a little- distance. 
The mass- o-f flowers rather than the individual in Astilbe 
produce® the effect-. The plant is a vigorous grower under 
favourable condition's, reaching a height of 6 ft., though re¬ 
cently-planted specimens may o-n-ly reach half that height. The 
foliage is- mostly confined to the base of the stems, and is 
of a rich dark green colour. The plant is a distinct acquisition 
to the herbaceous border, and cultivators everywhere should 
endeavour to- secure it. 
Lilium tigrinuxn splendens. 
Many cultivators hesitate to plant Lilies in the border 
owing to an 1 idea -that they are difficult to- grow successfully. 
My opinion- is that many L-ilies are too frequently disturbed 
at the roots, whereas they should be planted in a, well-prepared 
soil where they c-o-uld remain for a number o-f years without 
-being overgrown- by other subjects-, and without the- necessity 
of being lifted. As in the ease of the common- White Lily, 
the Tiger 1 is a long-lived plant, taking care of itself, and flower¬ 
ing beautifully everywhere- in cottage gardens, and even in 
the narrow borders in front of the hou-ses alongside o-f the 
