The gardening world 
January 23, 1909. 
43 
fl pine Old Garden plower. 
(Lychnis coronaria.) 
Judging from the specific name of this 
jlant our forefathers must have used it 
is a garland flower. There is reason, in- 
leed, to suppose that one of the earliest 
tames of the Carnation was Coronation, 
md that also would be derived from 
oronaria. It was originally introduced 
rom South Europe in 1596, or, at all 
■vents, it was recorded as early as that 
late. During the many years that have 
■lapsed it does not seem to have been 
nuch improved by comparison with the 
)riginal introduction. The flowers vary, 
lowever, in colour, giving an indication 
hat it has pretty frequently been raised 
rom seeds which are freely produced in 
he garden border. Some of the best 
:olours are of a very rich carmine. 
There is also a beautiful variety with 
1 white zone and the carmine reduced to 
1 very narrow band round the eve. All 
larts of the plant, including the leaves, 
ire thickly covered with silky or shaggy 
rairs, which give the plant a decidedly 
grey appearance. For that reason it is 
1 distinct looking subject, even when not 
n bloom, and those wishing to produce 
an effect with grey-leaved plants should 
not ,omit this hardy subject from their 
scheme. The plant grows about 2 ft. to 
3 ft. high, so that the best place for it 
is the herbaceous border. We have, how¬ 
ever, seen it grown under various condi¬ 
tions, and even filling a window box. 
The accompanying illustration shows a 
large clump of the plant at its best, and 
this was photographed in the herbaceous 
ground at Kew in the first week of July. 
-- 
Single fctve^satiltaums. 
Single Chrysanthemums are now be- 
- Ancr to gain in popularity, and rightly 
so, they being so free-flowering, and the 
dainty flowers so useful for decorative 
purposes. They require no special cul¬ 
ture beyond that usually given to decora¬ 
tive Chrysanthemums, and a selection of 
different’varieties may be had, which will 
give flowers in the open ground in Octo¬ 
ber and others which are in full bloom in 
-December and January. 
For the benefit of those who are not yet 
acquainted with this useful branch of the 
decorative Chrysanthemum, the follow¬ 
ing may be mentioned as the best and 
most reliable of the various sections. 
There are small and large flowering 
varieties, and they are of various heights. 
• For flowering in the open in October :— 
Covent Garden White, a useful white; 
Dora Godfrey, a beautiful creamy yel¬ 
low ; Mabel Goacher, very early white, 
height 2 feet; Merstham Beauty, a large 
rose-coloured variety; Pink Beauty, a 
dainty pink ; White Star, white; and 
J. H. Runchman, yellow striped orange 
dwarf. 
November flowering varieties :—Miss 
Mary Richardson, one of the best; the 
flowers have three rows of petals of red¬ 
dish salmon colour, and are borne on 
stiff stems, tall, slightly disbud : Winnie 
Wells, flowers in sprays, bright yellow, 
4 feet; Mary Anderson, white with tinge 
of rose, paling with age; Ladysmith, a 
pretty pink which makes a nice bushy 
plant; Edith Pagram, large-flowered 
pink, with white around disc : Rob Roy, 
a dainty light mauve in sprays ; and 
Hilda Robbins, pale primrose. 
Late varieties flowering in December :— 
Christmas Cheer, small flowering, pure 
white; Golden Star, a large-flower, bright 
yellow; and Framfield Beauty, crimson 
petals which show well against the yel¬ 
low disc. E. G. EXTENCF.. 
Lychnis coronaria. 
Mps J -iren and Sons. 
