March 9 , i9°7- 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
The Pasque Flower. 
ANEMONE PULSATILLA. 
In its various forms we should consider 
hat the Pasque Flower is one of the most 
i/idely distributed Anemones, for we have 
ven had specimens sent us from Canada 
vhich differ only very slightly from the 
irdinary form which is a native of this 
ountry. In Britain it is confined to a 
ew counties, and occurs chiefly, if not 
lways, on chalk downs. 
In gardens, however, it is one of the most 
'asy to cultivate, whether planted in a 
hady situation or fully exposed. Judg- 
n g from its native habitats on the bare 
.owns, a sunny situation is most genial 
o it, as it enables the piant to make its 
rowth and ripen up the crowns. 
' It is not at all given to spreading by 
neans of underground stems like A. 
aponica and several others, but forms 
lense compact tufts from the crowns of 
,-hich quite a large cluster of the quaint 
.nd beautiful flowers arise in spring, 
ifter the flowers have faded, the great 
□ass of fresh foliage for the season is then 
iroduced. Every' leaf is very finely cut, 
o that the tufts are handsome all through 
he season long after the flowers have 
aded. The latter are of a quaint silvery 
ippearance on the outside, owing to the 
lense covering of silky looking hairs 
vhich cover the sepals and protect the 
nore tender parts of the flower during 
he months of March and April, which are 
ifien unsettled and decidedly windy on 
he open downs. 
When the flowers expand they are of 
•arious shades of purple inside, usually a 
ich purple, though seedlings may give 
;i$e to slight varieties with paler flowers. 
The fruit itself rises well above the foliage, 
and consists ;of a little grain or seed 
vessel surmounted by a long feathery awn. 
It is, therefore, rendered conspicuous and 
ornamental by the fruits until they ripen 
and get blown away by the wind- The 
whole plant seldom exceeds roin. high, 
but the flowers may only be 3 in. to 6 in. 
above the surface. 
From what has been said it is evident 
that the Pasque Flower is more suitable 
for cultivation on the rockery than any 
other way. This serves to keep it rela¬ 
tively dry during winter, and bring it 
more directly under the eye in spring 
and summer than if planted in a border 
and hidden by tall growmg subjects. One 
clump of it is sufficient to make an orna¬ 
mental patch, but the effect is greatly 
heightened by planting a number of 
crowns so as to give the same effect as is 
seen in the wild state. The accompany¬ 
ing illustration, kindly put at our service 
by Messrs. R. Wallace and Co., Kilnfield 
Gardens, Colchester, shows an admirable 
method of planting it such as we have 
been endeavouring to describe. In this 
particular case it does not solely occupy 
the ground, although it is one of the most 
conspicuous features just at the flowering 
period. 
On the.right hand will be seen a portion 
of what appears to be an edging of Ivy, 
while at the lower right hand corner an¬ 
other Anemone shows itself. Ferns con¬ 
stitute the ground work of this beautiful 
picture, but even although they are ever¬ 
green, they get much borne down by the 
snow and rain during winter, thus bring¬ 
ing the Pasque Flower into great pro¬ 
minence. No doubt this is an admirable 
165 
method of growing it, because the remains 
of the old fronds of the Ferns cover the 
ground, forming a setting to the Pasque 
Flower and preventing the blooms from 
being splashed by rain. The terns 
would also keep the ground cool during 
the hot and droughty periods of summer, 
thus making the conditions closely similar 
to what the plant would experience in £ 
wild state when growing on the grassy 
downs. 
-- 
SUBURBAN . . 
Front Gardens 
C;-- • ~5 
With a North Aspect. 
In many of our London suburban houses 
the garden proper is at the back, secluded 
and sheltered from the public gaze, and 
no doubt giving great p.easure to the 
owner thereof. But does not the lucky 
owner of a garden owe something to the 
many who are less fortunate ? and in their 
name I plead for the better cultivation of 
the little front patch to be found attached 
to most of these houses. 
If a few Privet bushes and Aucubas, 
with perhaps a Holly tree for variety, are 
planted by the builder, the householder 
seems quite satisfied, or is, perhaps, under 
the impression that nothing more is pos¬ 
sible. If his little patch faces north, 
he is only the more convinced that all 
that is possible has been done. 
The dreary monotony of these little plots 
must strike grief to the heart of every 
true garden lover, and there may be some 
who would be glad to learn how easily 
they could be made really beautiful by the 
exercise of thought and care. 
The first thing to do is to banish every" 
Privet, for they poison the ground and 
make it impossible to grow anything else; 
also I would advise removing any Aucu- 
Pasque Flower Anemone Pulsatilla}. 
R. Wallace and Co. 
