186 
THE FLORIST’S JOURNAL. 
beauty through the dull season: these are annuals. It is true 
they are not quite such strangers to the conservatory as those 
we have been speaking of: still they might be introduced more 
extensively with corresponding advantage; from among these 
the more robust kinds should be preferred, as being better cal¬ 
culated to withstand the vicissitudes of the winter than the 
tender and delicate sorts. A neat habit, united with large or 
gaily-coloured flowers, are the chief qualifications, without re¬ 
ference to rarity or costliness; for a yellow primrose will have 
as many admirers at Christmas as the most gorgeous productions 
of the East at another season. We cannot close this paper 
without strongly recommending a little favourite of ours. The 
Lobelia gracilis we have found to be the most useful plant 
we ever grew for winter ornament, continuing a profusion of 
its pleasing bright blue flowers for an amazing length of time. 
We have now a plant which has been constantly and completely 
clothed with blossom for fourteen months, and is still in perfect 
health, having stood through the whole of last winter in a pot 
in a greenhouse, and in May it was turned into the open border, 
where it remains a contradiction to the received opinion relative 
to annuals. Ed. 
ON PHLOX VAN HOUTTII AND OTHERS. 
This valuable addition to an already extensive and beautiful 
family may be truly termed the greatest ornament our flower- 
gardens have received for a very long time; its neat compact 
habit without paucity of foliage, added to its brilliant and abun¬ 
dant variegated inflorescence, render it perfectly unique. The 
whole genus is universally allowed to be among the most hand¬ 
some of hardy herbaceous plants ; but this one, in my opinion, is 
decidedly the gem of the collection. I have several plants of 
it flowering now most profusely, each head of bloom being from 
three to four inches in length, and half that in diameter : the 
flowers individually are about the size of a sixpence, of a deep 
rose colour approaching carmine; the divisions of the co¬ 
rolla are severally feathered in the centre with pure white: next 
season I trust to have a sufficient stock to fill an entire bed, 
which I flatter myself will be indeed a beautiful object, as it 
appears to be peculiarly adapted to this purpose. The plants 
