454 
THE GARDENERS’ MAGAZINE. 
June 21, 1913. 
well-prepared bed entirely given up to it. 
It plants are raised trom cuttings early 
in tne summer, so tliat they are nice 
compact tufts of dark green growth when 
planted out in OctoOer, they will flower a 
little ill the autumn, and keep growing 
tnrough the winter when the weather is 
open, producing the hrst fine blossoms by 
tne middle of April in a normal season, 
ferine recommend planting them in their 
flowering positions in tne spring, which 
thus remain as brown fallow all through 
the winter instead of nicely planted beds 
of vigorous plants, but violas suffer a good 
deal in a dry spring in such circumstances, 
while the growth in any case is less vigor¬ 
ous than from autumn planting, and conse¬ 
quently the flowers smaller. It has been 
urged that there is danger of loss by frost 
in the open. This may happen sometimes 
•in cold positions with some varieties, but 
1 have not lost any from a cold, damp 
winter in Essex, not even in the winter 
of 1908-9, when we had two frosts of 30 
and 27 deg. respectively, the latter as late 
as March. If we should have such a winter 
as February, 1895, the last really severe 
tw'inter we had, then there might be loss, 
•but such a winter is so rare that we may 
risk it. 
Of all the combinations of colours in 
violas that 1 have seen nothing has, in my 
opinion, surpassed or even equalled that 
formed by the three varieties, Redbraes 
Yellow, Councillor Waters, claret, or crim¬ 
son-purple ; and Maggie Mott, bluish-lilac 
or lilac-mauve. The first-named is of splen¬ 
did habit, perhaps as good as any variety ; 
the second is very good, and the third 
■ rather slender in growTh, but forming a 
mass of flowers. If a very bright contrast 
is wanted, the yellows will be put next to 
the dark, otherwise Maggie Mott should 
be put between them. There is only one 
drawback, which can be mentioned to that 
otherwise perfect viola, Redbraes Yellow, 
and that is, the fading flowers remain 
standing up stmight instead of falling 
down and being hidden amongst the 
growth as is the way with most varieties, 
it is not a serious disadvantage, but the ap¬ 
pearance of a bed is certainly improved if 
the dead blossoms are occasionally picked 
or cut off. It is also very short in the stalk 
for picking until the season becomes ad¬ 
vanced. The other two are perfect in this 
respect. 
^;^me like a white to go with the yellow, 
purple, and mauve, and for this purpose 
Snowflake can scarcely be improved upon 
for size of flowers and continuity cif flower¬ 
ing, the same plants remaining in bloom 
with me last year from the middle of April 
to the middle of November, w^hen the bed 
w^as cleared. It is, however, less compact 
in growth than the other three, though 
very sturdy. There is one disadvantage i-i 
the addition of a white viola, and that is, 
the effect of the others is killed by it, espe¬ 
cially in the gathering dusk of the evening. 
Everyone must have observed the 
deepened colour of yellow flowers w’hen 
exposed to the setting sim, and perhaps it 
is scarcely less noticeable for a little while 
after the sun has set. This should borne 
in mind when planting, and if there is any 
choice of positions plant the yellow one so 
that it faces the sky somewhere between 
north and west. During a w^onderful series 
of clear evenings we had in May^ 1909— 
the sunniest month on record up to that 
time—a large patch of Redbraes Y'ellow 
was a jov to look at in the coming of the 
evening twilight. Truly 
The world is so full of such beautiful 
things; 
We all ought to be as happy as kings. 
Alger Petts. 
AMONG THE ALPINE 
FLOWERS. 
“ Now scythes are whetted and roses blow, 
Spring, oaroWing, said. ‘ It .is time to go,’ 
And though we called to her, ‘ Stay! O stay! ’ 
She sniil^ through a rainbow, and passed 
away.” 
“ In Veronica’s Garden.” 
With the passing of the writer of the 
above lines—a real lover of flowers, what¬ 
ever his failings as a Poet Laureate—the 
spring has sped its way, and we are into 
summer, with all its wealth of blossom, 
when shrubbery and border alike are seek¬ 
ing to dim the radiance of the alpine 
flowers and to eclipse their beauty in our 
eyes. Yet this is impossihle to the earnest 
lover of these unassuming floiwens, for they 
also have charms of the highest kind. There 
are among them many “ gems of purest 
ray serene,” which istand the closest in¬ 
spection, and compared to which many 
popular flowers look garish, and lacking in 
their innate grace and charm. To the 
Queen of Elow^ers, the rose, we all bow 
in adoration, but the alpines of June also 
command our worship. They are full of 
grace and beauty still, and many are of 
striking effect as w^ell, and hardly brook 
rivals among their sixers of the border 
or the parterre. Come with me and see. 
Cytisus Andreanus prostratus. 
This is a plant w hich has surely a future 
before it as a rock garden trailing shrub. 
What Cytisus kew’ensis is in the early 
season so Andre’s prostrate broom should 
be in late May and June. When it comes 
more frequently before the alpinist in 
visiting other gardens, he will not be dis¬ 
posed to be without this grand sihrub if 
he is possessed of sufficient space. When 
it reaches some size a mass of its gold and 
crimson or brow n flowers trailing over some 
large rock will be a sight worth remem¬ 
bering, w hile for the smaller garden it may 
be clipped back annually immediately after 
flow^ering, and will be all the better for 
is hopeless af w*e want to attain any idea 
of its appearance. It may be said briefly 
to resemble in flower a miniature white 
spiraea or astilbe some six inches high, or a 
little more, but with rather lanceolate, en¬ 
tire, leathery leaves. A peaty soil suits it 
best, and it is quite at home among the 
stones of the shaded part of the ro<‘k 
garden. 
Dianthus sylvestris. 
Not many people seem to grow Dianthus 
sylvestris, and this is, in all probability, 
because it is often a failure in gardens, and 
is written down as one of the “miffy” 
plants which should be avoided. It niay 
be good fortune, rather than any skill 
in planting it, but here it is quite a sue- 
cess on a flat terrace on a dry part of the 
rock garden, and w^ell mulched about with 
whinstone chips. With these about it, in 
a soil of sandy loam, light and well drained, 
this little pink has assumed some consider¬ 
able proportions for a dianthus of its 
character. Its tuft of slender green, grassy 
leaves is the picture of health, while there 
are raised some six inches above it, on 
slender yet sturdy stalks, several of the 
pretty solitary or twin rose-coloured 
flowers. There are choicer things among 
the pinks—for sylvestris cannot hope to 
vie with Dianthus alpinus or Dianthus ne- 
glectus, but we have surely room enough 
for more than two or three pinks, and ibis 
so-called wood pink, wdiioh, paradoxically, 
does not care for shade, may well have 
some consideration 
Hyacinthus amethystinus. 
Not yet over, but almost so, are the 
drooping flowers of the little buHbous plant 
called Hyacinthus ame^thystinus, whose 
colouring appears to have .been truly de¬ 
rived from the bluest of the skies 
and which is so charming iu Tjooks ot 
the rock garden not too higih up, but pre¬ 
ferably near the level of the eye, ^ * 
the grace of the pendant flowere may 
the better observed. It is a cheap 
this Vartan treatment. Though only re- the better o^bserved it is a 
cognisld by an award recently, it has been charming bulb for rwm mipht 
cnarmmg ouio ror wiuuu 
be found in rock gardens, where 
be a boon during the late May and ea y 
June seasons. 
cognised by an award recently 
in cultivation for some time, and it is now 
several years since Mr. C. H. Chirtis, of 
Tmi Gardeners’ Magazine, drew’ my atten¬ 
tion to it as a standard in an exhibit at a Other Flowers. 
Temple Show. His usual acumen as re- on of various 
gards good and new’ plants had not deserted masses sheets of 
him theiC and nof we shall acclaim C. There are '’«rome^ 
Andreanus prostratus as a first-class b'ue, gypsop *.“®’,** ^ dotted witb 
rockery shrub f!»®S 1.°®^ in G. 
Tanakea radicans. 
A striking contrast to the wealth of 
colouring cf M. Andre’s broom is afforde<l 
by the white plumes of Tanakea radicans, 
raised a few inches above the leathery 
leaves. When it first opens one feels some- 
wihat disappointed with the inflorescence 
of this nativ^e of Japan. The spikes and 
the individual flowers look insignificant, 
and one is inclined to have but a modified 
admiration for the rooting tanakea. But 
as the weeks go on it improves. The 
plumes become whiter and more feathery ; 
they grow’ taller and look more graceful ; 
and then w’e come to see that this ally of 
the saxifrages—for such it is—may be 
classed among the good alpines which in¬ 
crease in our favour. 
It is hardy, and its liking (for a cool, 
shady, and rather moist spot in the rock 
garden wdll commend it to many who have 
some difficulty in securing good things for 
white, prettily veined flowers, 
cerastioides; bright geraniums, erod y 
androsaces, drabas, aiibnetias si ’ 
primulas suc'b as farinosa. 
ana, coekburniana and ot e 
the race. Thei^e are heu heras. 
gay and glowdng heliantheniums, . 
dwarf and tall geums, 
frages—in very truth a wealth 
commanding our 
ing our praise. " 
Scutellarias.— Several of 
house scutellarias are valuable 
house scutellarias are showy, 
plants, their flowers being Th? 
and borne over a lengthened 
best known is the Mexican - tubular* 
ciniana, with terminal moutk 
shaped flowers, scarlet, with a ^ ^bick 
Other showy spec es are S. c^tari (i 
bears a considerable resemblance in 
iana, except that the flowers a ^^,0 
small axillary clusters f® flower-'- 
;uch r^la"ce" cajlf mcreas* veryl«cir^’fjri;t''"in 
division when once established and may ^ the last 
be ranked among the many modest beau- colour. In habit somewhat ^reof* 
ties which become more and more favou- g violacea, whose flowers, reaJi^^ 
rites as we become better able to appreciate of violet. All ^ 
their points of simple charm. To read a 
botanical description of Tanakea radicans 
15. vioiacea, wnose iiow^^xo, — rea «7 
pleasing shade of violet. All 
propagated from cuttings, and o 
cultural requirements.—S. • 
