April 1, 190% 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
DOUBLE COMPACT LOBELIA. 
‘Description 
ef Flowerse 
May be Sown during this Month. 
LOBELIA 
(named after the French botanist, Lobel) 
is perhaps the prettiest of all annuals for 
and bordering, grouping, or 
fact this beautiful little 
edging 
designing, 10 
annual of prevailing blue cannot well be’ 
put out of place anywhere in the garden 
or ornamental window pats or frames. 
The Erinus dwarf varieties are most 
popular, rarely growing more than six 
inches high. ‘The herbaceous kinds are 
merce crimson, red, yellow, and shades 
of blue, in a hundred varieties from all 
over the world. Lobelia Littoralis has a 
trailing habit, and- makes 2 a lovely basket 
: plant, 
“seeds. The Lobelia illustrated above is 
. of the Double Compact variety. It is of 
compact, dwarf growth, the plants form- 
ing neat round bushes, with rich purple 
stems and foliage; very free flowering, 
and profusely covered all the season with 
large double flowers of deep blue. 
CORNFLOWER. 
Centaurea, eyanus. The name is 
derived from’ the classics, Ovid having 
declared to heal by it a wound in one of 
- the centaurs, who were warhorse breakers 
in Thessaly. This flower was exceedingly 
popular some years ago, and is reputed 
to have been the favourite of the 
Emperor Frederick of Germany, and 
both with flowers and bright 
ascribed as the national flower of that 
country. Whether this is so or not it 
deserves to find greater popularity with 
Australian gardeners. _ Cornflowers are 
very ornamental, and are useful for 
mixed borders and shrubberies. It -will 
produce an abundance of flowers for 
The 
some of 
them having pretty silvery foliage. 
colors are red, purple, yellow, 
blue, with variations of tint. 
bouquets, &, in almost any soil. 
varieties are very numerous, 
é white, 
GAILLARDIA 
after the Mrench  Botanist, 
’ Gaillard), This is a handsome flower in 
double. and varieties, 
bi-coloured, red, or may be brown and 
yellow. 
(named 
single 
Very hardy, preferring a sunny 
“situation and sandy soil. Requires little 
cultivation to keep it in bloom almost all 
the year through. G. grandiflora is the 
perennial single fl »wered, 
variety of colors. 
in a large 
is the double annual type. 
GODETIA 
(named after Godet, some say the poet 
Goethe) and Cnothera (roots supposed — 
to be an incentive to wine imbibing), of 
the same order, are very showy plants for 
massing, the gay reds and crimsons being 
¢ 
The . 
- Southern Europe. 
usually 
G. picta Lorenziana : 
3 
Se 
very effective. Some good effects may 
also be obtained by mixing the shades of 
purple and white. _ They are early 
bloomers, and 4 succession can be had Dy 
planting late in the. winter. 
HELIOTROPE, 
sometimes called *‘ Cherry Pie,” is a well- - 
known plant of unsurpassed fragrance, 
suitable for pot or garden culture. It is 
a hardy perennial. The Heliotrope, like 
the ! uchsia and many other plants, may 
be propagated by cuctings, the tender tips 
of the shoots being used for preference. 
The ¢ lors are white, deep blue, and 
dark viclet; excellent for 
they are 
bouquets, 
HELICHRYSUM 
(from helios, sun, and chrysos, gold). 
The beauty, variety, and everlasting 
nature of the blooms of these flowers 
deserve more attention from cottage 
gardeners. Few flowers are prettier when. 
grown in groups of white, red, yellow, 
orange, purple, and pink. They are 
divided into annuals, ‘perennials, half- 
hardy, and hardy evergreen shrubs. A 
number have been introduced from the 
Cape, Western Australia, Tasmania, and 
The dried flowers are 
much used for bouquets and church 
decorations. 
HELICHRYSUM. 
