February  1,  1900.  JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
RANUNCULUS  PARNASSIFOLIUS. 
Mr.  Kaby’s  supposition  that  this  is  a  plant  of  modern  introduction 
is  quite  erroneous,  as  it  has  been  in  this  country  nearly  a  century  and 
a  half.  It  is  a  charming  alpine  plant,  very  dwarf  in  habit,  with  deep 
green  radical  leaves  and  comparatively  large  white  flowers  (fig.  24), 
borne  on  bold  peduncles.  It  is  a  native  of  the  Swiss  Alps  and 
the  Pyrenean  mountains,  and  though  always  scarce  in  England,  has 
been  long  known.  Messrs.  Kennedy  &  Lee  introduced  it  as  early  as 
1769,  but  there  is  no  record  that  they  succeeded  in  flowering  it.  Mr. 
William  Curtis  was  more  fortunate  in  1797,  as  recorded  in  the 
“  Botanical  Magazine  ”  of  October,  1797.  He  received  roots  of  this 
and  several  other  rare  and  curious  plants  from  M.  Neckar  de  Saussure 
in  1796,  and  obtained  blooms  the  following  June  from  which  his 
characteristic  figure  was  taken.  He  grew  it  in  a  small  pot  of  loam 
and  bog  earth.  Mr.  Donn  of  Cambridge  grew  the  plant  in  1818. 
Messrs.  Loddiges  found  it  prosper  and  multiply  abundantly  in  sandy 
loam  without  any  winter  protection,  giving  it  abundance  of  water  in 
the  summer,  rearing  the  young  plants  both  from  the  ripened  achenes 
and  by  division  of  the  roots. 
HARDY  BORDER  FLOWERS. 
Iris  Susiana. 
The  fine  illustration  of  the  magnificent  flowers  that  Iris  Susiana 
will  yield  under  favourable  conditions  (such  as  those  which  produced 
the  specimen  figured  in  the  Journal  of  January  5th)  must  have  increased 
the  desire  of  many  readers  to  grow  a  flower  of  such  wondrous  beauty. 
None  of  us  who  have  seen  it  are  likely  to  forget  the  impression  made 
by  its  flowers  with  their  strange  yet  beautiful  colouring.  It  is  worth 
some  trouble  to  obtain  such  flowers,  and  whatever  method  of  culti¬ 
vation  we  adopt,  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  it  may  be  successful.  Research 
among  our  older  writers  shows  us  that  they,  like  us,  were  not  in  agree¬ 
ment  about  its  cultivation.  We  have  had  different  plans,  both  old  and 
new,  laid  before  us.  It  may  be  that  what  leads  to  satisfaction  in  one 
garden  may  only  spell  failure  in  another.  I  have  been  interested  to 
find  that  Phillip  Miller,  whose  directions  some  of  us  find  are  not  so 
far  wrong  as  to  make  us  scorn  his  methods,  advocates  planting  Iris 
Susiana  in  a  moist  place.  Although  Mr.  Upex  has  had  to  do  this  for 
want  of  a  better  position,  and  although  one  thought  he  would  be 
unsuccessful  there,  it  is  possible  that  in  unconsciously  following  the 
teaching  of  Miller  he  may  be  adopting  the  plan  most  likely  to  give 
fiowers  in  that  particular  garden.  He  has  evidently,  however,  made 
careful  preparations  to  secure  that  as  little  moisture  as  possible 
should  ascend.  Whatever  our  own  views,  it  is  only  right  that  readers 
should  have  an  opportunity  of  knowing  that  there  are  different 
practices  for  different  gardens. 
Papaver  rupifragum. 
We  have  not  among  the  perennial  Poppies  the  variety  of  form  and 
colour  shown  by  the  annuals,  many  of  which,  such  as  those  raised  by 
the  Rev.  W.  Wilks,  and  known  to  nearly  all  as  the  Shirley  Poppies, 
are  so  beautiful.  The  perennials  are  in  course  of  improvement,  and 
it  is  possible  that  they  may  eventually  give  us  a  wide  range  of  colour. 
At  present  this  is  not  the  case,  and  we  are  practically  confined  to  various 
shades  of  red  and  orange,  with  some  white  or  bhxsh  varieties  raised 
from  P.  orientate.  Among  the  Papavers  with  orange  flowers  is  P.  rupi¬ 
fragum,  whose  flowers  resemble  in  colour  those  of  Papaver  pilosum. 
There,  however,  the  likeness  ceases,  as  P.  rupifragum  has  much  smaller 
flowers,  which  are  produced  on  long  slender  stems.  The  plant  itself* 
is  not  so  tall,  and  the  leaves  are  more  cut  than  those  of  the  Pilose 
Poppy.  Unfortunately  the  flowers  of  this  species  are  likewise 
fugacious,  though  not  so  fleeting  as  those  of  P.  pilosum.  It  cannot 
be  termed  either  a  showy  flower  or  a  good  border  plant ;  yet  it  Las 
its  uses  in  the  border,  and  it  is  a  plant  some  admire  a  good  deal.  It 
is,  as  yet,  not  very  common  in  gardens,  but  as  it  is  readily  raised  from 
seeds,  it  will  likely  find  its  way  into  more  before  long.  It  is  a  native 
of  Spain  and  Morocco.  A  variety  called  P.  rupifragum  var.  atlanticum 
is  also  in  cultivation.  Papaver  rupifragum  is  one  of  the  parents  of 
some  hybrids  raised  within  recent  years. 
Aquilegias. 
We  could  ill  spare  the  Columbines  from  our  flower  borders,  but  for 
a  time  they  were  little  seen.  They  were,  one  supposes,  too  “  old- 
fashioned,”  and  were  not  brilliant  enough  to  associate  with  the  bedding 
plants  which  were  so  popular  at  the  time.  Opinion  has  changed,  and 
the  Aquilegias  are  in  favour  once  more,  although  the  favourite  long- 
spurred  varieties  are  those  now  most  seen.  They  are  charming  plants, 
and  show  one  how  adaptable  are  many  of  the  hardy  flowers  to  change 
and  improvement.  With  such  beautiful  flowers  at  command — flowers 
which  are  easily  grown — it  is  not  surprising  that  some  of  the  charming 
species  of  the  Aquilegias  are  little  sought  after.  Af  er  all,  one  of  the 
requirements  in  the  border  is  a  plant  which  gives  little  trouble.  This 
virtue  these  hybrids  possess,  and  they  are  thus  to  be  recommended  for 
those  who  like  graceful  and  prettily  coloured  flowers.  The  colours 
are  very  varied,  and  they  cannot  be  described  as  they  are  so  numerous. 
It  is  these  hybrids,  which  have  the  vigour  of  the  old  A.  vulgaris  and 
the  grace  of  A.  chrysantha  and  other  long-spurred  species,  which  one 
would  advise  for  use  in  the  border.  They  are  easily  raised  from  seeds, 
and  a  good  strain  will  give  many  charming  flowers. 
Charming  as  are  these  hybrid  Columbines,  the  old  Aquilegia  vulgaris 
is  not  to  be  despised,  and  one  finds  many  visitors  to  the  garden  look 
upon  its  blooms  with  delight.  They,  too,  are  wonderfully  varied  in 
colour.  The  double  forms,  once  sought  after,  look  lumpy  to  me,  but 
some  view  them  with  more  favour.  They  are  only  too  prolific  in  their 
increase  from  seed,  and  become  very  troublesome  when  they  spring  up 
in  unwelcome  places.  Though  the  foregoing  are  among  the  best  for 
the  border,  there  are  some  of  the  species  so  pretty  that  they  would  be 
very  ornamental.  In  its  way  A.  chrysantha  is  very  pleasing,  with  its 
pretty  yellow  flowers  on  stalks  3  or  4  feet  high  ;  so  is  A.  formosa,  wiih 
its  red  and  yellow  flowers.  The  scarlet  and  yellow  A.  canadensis  is 
also  worth  growing  in  the  border;  it  is  dwarfer  than  the  two  last 
named.  Most  of  the  others — such  as  the  exquisite  glandulosa,  ccerulea, 
pyrenaica,  and  alpina — are  better  suited  for  the  rock  garden  than  the 
border.  In  the  hybrids  first  named  will  be  found  almost  all  their 
charms,  with  that  more  robust  constitution  which  makes  them  fit  for 
the  greater  trials  of  the  mixed  border. 
While  these  Aquilegias  grow  in  almost  any  good  soil,  they  seem  to 
like  one  of  a  rather  sandy  nature.  The  seeds  may  be  sown  in  the  open, 
but  I  prefer  to  sow  the  choicer  hybrids  under  glass.  The  seeds 
germinate  irregularly,  and  some  will  remain  for  a  considerable  time 
before  showing  signs  of  growth.  It  is  thus  well  to  be  careful,  in 
pricking  off  seedlings,  not  to  disturb  the  soil  in  which  the  seeds  were 
sown  any  more  than  can  be  avoided. — S.  Ahnott. 
Sweet  Pea  Gorgeous. — English-raised  varieties  of  Sweet  Peas 
are  almost  matchless  in  their  beauty  and  habit,  and  quite  sufficient 
to  satisfy  the  majority  of  growers.  But  then  there  are  the  numerous 
connoisseurs  who  like  to  test  the  named  varieties,  and  as  the  signal 
has  been  sounded  for  a  conference,  the  need  of  perfect  varieties  will 
be  readily  recognised.  Such  a  one  is  found  in  Burpee’s  novelty 
Gorgeous,  a  variety  with  a  name  which  does  not  belie  it,  as  it  is  of 
a  shade  much  richer  than  anything  of  the  kind  seen  previously. 
Not  only  is  it  robust,  but  the  flowers  are  freely  produced  and  the 
substance  correct.  A  warm  rich  orange  salmon  will  almost  describe  it,, 
the  flowers  be’Bg  thrown  well  from  the  foliage. — Practice. 
