98 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
August  1,  1895. 
Hawthorn  arch  behind  the  house  hangs  a  curtain  of  the  green  leaves 
of  Clematis  flammula,  covered  with  clusters  of  pretty  star-like  white 
flowers.  Perennial  Peas  clamber  up  the  hedges  and  over  the 
summer  house,  and  Tropseolums  and  other  climbers  strive  to  attain 
a  height  whence  they  can  look  down  on  their  less  aspiring  sisters 
on  the  rockeries  and  in  the  borders  below.  These  rock  plants  are 
to  some  extent  bereft  of  their  brightness  as  their  season  of 
“  intensest  life  ”  is  now  over,  but  here  and  there  are  some  plants 
still  in  flower  giving  the  welcome  colour  we  desire.  Gypsophilas 
hang  pendent  over  the  stones. 
Spurred  Linarias  with  coloured  lips  upraise  their  heads  or 
modestly  prostrate  themselves  to  the  earth.  Succulent  Semper- 
vivums  from  roof  and  wall  and  from  rockery  and  border  thrust  out 
their  thick  stems,  on  which  are  borne  their  starry  blooms.  Sedums, 
too,  their  closest  kin,  are  present  with  white,  or  yellow,  or  red 
flowers,  in  crowded  heads,  whose  shades  it  is  vain  to  endeavour  to 
tell  of.  Dwarf  Bellworts  are  still  in  beauty.  Schafta’s  Catchfly 
is  bright  with  its  pink  flowers.  The  little  Tunica  Saxifraga, 
with  its  modest  beauty,  looks  gracefully  from  its  allotted  place. 
The  little  Cyclamen  europseum  has  begun  to  droop  its  crimson 
flowers.  Besides  these  there  are  others  which  tell  us  that  the 
rock  garden  may  still  have  its  attractions  to  keep  us  from 
being  fascinated  by  the  more  brilliant  border  flowers,  for  with 
Heucheras,  Potentillas,  Alpine  Pinks,  Violas,  Snapdragons,  St.John’s 
Worts,  and  Myosotis  Welwitschia  we  have  something  always  to 
see  as  we  walk  along  these  narrow  paths  among  these  denizens  of 
the  rocks. 
The  beauty  of  the  border  flowers  is  of  a  more  obtrusive  kind, 
and  the  casual  observer  is  attracted  by  their  brighter  colouring) 
their  taller  stature,  and  their  more  striking  flowers.  As  I  write,  in 
the  last  week  of  July,  Delphiniums  are  yet  in  flower,  and  their 
noble  stature  and  bright  colours  draw  universal  admiration.  Yet  it 
is  only  the  true  lover  of  flowers  who  sees  to  the  full  this  beauty, 
for  the  shading  of  the  many  exquisite  tints  and  colours  in  the 
flow'ers  cannot  be  seen  at  a  glance,  and  it  is  only  on  close  inspection 
that  this  is  observed.  The  pencil  of  the  artist  cannot  truthfully 
depict  it,  much  less  can  the  pen  of  the  writer  describe  in  words  the 
wonderful  tinting  of  the  blooms,  and  so  we  must  content  ourselves 
with  asking  the  reader  to  examine  for  himself,  satisfied  that  he  will 
at  once  admit  that  these  words  are  not  unduly  eulogistic.  There 
are  Sunflowers,  too,  with  Heleniums,  Inulas,  Chrysanthemums,  and 
other  composites  ;  Malvas  and  Sidalceas  ;  Monardas,  with  their 
bright  heads  of  bloom  ;  Mulleins,  Prunellas,  CEnotheras,  tall  Bell¬ 
flowers,  Phloxes,  Pentstemons,  Veronicas,  Ksempfer’s  Irises,  Carna¬ 
tions,  Achilleas,  Eryngiums,  and  many  others  to  dwell  on,  and 
from  those  in  flower,  or  only  shortly  past,  we  may  select  a  few  for 
notice. 
Attracting  universal  admiration,  from  its  pretty  habit  and  the 
purity  of  its  white  flowers,  is  the  charming  little  Campanula 
isophylla  alba,  which  can  hold  its  own  among  the  many  plants  of 
this  beautiful  genus,  and  which  the  owner  of  the  choicest  rock 
plants  may  add  to  his  collection  with  advantage.  It  is  a  native  of 
North  Italy,  and  was  introduced  about  1868,  being  justly  honoured 
with  a  certificate  from  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  in  1888. 
It  is  very  pleasing  with  its  fresh  green  leaves,  and  its  stems,  which 
bear  corymbs  of  flat  erect  flowers,  hang  gracefully  over  a  ledge 
when  grown  in  suitable  positions.  It  is  by  no  means  a  disad¬ 
vantage  that  this  Bellflower  blooms  later  than  many,  and  thus  adds 
to  the  season  in  which  we  can  enjoy  the  dwarf  Campanulas.  It  is 
unfortunate,  however,  that  it  does  not  appear  to  be  hardy  every¬ 
where,  and  that  at  certain  seasons  it  is  subject  to  the  attacks  of 
slugs.  I  have  occasionally  to  surround  it  with  a  zinc  ring  in  spring 
to  ward  off  the  ravages  of  these  pests.  C.  isophylla  alba  seems  to 
like  a  little  lime  in  the  soil,  and  should  have  a  rather  sheltered 
position  in  light  soil. 
Another  very  beautiful  little  Campanula  of  an  entirely  different 
character,  but  which  is  also  apt  to  fall  a  victim  to  slugs,  is 
C.  Waldsteiniana,  a  native  of  Hungary,  whence  it  came  in  1824. 
It  is  of  slender,  erect  habit,  and  grows  from  4  to  6  inches  in 
height.  Each  stem  produces  from  three  to  four  flowers  at  the 
top.  These  flowers  are  erect,  about  half  an  inch  across  or  a  little 
less,  and  of  a  pretty  violet-blue  colour.  C.  Waldsteiniana  is 
growing  here  on  a  ledge  of  rockwork  in  sandy  peat  with  a  little 
grit  in  the  soil. 
The  Tradescantias  or  Spiderworts  do  not  appear  to  be  very 
popular  plants,  yet  they  seem  to  be  worthy  of  a  little  more 
attention  than  they  receive.  The  first  to  be  introduced  was  that 
known  as  T.  virginica,  of  which  Parkinson  says,  “This  Spiderwort 
is  of  late  knowledge,  and  for  it  the  Christian  world  is  indebted 
much  to  that  painful,  industrious  searcher,  and  lover  of  all 
Nature’s  varieties,  John  Tradescant,  who  hath  imparted  hereof,  as 
of  many  other  things,  both  to  me  and  others.”  John  Tradescant, 
who  was  appointed  gardener  to  Charles  I.  about  1629,  was  a  great 
traveller,  and  many  plants  were  introduced  by  him  on  his  return 
from  his  frequent  journeys.  But  in  addition  to  the  interest  the 
plant  has  acquired  by  reason  of  its  having  received  Tradescant’s 
name,  the  Spiderwort  has  other  claims  to  our  notice.  It  is  free- 
flowering  and  free-growing,  flourishing  in  almost  any  soil  and 
position,  preferring,  however,  a  fairly  moist  soil,  and  is  pretty 
enough  with  its  three-petalled  flowers  on  stems  from  which  are 
produced  long  sprawling  leaves,  that  seem  from  their  length  to 
have  given  the  idea  of  the  popular  name  of  Spiderwort. 
The  best  known  are  the  varieties  of  T.  virginica,  of  which  there 
are  several  colours  and  shades,  there  being  blues,  purples,  and 
whites,  and  double  blue,  double  purple,  and  double  carmine 
varieties  also.  Then  there  are  T.  congesta,  light  blue,  and 
T.  subaspera,  of  a  shot-purple  colour.  All  are  very  pretty,  and, 
with  the  exception  of  T.  congesta  and  T.  subaspera,  which  are 
about  2  feet  high,  are  about  18  inches  in  height.  They  begin  to 
flower  here  in  J  une,  and  last  in  flower  for  two  or  three  months. 
The  individual  flowers  only  last  a  very  short  time,  whence  in  some 
places  the  Tradescantia  is  named  “  The  Life  o’  Man,”  but  they  are 
produced  in  succession  over  a  long  period.  The  leaves  are  long 
and  narrow,  and  like  many  other  North  American  plants  these 
Spiderworts  are  hardy. 
There  is  a  rare  and  beautiful  little  Potentilla  here  of  which  I 
should  like  to  know  more,  but  information  seems  diflficult  to  obtain. 
I  have  known  it  for  a  good  many  years  from  seeing  a  solitary  plant 
in  a  friend’s  garden  ;  but  it  appeared  to  be  diflficult  of  increase, 
and  its  name  was  unknown,  so  that  one  found  a  difficulty  in 
obtaining  it,  especially  as  I  had  never  seen  it  in  any  other  private 
or  public  garden.  Last  year,  however,  one  of  my  correspon¬ 
dents  whom  I  had  asked  if  he  knew  it,  replied  that  it  was 
probably  one  he  had  got  some  years  ago  as  P.  Macnabiana,  but 
which  was  not  that  plant,  and  sent  me  a  small  plant  which 
proved  to  be  the  one  desired.  It  is  of  prostrate  habit,  and 
has  flowers  of  a  pretty  copper  colour,  with  a  spot  of  red  at  the 
base  of  the  petals.  These  are  about  three-quarters  of  an  inch 
across,  and  look  very  pretty  indeed  on  the  rockery,  where  they 
are  much  admired. 
Since  beginning  this  note  I  have  had  a  further  search  among 
my  books,  but  cannot  trace  the  name  of  my  plant.  I  am,  however, 
strongly  of  opinion  that  it  is  one  of  a  good  many  hybrids  which 
were  raised  in  the  first  half  of  the  century  between  some  of  the 
earlier  cultivated  species.  The  many  hybrid  Potentillas  now  in 
our  gardens  show  that  much  may  still  be  done  by  taking  in  hand 
some  of  the  dwarfer  species  so  suitable  for  the  rock  garden. 
— S.  Aenott. 
.  STRAWBERRIES. 
Judging  from  the  reports  published  from  other  districts,  and 
coupled  with  the  experience  of  our  own,  this  season  of  1895  has 
been  a  satisfactory  one  for  Strawberries  ;  in  fact,  I  should  think  it 
has  proved  to  be  a  record  year,  as  never  do  I  remember  the  crop 
being  so  good,  either  in  point  of  quantity  or  quality.  True,  a  few 
heavy  waterings  had  to  be  applied,  as  probably  without  this  such  a 
satisfactory  record  would  not  have  been  chronicled.  Where  this 
