August  22.  1901. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
18J 
Hardy  Flower  Notes. 
As  the  seasons  go  and  come,  so  pass  away  and  return  our  flowers. 
The  beauties  of  the  eaily  summer  and  of  the  midsummer  days  have 
lost  their  freshness,  aud  we  are  amid  the  golden  wealth  of  the  early 
autumn.  Dahlias  and  Hollyhocks,  Gladioli,  and  other  half-hardy 
flowers  join  with  annuals  in  proclaiming  their  value,  and  in  telling  how 
much  our  gardens  owe  to  their  colouring  and  their  grace.  As  for  the 
truly  hardy  flowers,  there  is  one  of  those  pauses  in  their  display  which 
are  visible  every  now  and  again  to  those  who  live  their  lives  among 
them,  and  see  the  perpetual  changes  which  they  give.  Not  that  there 
is  a  chasm  ;  it  is  only  a  depression  for  a  time,  and  it  has  been  deepened 
by  so  much  dry 
weather.  Now, 
however,  we  see 
the  breaking  out 
of  the  fresh  dis¬ 
play,  for  buds 
are  bursting  and 
swelling,  and 
showing  their 
colours,  to  tell  of 
the  later  yellow 
composites,  and 
of  the  soft  display 
of  the  Michael¬ 
mas  Daisies  now 
on  the  way.  We 
look  daily,  too, 
for  the  appear¬ 
ance  of  the  first 
Colchicums  and 
autumn  Crocuses; 
for  the  Mossy 
Saxifragas,  which 
are  usually  so 
green  and  fresh 
at  the  blooming 
of  these  flowers, 
grow  fresher 
eve  y  day  now 
that  the  rain  is 
here.  There  are 
yet  pleasures 
many  for  him  who 
loves  his  garden 
and  his  flowers, 
ere  King  Frost 
descends  upon  us 
with  his  chill  aud 
conqueringarray. 
Now  is  the  time 
of  tall  Sunflowers 
and  other  yellow 
composites,  which 
are  in  the  heyday 
of  their  beauty 
and  gaiety. 
Pleasing  among 
these  are  the 
double  flowers  of 
Rudbeckia  laci- 
niata  Golden 
Glow,  whose 
pretty  and  useful 
double  flowers 
cause  some  sur¬ 
prise  in  the 
minds  of  those 
not  previously 
acquainted  with 
its  blooms.  Some 
would  take  it  for 
a  Dahlia  were  it 
cut  and  in  a  glass, 
but  many  ask  what  flower  it  is.  I  like  its  type  plant,  too,  with  its 
drooping  petals  and  its  greenish  yellow  disc,  which  is  less  cone-shaped 
than  that  of  the  allied  R.  californica,  but  is  yet  well  raised,  so  as  to  help 
to  give  distinctness  to  the  bloom.  I  have  never  seen  it  12  feet  high,  as 
it  is  said  sometimes  to  be  at  home  in  the  United  States  and  Canada,  but 
8  or  10  feet,  as  one  has  seen  it  occasionally,  is  an  ample  height  for  a 
garden  flower,  and  one  would  rather  have  it  less  for  most  places.  Some¬ 
one  who  would  introduce  the  form  called  by  Asa  Gray  R.  1.  humilis, 
which  grows  from  1  to  2  feet  high,  would  be  a  benefactor  to  many  a 
suburban  gardener  whose  space  is  too  limited  for  the  taller  flowers. 
The  fly  in  the  pot  of  ointment  haB  many  counterparts  in  gardening, 
and  many  are  the  forms  in  whioh  they  present  themselves.  Thus  the 
aggresfive- rooting  habit  of  many  flowers  is  an  obstacle  to  their  use  in 
RAMBLER  ROSE  var. 
Flowers  rose-pink ;  the 
some  positions,  however  valuable  they  may  be  elsewhere,  and  however 
useful  their  flowers  might  be  in  themselves.  It  is  one  of  the  drawbacks 
of  such  Sunflowers  as  the  beautiful  one  named  Miss  Mellish  that  it  runs 
about  at  the  roots,  and  would  soon  spread  over  the  whole  border  if  left 
alone.  This,  too,  is  the  fault  of  H.  Daniel  Dewar,  which  is  this  vear 
better  than  it  has  been  before.  It  is  surprising  how  quickly  it'  has 
increased,  and  how  it  threatens  to  take  possession  of  the  bed  in  which 
it  grows.  Yet  it  deserves  a  good  position  were  it  only  of  use  for 
cutting  alone.  It  is  to  the  Helianthus  what  the  Cactus  Dahlia  is  to  its 
race,  and  its  pointed  petals  are,  in  most  cases,  of  the  true  Cactus  form. 
When  we  have  a  double-flowered  Helianthus  rigidus  Daniel  Dewar  we 
shall  have  a  prize  indeed. 
It  is  a  contrast  to  turn  from  the  contemplation  of  these  taller  flowers 
to  one  rear  by, 
which  differs  not 
only  in  stature 
but  in  colour  as 
well.  This  is  Gen- 
tiana  septemfida 
cordifolia,  one  of 
the  choicest 
flowers  of  un¬ 
doubted  hardi¬ 
ness  which  can 
grace  the  border 
or  ornament  the 
rock  garden. 
Hardy,  free- 
flowering,  of  a 
beautiful  blue, 
and  of  charming 
habit  and  form, 
it  stands  in  the 
front  rank  of  one 
of  the  prettiest 
genera  of  garden 
flowers.  It  dees 
not  increase 
rapidly,  but  it 
is  readily  raised 
from  seeds,  whioh 
it  produces  in 
quantity,  and 
whioh  germinate 
well  if  sown 
under  glass,  or  in 
a  reserve  bed  for 
such  things.  It 
grows  very  satis¬ 
factorily  in  sandy 
peat,  but  is  not 
particular  in  this 
respect,  and  can 
be  grown  in 
almost  any  good 
garden  soil.  It 
usually  flowers 
with  me  in  July 
and  August,  and 
now  that  moister 
weather  condi¬ 
tions  prevail  is 
likely  to  keep  in 
bloom  throughout 
the  latter  month. 
It  grows  little 
more  than  6 
inches  high, 
except  when  tied 
to  a  s  ick  (which 
it  should  never 
be),  and  if  left 
alone  will  form 
a  pretty  clump 
of  decumbent 
branches,  each 
with  its  terminal  cluster  of  exquisite  blue  flowers.  Having  thus  left 
the  taller  flowers  for  the  time,  it  is  natural  to  look  about  us  at  the 
others  of  dwarfer  habit.  Curiously  attractive  among  these  is  the 
plant  ca’led  Origanum  Tourneforti,  which  is  growing  on  a  sheltered 
sunny  rockery  in  a  dry  soil.  Here  its  small  Hop-like  heads,  on 
spikes  some  12  inches  or  so  in  height  if  quite  erect,  which  they 
seldom  are,  are  pleasing,  if  not  brilliant,  from  their  colouring,  and 
for  the  little  pink  flowers  whioh  protrude  from  the  leafy  bracts.  These 
spikes  of  flower  are  denser  than  those  of  Origanum  Dictamnus,  and 
this  Dittany  of  Amorgos,  as  the  plant  is  also  called,  seems  hardier  than 
the  better  known  Dittany  of  Crete.  Then  if  we  look  round  we  shall  see 
a  crowd  of  flowers  on  Olearia  Haasti,  a  sprinkling  still  on  a  good  bush 
of  Cistus  corbariensis,  some  spikes  of  gold  on  Cytisus  nigricans 
QUEEN  ALEXANDRA, 
above  is  greatly  reduced. 
