256 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
March  28,  1901 
Hardy  Flowers  in  Spring. 
When  Spring  comes  laughing 
By  vale  and  hill, 
By  Windflower  walking 
And  Daffodil. — Austin  Dobson, 
It  is  with  joy  that  we  see  at  length  the  tokens  that  spring  has 
truly  come,  and  that  we  have  now  entered  upon  the  full  enjoyment  of 
our  flowers,  though,  even  now,  we  may  yet  have  some  tale  of  disaster 
to  tell.  The  long  winter  seems  gone,  and  flowers  come  thickly  and 
fast  to  brighten  the  garden  and  to  rejoice  our  hearts.  The  Lenten 
Roses  are  in  perfection,  and  one  can  do  little  but  admire  the  beautiful 
colouring  and  form  of  some  of  the  newest  and  best  seedling  varieties. 
In  one’s  own  garden  there  are  some  good  flowers,  but  a  boxful  from 
sunny  Devonshire,  from  the  garden  of  a  noted  flower  lover,  make  one 
almost  envy  their  happy  possessor  the  charms  of  his  thousands  of 
plants  which  bear  such  flowers,  which  range  in  colour  from  white, 
pure  and  unspotted,  or  charmingly  marked  with  coloured  spots,  to 
delicate  blush  flowers,  and  thence  to  deep  purple,  and  in  one  case  a 
slaty  black.  I  do  not  think  that  the  new  varieties  of  Helleborus 
orientalis  are  as  yet  properly  known  to  the  ordinary  lover  of  hardy 
flowers.  This  plant,  like  many  more,  has  been  much  improved  of  late, 
and  named  varieties  reckoned  perfect  a  few  years  ago  are  now  fast 
falling  into  the  background.  No  longer  can  we  think  that  the  name 
of  “  Lenten  Rose  ”  is  almost  a  slur  upon  the  queen  of  flowers.  So 
delicate  are  some  of  these  new  tints,  and  so  beautiful  the  flowers,  that 
they  really  remind  one  of  some  of  our  charming  single  Roses  which 
are  brought  to  us  by  the  midsummer  days  which  are  yet  to  come. 
Not  yet  have  we  lost  the  Crocus,  whose  “triple  tongue  of  flame”  still 
emerges  from  the  glowing  cup  of  beautiful  colouring  which  surrounds 
it.  Many  of  the  species  have  left  us  for  the  year,  but  still  there  shine 
the  flowers  of  tomassinianus,  reticulatus,  Alexandri,  Balansae,  etruscus, 
late  forms  of  Imperati,  and  many  forms  of  vernus,  besides  the  Dutch 
Crocuses  and  several  other  species.  Of  vernus  some  varieties  have 
not  yet  opened,  so  that  one  hopes  to  have  flowers  of  a  favourite  plant 
for  some  time  to  come. 
Then  the  flowers  of  the  Scillas  have  been  with  us  for  a  while,  and 
daily  new  blooms  open  among  the  many  groups  in  the  garden. 
S.  bifolia  .s  here  in  blue,  white,  flesh-coloured,  and  pink  varieties.  All 
are  beautiful,  and  the  several  varieties  are  not  yet  widely  enough 
grown.  They  come  so  early  and  look  so  pretty  that  they  may  claim 
a  wider  constituency  and  more  extended  appreciation  in  our  gardens. 
Beside  these  the  varieties  of  the  more  popular  varieties  of  Scilla 
siberica  look  heavy  and  ungainly,  though  so  tine  in  other  respects  that 
we  must  condone  their  faults  of  this  kind  and  admire  their  habit  and 
their  colouring.  There  are  a  few  shades  to  be  found  in  the  blue  or 
typical  coloured  flowers,  but  the  white  variety  is  a  charming  thing, 
which  is  now  so  wonderfully  cheap  that  it  ought  to  be  more  frequently 
seen.  Mr.  Allen’s  marginata,  with  blue  and  white  flowers,  is  not  yet 
in  commerce.  It  is  so  distinct  that  one  expects  that  it  will  find  for 
itself  an  entrance  into  many  gardens  when  it  is  offered  for  sale. 
Uufortunately  it  is  not  quite  constant  in  its  colouring,  and  occa>ional 
flowers  are  almost  self-blue  for  one  seasob.  The  Glory  of  the  Snow 
has  no  snow  about  it  to  remind  us  of  the  sight  seen  by  Mr.  George 
Maw  when  he  first  saw  it  on  its  native  heights.  Yet  we  can  appreciate 
it,  though  it  has  only  for  a  foil  the  dark  earth  of  the  border  or,  for 
a  setting,  the  green  of  the  lawn  or  the  grassy  slope.  The  greater 
number  of  the  forms  are  here,  and  one  admires  them  all,  though  the 
little  flowers  of  Chionodoxa  nana  look  insignificant  when  they  come — 
and  that  is  yet  in  ihe  future — beside  those  of  gigantea,  Luciliae,  or 
even  sardensis.  When  the  pink  and  the  white  varieties  become 
plentiful  enough  to  plant  by  the  score  we  shall  have  early  spring 
gardens  with  greater  delights  than  we  have  even  now.  The 
Chionoscillas,  too,  have  begun  to  appear  again,  and  give  us  the  pleasure 
of  additional  variety. 
For  a  time  we  have  had  the  pretty  flowers  of  Hyacinthus  azureus, 
and  now  the  Muscaris  begin  to  send  up  those  clustered  heads  which 
resemble  it  so  much.  Perhaps  the  earliest  nere  is  Muscari  Heldreichi, 
which  is  very  beautiful,  with  its  blue  flowers  so  prettily  margined 
with  white.  It  wants,  however,  a  somewhat  stronger  soil  than  it  has 
in  my  garden,  and  I  cannot  grow  it  to  the  same  perfection  as  in  those 
with  a  heavier  compost.  What  a  tangle  the  names  of  these  Grape 
Hyacinths  present !  Nor  is  it  easy  to  prevent  this.  To  compare 
them  properly  they  need  to  be  grown  together,  and  then  they  seed 
among  each  other,  so  that  in  a  few  years  the  confusion  is  worse 
confounded.  Some  few,  however,  are  distinct  enough  to  pick  out 
without  any  trouble,  and  M.  Heldreichi  is  of  these. 
We  ever  welcome  the  Daffodil  with  its  trumpets  or  cups  of  gold  or 
silver.  As  the  spring  time  comes  round  we  look  eagerly  for  the 
opening  of  its  flowers.  The  first  of  the  year  was,  as  usml,  minimus, 
and  it,  again,  was  succeeded  by  the  earliest  varieties  of  pallidus- 
prsecox,  the  unique  cyclamineus  maior  coming  next  to  take  up  the' 
tale  of  beauty.  Then  came  Fenzi  Irene,  with  its  double  or  triple¬ 
headed  stems,  and  showing  the  union  of  the  trumpets  and  the  Tazettas. 
A  few  more  are  open,  and  we  shall  soon  be  in  the  Elysian  fields.. 
Anemones  have  come,  too,  and  we  delight  in  blanda,  a  few  fulgens 
varieties,  and  a  few  plants  of  early  habit  of  coronaria.  A.  apennina  will 
soon  be  here.  There  are  yellow  and  white,  and  crimson  and  purple, 
and  pale  pink  Primroses  ;  there  are  a  few  early  Saxifrages,  late 
Snowdrops,  Adonis  amurensis,  Rhododendron  praecox,  plenty  of 
Spring  Snowflakes,  early  Irises  of  the  reticulata  group,  resplendent  in 
blue  and  gold.  Early  Heaths,  double  Wallflowers,  and  a  few  others 
have  come  to  “  take  the  winds  of  March  with  beauty,”  and  to 
proclaim  the  truth  that  even  in  our  northern  land  the  garden  may 
give  its  rewards  and  joys  to  those  who  love  it. — S.  Arnott. 
- - 
•1  s 
Conifer*. 
( Continued  from  page  212.) 
Pinus  austriaca  is  similar  to  the  last  named,  and  is  said 
to  be  a  variety  of  it.  It  was  introduced  into  this  country  in  1835, 
but  the  Corsican  Pine  was  introduced  in  1759  under  the  name  of 
Pinus  sylvestris  maritima.  The  leaves  are  a  much  darker  green  than 
P.  laricio,  and  is  sometimes  named  the  Black  Pine  of  Austria.  It  is 
perfectly  hardy,  and  one  of  the  best  trees  ol  its  class  tor  planting  in 
exposed  situations  and  for  forming  a  screen  to  more  tender  plant-*.  It 
is  much  used  in  this  district  in  villa  gardens.  Like  many  of  the  Pines 
it  is  not  good  to  transplant,  as  it  makes  small  roots  in  proportion  to 
top  growth,  and  they  are  bare  and  straggly.  They  should  be  frequently 
transplanted,  until  they  are  planted  in  permanent  positions. 
Pinus  Pinaster,  the  Cluster  or  Star  Pine,  so  named  because  the  cones 
are  generally  produced  in  groups  which  point  outward  in  a  star-like 
form.  I  do  not  know  much  about  this  species,  and  do  not  think  it  is 
much  grown  in  this  country,  except  within  the  influence  of  the.  sea, 
where  all  varieties  of  it  are  said  to  grow  better  than  most  plants. 
The  wood  is  soft  and  soon  decays,  but  the  resinous  products,  however, 
are  of  great  value.  I  have  not  been  successful  in  growing  young 
plants  of  this  Pine  in  ordinary  garden  soil.  A  few  years  since  I 
planted  fifty ;  they  all  died  but  four  the  first  season,  and  these  four 
only  survived  a  year. 
Another  Pine  that  I  have  not  succeeded  in  getting  to  grow  is  Pinus 
pinea,  the  Stone  Pine.  It  is  rather  a  tender  species,  and  often  killed 
during  our  Bharp  winters,  and  for  this  reason  is  not  very  common. 
It  is  olten  supplied  by  nurserymen  in  pots.  I  have  planted  out  this 
Pine,  but  they  have  always  died.  It  is  a  favourite  tree  in  warm 
countries,  and  much  thought  of  by  landscape  painters.  In  Italy,  Spain, 
and  Greece,  where  the  tree  is  common,  the  seeds  are  used  for  food,  both 
by  the  poor  and  rich.  They  are  said  to  be  as  sweet  as  Almonds,  but 
partake  slightly  of  a  turpentine  flavour. 
The  Weymouth,  or  white  Pine  (Pinus  Strobus)  began  to  be 
cultivated  in  England  in  the  beginning  of  the  eighteenth  century, 
and  having  been  planted  in  large  numbers  by  Lord  Weymouth  on  his 
estate  in  Wiltshire,  and  having  grown  vigorously,  it  was  called  the 
Weymouth  Pine.  It  has  a  different  appearance  to  most  of  the  Pines; 
the  leaves  are  slender  and  of  a  bluish  green  colour,  which  gives  the 
tree  a  soft  and  delicate  appearance.  This  Pine  has  the  needles  or  leaves 
in  bundles  of  five.  It  is  not  extensively  planted  in  this  country,  but  is 
sometimes  used  for  forming  belts  and  screens ;  it  grows  much  slower, 
however,  than  other  Pines  that  are  used  for  this  purpose.  Its  appearance 
is  quite  distinct  from  other  Pines,  and  may  be  grown  for  ornamental 
purposes,  either  in  the  park  or  pleasure  grounds.  Pinus  Strobus  is 
one  of  the  most  important  of  the  American  timber  trees,  and  is  known 
as  white  Pine.  The  wood  is  soft,  free  from  knots,  easily  wrought,  and 
very  durable  when  exposed  to  the  air  and  sun.  It  is  largely  imported 
into  this  country,  where  it  is  much  used  in  domestic  architecture.  The 
tree  does  not  grow  so  freely  in  its  youDg  state  as  many  of  the  Pines  ; 
in  light  soil  I  have  found  that  many  of  the  trees  turn  a  sickly  yellow, 
and  eventually  die.  There  is  a  dwarf  variety,  nana,  which  grows  to 
the  height  of  from  5  to  10  feet. 
No  more  beautiful  Pine  than  Pinus  insignis  is  grown,  but  it  is 
ill  suited  for  our  inclement  winter  and  spring.  It  grows  well  in  Ireland 
and  at  many  stations  in  England.  I  have  seen  good  specimens  in  the 
south,  but  do  not  think  it  will  thrive  very  well  in  the  north.  This 
spring  I  saw  a  few  young  trees  that  had  been  greatly  injured  by  the 
hard  winter.  The  popular  name  of  this  species  is  “the  Remarkable 
Pine,”  which  was  selected  by  Douglas,  who  introduced  it  in  1833. 
The  leaves  are  slender,  thread  like,  and  soft,  and  often  twisted  like 
those  of  the  Corsican  Pine. — Pinus. 
