Hardy Perennials and Old Fashioned Flowers Part 21

high, but it is seldom that it attains a height of more than 8ft. or 9ft. As an ill.u.s.tration (Fig. 46) is given, further description is not needed. I may add that if it is not "laid" by heavy snows, it keeps in good form until the new gra.s.s begins to grow in the following spring.

I find it to do well in light earth, well enriched with stable manure, the soil having a more than ordinary quant.i.ty of sand in it; the position is such as can have a good supply of moisture, being near walks that drain to it. In stiffish loam a strong clump was planted three years ago, but it has never looked healthy. The best positions for it are well-prepared shrubbery borders; there it contrasts finely with the greenery, and receives some protection from the high winds. It may be increased by division of healthy roots, when the gra.s.s is ripe, but it ought not to be cut off.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 46. GYNERIUM ARGENTEUM.

(One-twentieth natural size.)]

The plumes appear in August, and will keep in good condition till the weather changes to a wintry character.

Harpalium Rigidum.

_Syn._ HELIANTHUS RIGIDUS--RIGID SUNFLOWER; _Nat.

Ord._ COMPOSITae.

One of the most effective and beautiful flowers to be seen in autumn; it would be hard to mention another at any period of the year that gives more satisfaction and pleasure than this does, either as a decorative plant or a cut flower. A bold specimen, 4ft. through, is truly fine, and not only those who seldom visit a garden, but amateurs well versed in flowers, are alike charmed with its rich and stately blossoms. Most people know what a Sunflower is; many of them are coa.r.s.e and almost ugly; but though the present subject is of the family, it is supremely distinct; it is without the formal character in its ray, and also the herby leafiness of many of its genus, its large, clean, shining, golden flowers, mounted on slender, ruddy, long, and nearly nude stalks, not only render it distinct, but impart an elegance to this species, which is all its own. It grows 4ft. high, is a comparatively new kind in English gardens, and comes from North America; still, it has become widely known and appreciated, in fact a universal favourite, so much so that, although it increases fast, the demand for it is not yet satisfied; it is, doubtless, a flower for every garden.

The flowers are 4in. across, glistening golden yellow, and formed of a deep ray and small disk; the florets of the ray are 1in. long and more than in. broad, they are incurved at their points, but reflexed at their edges, and are handsomely ribbed or pleated; they are arranged in two or three rays in each flower, and irregularly disposed; the florets, being well apart, not only seem to give the bloom body, but also an artistic informality and lightness. The florets of the disk are chocolate colour, whence issue twirled filamentary forms, which impart to the centre of flower the appearance of being netted with a golden thread. The scaly involucre is formed of numerous small members of a dark olive-green colour, neatly arranged and firmly clasping the whole flower. The pedicels are long, round, covered with short stiff hairs, and thickened at the involucre; the stems are very rough, rigid, hard, and brown or ruddy on the sunny side, sometimes twisted and nude, with the exception of a solitary rudimentary leaf. The main stems have many axillary branches. The leaves of the root are few, 5in. or 6in. long, and oval. Those of the stems more lance-shaped, sessile, and slightly dentate, or toothed, lessening in size as they get higher; all the leaves are very thick, three-veined, and remarkably hispid, being almost as coa.r.s.e as sandpaper to the touch. I have also observed another peculiarity about the leaves, when they have been taken from the plant for an hour or more, _i.e._, they have a most elastic property. Very often the leaves may be seen in trios, whence spring three side branches, surrounding the upright and central one. The habit of the whole specimen is very rigid, with the exception of the flowers, which are slightly nodding; the tallest growths need no stakes, and the species enjoys a happy immunity from insect pests, probably by reason of its hispid character. As already stated, as a garden subject this is one of the most useful; it shows grandly in front of evergreens, and a.s.sociates well with lilies. In borders of tall perennials, or in conspicuous but distant situations, such as are visible from the doors or windows of the house, or as isolated clumps, on or near the lawn, this fine Sunflower may be planted with satisfactory results; in fact, it cannot be planted wrong, provided it is kept away from small subjects. In a cut state it is of such value that it cannot be overpraised--a branch with four fully blown flowers and others nearly out, requires no a.s.sistance as a table decoration. Its blooms have the quality of keeping clean, doubtless from the smoothness of the florets.

The cultural requirements are few. Any garden soil will do for it, but if deeply dug and well enriched with stable manure, so much the better; it should have a fairly open situation; it is not only a Sunflower in name and form, but it enjoys sunshine. It is self-propagating, and runs freely at the roots, immediately under the surface; the thick stolons form k.n.o.bby crowns at their extremities, out of and from under which the roots issue, going straight and deep down, and so forming an independent plant.

Flowering period, August and September.

Hedera Conglomerata.

CONGLOMERATE IVY; _Nat. Ord._ ARALIACae.

I do not introduce this as a flowering subject, but as a dwarf ornamental shrub; it differs so much from all other species and varieties of Ivy, and is so beautiful withal, that I trust no further apology is needed for giving it a place amongst decorative plants and shrubs. I have not been able to learn its habitat or origin; its stunted tree-like shape, together with other peculiarities, would indicate that it is a species; be that as it may, it has long had a place in English gardens, and yet it is seldom met with--it would be hard to explain why.

On a bit of rockwork I have grown a specimen for nearly five years, and it was an old shrub when planted, yet it is not more than 2ft. in diameter and 1ft. high. It is much admired, and many notes have been taken of it. For rockwork, it is one of the best dwarf evergreen shrubs I know.

It has very small leaves, densely arranged in flat or one-sided wreaths.

They seldom exceed 1in. in diameter, and are of various forms, as heart-shaped, sagittate, oval, tri-lobed, and so on. Some are notched, others slightly toothed, but many are entire. All are waved or contorted, wrinkled and thickened at the edges, where the younger leaves show a brown line; the under sides are pale green, and furnished with short stiff brown hairs, as also are the stout leaf stalks. The upper side of the foliage is a dark glossy green, with shadings of brown. In substance the leaves are leathery, inclining to stiffness. The stunted branches have a cork-like appearance as regards the bark, are diffuse, curiously bent, and sometimes twisted loosely together. It is of slow growth, more especially in the upward direction, and though provision may be made for it to cling and climb, and it has also well-formed roots on the branchlets, still, it a.s.sumes more the tree-shape. I never saw or heard of its flowering, much less that it ever produced seed; if it does not seed we are not only deprived of an ornamental feature belonging to the genus from the absence of berries, but it proves that it is only a variety of some species.

It may be grown in any kind of sandy soil, and nothing special whatever is needed. An open sunny situation will favour its form and colour of foliage; under trees I have found it to produce larger leaves of plainer shape and more even colour. During the winter it becomes a conspicuous object on rockwork, where it seems most at home. It may be propagated by cuttings, and spring is a suitable season to lay them in; in well dug light soil they soon make plenty of roots.

Helianthus Multiflorus.

MANY-FLOWERED SUNFLOWER; _Nat. Ord._ COMPOSITae.

This fashionable flower is glaringly showy. Still, it is not wanting in beauty; moreover, it belongs to an "old-fashioned" cla.s.s, and is itself a species which has been grown for nearly 300 years in English gardens.

It was brought from North America in the year 1597, and during the whole of its history in this country, it can hardly ever have been more esteemed than it is to-day; it is very hardy, and in every way a reliable subject. Everybody knows the Sunflower, therefore no one will care to read a description of it; still, one or two remarks may, perhaps, be usefully made in the comparative sense, as this is a numerous genus. Many of the Sunflowers are annuals, to which this and others of a perennial character are much superior, not only in being less trouble and not liable to be out of season from mismanagement in sowing and planting, as with the annual sorts, but from the fact that their flowers are of better substance and far more durable; they are also less in size and more in number--two points of great gain as regards their usefulness as cut bloom. They are, besides, better coloured, and the flowering season more prolonged. Well-established specimens, two or three years old, will, in average weather, last in good form for fully six weeks. The colour (yellow) is common to the Sunflowers. This species has flowers which vary much in size, from 2in.

to 6in. across, and they are produced on stems 3ft. to 6ft. high, well furnished with large heart-shaped leaves of a herb-like character, distinctly nerved, toothed, and rough.

Flowering period, August and September.

_H. m. fl.-pl._ is, of course, the double form of the above, the disk being represented by a ma.s.s of florets considerably shorter than those of the ray proper. The flowers are not produced in such large numbers as with the typical form, neither does the plant grow so tall, but the foliage is a little larger; these const.i.tute all the points of difference which I have noticed. These forms of Sunflower are very effective--nowhere, perhaps, so much as amongst shrubs. The plants lift well, carrying a good ball that facilitates their being placed in pots even when in bloom, when, as I have lately seen, they may be used in a most telling manner with potted shrubs in large halls, corridors, and public buildings. In such places they get no sun to make them droop, and a good watering keeps them as fresh as if they had not been disturbed.

Of the usefulness of this flower in a cut state nothing whatever need be said--who has not tried it? Doubtless, when it becomes unfashionable it will have fewer patrons, but it will be the same flower, richly beautiful--aesthetic. No special culture is needed, any kind of garden soil will suit it; if well enriched, all the better. Any situation will do but one too densely shaded. Propagated by splitting the roots after the plants have done flowering, or in spring.

Flowering period, August and September.

Helianthus Orygalis.

GRACEFUL SUNFLOWER; _Nat. Ord._ COMPOSITae.

Yet another Sunflower, and one, too, of the common yellow colour, and not otherwise attractive, as may be seen by the ill.u.s.tration (Fig.

47)--of course, I am now referring to the flower only. There are, however, features about this species which all must admire; stems 7ft.

high, furnished with bright foliage, in the manner indicated, are not mean objects, even if topped with but a common yellow composite. This is a native of North America, and of recent introduction; it is a distinct species, and for foliage a prince among its fellows. I know not another to nearly approach it, _H. angustifolius_ being perhaps the nearest, but that species has never with me proved of more than a biennial character, and its leaves, though long and narrow, are irregular and herby.

The flowers need not be further described beyond saying that they are borne on short side shoots, near the top of the main stems, but they harmonise with the general arrangement of foliage, and, indeed, from their bract-like leafiness, somewhat enrich it. This is one of the latest-blooming Sunflowers. The leaves are 5in. to 8in. long, and in.

to 1in. wide, the lower half on the stems droop, though they are of good substance; the upper half bend gracefully, and, from their close arrangement, all but hide the stem. At the axils of the larger leaves, tufts of smaller (much smaller) leaves appear, causing the long stems to be top-heavy. Still, they wave and bend during the strongest winds without supports or damage. It will be seen that the usefulness of this plant consists in its distinct form and tallness, and that it is effective is without doubt. Among low shrubs, or with other tall things, will prove suitable quarters for it.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 47. HELIANTHUS ORYGALIS.

(One-eighth natural size; flower, one-fourth natural size.)]

Any kind of soil will do, shelter from the wind being the most important, and perhaps the only point to study when planting. It is propagated by root divisions when the tops have withered.

Flowering period, September and October.

h.e.l.leborus Abchasicus.

ABCHASIAN h.e.l.lEBORE; _Nat. Ord._ RANUNCULACEae.

This is a native of the Caucasus, and in this climate, where it has been cultivated about fifteen years, it retains its foliage through the winter in a green state. It is a free grower, and flowers well, having a somewhat slender habit. It is sometimes described as having green flowers, but more often as having purple ones. It may be useful to remember that there are varieties, and it is likely that, even in the so-called green flowers, traces of purple will be seen. Not only is it a fact that this species, like _H. purpurascens_ and _H. niger_, is far from fixed as regards depth of colour, but it is said to be one of the parent forms of some of the fine hybrids. These considerations may help to reconcile the apparently conflicting descriptions as regards bloom colour.

The flower stems are 12in. to 18in. high, distantly forked twice, and of a purplish colour. The flowers are produced in threes and fours on each of the branchlets, are inclined to purple, over 2in. across, and nodding; sepals oval, waved, and set well apart at the outer ends; petals scale-like, green, and numerous; anthers a beautiful delicate yellow; leaves of the flower stems few, small, and of irregular form, notched, finely serrate, and of a purplish-green shade; in their young state more especially does the purple prevail on the under surface--they are, in fact, nearly the colour of the flowers. The radical leaves are many, nearly a foot in diameter, of a dark green colour, and leathery substance; the leaflets are rather distant from each other, forming a n.o.ble pedate leaf; they are somewhat one-sided, slightly waved, sharply and regularly toothed nearly all their length. From this description it will be inferred that this is one of the most distinct species, and such is truly the case. Moreover, it has a bold and rich effect. The older radical foliage, with its long stalks, is for the most part spread on the ground, when the new erect flower stems, furnished with small leaves and nodding buds and blossoms, all of a shining purplish colour, form a peculiar but pleasing contrast, not nearly so marked in any other species with which I am acquainted. There is a variety called _H. A.

purpureus_, in allusion to the colour of the flowers being a little more purple.

This Abchasian species and its varieties are not widely distributed; they are to be obtained, and need no longer be found only in rare collections. It is desirable in every way for the garden, where it forms a most ornamental object during winter. Its flowers last for four or five weeks, and in a cut state they form rich companion bloom to the white Christmas Rose.