Hardy Perennials and Old Fashioned Flowers Part 9

Campanula Persicifolia.

PEACH-LEAVED BELLFLOWER; _Old Common Names_, "PEACH-BELS" _and_ "STEEPLE-BELS"; _Nat. Ord._ CAMPANULACEae.

This good "old-fashioned" perennial has had a place in English gardens for several hundred years; it is still justly and highly esteemed. It is a well-known plant, and as the specific name is descriptive of the leaves, I will only add a few words of Gerarde's respecting the flowers: "Alongst the stalke growe many flowers like bels, sometime white, and for the most part, of a faire blewe colour; but the bels are nothing so deepe as they of the other kindes, and these also are more delated and spred abroade then any of the reste." The varieties include single blue (type) and white, double blue, and different forms of double white.

In all cases the corolla is cup or broad bell shaped, and the flowers are sparingly produced on slightly foliaged stems, 18in. to 3ft. high; there are, however, such marked distinctions belonging to _C. p. alba fl.-pl._ in two forms that they deserve special notice; they are very desirable flowers, on the score of both quaintness and beauty. I will first notice the kind with two corollas, the inner bell of which will be more than an inch deep, and about the same in diameter. The outer corolla is much shorter, crumpled, rolled back, and somewhat marked with green, as if intermediate in its nature between the larger corolla and the calyx. The whole flower has a droll but pleasing form, and I have heard it not inaptly called "Grandmother's Frilled Cap." The other kind has five or more corollas, which are neatly arranged, each growing less as they approach the centre. In all, the segments are but slightly divided, though neatly formed; this flower is of the purest white and very beautiful, resembling a small double rose. It is one of the best flowers to be found at its season in the borders, and for cutting purposes I know none to surpa.s.s it; it is clean and durable. So much are the flowers esteemed, that the plant is often grown in pots for forcing and conservatory decoration, to which treatment it takes kindly.

In the open all the above varieties grow freely in any kind of garden soil, but if transplanted in the autumn into newly-dug quarters they will in every way prove more satisfactory; this is not necessary, but if cultivation means anything, it means we should adopt the best-known methods of treatment towards all the plants we grow, and certainly some of the above Bellflowers are deserving of all the care that flowers are worth.

Flowering period, July to September.

Campanula Pyramidalis.

PYRAMIDAL _or_ CHIMNEY CAMPANULA; _Nat. Ord._ CAMPANULACEae.

This herbaceous perennial is a very old flower in this country; it came from Carniola in the year 1594. It is very hardy, and for several months together it continues to produce its large lively blue flowers, beginning in July and lasting until stopped by frosts. At no time is it in finer form than in September; at the height of from 5ft. to 7ft. it proves richly effective amongst the blooming hollyhocks, where, as regards colour, it supplies the "missing link" (see Fig. 23).

The flowers are a light bright blue colour, and 1in. to 1in. across.

The corolla is bell-shaped, the five divisions being deeply cut, which allows the flower to expand well; the calyx is neat and smooth, the segments long and awl-shaped; the flower stalks are short, causing the numerous erect branches to be closely furnished with bloom during favourable weather. The leaves of the root are very large and stalked, of irregular shape, but for the most part broadly oval or lance-shaped.

The edges are slightly toothed, having minute glands; those of the stems are much smaller, sessile, and long egg-shaped; all the foliage is smooth, and of a dark green colour; the main stems are very stout, and sometimes grow to the height of 7ft. Vigorous plants will send up several of these, from which a great number of small ones issue, all a.s.suming an erect habit; blooming specimens are hardly anything else than a wand-like set of flowered stems, and though it is advisable to stake them, I have seen them bend and wave during high winds without damage.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 23. CAMPANULA PYRAMIDALIS.

(One-twentieth natural size; _a_, one-half natural size.)]

In the borders and shrubbery this is a very effective subject; it is amongst herbaceous plants what the Lombardy poplar is amongst forest trees--tall, elegant, and distinct. Its use, however, is somewhat limited, owing to the stiffness of the stems and the shortness of the flower stalks; but when grown in pots--as it often is--for indoor decoration, it proves useful for standing amongst orange and camellia trees. It has very strong tap roots, and enjoys a deep rich loam. Not only does it look well among trees, but otherwise the partial shade of such quarters seems conducive to finer bloom.

Flowering period, July to October.

_C. p. alba_ is a white flowering variety of the above species; its other points of distinction are its smaller-sized leaves and much paler green colour, by which alone the plants may be easily recognised from the type. This variety may be grown with good effect in pots or the border; it scarcely gets so tall as the blue form, but looks well by the side of it.

The readiest way to increase these plants is to take the young and dwarf growths from the woody crown of the roots, paring off a little of the bark with each. If these are put in sandy loam during the warm growing season and kept shaded for a few days, they will very soon make plenty of roots; this method in no way damages the flowers. Another way is by seed, but seedlings are two years before they bloom.

Campanula Speciosa.

SHOWY HAREBELL; _Nat. Ord._ CAMPANULACEae.

A comparatively new species, brought from Siberia in 1825, and sometimes called _C. glomerata dahurica_. It is a good hardy plant, perennial and herbaceous, and one of the earliest to flower. It has a distinct appearance; it nearly resembles _C. aggregata_, but the latter does not flower until several weeks later. Apart from its likeness to other species of the genus, it is a first-cla.s.s border flower, having large bells of a fine deep purple colour, and, unlike many of the Harebells, is not over tall, but usually about a foot high, having a neat habit.

The flowers are arranged in dense heads, whorl fashion, having very short stalks; they are nearly 2in. long and bell shaped. The leaves (radical) are oval heart-shaped and stalked; those of the stems are sessile; the whole plant is hairy and robust. This is one of the flowers which can hardly be planted out of place in any garden, excepting amongst the rare and very dwarf alpines; it is not only true to its name, "showy," but handsome. It will grow and flower well in the worst soil and needs no sort of care; it would be fine in lines by a shrubbery, and is effective in bold clumps; and though a new kind, it belongs to a race of "old-fashioned" flowers, amongst which it would mix appropriately. Increased by division in autumn.

Flowering period, June and July.

Campanula Waldsteiniana.

_Nat. Ord._ CAMPANULACEae.

A rare and distinct alpine species from Carinthia. It proves perfectly hardy in this climate. For the rock garden it is a gem of the first water, its habit being dwarf, dense, and rigid; floriferous as many of the Bellflowers are, I know none to excel this one. As may be observed in the following description, there are not a few distinctive traits about it, which, more or less, go to make it a desirable subject for rare and choice collections.

The flowers are a glistening bluish-lilac, erect, and in. across when fully expanded. The corolla can hardly be said to be bell-shaped, as the five divisions are two-thirds of its depth, which allows it, when full blown, to become nearly flat, and as the segments are equal, sharply cut, and pointed, the flower has a star-like appearance. The little calyx is cup-shaped, angular, and has small, stout, horn-like segments, which are bent downwards. Each flower has a pedicel about 1in. long, which springs from the axils of the main stem leaves; the stems seldom exceed the height of 4in. or 5in., and they are exceedingly fine, thready, as also are the pedicels; they are, moreover, of zigzag form, from node to node. The leaves are in. long, and less than in. wide, ovate or nearly cordate, partially folded, and sometimes reflexed at the ends, nearly stalkless, slightly toothed, smooth, of good substance and a peculiar grey-green colour. The foliage for two or three weeks is completely hidden by the large number of flowers, during which time it is a most attractive subject.

I grow it with other dwarf Campanulas in a collection bed, where it compares well with the finest, such as _C. pulla_, _C. muralis_, and _C.

Zoysii_, for effectiveness. Having proved it to thrive well in light sandy soil of a vegetable character, I have not tried it otherwise; it enjoys a sunny situation. The site should be well drained; it will endure nothing like stagnant moisture--its peculiar roots would indicate this fact, they are not only tender and fleshy, but thick and of a pith-like nature, and, as I have never been able to gather any seed, and the propagation has to be carried out by root division, there requires to be a careful manipulation of these parts, for not only do they split and break with the least strain, but when so mutilated they are very liable to rot. I have found it by far the better plan to divide this plant after it has begun to grow in March or April, when its fine shining black shoots, which resemble horse hairs in appearance, are about in. high. Slugs are fond of this plant; a dressing once a week of sand and soot, when it begins to grow, will keep them off.

Flowering period, July and August.

Centaurea Montana.

MOUNTAIN KNAPWEED; _Nat. Ord._ COMPOSITae.

This is an "old-fashioned" and favourite flower. Every one must be familiar with its thistle-like formed flowers; it is sometimes called the large or perennial Cornflower and also the Large Bluebottle. The blue variety has been grown in English gardens since 1596. There are now white and pink coloured varieties, all rampant growers, very hardy and perennial. They are in every way superior to the annual kind, which is so largely grown, the flowers being more than twice the size, and produced two months earlier; the blooming period is maintained until late autumn.

The flowers, as before hinted, are thistle-shaped; the pericline or k.n.o.b just under the florets is cone-shaped, covered with evenly set and pointed scales, green, edged with a brown margin, set round with short bristle-like teeth. The florets of the outer ring are 1in. long, tubular half their length, the wider portion being five to seven cut; the centre florets are short and irregular, richly tinted with pink at their bases; the whole flower or ray, when expanded, is 3in. across.

They are produced on stems over 2ft. long and of a somewhat proc.u.mbent habit, angular and branched near the tops; the leaves are 3in. to 6in.

long, lance-shaped, entire and decurrent, giving the stems a winged appearance. They are of a greyish colour--nappy--whence the name Knapweed.

This vigorous species, with its white and pink varieties, may be grown in any kind of soil. It requires plenty of room; a two-year-old plant will form a specimen a yard in diameter under favourable conditions. The effect is good when all the three colours are grown near each other in bold pieces. They yield an unfailing supply of flowers, which are of a very useful type; in fact, the more they are cut the more they seem to bloom, and it is a good plan to cut short half the stems about June.

They will (in a week or two) produce new shoots and large flowers in abundance, the gain being flowers of extra size during autumn.

Propagated by division of the roots any time.

Flowering period, June to September.

Centranthus Ruber.

_Syn._ VALERIANA RUBER--RED VALERIAN; _Nat. Ord._ VALERIANACEae.