Nzconana Sanderae' half-hardy, 2 to 3 ft, white, crimson, scarlet, &c »

Nigella hzspamca: hardy, 1% ft., pale blue, white or dark purple. Oenothera odorata hardy, 2 to 3 ft., yellow; frazigrant. Omphalodes hmfolza (Venus's Navelwort). har y, 1 ft., white. Papaver Rhoeas jlore-pleno: hardy, 2 ft., scarlet and other colours; showy.

Papaver sommferum jioreflenoz hardy, 3 ft., white, lilac, rose, &c., petals sometimes fringe .

ietuma molacea hybnda° half-hardy, I% ft., various colours; sow in eat

Pharbms hzspzda: hardy, 6 ft, various; the many-coloured twining Convolvulus ma or

Phlox Drummondu llalf-hardy, 1 ft, various colours. d Platystemon califormcus hardy, 1 ft, sulphur yellow; neat and istinct

Portulaca splendens. half-hardy, 6 in., crimson, rose, yellow, white, &c, single and double; splendid prostrate plants for sunny rockwork. Pyrethrum Parthemum aureum: half-hardy, I ft.; grown for its golden foliage, and much used for bedding. Reseda odorata (Mignonette): hardy, I ft., greenish, but exquisitely fragrant; there are some choice new sorts Rhodanthe maculata: half-hardy, 1% ft, rosy-pink or white; larger flower-heads than the next.

Rhodanthe Manglesu: half-hardy, I ft, rosy-pink; a drooping everlasting

Salpzgtosszs smuata' half-hardy, 2 to 3 ft, yellow, purple, crimson, &c, much varied and beautifully veined.

Sanmtaha procumbens jhrre-pleno half-hardy, 6 in, golden yellow; pro cum bent.

Saponana calabnca: hardy, 6 to 8 in, bright rose pink or white; continuous blooming, compact-growing. »

& Scabzosa atropur1>urea° hardy, 1 to 2 ft, rose, white, lilac, crimson, c

Schzzanthus pinnalus- hardy, I to 2 ft, purple-lilac, prettily blotched; curiously lobed flowers.

Sclnzopetalon Walken hardy, I ft, white, sweet-scented at night; curiously fringed petals

Seneczo ele ans. half-hardy, 1% ft, white, rose or purple; the various doubli forms are showy.

Szlene pendula hardy, I ft, bright rose pink; very showy in masses, var compacta forms close dense tufts Szlene Pseudo-Atoczon hardy, 1 ft., rose pink; free-flowering Speculana Speculum hardy, 6 in, reddish-violet; free-flowering Sphenogyne spec1osa° half-hardy, 1 ft, orange-yellow, with black ring around the disk.

Statue Bonduellz (Sea Lavender) half-hardy, 1% ft., yellow S Lzmonum' bluish purple.

S sznuata white, blue, yellow

S. Suworou/1 lilac.

Tagetes szgnala: half-hardy, 1% ft, golden yellow; continuous blooming, with elegant folia e. The French and African marigolds, favourites of some, are alliecl to this

Tropaeolum aduncum (Canary creeper) half-hardy, 10 ft, yellow, fringed; an elegant climber

Tropaeolum majus (the nasturtnim of gardens)' hard . There are two races, dwarf and tall, various shades of red and yellow Waztzza aurea half-hardy, 1% ft, golden yellow;- a showy everlasting

X eranthemum annuum flore-pleno: hardy, 2 ft, lilac-purple; odoriferous

Zmma elegans half-hardy, I to 2 ft, various colours HARDY BIENNIALS*Bl¢I1I'1i3lS live through one winter They require to be sown in the summer months, about June or July, in order to get established before winter; they should be pricked out as soon as large enough, and should have am le space so as to become hardy and stocky. hey should be plantedp in ood soil, but not of too stimulating a character Those that are perfectly hardy are best planted where they are to flower in good time during autumn. This transplanting acts as a kind of check, which is rather beneficial than otherwise Of those that are liable to suffer injury in winter as the Brompton and Queen Stocks, a portion should be potted and wmtered in cold frames ventilated as freely as the weather will permit

The number of biennials is not large, but a few very desirable garden plants, such as the following, occur amongst them '-Agrostemma coronana (Rose Campion)' hardy, 1% ft, bright rose purglc or rose and white

Beta ula vanegata hardy, 2 ft, beautifully coloured leaves and mldribs, crimson, olden &

period.

c

Campanula Muium (Canterbury Bell): hardy, 2 ft., blue, white, rose. &c The double-flowered varieties of various colours are very handsome

Campanula Medium catywnthemzr hardy, 2 ft, blue or white; hose-in-hose flowered

Catananche coerulea: hardy, 2 to 3 ft, blue or white Celsuz cretzra hardy. 4 to 5 ft, yellow, with two dark spots near centre, in spikes

Cheiranthus Chan (Wallflower) hardy, 1% to 2 ft, red, purple, yellvw, &C . really a perennial but better as a biennial Coreopszs irandzjloraz hardy, 2 to 3 ft, bright yellow; member of the genus.

Dzanthus barbatus (Sweet William). hardy, I to 1% ft., crimson, purple, white or parti-coloured.

Dzanthus chmenszs (Indian Pink): half-hardy, I ft., flower earlier if treated as biennials; must be protected fr Dzgztalzs purpurea (Foxglove): hardy, 3 to 5 ft., rosy-purple or white; beautifully spotted; the variety called gloxzmoides has regular, erect flowers.

Echzum pompomum: hardy, 4 ft, rosy-pink

Hedysarum coronarzum (French Honeysuckle) hardy, scarlet or white; fragrant.

Hespens mms (N ight-scented Rocket) hardy, 3 ft, dull purplish, fragrant at night.

Lunana bzenms (Honesty) hardy, 2 to 3 ft, purple; the silvery dissepiment attractive among everlastings Matthzola mcana (two groups, the Brompton and the Queen stocks): hardy, 2 to 2% ft, white, red and purple. Meconopsas. Charming members of the poppy family, of which M. aculeala, purple; M. grandm, pur le; M. heterophylla, coppery orange; M. nepalenszs, golden yelllow; M. mtegnfolza, yellow, M. szmplzczfolza, violet purple, are grown with care in sheltered spots, and in rich, very gritty soil.

Mzchauxza campanulmdes, a remarkable bell flower, il to 8 ft. high, white tinged purple. Requires rich loam in warm she tered spots. Oenothera fnenms and 0. Lamarckzana (Evening primrose) hardy, 5 ft., bright yellow; large.

Scabiosa caucaszca: hardy, 3 ft, blue, white Szlene compacta: half-hardy, 3 to 6 inches, bright pink; clustered as in S Armeria.

Verbascum Blat/iana. hardy, 3 to 4 ft, yellowish, with purple hairs on the filaments; in tall spikes

HARDY HERBACEOUS PERENNIALS.-This term includes not only those fibrous-rooted plants of herbaceous habit which spring up from the root year after year, but also those old-fashioned subjects nown as florists' flowers, and the hardy bulbs Some of the most beautiful of hardy flowering plants belong to this class. When the length of the flowering season is considered, it will be obvious that it is impossible to keep up the show of a single border or plot for six months together, since plants, as they are commonly arranged, come dropping into and out o flower one after another; and even where a certain number are in bloom at the same time, the necessarily stand apart, and so the effects of contrast, which can be perceived only among adjacent objects, are lost To obviate this defect, it has been recommended that ornamental plants should be formed into four or five separate suites of flowering, to be distributed over the garden. Not to mention the more vernal flowers, the first might contain the flora of May; the second that of June- the third that of July; and the fourth that of August and the following months. These compartments should be so intermingled that no particular class may be entirely absent from any one quarter of the arden. Before beginning to plant, it would be wei to construct tables or lists of the plants, specifying their respective times of flowering, colours and heights. To diversify properly and mingle well together the reds, whites, purples, yellows and blues, with all their intervening shades, requires considerable taste and powers of combination; and ascertained failures may be rectified at the proper time the next season. The one great object aimed at shou d be to present an agreeable contrast-a floral picture; and, as at particular seasons a monotony of tint prevails it is useful at such times to be in possession of some stron glaring colours. White, for instance, should be much employed in ful, to break the duller blues and lpurples which then preponderate. grange, too, is very effective at t is season. On the other hand, ellows are superabundant in autumn, and therefore reds and blues sll/ould then be sought for The flower-gardener should have a small nursery, or reserve garden, for the propagation of the finer plants, to be transferred into the borders as often as is required. As a rule, all the fibrous-rooted herbaceous plants flourish in good soil which has been fairly enriched with manure, that of a loamy character being the most suitable Many of them also grow satisfactorily in a peaty soil if well worked, especially if they have a cool moist subsoil Pentstemons and phloxes, amongst others, succeed well in soil of this character, but the surface must be well drained, the former are rather apt to perish in winter in loamy soil, if at all close and heavy The herbaceous border should be a distinct compartment varying from 6 to 10 ft. in width, and perhaps backed up by evergreens under certain conditions. Such a border will take in about our lines *of plants, the tallest being placed in glroups at the back and in the centre, and the others graduated in heig t down to the front. In the front row patches of the white arabis, the yellow alyssum, white, yellow, blue, or purple violas, and the purple aubrietia, recurring at intervals of 5 or 6 yards on a border of considerable length, carry the eye forwards and give a balanced kind of finish to the whole. The same might be done with dianthuses or the larger narcissi in the seco nd row, with paeonies, columbines and phloxes in the third, and with delphiniums, aconitums and some of the taller yellow composites as helianthus and rudbeckia at the back. Spring and autumn flowers, as well as those blooming in summer, should be regularly distributed throughout the border, which will then at no season be devoid of interest in any part Many of the little alpines may be brought into the finest

various,

om frost

2to3ft,