flowers

Since the days of Mr. Miller, who, with all his imperfections, has contributed more to the advancement of practical gardening than any individual whatever, our gardens, but more especially our green houses, have received some of their highest ornaments from the introduction of a great number of most beautiful Heaths the present plant, though a native of the Alps and mountainous parts of Germany, is of modern introduction here, what renders it particularly acceptable, is its hardiness and early flowering, its blossoms are formed in the autumn, continue of a pale green colour during the winter, and expand in the spring, flowering as early as March, especially if kept in a green house, or in a common hot bed frame, which is the more usual practice.
It may be propagated by seeds or cuttings, the latter is the most ready way of increasing this and most of the other species of the genus when the cuttings have struck root, they should be planted in a mixture of fresh loam and bog earth, either in the open border, under a wall, or in pots.
The name of herbacea, which Linnaeus has given to this plant, is not very characteristic, but it should be observed, that Linnaeus in this, as in many other instances, has only adopted the name of some older botanist, and it should also be remembered, that in genera, where the species are very numerous, it is no easy matter to give names to all of them that shall be perfectly expressive.
This species does not appear to us to be specifically different from the mediterranea.

This plant grows spontaneously in Virginia and other parts of North America, from whence, as Miller informs us, it was sent by Mr. Banister to Dr. Compton, Lord Bishop of London, in whose curious garden he first saw it growing in the year 1709.
It is figured by Mr. Catesby, in his Natural History of Carolina, among the natural productions of that country, who bestowed on it the name of Meadia, in honour of the late Dr. Mead, a name which Linnaeus has not thought proper to adopt as a generic, though he has as a trivial one.
It flowers the beginning of May, and the seeds ripen in July, soon after which the stalks and leaves decay, so that the roots remain inactive till the following spring.
It is propagated by offsets, which the roots put out freely when they are in a loose moist soil and a shady situation, the best time to remove the roots, and take away the offsets, is in August, after the leaves and stalks are decayed, that they may be fixed well in their new situation before the frost comes on. It may also be propagated by seeds, which the plants generally produce in plenty, these should be sown in autumn, soon after they are ripe, either in a shady moist border, or in pots, which should be placed in the shade, in the spring, the plants will come up, and must then be kept clean from weeds, and, if the season proves dry, they must be frequently refreshed with water nor should they be exposed to the sun, for while the plants are young, they are very impatient of heat, so that I have known great numbers of them destroyed in two or three days, which were growing to the full sun. These young plants should not be transplanted till the leaves are decayed, then they may be carefully taken up and planted in a shady border, where the soil is loose and moist, at about eight inches distance from each other, which will be room enough for them to grow one year, by which time they will be strong enough to produce flowers, so may then be transplanted into some shady borders in the flower garden, where they will appear very ornamental during the continuance of their flowers.

This charming shrub, which is almost perpetually in blossom, and admirably adapted for nosegays, is a native of the south of France, and a constant ornament to our green houses.
Linnaeus has observed, that the flowers, which in the day time are remarkably fragrant, in the night are almost without scent.
It is propagated by sowing the seeds in the spring, either upon a gentle hot bed, or on a warm border of light earth when the plants are come up about two inches high, they should be transplanted either into pots, or into a bed of fresh earth, at about four or five inches distance every way, where they may remain until they have obtained strength enough to plant out for good, which should be either in pots filled with good fresh earth, or in a warm situated border, in which, if the winter is not too severe, they will abide very well, provided they are in a dry soil.

Mr. Miller, in the Sixth Edition of the Abridgment of his Gardeners Dictionary, mentions only four Primulas, exclusive of the Auricula, the two first of which are named erroneously, and of the two last not a syllable is said either as to their place of growth or culture.
The plant here figured, has been introduced pretty generally into the Nursery Gardens in the neighboured of London within these few years Mr. Salisbury informs me, that a variety of this plant with white flowers, brought originally from the Alps of Switzerland, has for many years been cultivated in a garden in Yorkshire.
It is not noticed by Linnaeus Professor Jacquin, in his Flora Austriaca, has figured and described a Primula, which, though not agreeing so minutely as could be wished with the one we have figured, is nevertheless considered by some of the first Botanists in this country as the same species, he gives it the name of villosa, which we adopt, though with us it is so slightly villous as scarcely to deserve that epithet.
It varies in the brilliancy of its colours, flowers in April, and will succeed with the method of culture recommended for the Round Leaved Cyclamen.

The fragrant Jonquil is a native of Spain, flowers in the open ground, about the latter end of April, or beginning of May, and will thrive in almost any soil or situation, but prefers, as most bulbs do, a fresh loamy earth, indeed such a soil is favourable to the growth of most plants, as being exempt from a variety of subterraneous insects, which are apt to infest ground which has been long cultivated.
It is found in the gardens with double flowers.
Our plant accords exactly with the description of Linnaeus, above quoted, but must be carefully distinguished from some others very similar to it.

This species of Iris, inferior to few in point of beauty, is a native of the hilly pastures of Hungary, and flowers in our gardens in the month of May, and beginning of June. It is a hardy perennial, requires no particular treatment, and may be easily propagated by parting its roots in Autumn.

Grows spontaneously in South America, and the West Indies, flowers in our dry stoves early in June, is tolerably hardy, and will thrive even in a common green house, that has a flue to keep out the severe frosts.
It is superior to all its congeners in the brilliancy of its colour, nor are its blossoms so fugacious as many of the other species.
No plant is more easily propagated by cuttings, these Miller recommends to be laid by in a dry place for a fortnight, or three weeks, then to be planted in pots, filled with a mixture of loam and lime rubbish, having some stones laid in the bottom of the pot to drain off the moisture, and afterwards plunged into a gentle hot bed of Tanners bark, to facilitate their rooting, giving them once a week a gentle watering this business to be done the beginning of July.
It is seldom that this plant perfects its seeds in this country Miller relates that it has borne fruit in Chelsea gardens.

This species of Geranium, so strikingly different from all others at present cultivated in our gardens, has been known for several years to the Nursery men in the neighbourhood of London, by the name of acaule, a name we should gladly have retained, had not Professor Murray described it in the 14th edition of Linnaeuss Systema Vegetabilium, under the name of Reichardi, a name he was disposed to give it in compliment to a French gentleman, who first discovered it in the island of Minorca, and introduced it into the gardens of France.
Linnaeus describes many of the Geraniums, as having only five antherae, though several of those he thus describes have to our certain knowledge ten, the five lowermost of which shedding their pollen first, often drop off, and leave the filaments apparently barren but in this species (with us at least) there never are more than five, but betwixt each stamen, there is a broad pointed barren filament or squamula, scarcely to be distinguished by the naked eye.
The usual and best practice is to make a green house plant of this species, though it has been known to remain in the open ground, during a mild winter, unhurt.
It continues to have a succession of blossoms during the greatest part of the summer, and may be propagated either by seed or parting its roots.

This Genus has been called Hemerocallis, in English, Day Lily, from the short duration of its blossoms, but these are not quite so fugacious in this species as in the fulva.
It very rarely happens that Linnaeus, in his specific character of a plant, has recourse to colour, he has however in this instance, but this seems to arise from his considering them rather as varieties, than species. To us they appear to be perfectly distinct, and in addition to several other characters, the flava is distinguished by the fragrance of its blossoms.
This species is an inhabitant of Hungary and Siberia, and consequently bears our climate exceedingly well, it requires a moist soil, and a situation somewhat shady, and is easily propagated by parting its roots in autumn.

A native of Africa, as are most of our shewy Geraniums, is not so tender as many others, and may be propagated very readily from cuttings.
A leaf, having its foot stalk inserted into the disk or middle part of it, or near it, is called by Linnaeus, peltatum, hence the Latin trivial name of this plant. It may be observed, however, that some of the leaves have this character more perfectly than others.
The African Geraniums differ much from the European, in the irregularity of their Petals, but exhibit the character of the Class Monadelphia much better than any of our English ones, having their filaments manifestly united into one body, this species has only 7 filaments bearing antherae, but 3 barren ones may be discovered upon a careful examination, which makes it of the order Decandria.