Rudbeckia Newmanii

Rudbeckia Newmanii with its plentifully produced yellow flowers and dark centres is also of value for town gardening, and this may also be said of Statice Tartarica, which produces dense heads of pinky flowers.

Thalictrum Aquilegifolium

Thalictrum Aquilegifolium, with its large plume-like white flowers, and the variety rubrum, with rosy-pink flowers, have both done well in a London garden for several years. They like good, yellow, dampish loam. Generally, hairy-leaved plants are not suited for planting where dust and soot abound, but exceptions will be found in the Mulleins (Verbascum), quite a number of which are excellent town plants. V. Olympicum and V. Blattaria are perhaps two of the best.

Yuccas are well suited for planting in smoky localities, particularly when soil and site are carefully taken into account. Y. filamentosa, Y. gloriosa, Y. recurva, and Y. Whippleyi are all desirable species.

Amongst ferns few are adapted for planting out of doors in smoky localities. The Royal Fern has, however, done well in Regent's Park for a number of years, and the same may be said of the Male Fern (Lastrea) and the Crisped Hart's Tongue {Scolopendrium vulgare crispum). A specimen of the Hard Fern (Blechnum spicant) brought from Scotland and planted against a stone on a London rockwork looks as healthy and happy as it did ten years ago when transferred from its native wilds.

Bulbous Plants

Several species of Narcissus, Scilla, Chionodoxa and Crocus, when planted in the London parks, not only flower freely, but increase from year to year. The most suitable situation is amongst the grass where the bulbs are not molested and where they quickly get established and increase in quantity. The best Narcissus for wild gardening are Sir Watkin, Pseudo-narcissus, poeticus, and obvallaris. Crocus of all kinds do remarkably well when not disturbed and often increase rapidly. Scilla sibirica, S. amoena, S. campanulata, and Chionodoxa Lucilice have all become established in masses, and annually produce an abundance of flowers where planted on the grass in Regent's Park. Many visitors to the London parks are surprised how well Hyacinths and Tulips thrive in the midst of their smoky surroundings. This is, however, readily accounted for by the total renewal of the bulbs each year and by the care in preparation of the soil in which they are planted. Thorough trenching and manuring is annually engaged in, while the addition of a quantity of fresh lime to each bed or border goes a long way in sweetening the soil and counteracting the deleterious effects of its chemically impure ingredients.

Succulent Plants In A Town Garden. To face page 134.