to insure a vigorous plant before the season of flowering. The best
time for sowing is February, or the beginning of March; for although
some kinds may with advantage be sown earlier, it is safer, as a rule,
to wait for sunshine and full daylight, so as to keep up a steady and
continuous growth. The soil for the seed-pans should be rich and fine.
Good loam, improved by the addition of thoroughly decayed manure and
leaf-mould, with sufficient sand to render the texture porous, will
suit all kinds of annuals that are sown in pans under glass. Sow the
seed thinly, cover very slightly, and lay squares of glass over to keep
a uniform degree of moisture without the necessity of watering. Should
watering become necessary, take care to avoid washing the seeds out. If
the pans or pots are stood in a vessel containing several inches depth
of water until sufficient has been absorbed, there will be no occasion
to pour water on the surface. A gentle heat is to be preferred; when
germination is too rapid it tends to the production of weak plants. As
soon as the young plants appear, remove the glasses and place the
seed-pans in the fullest light, where air can be given without danger
to them. A dry east wind blowing fiercely over them will prove a blast
of death. If they have no air at all, they will be puny, rickety
things, scarcely worth planting out. Choice varieties should be
carefully pricked out into pans and pots as soon as large enough; this
will promote a fine, stocky growth and a splendid development of
flowers. Take care not to plant out until the weather is favourable,
for any great check will undo all your work, and make starvelings of
your nurslings. If you cannot command heat for half-hardy annuals, sow
in the first week in April, put the pans in a frame facing south, and
the seeds will soon grow and do well. If that is too much trouble, sow
in the open border early in May, making the border rich and friable,
that they may have a good chance from the first.
Tender Annuals.—These require the same general treatment as advised for
half-hardy annuals. But it is desirable to sow in a stronger heat than
is necessary for annuals that are to be planted out. It is also
requisite to be in good time in pricking out the seedlings, for if they
get much drawn they cannot make robust pot plants. A light, rich,
perfectly sweet soil, containing a fair proportion of sharp sand, is
necessary to insure plants worth having. It is also important to get
them into separate small pots as soon as possible, and to shift them on
to larger and larger pots, until they have sufficient pot room for
flowering, after which shift no more. As soon as these pots are filled
with roots, give very weak manure water constantly until the plants are
in flower, and then discontinue it, using instead pure soft water only.
Hardy Biennials and Perennials.—These are often sown in pans or boxes,
and are pricked off when large enough into other pans or pots before
they are transferred to beds or borders. The system has certain
advantages in insuring safety from vermin and proper attention, for it
is an unfortunate fact that too many cultivators consider it needless
to thin or transplant sowings made in beds or borders. The plants are
frequently allowed to struggle for existence, and the result is feeble
attenuated specimens which, with trifling care and attention, might
have become robust and capable of producing a bountiful bloom in their
season. Still, it should be clearly understood that all the hardy
biennials and perennials may be grown to perfection by sowing on a
suitable seed-bed in the open ground, protecting the spot from
marauders of all kinds, and by early and fearless thinning or
transplanting. As a rule, we advocate one shift before placing the
plants in final positions.
ABUTILON
Half-hardy greenhouse perennial
Handsome plants, two feet or more in height, can be produced from seed
and flowered in a single season. They are useful for training to
greenhouse walls, and they may also be transferred to open borders for
the summer. When employed for the latter purpose, the plants should be
lifted and put into pots about the end of August, after there has been
a penetrating shower. In the absence of rain a soaking of water on the
previous day will prevent the soil from falling away from the roots.
February and March are the right months for sowing seed, and for the
pots any fairly light compost will answer. Prick off the seedlings when
about an inch high, putting the plants in down to the seed-leaves. They
must never be allowed to suffer for want of water, nor should they be
starved in small pots. The growth had better not be hurried at any
stage; the plants will then develop into shapely specimens with very
little care.
ACHIMENES
Greenhouse or stove perennials
Although Achimenes can be propagated by division of the tubers, the
simpler method of raising a supply from seed has become a common
practice. During March or April sow in pots or pans, and while quite
small transfer the seedlings to separate pots. It is important to
insure free drainage, especially as frequent watering is a necessity
while the plants are in active growth. Achimenes are generally kept in
a high temperature; but they do not really need so much heat as
Gloxinias, and in a warm greenhouse they can be flowered without the
least difficulty. This is one of the finest subjects for growing in
hanging-baskets.
ALONSOA
These popular half-hardy flowers are not only valuable for a summer
display in borders, but they make charming subjects for the
conservatory in the spring months. For blooming outdoors seed may be
sown in pans in March and the plants treated in the manner usual for
half-hardy annuals, or a sowing can be made in the open towards the end
of April. Plants for flowering indoors in April and May should be
raised from seed sown in the preceding August and September. Grow on
the seedlings steadily in pots, but do not force them in any way. In
fact, the treatment should be as nearly hardy as possible, a night
temperature of 45° being generally sufficient to carry them through the
winter.
AMARYLLIS
Hippeastrum
The majority of the named varieties are expensive, and a very
considerable saving is effected by raising plants from seed. Thanks to
the skill of the hybridiser, the seedlings not only compare favourably
with flowers grown from costly bulbs, but they have been successful in
winning certificates and awards of merit.
The germination is so irregular that it is well to put only one seed in
each small pot. The most suitable soil is a mixture of two parts loam
and one of leaf-mould, with sufficient coarse grit to insure free
drainage. The proper temperature is about 65°. After the seedlings are
established follow the treatment advised on page 340.
ANEMONE
The Windflower. Hardy perennial
The discovery that it is easy to flower the popular St. Brigid and
similar Anemones from seed in about seven months from the date of
sowing has given a great impetus to the culture of this plant,
especially as it possesses a high value for decorating vases, in
addition to its usefulness in beds and borders. From seed sown in
February or March the plants should begin to bloom in September or
October of the same year, and continue to flower until the following
June, when it is unprofitable to retain them longer. No coddling of any
kind is necessary. Dig a trench in a sheltered, sunny spot, and fill it
with rich soil freely mingled with decayed cow-manure. If the land
happens to be somewhat tenacious, Anemones will take kindly to it, but
it should be well worked, and it may be needful to add a little fine
sandy compost at the top as a preparation for the seed. The woolly seed
should be rubbed with sand, and the two may be sown together thinly in
lines. As a finish the ground should be lightly beaten with the back of
a spade. Germination is decidedly slow, so that until the seedlings
appear the removal of weeds requires care. The plants should be thinned
until they stand six inches apart. Seed may also be sown in June or
July for plants to flower in the following year, and the results will
probably be even more satisfactory than from the spring sowing.
ANTIRRHINUM
Snapdragon. Hardy perennial
In bygone years Antirrhinums were seldom seen beyond the limits of
old-fashioned cottage gardens. But even then the Snapdragon was a
popular flower, and it was generally perpetuated by subdivision of the
plants. Now, in common with a large number of perennials and biennials,
the Antirrhinum is almost exclusively grown from seed. This altered
method of culture has resulted in a marked advance in the size and
colour of the spikes of bloom, and has also increased the vigour and
floriferous character of the plants. In the process of raising,
selecting and re-selecting the stocks, experts have found it possible
to develop three distinct classes—Tall, Intermediate, and Dwarf—so that
the value of the plant as an ornament in the garden has been advanced
beyond the dreams of a former generation of gardeners. The Tall
varieties attain a height of about three feet; the Intermediates
generally range between twelve and eighteen inches, and the Dwarf or
Tom Thumb section seldom exceeds six inches. All three classes have a
distinct value for different positions in the garden.
Antirrhinums are not fastidious as to soil and may be relied on to give
satisfaction in almost any spot chosen for them. Still, it must be
admitted that they are conspicuously successful on dry soils and in
sunny positions. This will account for the surprising displays
occasionally seen on old walls and in large wild rockeries, where they
are perfectly at home, apparently indifferent to the starving
conditions in which their lot is cast.
The fact that the plant possesses such sturdy independence of character
greatly enhances its value and usefulness. Nothing more handsome can be
imagined in a border than the gigantic spikes of the Tall varieties,
and they make a magnificent decoration for vases at a season when
flowers suitable for cutting are much needed. The Intermediate
Antirrhinums, like the Tall class, combine advantages for both bedding
purposes and for cutting, perhaps in a still greater degree. The
varieties are so numerous and charming that an enthusiast has suggested
the desirability of devoting a garden to Antirrhinums alone. Although
the Tom Thumb section is also frequently employed for bedding, these
dwarf-growing varieties are better adapted for ribbon borders, or as an
edging to carriage drives.
Antirrhinums may be grown as half-hardy annuals or as perennials, but
the former is the simplest course for obtaining plants for summer
bedding. Sow the seeds in pans or boxes from January to March, and
prick off the seedlings as soon as large enough to handle. Grow on
steadily and gradually harden off in readiness for planting out after
the Wallflowers and other spring bedders have been removed. After
flowering it will save trouble to consign the plants to the waste heap
and again raise a sufficient supply to fill their places in the
following spring. When grown as perennials, seed should be sown in July
or August. Leave the plants in the seed-bed until ready for transfer to
final positions. These will stand the winter and come into flower
earlier than plants from spring-sown seed.
AQUILEGIA
Columbine. Hardy perennial
Since the introduction of the long-spurred hybrid varieties the
Aquilegia has become exceedingly popular. Like the Nasturtium, it is
particularly accommodating in character, and will thrive on poor soil
and amid surroundings altogether uncongenial to many other subjects.
Several of the fine varieties which have been recently introduced are,
however, worthy of a place in the best of borders. Sow in February or
early in March in a frame, and plant out when strong enough, or sow in
June in an open border. If the season is favourable, those sown early
may bloom the first year; the remainder will flower in the year
following.
ASPARAGUS
Greenhouse foliage varieties. Half-hardy perennials
The finely laciniated foliage of _A. plumosus_ is greatly prized for
bouquets, and the plant invariably commands attention as a decorative
subject on the table or in the conservatory. _A. decumbens_ has long
tremulous branches of elegant dark green foliage, and the plant is
admirably adapted for hanging-baskets. _A. Sprengeri_ is distinct from
both, but is also very ornamental in baskets. Sow all three varieties
in pans during February or March, in heat; prick off the seedlings
immediately they are large enough to handle, and grow on in gentle heat
until the beginning of June, when cool-house treatment will suit them.
ASTER
Callistephus sinensis. Half-hardy annual
In high summer so many flowers are available that no difficulty arises
in making a varied display. The real trouble is in discarding,
especially for a limited area. But when summer begins to merge into
autumn the choice is not so extensive, and among the annuals which then
adorn the garden Asters are indispensable. This superb flower has been
developed into many forms, and each class affords a wide range of
magnificent colours. Yet it must be admitted that in the majority of
gardens Asters are seldom grown in sufficient numbers, and it is not
unusual to find the flowers small in size and poor in colour. In many
cases we believe the reason to be that the culture of Asters is often
commenced too late. Preparations should therefore be made in good time,
and apart from providing the requisite number of plants for filling
beds and borders, and for supplying cut blooms, others should be raised
for flowering in pots. For indoor decoration full use is rarely ever
made of Asters, although the colours include many delightful shades
which may be employed with most telling effect.
To secure a long-continued display of bloom there must be several
sowings, and the earliest will need the aid of artificial heat. One
secret of successful culture is to give no check to the plant from its
first appearance until the time of flowering; and a suitable bed must
be prepared, whether the seed be sown on the spot or plants are
transferred from other quarters.
Asters do not readily accommodate themselves to violent alternations of
heat and cold, particularly in the early stage of growth, and therefore
the most sheltered position in the garden should be chosen for them;
but avoid a hedge or shrubbery, where strong growing trees rob the soil
of its virtue. Begin the preparation of beds during the previous autumn
by deep digging, and incorporate a liberal dressing of well-rotted
manure as the work proceeds. On light and shallow soils it will do more
harm than good to bring the raw subsoil to the surface, but the subsoil
may with advantage be stirred and loosened by the fork, and if a little
loamy clay can be worked into it the land will be permanently
benefited.
A very stiff soil will, however, present greater difficulties; but if
by free working it can be made sufficiently friable, Asters will revel
in it, and produce flowers of a size and colour that will reward the
cultivator for all his trouble. Throw the ground up roughly in October.
The more it is exposed to the action of wind, snow and frost, the more
thoroughly will the winter disintegrate its particles and render it
fertile. Early in spring give another digging, and then work in a good
supply of decayed manure, together with grit, charcoal, wood ashes, or
other material that will help to render the soil rich and free. Aim at
inducing the roots to go down deep for supplies—there will then be a
cool moist bottom even in dry weather, and these conditions will do
much toward the production of fine stocky plants capable of carrying an
imposing display of flowers.
For sowings from the end of March to the middle of April prepare a
compost consisting principally of decayed leaf-mould, with sufficient
loam to render it firm, and sharp sand to secure drainage. Either pots
or seed-pans may be used. Place these in a cool greenhouse, or in a
Cucumber or Melon pit, or even on a half-spent hot-bed. Sow thinly; a
thick sowing is very likely to damp off. Just hide the seed with finely
sifted soil, and place sheets of glass at the top to prevent rapid
evaporation. Give no water unless the soil becomes decidedly dry, and
then it is better to immerse the pot or pan for half an hour than to
apply water on the surface. When the plants attain the third leaf they
can be pricked off into shallow boxes or round the edges of 3-1/2 inch
pots. From these they either may have another shift singly into small
pots, or may be transferred direct to blooming quarters. A high
temperature is not requisite at any stage of growth, indeed it is
distinctly injurious. From 55° to 65° is the extreme range, and the
happy medium should, if possible, be maintained. Give air on every
suitable occasion, and as the time for transferring to the open ground
approaches, endeavour to approximate nearly to the outside temperature.
The plants will then scarcely feel the removal.
Another and simpler proceeding produces fairly good results, and we
describe it for the benefit of those whose resources may be small, or
who do not care to adopt the more troublesome method. In some spot
shaded from the sun make a heap of stable manure, rather larger than
the light to be placed upon it. Level the top, and cover with four or
five inches of rich soil. Place a frame upon it with the light a trifle
open. When the thermometer indicates 60°, draw drills at six inches
apart; sow the seed, and cover with a little sifted soil. The light had
better not be quite closed, in case of a rise of temperature. As the
plants thrive, gradually give more air, until, in April, the showers
may be allowed to fall directly upon them in the daytime. When the
Asters are about three inches high they will be quite ready for the
open ground, and a showery day is favourable to the transfer. After the
bed has served its purpose, the manure will be in capital condition for
enriching the garden.
In the event of there being no frame to spare, drive a stake into each
corner of the bed. Connect the tops of the stakes, about one foot from
the surface of the bed, with four rods securely tied, and upon these
place other rods, over and around which any protecting material at
command may be used. With this simple contrivance it is quite possible
to grow Asters in a satisfactory manner.
The finest Asters are frequently grown in the open air, entirely
without the aid of artificial heat, and indeed without any special
horticultural appliances. Those who possess the best possible resources
will find additional advantage in resorting also to this mode of
culture. It gives another string to the bow, and prolongs the season of
flowering. For open-air sowings in April make the soil level and fine,
and about the middle of that month draw drills three inches deep. In
these place an inch of finely prepared rich soil, and if it is largely
mixed with vegetable ashes, so much the better. The distance between
the drills should be regulated by the variety. For tall-growing Asters
twelve to fifteen inches between the rows will not be too much. Ten
inches will suffice for the dwarfs. Sow the seed thinly and evenly, and
cover carefully with fine soil. Commence early to thin the plants,
always leaving the strongest, and arrange that they finally stand at
from eight to fifteen inches apart according to the sort.
Keep the ground clean, and before the flowering stage is reached gently
stir the surface, but not deep enough to injure the roots. An
occasional application of weak manure water will be advantageous, but
it must not be allowed to touch the foliage.
For tall varieties it may be needful to provide support. If so, place a
neat stick on that side of the plant towards which it leans, as this
takes the strain off the tying material, and saves the plant from being
cut or half-strangled. In a dry season, and especially on light soils,
there must be a bountiful supply of soft water, alternated every few
days with the manure water already alluded to. Evening is the best time
to apply it.
For show purposes rather more room is required than we have stated.
Only about five buds should be matured by each plant, and these, of
course, the finest. To prepare flowers for exhibition is in itself an
art, and each cultivator must be guided by his own resources and
experience.
Asters in pots make excellent decorative subjects. It is only necessary
to lift them carefully from the borders with balls of earth surrounding
the roots, and pot them just before the buds expand, or they may be
potted up while in full flower without flagging.
The plants are liable to the attacks of aphis, both green and black.
While under glass the pests can be destroyed by fumigation; but in the
open a solution of some good insecticide may be administered with the
syringe at intervals of about three days, until a clearance is
effected. Other foes are the various grubs which attack plants at the
collar. On the first sign of failing vigour, gently remove with a
pointed stick the soil around the plant, and in doing this avoid any
needless disturbance of the roots. Do not be satisfied until the enemy
is destroyed.
AUBRIETIA
Hardy perennial
In the early months of the year few subjects in the garden present so
gay an appearance as Aubrietias, for with the first approach of genial
weather the cushion-like plants burst into a mass of delightful
blossom. For spring bedding, edgings, and the rock garden Aubrietias
are indispensable, and they make a particularly effective show when
grown in conjunction with Yellow Alyssum and White Arabis. Aubrietias
are easily grown from seed sown in May and June. The plants are best
raised in pans of light rich soil and may be put out in autumn where
required to flower in the following spring.
AURICULA
Primula Auricula. Hardy perennial
Keen is the enthusiasm of the Auricula amateur. The only complaint we
ever heard about the flower is that its most devoted admirer cannot
endow it with perpetual youth and beauty.
It is well to bear in mind that seed from a worthless strain requires
just as much attention as that which is saved with all a florist’s
skill from prize flowers. Some growers advocate sowing immediately the
seed is ripe, but this intensifies the irregular germination that
characterises seed of all the Primula species. Either February, March,
or April may be chosen, and we give preference to the end of February.
Use six-inch pots, and as there must be no doubt about drainage, nearly
half-fill the pots with crocks, cover with a good layer of rough
fibrous loam mingled with broken charcoal, and on the top a mixture of
loam, decayed leaves, and sharp sand. Press the soil firmly down; sow
thinly and regularly, putting the seeds in about half an inch apart;
just cover them with fine soil, and place the pots in a cool frame or
greenhouse, with sheets of glass over to prevent evaporation. Watering
in the ordinary way is apt to wash out the seeds, and it is therefore
advisable to immerse the pots in a vessel containing water until the
soil has become saturated. Wait patiently for the plants. When they
show four or six leaves, prick out into pans or boxes about two inches
apart, and before the seedlings touch each other transfer to small
pots. The surface soil in the pots may be lightly stirred occasionally
to keep it free from moss. The plants must never be allowed to go dry,
but as winter approaches water should be given more sparingly, and
during sharp frosts it may be wise to withhold it entirely. There
really is no need of artificial heat, for the Auricula is a
mountaineer, and can endure both frost and snow. But we prize its
beauty so highly that frames and greenhouses are properly employed for
protecting it from wind, heavy rain, soot, dust, and all the unkind
assaults of a lowland atmosphere, to which it is unaccustomed in a
natural state. Still, the plants should be kept as nearly hardy as
possible.