sowings made in the open about the end of April. The character of the
season must be some guide to the time chosen, and the sowing in this
case should be rather thicker than in the seed-pans. Should the seed
germinate well, severe thinning will have to be practised as growth
demands. This method of culture entirely prevents loss by mildew, which
so often proves fatal to young transplanted seedlings. It is difficult
to make the soil too good for them, and there is no comparison between
Stocks grown on a poor border and those grown in luxuriance. Some
growers make a little trench for each row of seed, and this affords a
certain degree of protection from cutting winds, and also forms a
channel for water when there is a necessity for administering it. In a
showery season, the plants will appear in about twelve days, but in dry
weather it will be longer, and one or more gentle morning waterings may
be necessary to bring them up. The distance between the rows must be
determined by the variety. Nine inches is sufficient for the dwarf
sorts; twelve or fifteen inches will not be too much for medium and
tall kinds.
Slugs may be kept off by a dusting of soot or wood-ashes, and some
precaution must also be adopted to prevent birds from disturbing the
seed-bed.
Here it may be well to mention a fact which is not always remembered,
although the knowledge of it is generally assumed. Seed can only be
saved from single flowers, but those who have made a study of the
business find little difficulty in selecting plants, and treating them
in such a manner that seed obtained from them will produce a large
percentage of double blossoms in the following generation. But the
experience of the most skilled growers has not enabled them to save
seed which will result entirely in double-flowering plants; and this is
scarcely to be regretted, for the perpetuation of the race is dependent
on single flowers. In keeping the various colours true there is one
very awkward fact. Certain sorts invariably produce a difference in
colour between the double and single flowers.
Intermediate Stocks form a valuable succession to the Summer-flowering,
or Ten-week varieties. From seed sown in gentle heat in February or
March, the plants usually commence flowering when the earlier varieties
are beginning to fade, and will continue to bloom until winter sets in.
It is also easy to grow the Intermediate section in pots for spring
decoration, if the protection of a house or pit can be given during the
winter to preserve them from frost. A simple plan is to sow in August
or early in September five or six seeds in 48-sized pots. Thin to three
plants in each, and of course a larger pot with more plants can be used
when desirable. Give air whenever possible, and water regularly. There
is no need for artificial heat; indeed, it is not well to hurry the
plants in any way. A good top-dressing of rich soil is advisable before
flowering, and as the buds appear, manure water, weak at first, but
gradually increased in strength, may be given once a week until in full
bloom.
Winter-flowering Stocks.—During the winter months Stocks afford an
immense amount of pleasure. They are particularly welcome at Christmas,
and to insure flowering plants at that season of the year suitable
varieties, such as Christmas Pink or Beauty of Nice, should be
selected, and a start made in June. As soon as the first leaf is
attained, prick off three seedlings in a three-inch pot; place in a
cool frame under a north wall, keeping the light off all day until they
are ready for another shift into six-inch pots. Use three parts of good
yellow loam and one part of leaf-soil—no sand. Pot firmly and restore
to the frame until the plants start growing, when they may be removed
to the greenhouse. Manure water, not too strong, once a week is
beneficial, and pure water should be given sparingly. Keep near the
glass and ventilate freely. Further sowings made in July and August
will extend the supply of flowers.
Spring-flowering Stocks, which include the popular Brompton strain,
come into flower in spring and early summer. Although in some seasons
it may answer to sow where the plants are required to bloom, the
practice is too precarious to be risked generally. A safer method is to
sow in seed-pans in June or July. Place these under shelter until the
plants are an inch high, then stand them in the open for a week before
transplanting. Have ready a piece of freshly-dug soil, and on a dull
day put them out at eight to twelve inches apart. If the growth is too
rapid during September, it may be advisable to lift them and plant
again, for the winter must not find them soft and succulent. There
should be hard stems and sturdy growth to carry them through the cold
weather. In districts that are specially unfavourable it may be
necessary to pot each plant singly in the 60-size, and plunge these in
ashes in a cold frame, or under the shelter of a south wall, until
severe weather is past, and they can then be turned out into the
borders.
STREPTOCARPUS
Cape Primrose. Tender perennial
The hybrids are a very striking race, invaluable for greenhouse and
conservatory decoration, producing a continuous succession of large
trumpet-shaped flowers, embracing colours ranging from pure white,
through lavender, purple, violet, rose, and red, to rich rosy-purple.
Sow very thinly from January to March in well-drained pots, and a
dusting of fine soil will sufficiently cover the seed. Place the pots
in a temperature of 60° to 65°, and take care that the soil is not
allowed to become dry. Prick off the seedlings when large enough to
handle, keeping them in the temperature named until the final potting.
When established they thrive with ordinary attention in a greenhouse,
and they winter well in a temperature ranging between 40° and 50°. Seed
sown in January and February will produce plants which will come into
bloom during the following June and July.
Streptocarpus Wendlandii is a singularly interesting variety. Only one
immense leaf is produced, which frequently attains a width of two feet,
with a proportionate length. This leaf is reflexed, completely hiding
the pot on one side, and from its midrib scapes of elegant violet-blue
flowers with white throat are thrown up to a height of eighteen inches.
The seeds should be sown in a warm greenhouse early in the year. The
plants will begin to flower in the winter and continue in bloom for
about six months. The temperature which is suitable for Gloxinias will
answer for this plant also.
SUNFLOWER
Helianthus annuus. Hardy annual
The utility of the Sunflower has been alluded to in a former page. Here
we have only to regard the plant in its ornamental character, as an
occupant of the shrubbery or flower border.
In addition to the common species, there are several strains which are
adapted for special purposes. The dwarf varieties grow about three to
four feet high, and produce fine heads of bloom. The ‘giant’ attains
the enormous height of eight or ten feet in a favourable season, and
the flowers are of immense size. The double strain generally reaches
six feet in height, and is valuable for its fine show of colour and
enduring quality. There is no difficulty, therefore, in making a
selection to suit the requirements of any border. The Sunflower can
also be employed in one or more rows to make a boundary or to hide an
unsightly fence, and some growers use it as a screen for flowers which
will not bear full sunshine.
Seed may be sown very early in the season, and the plants can be
brought forward in the manner usual with half-hardy annuals, but there
is no necessity for this mode of growing them. Sow in April or May
where the plants are to flower, on soil which has been abundantly
manured to a depth of eighteen inches, and they will bloom in good
time. To maintain the rapid growth, water must not be stinted in dry
weather.
SWEET PEA
Lathyrus odoratus. Hardy climbing annual
The history of the Sweet Pea can be traced back for more than two
hundred years; and it is almost as fascinating as an exhibition of the
flowers. Recent improvements in this highly popular subject include an
amazing diversity of colours, a marked increase in the number of
flowers on each stem, and an extraordinary enlargement in their size. A
modern list may run into hundreds, but those who grow every known
variety find that there are many close resemblances, arising no doubt
from simultaneous introductions by hybridists who have experimented on
similar lines. Enthusiastic growers of Sweet Peas are no longer content
with a limited number of named varieties, for it is obvious that in
competitions where fifty or a hundred bunches have to be staged for
certain prizes, a large and representative collection must be grown.
For general garden decoration, however, and to provide sprays for the
adornment of homes, the Giant-flowered class, offered under colours
only, will continue to be extremely popular.
The change in character and the increased usefulness of Sweet Peas have
necessitated a revolution in the methods of culture. The freer growth
and more robust habit demand greater space than was formerly allowed.
Instead of crowded rows of attenuated plants, producing a meagre return
of small flowers, poor in colour, it is now the practice to prepare the
ground by deep trenching and liberal manuring, and to give every plant
ample space for full development both in rows and in clumps. In the
ensuing paragraphs we outline the cultural routine which should be
followed as nearly as possible by those who desire to insure a
long-continued supply of the very finest flowers. But where
circumstances do not permit of these recommendations being adopted in
full, the details may be modified according to the materials at command
and the requirements of the cultivator.
It is usual to commence the preparation of the ground in autumn.
Trenching is of paramount importance, for the roots of the Sweet Pea
require a considerable depth of good soil in which to ramify for the
support of robust healthy plants capable of producing handsome flowers
over a long season. Where the surface soil is shallow, care must be
exercised to avoid bringing uncultivated subsoil to the top, and it is
well worth incurring a little extra trouble to provide a sufficient
depth of fertile material for full root development. Therefore dig out
a wide trench and place the good top soil on one side. Then remove and
discard the subsoil to a depth of twelve inches and, after breaking up
the bottom of the trench with a fork or pickaxe, replace with an equal
quantity of decayed manure, leaves, old potting soil or any other
suitable stuff that may be on hand. Finally return the top soil to its
original position.
The use of manure needs discrimination, and in fixing the quantity, as
well as in selecting the most suitable kinds, due consideration must be
given to the character of the soil. For light land, four barrow-loads
of well-rotted farmyard manure per square pole will make an excellent
dressing, but a rather smaller amount will suffice for heavy ground. In
place of farmyard manure an unlimited quantity of leaf-soil, if
obtainable, may be used, and it is also a good plan to dig in any
available green refuse. Garden ground which for some years previously
has been kept in a state of high cultivation by the liberal use of
natural manure will not, as a rule, need further help in this
direction, but it should receive a good dressing of lime. Indeed, any
soil in which Sweet Peas are to be grown should contain not less than
two per cent. of lime. The employment of artificial, as well as
organic, manures is essential in any first-class scheme of cultivation.
But here a word of warning is necessary. Nitrogenous manures in any
form are harmful to the plant when applied in large quantities, and are
liable to predispose it to disease, except on extreme types of sandy
soil. Heavy ground should be dressed with seven pounds of basic slag in
autumn and two pounds of sulphate of potash in spring. On light soils
apply in spring four pounds of superphosphate of lime and two pounds of
sulphate of potash. The quantities stated in each case are sufficient
for a square pole of ground. Wood ashes (in a dry state) are also of
great value, and these should be raked in a little in advance of
planting out.
The special preparation of the soil just described entails the raising
of plants in pots or boxes in readiness for transfer to the open as
early as weather permits in spring. The finest flowers are undoubtedly
obtained from an autumn sowing, and about the middle of September may
be regarded as the best period for putting in the seed. This early
commencement possesses the advantage of allowing ample time for the
development of sturdy, well-rooted plants, which will not only bloom in
advance of those sown in spring but will remain in flower for an
unusually long period. Sow in light porous soil, and either three-inch
pots, pans or boxes may be used. Place in a cold frame and keep the
lights down until the seeds have germinated, but afterwards the frame
should never be closed except during severe weather. There must be no
misunderstanding on the question of air-giving. The Sweet Pea is almost
hardy, and robust healthy seedlings, grown as nearly as possible under
natural conditions, are wanted. Therefore to subject the plant to
artificial heat will only defeat the object in view. A current of air
should be admitted to the frame day and night, and the lights may be
entirely removed on all favourable occasions. But the seedlings will
need protection from excessive moisture, for if too wet at the roots
they are liable to injury from frost. When four pairs of leaves are
formed, stop each plant once, and after a little further progress has
been made transplant singly into three-inch pots. Keep the pots in the
frame, giving only such protection from hard weather as may be
absolutely necessary, and plant out on the first suitable opportunity.
In the South transplanting may be possible late in February or at the
opening of March, but a month later will be safer in districts north of
the Trent.
Those who for any reason do not find it convenient to sow in autumn may
start the seed early in the year—from mid-January onwards, according to
the district. The general principles described in the preceding
paragraph apply equally to spring sowings, but it may be well to say
that there must be no attempt to hasten growth by the application of a
high temperature. A frame will afford all the protection necessary, and
even a box covered with glass and placed in a sheltered spot will be
found serviceable for raising seedlings.
Before planting out, the top soil of the ground prepared in autumn must
be well worked and made friable. The disposition of the plants, and the
method adopted for staking them, will, to a great extent, depend on the
precise purpose for which the flowers are required. For garden
decoration single rows answer well, and the plants should be spaced one
foot apart. Or, if preferred, put out in clumps of three to five
plants, allowing a diameter of from nine to fifteen inches. Carefully
remove the plants from the pots or boxes in which they were raised,
disentangle the roots and shake them quite free from soil. Make a hole
of the necessary depth, and allow the roots to descend into the ground
to their full extent, which may be as much as two feet in the case of
well-grown specimens from autumn-sown seed. Give support immediately
with well-branched twigs, and it is important that the plants be kept
perfectly upright. Finally stake with bushy hazel sticks eight to ten
feet in height, or taller still where the ground has been generously
prepared.
Long-stemmed flowers free from blemish are essential for show work and
for the highest forms of house decoration, and to insure an adequate
supply over an extended period the following method, which is adopted
by some of the most successful exhibitors, is strongly to be
recommended. The plants are put out in double rows one foot apart, and
spaced a foot apart in the lines. Each plant should carry two shoots
only, both of which must be provided with a rod of bamboo, ash, or
hazel, ten to twelve feet in length. For this double cordon system the
rods will stand six inches apart in the rows, and it is desirable to
make them secure against damage from high winds. Insert a stout pole at
each end of the row, and about seven feet from the ground-level fix to
each pole a substantial wooden crosspiece a little more than a foot in
length. From these cross-pieces tightly stretch strands of wire, to
which securely tie the rods. As growth develops commence disbudding
promptly, regularly remove all laterals and tendrils, and tie each
cordon to its supporting rod with raffia as often as may be necessary.
After transfer to the open ground the plants must never be allowed to
become dry at the roots. Keep the hoe going between the rows,
especially after the soil has been beaten down by rain.
The blooming period can be prolonged by the simple expedient of daily
removing the dead or faded flowers. The ripening of only a few
seed-pods speedily puts a stop to flowering.
In the open ground seed may be sown in spring from February to May, and
successional sowings at intervals of a fortnight will extend the supply
of flowers far into autumnal days. Even where a few clumps only can be
grown it is unwise to depend on a single sowing. Autumn sowings
outdoors are often made in September or October where a warm soil and
favourable situation can be insured.
Sweet Peas have two principal foes, the slug and the sparrow. Against
the former the usual precautions, such as ashes, old soot, lime, and
various traps, are available; and the latter must by some means be
prevented from doing mischief. After the buds show through the soil, it
is generally too late for the adoption of remedies. Nearly all the
heads will be found nipped off and laid ready for inspection. One could
almost forgive the marauders were food the object, but the birds appear
to commit havoc from pure wantonness, and whole rows are sometimes
destroyed in a single morning.
Early sprays are so much prized that the practice of flowering Sweet
Peas in pots under glass is yearly increasing, and for this purpose
seed must be sown in August or September; the plants to be kept slowly
moving during the dark days. In February the growth will be more rapid,
but it is important to give the plants the hardiest possible treatment.
In April, if properly managed, there will be a brilliant display.
The winter-flowering race blooms freely at a still earlier period,
although the plants are less vigorous than other varieties.
SWEET WILLIAM
Dianthus barbatus. Hardy biennial
Sweet William belongs to the same genus as the Pink. The finest strains
produce superb heads of flowers, some of them intensely rich in colour,
while others have a contrasting edge. The new varieties are so marked
an advance on older colours that they have created a fresh interest in
this favourite garden flower.
In several instances we have advised that biennials and perennials
should be treated as annuals, both on the ground of economy and for the
excellent results obtained by this practice. But the Sweet William is
not amenable to any treatment which reduces the natural period of
growth.
Seed may be sown in May, June or July for transplanting in autumn, and
the numerous colours afford opportunity of obtaining a great diversity
of splendid effects in beds and borders.
TOBACCO—_see_ NICOTIANA
TORENIA
Greenhouse annual
Sow in a warm temperature in March or April. Prick off while small into
pots, and subsequently pot the seedlings singly. Any fairly good
compost will suit them. The branches need support, and the plants must
be kept free from green fly. The Torenias make very elegant pot plants,
and they are also well adapted for hanging baskets and other ornamental
contrivances.
TROPÆOLUM
Nasturtium, or Indian Cress. Hardy and half-hardy annuals
The _Tropæolum tuberosum_ is treated under the ‘Culture of Flowering
Bulbs,’ so that here we have only to consider the varieties that are
grown from seed. There are two distinct classes, both widely
cultivated, for the seed is inexpensive, and the plants extremely showy
durable, and easily raised.
_Tropæolum majus_ is the climbing Nasturtium, or great Indian Cress.
The flower as originally obtained from Peru was a rich orange, marked
with deep reddish-brown, but it has been developed into various shades
of yellow and red, culminating in a tint which is almost black. The
leaves are nearly circular, and are attached to the long footstalks by
the centre instead of at the margin. Loudon fancifully compares the
leaf to a buckler, and the flower to a helmet. The Lobbianum section is
close in habit, with smaller foliage borne on somewhat woolly stems.
All the varieties bloom freely, and constitute a brilliant class of
climbers of great value for brightening the backs of borders or hiding
unsightly objects. After the seeds have been dibbled about an inch deep
in either April or May, the only attention the plants require is to nip
out a straggling shoot occasionally, or prevent a stray branch from
reaching over and smothering some plant which will not endure its
embraces.
The well-known Canary Creeper (_T. canariense_) is a perfectly distinct
variety, and as a half-hardy annual should be raised under protection
and planted out in May, although sowings in the open ground in April
and May often prove satisfactory. Unlike the others, it needs a rich
soil to insure vigorous growth. When liberally treated the entire plant
will be covered with its bright fairy-like flowers, until frost ends
its career.
_Tropæolum majus nanum._—The Tom Thumb, or Dwarf varieties, make
excellent bedding plants, blooming far on into the autumn after many of
the regular bedders have faded and become shabby. There is an extensive
choice of colours in reds, yellows, and browns, which come perfectly
true from seed, and all possess the merit of flowering freely on very
poor soil. They grow luxuriantly on rich land, but then the foliage
becomes a mere mask under which the flowers are concealed. There is not
one of the Tom Thumb class that may not be treated as a hardy annual,
and all afford opportunity of making a gorgeous show of colour at a
cost ridiculously disproportionate to the effect obtained. They are
also admirably adapted for pot culture, making shapely plants covered
with bloom for a long period.
Many of the later introductions in Nasturtium are notable for their
refined and delicate colouring, and are extremely desirable subjects
for the decoration of the dinner-table and small vases in the
drawing-room.
As the flavour of the flowers and leaves somewhat resembles that of
common Cress, they are frequently used in salads, and are accounted an
excellent anti-scorbutic. The flowers are legitimately employed in
decorating the salad-bowl, because they are not only ornamental but
strictly edible.
In a green state the seeds of both tall and dwarf varieties make an
excellent pickle which is occasionally used as a substitute for capers.
VERBENA
Hardy and half-hardy perennials
VERBENAS raised from the best strains of seed come true to colour and
the plants are models of health and vigour, and make resplendent beds.
It is of the utmost importance to remember that the Verbena requires
very little of the artificial heat to which it is commonly subjected,
and which fully accounts for the frequency of disease among plants
propagated from cuttings. Seed may be sown in boxes in January,
February, and March, the earlier sowings naturally requiring more heat
than the later ones. As the seedlings become large enough, they should
be potted on and planted out in May, when they will flower throughout
the summer, and far into the autumn.
Verbenas may also be sown in March or April in boxes, put into a frame,
and if kept moist a lot of plants will appear in about a month. When
large enough these must be carefully lifted and potted. A rich, mellow,
and very sweet soil is needed by the Verbena. Many of the failures that
occur in its cultivation are not only traceable to the coddling of the
plant under glass, but also to the careless way in which it is often
planted on poor worn-out soil that has been cropped for years without
manure, or even the sweetening effects of a good digging. Raising
Verbenas from seed has restored this plant to the list of easily grown
and thoroughly useful flowers for the parterre.
The hardy perennial _V. venosa_ also comes perfectly true and uniform
from seed.
VIOLA
Tufted Pansy. Hardy perennial