is perfectly hardy, the habit is good, and it continues in bloom for
several months in the year. The treatment prescribed for Pansy is also
suitable for Viola.
WALLFLOWER
Cheiranthus Cheiri. Hardy biennial
Wallflowers are often sown too late. As a result the growth is not
thoroughly matured, and the plants present but a feeble show of bloom.
They should in their season be little mounds of fire and gold, exhaling
a perfume that few flowers can equal in its peculiar freshness. Sow the
seed in May or June, in a sunny place, on rather poor, but sweet and
well-prepared soil favourable to free rooting. When the plants are two
inches high, transplant into rows six inches asunder, allowing three
inches apart in the row, and as soon as the plants overlap transplant
again, six or nine inches apart every way, aiding with water when
needful to help them to new growth. Or lift every other row and every
other plant, leaving the remainder untouched to supply flowers for
cutting. When the beds are cleared of their summer occupants, they may
be filled with the best plants of Wallflower, to afford cheerful green
leafage all through the winter and a grand show of bloom in the spring,
as frost will not hurt the single varieties; but the doubles will not
always endure the rigours of a severe winter.
Early-flowering Varieties.—By selection and cross-fertilisation an
early-flowering race of Wallflowers has been obtained, and it is now
possible to enjoy for many months of the year a fragrance which has
hitherto been associated exclusively with spring. From a sowing made in
May or June the plants commence flowering in autumn and continue
throughout the winter, unless checked by frost. With the advent of
spring weather, however, they burst into full bloom, making a
delightful display in advance of the ordinary varieties.
WIGANDIA
Half-hardy perennial
This plant is grown for its foliage, and is extensively used in
sub-tropical gardening. The instructions given for raising Ricinus in
heat apply equally to this subject; but it is not wise to rely on an
open-air sowing for a supply of Wigandias.
ZINNIA
Zinnia elegans. Half-hardy annual
THE double varieties of Zinnia have entirely eclipsed the single form
of this flower. They grow to an immense size and are extremely valuable
for beds and borders, the plants remaining in bloom for a considerable
period. Double Zinnias are so varied in colour and beautiful in form
that they deserve to take high rank as exhibition flowers.
The Zinnia is delicate, and should not be sown too soon. March is quite
early enough to commence operations, and the first week in April will
be none too late for sowing. A compost that suits Asters will answer
admirably for Zinnias. Sow in 4-1/2 inch pots, which should have very
free drainage, and cover the seed thinly with fine soil. Plunge the
pots at once in a temperature of about 60°, when the seed will
germinate quickly, and the plants on attaining one inch in height can
be potted off separately. Place them in a close frame, shade from
sunshine, and when well established, gradually give air and harden off.
It will not be safe to transfer to the open until the first week in
June, unless the position is exceptionally sheltered and the soil very
dry. A shrubbery border is a suitable spot, and the more scorching the
season the finer will be the flowers. There must, however, be shelter
from the wind, for the stems of Zinnias are hollow, and easily damaged
by a storm.
A satisfactory display of this flower may be obtained without the aid
of heat by sowing in the open ground about the middle of May. Select a
sunny sloping border or bed for sowing, enrich the soil, and make it
fine. Press this down rather firmly, then drop three or four seeds at
intervals of from fifteen to eighteen inches between each group, and
lightly cover them. In due time thin to one plant at each station. If
they thrive the branches will not only meet but overlap, and produce a
grand display. In the event of very dry weather at sowing time the
ground may be watered before the seed is put in, and then be covered
with dry fine soil.
Zinnias do not transplant well, except as small seedlings. When it is
necessary to undertake the task, choose, if possible, a showery day,
and shade each plant with an inverted flower-pot for a few days, but
take off the pots in the evening.
Zinnias intended for exhibition must be treated in a more generous
fashion than plants that are grown for border decoration, or for the
sake of yielding cut flowers. The seed may be raised in heat as already
directed, but the border will need to be prepared with special care and
liberality. Should the soil be heavy, it must be reduced to a friable
state during winter. Before the plants are put in, raise the land into
ridges about four or five inches high. Plant on the top of the ridge,
and then an application of soot or lime (not too near to inflict
injury) may be used as a precaution against slugs. In a wet season the
plants will stand a better chance than if put on the flat, and if a
scorching summer comes they will be none the worse for it. As the
flowering time approaches mulch the ground with well-decayed manure.
The plants must be carefully staked and tied out. It is not merely
necessary to secure the main stem, but the branches should also be
supported, or when weighted with flowers they will be very liable to
give way under a moderate wind. Superfluous branches may be removed,
but not so severely as to start new growth to the detriment of the
flowers. Disbudding also will have to be practised for the highest
class of flowers. Only one bloom should be allowed to develop on each
branch at a time, and this must be protected from sun and rain after it
is about half grown.
SPRING FLOWERS FROM SEEDS
It is the spring flowers that perhaps give the greatest charm and
interest to the English garden. Commencing with the flowering trees,
the Almond, Double Peach, _Prunus Pissardi_, and many others, we soon
have the Daffodils, Wallflowers, and Pansies, making the ground bright
and gay after the long dreary winter. It may promote economy in the
production of these brilliant and charming displays if we offer a few
remarks on the employment of spring-flowering plants which can easily
be raised for the purpose from seeds. It will, of course, occur to the
reader that a considerable proportion of the annuals that are usually
sown in autumn are particularly adapted for producing rich and varied
displays in spring. A type of this class is found in the well-known
Erysimum, Orange Gem, one of the cheapest, hardiest, and most
resplendent plants of the kind, cheap enough for the humblest amateur
to employ freely in his borders and beds, and at the same time so
effective in its colouring as to be adapted for the most complex and
highly finished examples of geometric work. Another striking subject is
the Siberian Wallflower (_Cheiranthus Allionii_), so nearly allied to
the Erysimum, Orange Gem, the gorgeous orange flowers adding a fresh
colour to the many new shades given us in recent years by the old
English Wallflower. Among the annuals are several valuable spring
flowers—such as, for example, _Nemophila insignis_, well known for its
lovely blue blossoms, and the white variety, _alba_, of the same;
_Saponaria calabrica,_ exquisite rosy pink; Silene, rose, dwarf rose,
and dwarf white; Virginian Stock, of which the distinct varieties are
remarkably well adapted to form bands and masses of red, white, and
yellow, and also to make a delightful groundwork for enhancing the
splendour of late Tulips; and clumps of Aubrietia, Yellow Alyssum, and
other of the more distinctive plants that are employed in high
colouring in first-class geometric gardening. A list of such plants
will at once indicate that there is a field of enterprise for the
practitioner of spring flower gardening; and while cheap and effective
materials are thus brought into the service, there is no interference
with the later summer bedding, because, if the annuals are well
managed, they will give their plentiful bloom when the garden is most
in need of colour, and may be cleared off in time to make way for the
plants that are generally employed in the summer display and which are
known as ‘bedding plants’ _par excellence_.
In the management of annuals for an early bloom, it is of great
importance to sow them at a proper time, so that they will be strong
enough to perform what is required of them, and yet not so forward (or
‘winter proud’) as to suffer from the severity of the weather. In the
North the middle of August is none too early for a general sowing in
beds, and in the South the middle of September is none too late. In
some few sheltered spots in the extreme South-West seed may be got in
at the middle of October. As a rule, however, the sowing should be made
as late as those familiar with the soil and climate of the place may
deem safe, the main point being to have the seedlings in a
short-jointed condition, close to the ground, in which state they are
least likely to be injured by frosts. We prefer sowing in drills on a
rather poor soil well broken up to a kindly state, and if the weather
happens to be dry, the drills should be freely watered before the seed
is sown, and there will be no more watering needed. The
after-management is extremely simple: the plants must be kept clear of
weeds, and be slightly thinned out if much crowded, for a few sturdy
specimens are of more value than any number that have run up weak and
wiry through overcrowding.
In sheltered gardens, having dry chalk or sandy soils, the greater
part, or perhaps the whole stock, might be transplanted from the
seed-beds to the flower-beds and borders as soon as sufficient growth
has been made; but on heavy soils and in exposed places it will be
advisable to delay the removal until March. This part of the work must
be nicely done, the plants being lifted in clumps and no attempt made
to single them, and they must be carefully pressed in and aided with
water, if necessary, to promote a quick ‘taking hold’ of their new
quarters. Those planted out in October on a dry soil will not only
bloom early and gaily, but will be beautiful in their different tints
of green all the winter through.
But we are not restricted to annuals in seeking for spring flowers from
seeds. With very few exceptions, _all_ the favourite plants of the
spring garden may be grown from seeds at a cost almost infinitesimal as
compared with the raising of named varieties from cuttings and
divisions. Daisies, some of them now almost as large as Asters, are not
only suited to the ribbon border, but make an amazingly brilliant show
when the white, pink, and crimson are planted in masses or in separate
beds. Seedlings flower with far greater freedom and produce much larger
blooms than divided plants, and even after the first few weeks, when
the later flowers become smaller and less perfect in form, a brilliant
display is maintained till late in the summer if the beds are not
wanted for other things. Pansies, which are still unsurpassed for beds
and borders, are easily raised from seed. What is more interesting than
a long row of plants of Perfection Pansy beside the pathway? every step
brings one to a flower of perfect charm, quite different in marking or
colour from any other. The several species and varieties of Arabis,
Alyssum, Aubrietia, Viola, Polyanthus, Iberis, and Forget-me-not also
come quite true from seed. The precision of style and colouring that
results from raising these from cuttings is, of course, admitted; but
in forming masses and ribbon lines, minute individual characters are of
less consequence than a good general effect, and this may be insured by
raising the plants from seed in a manner so cheap and expeditious that
we feel assured spring bedding would be more often seen in its proper
freshness and fulness were the system we now recommend adopted in place
of the tedious one of multiplication by offsets and cuttings.
Wallflowers cannot be grown in too great numbers in any garden, for
either their delightful perfume or charming colour effect. The striking
displays to be seen in some of our public parks and on seaside fronts
have done much to popularise this old favourite flower. Since the first
edition of this book was issued, many new and remarkable colours in
Wallflowers have been introduced, among the last, but by no means
least, being the Fire King and Orange Bedder. It is by the blending of
the colours that the most telling effects can be produced. Probably
Blood Red, a very inadequate name, and Cloth of Gold will always be the
most favourite combination, and when planted together one sets off the
other to a degree little thought of when these varieties are grown
separately. Purple and the other yellows (Faerie Queene and Monarch)
also make a pleasing bed. Fire King and Orange Bedder should be grown
in masses, separately or together, and when seen in the late afternoon
or early evening their vivid and gorgeous colouring is almost
unsurpassed by any other flower. The early-flowering Wallflowers will,
in mild winters, bloom from January till April, or even as early as
Christmas.
It should not be forgotten that these biennial and perennial plants
require more time to prepare themselves for flowering than do the
annuals. If sown in August they may not bloom at all the next season,
or the bloom may be late and insignificant. But if sown in May and June
they have a long season of growth before winter sets in, and at the
turn of spring the plants will be matured and strongly set for bloom.
The sowing of biennial and perennial plants for a display of spring
flowers must be carefully done. The ground should be moderately rich
and quite mellow through being well broken up; in other words, a good
seed-bed must be prepared. If the weather is dry, the drills should be
watered before the seed is sown; and in the event of a drought, the
young plants must have the aid of water to keep them going through the
summer. The seed should be sown thinly, and, as soon as the plants are
large enough, they should be thinned out if at all crowded, and the
thinnings can be planted in rows and shaded for a while. As a rule, the
whole of the work will be comprised in sowing, thinning, and weeding.
In average seasons they will not require watering, and in this matter
alone will be seen the advantage of raising from seeds instead of
cuttings.
Ordinary care, with such plants as we have named, will insure a
splendid display of spring flowers; and they are worth whatever
attention may be necessary to promote complete and early development.
It may happen that plants from early sowings will show a few flowers in
autumn if neglected. This is easily prevented, to the great advantage
of the plants, by the simple process of ‘stopping’ or nipping out the
points of the leading shoots to cause the production of side shoots. If
a sturdy growth is thus secured, and the plants are transferred to the
flower-beds in October, the result will justify the labour.
Practical gardeners will not need to be informed that the system we now
propose is capable of many applications and expansions; but it may be
suggested to amateurs who lament the dreary aspect of their beds and
borders in the month of May and early part of June, that the plants we
recommend for the formation of masses in the geometric garden are
equally well adapted to form beautiful clumps and sheets on borders,
banks, and rockeries, as well as in many instances to serve as a
groundwork to Hyacinths, Tulips, Narcissi, and other splendid hardy
spring flowers.
Sweet Peas deserve to be considered separately. These flowers are now
so varied and exquisitely beautiful that they never appear in the
garden too early. From autumn sowings not only are the most forward
blooms obtained, but for size and intensity of colour the flowers are
unsurpassed by the later displays from spring sowings.
THE CULTURE OF FLOWERING BULBS
Our popular flowering bulbs are obtained from many lands; they are
exceedingly diversified in character, and they bloom at different
periods of the year. Each variety has a value of its own, and answers
to some special requirement in its proper season under glass or in the
open ground. In the darkest winter days we prize the glow of Tulips and
Hyacinths for brightening our homes. And bleak days are not all past
when Aconites and Snowdrops sparkle in beds and borders. The Anemones
follow in March, and during the lengthening days of spring there are
sumptuous beds of Hyacinths, Narcissi, and Tulips. When high summer
begins to decline we have stately groups of Gladioli and many beautiful
Lilies in the shrubbery borders.
Not least among the merits of Dutch Bulbs is the ease with which they
can be forced into flower at a period of the year when bright blossoms
are particularly precious, and they are equally available for the
grandest conservatory or the humblest cottage window. They are
attractive singly in pots or vases, or they can be arranged in splendid
banks and groups for the highest decorative purposes. Another advantage
is that bulbs endure treatment which would be fatal to many other
flowers. They can be grown in small pots, or be almost packed together
in boxes or seed-pans; and when near perfection they may be shaken out
and have the roots washed for glasses, ferneries, and small aquaria; or
they can be replanted close together in sand, and covered with green
moss. Their hardiness, too, permits of their being grown and
successfully flowered without the least aid from artificial heat. Small
beds and borders may be made brilliant with these flowers, and the
number of bulbs that can be planted in a very limited space is somewhat
astonishing to a novice. Unlike many other subjects, bulbs may be
rather crowded without injury to individual specimens.
For the decoration of windows no other flowers can compare with Dutch
Bulbs in variety and brilliancy of colour. Some of them are not
particularly long-lived, and this need occasion no regret, for it
affords opportunity of making constant changes in the character and
colour of the miniature exhibition, which may easily be extended over
many weeks. And a really beautiful display is within reach of those who
have not a scrap of garden in which to bring an ordinary plant to
perfection. Unused attics and lead flats can, with a little skill and
attention in the case of bulbs, be made to answer the purpose which
pits and greenhouses serve for many of our showy plants. Some of the
most attractive flowering plants cannot be successfully grown in large
centres of population, but bulbs will produce handsome blossoms even in
smoky towns.
We do not recommend the attempt to grow bulbs in the actual
window-boxes. It is seldom entirely satisfactory. They should be
treated in the manner advised under the several varieties in the
following pages, and just as the colours are becoming visible, a
selection can be made from pots or boxes for crowding closely in the
ornamental arrangements for the window. When the first occupants show
signs of fading, others can be brought forward to fill their places,
and this process may be repeated until the stock is exhausted. Winter
Aconites, Snowdrops, Squills, and Glory of the Snow furnish the
earliest display; these to be followed by Crocuses, Tulips, Hyacinths,
and the many forms of the great Narciss family, until spring is far
advanced.
The secret of their accommodating nature lies in the fact that within
the Hyacinth or Tulip every petal of the coming flower is already
stored. During the five or six years of its progressive life the
capacities of the bulb have been steadily conserved, and we have but to
unfold its beauty, aiming at short stout growth and intensity of
colour. Of course there is an immense difference in the quality of
bulbs, and they necessarily vary according to the character of the
season. The most successful growers cannot insure uniformity in any one
variety year after year, because the seasons are beyond human control.
But those who regularly visit the bulb farms can obtain the finest
roots of the year, although it may be necessary to select from many
sources.
Such bulbs as Lilies, Iris, Montbretia, Hyacinthus, and Alstroemeria
suffer no deterioration after the first year’s flowering. Indeed, it
will be the cultivator’s fault if they do not increase in number and
carry finer heads of bloom in succeeding years. As outdoor subjects
some of them are not yet appreciated at their full value. Magnificent
as _Lilium auratum_ and _L. lancifolium_ must ever be in
conservatories, they exhibit their imposing proportions to greater
advantage, and their wealth of perfume is far more acceptable, when
grown among handsome shrubs in the border. Very little attention is
needed to bring them up year after year in ever-increasing loveliness.
Growing Bulbs in Moss-fibre.—A most interesting method of growing bulbs
is to place them in bowls and jardinières filled with prepared
moss-fibre, and far better results for home decoration may be obtained
in this way than by using ordinary potting soil in vases, &c. For this
system of culture no drainage is necessary, and the bowls and vases
which are specially made for the purpose are not pierced with the usual
holes for the escape of water. The receptacles are non-porous and may
be placed on tables and columns, or they can be employed in halls and
corridors without the slightest risk of injury. The fibre is perfectly
clean to handle, odourless, and remains sweet for an indefinite period.
Vases of any kind may be used, provided they are non-porous, but the
bulbs to be planted in them should be of a suitable size. For quite
small jardinières, white and purple Crocuses, Scillas, Snowdrops, and
Grape Hyacinths are available, also the smaller varieties of Narcissi.
Larger vases will accommodate Hyacinths, Narcissi, Tulips, &c. It is
better not to mix different kinds of bulbs in one bowl unless
simultaneous flowering can be insured. The specially prepared fibre
needs only to be moistened before use. Having selected suitable
receptacles for the bulbs to be grown, place a few pieces of charcoal
at the bottom of each bowl. Then cover the charcoal with one to three
inches of moistened fibre according to the depth of the bowl, placing
the bulbs in positions so that their tips reach to within half-inch of
the rim. The spaces between and around the bulbs to be filled with
moistened fibre, carefully firmed in by hand. The bulbs will require
practically no attention for the first few weeks and may be stood in a
warm, airy position, but on no account must they be shut up in a close
cupboard. If the fibre has been properly moistened there will be no
need to give water until the shoots are an inch or so long, but the
fibre must not be allowed to go dry, or the flower-buds become ‘blind.’
The surface of the fibre should always look moist, but if too much
water has been given the bowl may be held carefully on its side so that
the surplus water can drain away. As the growth increases more water
will be required and all the light possible must be given to insure
sturdy foliage. This fibre also answers admirably instead of water for
Hyacinths grown in glasses, but care should be taken to fill the
glasses as lightly as possible with the compost; if crammed in tightly
the root growth is liable to lift the bulbs out of position.
ACHIMENES
Showy stove bulbs remarkable for their beauty. Given a sufficiency of
heat, the cultivation is of the easiest nature, for they grow rapidly
and flower freely, if potted in sandy peat, and kept in a warm
greenhouse or the coolest part of a stove, in a somewhat humid
atmosphere. It needs only the simplest management to have these plants
in bloom at almost any season of the year, for the bulbs may be kept
dormant for a considerable length of time without injury, and may be
started into growth as required to keep up a long succession of
flowers. They are occasionally well grown in common frames over
hot-beds. For suspended baskets Achimenes are invaluable.
AGAPANTHUS