admirably if planted out between September and March in a rich, deep,
moist loam, either in full sun or in partial shade. When grown in pots
it requires a strong loamy soil, with plenty of manure, and throughout
the summer the pots should be allowed to stand in pans of water. As the
Agapanthus is a gross-feeding plant, it should be re-potted annually in
autumn, and be wintered in a cool pit or frame. In transferring to new
pots a little care must be taken to avoid injuring the mass of fleshy
roots.
ALLIUM
The _Allium neapolitanum_ is the finest white-flowered variety, and is
exceedingly valuable for bouquets and vase decoration. The large umbels
of blossoms are of the purest white. It is one of the earliest
spring-flowering bulbs, and, although quite hardy, it comes forward
quickly and easily in a cool house.
ALSTROEMERIA
An elegant plant which belongs to the nearly hardy group referred to in
the notice of Ixia. In autumn it may be safely planted out in almost
any part of the United Kingdom, provided it is planted nine inches
deep, and can have a sunny position on a dry soil, for damp is more
hurtful to it than frost. As a pot plant it is comparatively useless,
but if allowed to remain several years in a dry border, a large clump
of any of the varieties presents a brilliant appearance when in flower.
AMARYLLIS
See remarks under Lilies at page 340.
ANEMONE
Windflower
Our observations on this flower will be limited to the tuberous
varieties; but even with this restriction, the range of form and colour
is exceedingly wide. The Anemone is an accommodating plant, and can be
successfully flowered either in pots or in beds, at the option of the
cultivator.
The most natural place for it is near shady woodland walks, where it
can be seen to the greatest advantage. But it is also a splendid
subject for masses in the mixed border, or in front of shrubberies; and
alone in beds it makes a brilliant and lasting show. For all the
purposes of garden decoration to which the Crocus, Hyacinth, and Tulip
are applied, the Windflower is equally well adapted. We do not advise
planting singly, but the Anemone answers admirably in lines, groups, or
beds, and the colours admit of numberless harmonies and contrasts.
The commoner Anemones need only to be planted about three inches deep,
with the eyes upwards, at any time between September and March, and
they will require little or no attention afterwards. Under trees,
instead of planting in a formal pattern, it is worth while to put them
in with some attempt at natural grouping, and not too close
together—say from six inches to a foot apart. In such positions they
may be left undisturbed for years; and if the soil happens to be a good
sandy loam, they will thrive and increase. In masses or beds within the
garden, however, a richer effect is wanted, and the distance between
the roots should not exceed from four to six inches.
A choice collection of roots is worth more care, and florists are
accustomed to prepare the beds for their reception with fastidious
exactness. The soil, if not considered suitable, is taken out to the
depth of two feet, and is replaced by a rich and specially prepared
compost. Although the individual flowers produced by this method are
generally very fine, and the total effect of the bed is exceedingly
beautiful, yet the truth must be confessed that for ordinary gardening
the system is extravagant and unnecessary. As a hobby, it is, of
course, justifiable enough; but Anemones of high quality can be grown
by a much simpler mode of procedure. One deep digging there certainly
should be, and a layer of manure at the bottom of each trench is sound
treatment, for it supplies the roots with food and a cool subsoil. Poor
land should also be enriched by incorporating a dressing of decayed
manure as the work proceeds. Subsequently one or two light surface
forkings will help to make the bed mellow. A rough plan, showing the
name and position of every root, will be a safer record than labelling
in the usual way, and it also prevents the disfigurement of the bed.
There should be a distance of six inches between the roots; and they
may be put in singly by means of the trowel, or in drills drawn three
inches deep. The former method is generally adopted for groups; but to
insure regularity in flowering the planting must be uniform in depth.
For beds, drills are more reliable, and they are speedily made.
The time of planting determines to a considerable extent the date of
flowering; and, as the roots may be put in during autumn, winter, and
early spring, it is easy to secure a succession of Anemones from
January until May. But this flower is of so much more value early in
the year than at a later period, when many other subjects brighten the
garden, that it is scarcely worth while to plant so late as March.
The Anemone is well worth growing in pots, both for its foliage and
flowers. It does not resent forcing to the same extent as the
Ranunculus; nevertheless, cool treatment is almost essential to do it
full justice. The potting should be done in batches to insure a
succession of flowers, and the first lot may be put in at the end of
August, or beginning of September. They should have the benefit of
really good soil; a mixture of leaf-mould and loam, with the addition
of a little powdered charcoal, will suit them exactly. In preparing the
pots, place a layer of light manure above the crocks, which will assist
the drainage and benefit the plants. Then fill with compost to within
two inches of the top, and lay in the roots; add soil to a level with
the rim, and press lightly down. The strongest roots should, of course,
be selected for potting, and it will need more than a hasty glance to
put them in with the eyes upwards. One or more roots may be planted in
each pot, according to the size of the latter.
The early plantings can be placed in any warm position out of doors,
such as under a south wall; but after the middle of October remove to a
cold pit, or on to the greenhouse stage. Watering is all the attention
they will require, and of this there must be no stint, especially
during the blooming period. A high temperature at any stage is
needless, and if they are just kept out of the reach of frost they will
take excellent care of themselves.
Anemones are adapted for many decorative purposes; they make capital
window plants, and their sharply cut foliage is very ornamental in the
drawing-room or on the dinner-table.
BABIANA
Babianas are delicately constituted, but extremely elegant plants when
well grown. Though far from showy, they appeal to the educated eye for
appreciation of their blue and purple oculate flowers. The culture is
the same as for the Ixia, and we incline strongly to the practice of
keeping the bulbs at least two seasons in the same pots.
BEGONIA, TUBEROUS-ROOTED
Few flowers have a greater claim on the attention of horticulturists
than the Tuberous-rooted Begonia, either for the ease with which it can
be grown, or for the many valuable purposes to which the plant may be
applied. It can be flowered at any time from February until October,
and is available for all kinds of indoor decoration, and also for
growing in the open ground during the summer months.
Instead of allowing the plants to be rudely dried off, it is worth a
little trouble to reduce them slowly to the dormant state by gradually
withholding water. They should still be retained in pots, which may be
stored under a thick layer of ashes or dry peat in any cellar, frame,
or shed where the thermometer stands pretty uniformly at about 50°. The
store should also be dry, for damp is quite as injurious to these roots
as cold. Generally speaking, it may be said that any store which is
safe for Dahlias will also preserve Tuberous-rooted Begonias.
After the winter’s rest the bulbs are invariably saucer-shaped, and in
the event of their being watered before growth has commenced,
sufficient water will remain in the hollow to destroy the bulb. This
peculiarity makes it dangerous to start the plant before activity is
evident. In January or February, as the bulbs show signs of life, pot
them almost on the surface of a rich loamy soil, and employ the
smallest pots possible. Nurse them with a little care in a warm place
for about ten days, and they should then be very gradually hardened. A
regular system of potting on will be necessary until the final size is
reached; and at each operation the plants should be inserted rather
deeper than before. If re-potting is deferred too long, the foliage
will turn yellow—a sure sign that the plant is starving. No flowers
should be allowed in the early stages of growth, and this rule is
imperative if fine specimens are wanted; but when the plants are
transferred just as the pots are full of roots, there will be little
disposition to bloom prematurely. While growing, the Tuberous Begonia
delights in a humid atmosphere, but this should be avoided after
flowering has commenced. When sticks are inserted for tying out the
flowers, the bulbs must not be wounded.
The erect-growing varieties are valuable for low conservatory stages,
and they form splendid groups in corners of drawing-rooms. The drooping
kinds are seen to advantage on brackets, shelves, and in suspended
baskets; and the short-jointed plants of the drooping class are
specially adapted for rockeries and beds. They must not be put into the
open until the danger of a nipping east wind is past. The early part of
June is generally about the right time.
In the autumn it is usual to lift and pot the plants, although in mild
districts, and in a light soil, they may safely be left out all the
winter under the shelter of a heap of ashes or decayed manure. In beds
this plan is scarcely worth adoption, because it leaves the ground bare
for several months; but where Begonias are grown in the reserve border
to furnish a supply of flowers for cutting, it may be a considerable
advantage to leave them until the following year.
A word is necessary as to soil. The Begonia is a gross feeder, and to
develop its fine qualities there must be a liberal employment of
manure. As a matter of fact, it is scarcely possible to make the soil
too rich for this flower.
CHIONODOXA
Glory of the Snow
The varied blue tints of the Chionodoxa, its more open blossoms, and
larger size, distinguish this flower from its older and justly prized
rival, the Scilla. Indeed, the Chionodoxa is exquisitely beautiful, and
of great value for pot culture, beds, or borders. Five bulbs may be
grown in a 48-sized pot, and in the border not less than half a dozen
should be planted in a group. Employed as a single or double line, it
also produces a striking bit of colouring. The bulbs should be planted
in autumn four inches deep, the distance between being not more than
three inches. Any ordinary garden soil will grow this flower, and it is
advisable to allow the bulbs to remain undisturbed for several years,
as the effect will be the greater in each succeeding spring.
CROCUS
This brilliant harbinger of spring will thrive in any soil or
situation, but to be brought to the highest possible perfection it
should be grown in an open bed or border of deep, rich, dry sandy loam.
The bulbs should be planted during September, October, and November. If
kept out of the ground after the end of the year they will be seriously
damaged, and however carefully planted, will not flower in a
satisfactory manner. Plant three inches deep in lines, clumps, or
masses, as taste may suggest, putting the bulbs two inches apart. If
convenient, let them remain undisturbed two or three years, and then
take them up and plant again in well-prepared and liberally manured
soil. A bed of mixed Crocuses has a pleasing appearance, but in
selecting bulbs for the geometric garden it is more effective to employ
distinct colours, reserving the yellow for the exterior parts of the
design to define its boundaries, and using the blue and the white in
masses and bands within. In districts where sparrows attack the
flowers, they may be deterred from doing mischief by stretching over
the beds a few strands of black thread, which will not interfere with
the beauty of the display, and will terrify the sparrows for a
sufficient period to save the flowers.
The named varieties are invaluable for pot and frame culture, and to
force for decorative purposes; for though the individual flowers are
short-lived, the finest bulbs yield a long succession of bloom, and in
character Crocuses are quite distinct from all other flowers of the
same early season. When grown in pots and baskets, the bulbs should be
placed close together to produce a striking effect. A light, rich soil
is desirable, but they may be flowered in a mixture of charcoal and
moss, or in fibre, or moss alone. When required in quantity for
ornamental baskets and similar receptacles, it is wise to plant them in
shallow boxes filled with rotten manure and leaf-mould, and to lift
them out separately, and pack them when in flower in the ornamental
baskets. A perfect display of flowers in precisely the same stage of
development can thus be secured, and successional displays may follow
as long as supplies remain in the boxes.
CROWN IMPERIAL
Fritillaria imperialis
A noble plant which needs a deep, rich, moist soil, and an open
situation, to insure the full degree of stateliness, but it will make a
very good figure in any border where it can enjoy a glimmer of
sunshine. There are several distinct varieties, the flowers of which
range in colour from palest yellow to the deepest shade of orange and
reddish buff, and there are others which have variegated leaves. They
should be planted in autumn eighteen inches apart, allowing from four
to six inches of soil above the crowns.
CYCLAMEN
Although it is advisable to raise Cyclamens from seed every year,
occasions arise when it is necessary to store the bulbs for a second
season, and the best method of treating them during the period of rest
must be considered. As the production of seed weakens the corms,
preference should be given to those which have not been subjected to
this tax on their energies.
At the close of the flowering season the bulbs should be gradually
reduced to a resting state by withholding moisture. When the foliage
turns yellow the pots may be laid on their sides in a cold frame, if
available, or in any other convenient place where they will not be
forgotten, until about the middle of July. They should then be placed
upright, and have a supply of water. After fresh growth has fairly
commenced, shake the bulbs out of the pots, remove most of the old
soil, and re-pot in a compost consisting of mellow turfy loam and
leaf-mould, with a sufficient admixture of silver sand to insure
drainage. The corm should be so placed in the pot as to bring the crown
about level with the rim, and every care must be taken to avoid
injuring the young roots. Place the pots in a close frame for a few
days, after which ample ventilation should be given to maintain a
robust condition. The lights may remain constantly open until there is
danger from autumn frosts. Specimens that show a great number of
flower-buds should be assisted occasionally with weak manure water.
_C. Coum_ and _C. europæum_ are rarely well grown, for although quite
hardy, the climate of this country does not suit them in their season
of flowering, which is the early spring. The cool greenhouse is the
safest place for them, except in sheltered spots, where they may be
planted out on a border of peat, or amongst ferns in a rockery. When
grown in pots, light turfy loam and peat in equal quantities, with a
fourth part of cow-manure and a liberal addition of sand, will form an
excellent compost for them. The pots should never be exposed to the
drying action of the sun or wind, but should be plunged to the rim in
coal-ashes. The best time for potting or planting them is September or
October.
Instructions on raising Cyclamens from seed will be found at page 256.
DAFFODIL—_see_ NARCISSUS, _page_ 344
DOG’S-TOOTH VIOLET
The red and white varieties are as hardy as any plant in our gardens,
and by their neat habit and elegant leaves and flowers they are
admirably adapted to plant in quantities in the front of a rockery, in
either peat or sandy loam and leaf-mould. They are equally suitable for
edging small beds in gardens where spring flowers are systematically
grown; in fact, they are true ‘spring bedders.’ Autumn is the proper
time to plant the bulbs. But Dog’s-tooth Violets are also worth growing
in pots, especially where an unheated ‘Alpine house’ is kept for plants
of this class. Several bulbs may be put in a pot of the 48-size.
FERRARIA—_see_ TIGRIDIA, _page 350_
FREESIA
The singularly graceful form, wide range of beautiful colours, and
delicious perfume of this flower have made it an immense favourite; and
happily there is no Cape bulb which can be grown with greater ease in
the frame or cool greenhouse. One characteristic is very marked, and it
is the disproportion between the small bulb and the fine flowers
produced from it.
Procure the bulbs as early in the autumn as possible, and lose no time
in potting them. Any light rich soil will answer, but that which suits
them best is composed of two parts of loam, one of leaf-mould, and one
of peat, with enough sand or grit added to insure drainage. Commence
with pots of the right size, for the roots are extremely brittle, and
there must be no risk of injuring them by re-potting. The 48-size will
accommodate several bulbs. Place under a south wall, and cover with
leaf-mould until top growth commences, and then remove the covering.
At the end of September transfer the pots to a cold frame, and when the
plants attain a height of four inches, support them with neat sticks,
which should not be inserted too near the bulbs. Watering will require
judgment, for too much moisture turns the foliage yellow. When the pots
are full of roots, liquid manure twice a week will be helpful.
After the blooming season has passed, encourage the foliage to wither
by withholding water. The roots may be stored away in their own pots
until the following August.
FRITILLARIA
Fritillarias produce bell-shaped flowers, varying in colour, but
generally of a purplish tint, and beautifully spotted. They thrive in a
good deep loam, but may be grown in almost any soil, and do well under
the shade of trees. They are quite hardy, and, like most other bulbs,
should be planted in autumn. Fritillarias are occasionally grown in
pots kept in a cold frame, but they will not endure forcing in the
least degree, and the mixed border is the best position for them. These
flowers make a charming ornament when grown in bowls filled with
moss-fibre.
GLADIOLUS
The Gladiolus is adapted for many important uses and it associates
admirably with Dahlias, Hollyhocks, Pyrethrums, and Phloxes in the
furnishing of clumps on the lawn and in the mixed border. It is
perfectly in harmony with surroundings when planted in American beds or
in the shrubbery. For supplying cut flowers it is invaluable, as they
retain their freshness in a vase for many days, and a plentiful supply
should be grown in reserved spots expressly for this purpose.
Culture in Pots.—The early-flowering varieties are of especial value
for decorating greenhouses and conservatories during spring and early
summer. The corms of these Gladioli are small, and a 32-sized pot will
accommodate several. The soil should be decidedly rich, and it must be
porous, because water has to be given freely when the plants are in
full growth. Pot the corms in autumn, and cover with leaf-mould until
the roots are developed, when successive batches can be brought forward
and gently forced for a continuous supply of elegant flowers during
April and May. A mild temperature of about 55° is quite sufficient for
them.
Culture in the Open Ground.—The autumn-flowering Gladioli are grown in
the open ground, and preparations should begin well in advance of
planting time. Almost any soil can be made to answer, but that which
suits them best is a good medium, friable loam with a cool rich
subsoil, and each grower must decide for himself how far this is within
reach naturally, or can be secured by resources at command. Thus, a
light soil may be made suitable by placing a thick layer of rotten
cow-manure a foot below the surface, and a heavy, retentive loam can be
reduced to the proper state by the admixture of lighter material. On
the surface spread a liberal quantity of manure and dig it in, leaving
the soil in a rough state to be disintegrated by frosts. Before the
planting time arrives it is worth some trouble to free the ground from
wire worms, or they will play havoc with the growth just as it is
appearing above ground. Potatoes serve admirably as traps for these
pests.
Gladioli are peculiarly liable to injury from wind, so that a
sheltered, but not a shaded, position should, if possible, be chosen
for them. The time of planting depends partly on the district, partly
on the season; but the soil must be in suitable condition and fine
weather is necessary. From the middle of March to the middle of April
should afford some suitable opportunity of getting the bulbs in
satisfactorily. Give the land a light forking, not deep enough to bring
up the manure, and make the surface level. The rows may be twelve or
eighteen inches apart; we prefer the greater distance, because of the
convenience it affords in attending to the plants when growing; nine
inches is sufficient space in the rows.
There are two methods of putting in the bulbs, each of which has
advocates among practised growers. One is to take out the soil with a
trowel to the depth of six or seven inches for each corm, then insert
about two inches of mixed sand and powdered charcoal or wood ashes; lay
the root upon it, and carefully cover with fine soil. If that process
is considered too tedious, draw a deep drill with a hoe, and at the
bottom put the light mixture already named; place the roots at regular
distances upon it, and lightly return the top soil. The operation
should be so performed as to leave the crown of the corm four inches
below the surface. When planting is completed, give the bed a finishing
touch with the rake.
An eminent grower strips off the outer coat or skin of each bulb before
planting to ascertain that there is no disease; and this cannot
otherwise be discovered. No doubt the procedure prevents the bed from
showing blanks, but that object can be more safely attained by growing
a reserve in pots. There is, however, another practice which possesses
very decided advantages, and it is to break the skin at the crown of
the bulb to allow the foliage free exit. The skin is so tough that it
is frequently the means of distorting the plant in its attempt to force
an opening.
The bed for a time needs little attention, except to keep it free from
weeds, and this is best done by hand. When the shoots reach about a
foot high, tying must be resorted to in earnest. The most effectual
plan, of course, is to put a separate stake to each plant, and for
exhibition specimens this is certainly advisable. But rows can be
secured by a stake at each end, with two or three strands of strong
material carried across, to which each flower must be tied. Whatever
method is adopted, care should be taken to avoid cutting the plant,
while holding it secure from damage in a high wind. Let the material
which is placed round the flowering-stem be soft and wide, such as
list, which answers admirably.
Water must be freely and regularly given during dry weather, either in
the morning or in the evening; and a mulch of old manure spread over
the bed will prevent evaporation, and save the ground from caking hard.
Another important matter is shading. For ordinary purposes this is not
essential; but as it very much lengthens the duration of the flower, it
is worth attention on that ground alone, and for exhibition it is
indispensable. Whether shading is provided by separate protectors made
expressly for the purpose, or by home-made contrivances of canvas or
wood, the point to be quite certain about is security, or an accident
may wreck well-grounded hopes.