Holly (_Ilex_).--This pleasing hardy evergreen shrub thrives best on
a deep, sandy loam, but will grow in any good soil, provided the
position is dry. It succeeds well in the shade. Cuttings of young
shoots having 1 in. of the old wood attached will strike root, but the
plant is of very slow growth, and takes at least four years to grow
into a good bush. Choice varieties may be grafted or budded on to the
common sorts in June or July. To grow Holly from seed, gather the
berries when ripe, crush them, and mix them up with a little sandy
loam, bury them in a hole 3 ft. deep, and cover with litter. Dig them
up and sow them in March. Big bushes are best moved at the end of
August, mixing the earth to a puddle before planting. The less pruning
they receive the better. They may be trimmed in spring.
Hollyhock.--May be raised from seed or cuttings. Sow the seed about
the second week of March in very rich soil, and cover it with 1 in. of
dry earth. In June (having soaked the bed thoroughly overnight) remove
the young plants to a nursery-bed, setting them 6 in. apart. Press the
earth firmly round the roots, and water plentifully until settled. In
the autumn plant them where they are to bloom. Cuttings may be taken
as soon as the flowers appear, or from the old plants in autumn. Each
joint having an eye will furnish a plant. Select side branches having
two or three joints and leaves. Cut the shoots through just under the
lower joint, leaving the leaf entire; cut it also about 2 in. above
the joint. Plant in equal parts of loam, gritty sand, and leaf-mould;
shelter from the sun, and sprinkle them every day in fine weather with
water. If the cuttings are taken in autumn pot them off in 60-sized
pots, and keep them in a cold frame till the spring, when they may be
planted out. Flowers in August. Height, 6 ft.
Homerias.--Beautiful little South African plants. For out-door
cultivation plant the bulbs in a dry, warm situation, from October
to January, 3 in. deep, and the same distance apart, in rich, light,
well-drained soil, and protect them from heavy rains with a good layer
of leaves. For pot culture put four or five bulbs in a 5-in. pot,
place in a cold frame, and cover with cocoa-nut fibre until the growth
appears. Water moderately, and when the flowers fade abstain from
supplying moisture. The bulbs are not quite hardy, therefore they
should be removed indoors before frosts appear.
Homogyne Alpina.--Hardy herbaceous plants flowering in April. Any soil
is suitable for them, and they may be increased by division. Height, 6
in.
Honesty (_Lunaria_).--Interesting hardy biennials. When dried, the
shining seed-pods make a handsome addition to winter bouquets, mixed
with ornamental grass. Any common soil suits them. Sow the seed any
time from April to June, and transplant them to the border in the
autumn for flowering the following May. Height, 1-1/2 ft. to 3 ft.
Honeysuckles.--These rapid twiners thrive in any loamy soil, and may
be increased by putting down layers in the autumn, after the leaves
begin to fall. They can also be propagated by cuttings taken in the
autumn and planted in a shady, sheltered spot. Caprifolium Brachypoda
and the evergreen C. Sempervirens are handsome, free-flowering kinds,
suitable for almost any situation. C. Aurea-reticulata has beautifully
variegated leaves, which render it very ornamental. Height, 6 ft. to 8
ft.
Hop.--A useful hardy climber for covering verandahs, summer-houses,
etc. Plant in rich, loamy soil, and increase by dividing the roots.
(_See also_ "Humulus Japonicus.")
Hordeum Jubatum (_Squirrel-tail Grass)_.--A very pretty species
resembling miniature barley. Sow seed in March, covering it very
lightly, and keep the surface of the soil moist till the grass
appears. Height, 1-1/2 ft.
Horminum Pyrenaicum.--This hardy perennial produces erect white
flowers with blue corolla in June or July. It will grow in any
ordinary soil, but needs protection in winter, as it is apt to be
injured by damp. It may be propagated either by seed or division.
Height, 1-1/2 ft.