Chapter III: Part 3

Cyperus, or Umbrella-plant, may be easily raised from cuttings, but it is sometimes desirable to have a number of plants for aquatic gardening, and growing from seed is an economy. The seeds should be sown in flats and kept warm; they germinate in about ten days, coming up very freely. As many as three hundred plants have been secured from one packet. Prick the seedlings out into larger flats as soon as they are big enough to handle, and when two or three inches high pot them off into two-or three-inch pots of muck, plunging into wet sand and keeping constantly moist. Shift them as the pots fill with roots, and by the time the plants are in four-inch pots the water should be kept standing in the saucer all the time. When they attain proper size they should be grown in a jardinière or other vessel holding water, or else the pot in which they grow should be plunged in water. The Cyperus, being a semi-aquatic plant, cannot have too much water; the lack is quickly shown by the leaf-tips turning brown. Two plants kept fairly wet in pots, but plainly suffering, so were plunged into a lily-tank; in a few days the roots had pressed to the surface in search of water, and hung, a perfect fringe, over the edge of the pots. The effect on the tops was as pronounced—the crown quickly sending up lush green umbrellas in striking contrast to the discolouration of the original plants. There are two varieties of the Umbrella-plant—a dwarf, growing not more than eighteen inches high, and a tall variety growing three or four feet; the former is prettier for table decorations, while the latter is more effective for pedestals in halls and drawing-rooms. Remove all weak or spindly umbrellas and all discoloured ones; it is also well to remove the flowers, as seeding injures the plant.

Cyclamen may be started in flats or in a cool hotbed from January to March, pressing the seed into the soil about twice their depth. They must be kept moist, not wet, all the time. They do not require as much heat as the Calceolaria, but the temperature must be kept as even as possible. The seed germinates in from two to four weeks, according to its vitality. It is best to start them in large flats and let them grow on undisturbed. About the last of May remove them to a cold-frame on the east side of the house, disturbing the roots as little as possible, and setting the plants about eight inches apart each way. Keep the soil moist and mellow by frequent cultivation, or by mulching it with sphagnum moss or lawn clippings. When the plants have attained some size give weak liquid manure once a week, pouring it in a shallow trench between the rows, that it may not touch the bulbs or foliage. Treated in this way they should be ready to bloom by winter; if grown in pots they will not bloom until the second season. When cold weather comes lift the plants and put in four-or five-inch pots, according to size, using good garden loam and one-fourth the quantity of old, well-rotted manure. They should be grown in a cool east room and syringed daily.

In the spring after blooming withhold water gradually, giving no more than will keep the roots from drying out, and set them in a cool, shady place during the summer—the rear of the sand-box is best, where other growths will protect them from the sun. In continuous wet weather they should be turned on their sides or otherwise protected from extreme moisture. When they show an inclination to grow again, if they are in large enough pots, remove as much of the top-soil as possible without disturbing the roots, and replace it with fresh, rich earth and old manure. If the plants are crowded with roots remove them into pots one or two sizes larger. Give them a good watering and set in a somewhat lighter and warmer position. Cyclamen bulbs, like the Amaryllis, should not be allowed to dry out entirely, as this destroys the roots, and when the top growth starts in advance of the root growth, as is usual, the plant will die from insufficient nourishment. Florists frequently send out dry bulbs with flower-buds half an inch long and no sign of roots; such bulbs rarely amount to anything. When obliged to start a dry bulb, it is better to sink it half way in the soil and cover with sphagnum moss. Set it in a dry, cool place, and examine it from time to time that it may not be kept back longer than necessary. The starting of leaves is a fair indication of root growth, as the premature growth is usually of buds.

Geraniums are as easily raised as Carnations—indeed, it seems only necessary to put them in the ground and await results. In the spring sow the seed in drills in hotbeds or flats, covering with an eighth of an inch of soil. The plants should appear in from ten to fifteen days, and if they do not stand too closely may be allowed to grow on until they have two or three leaves. If mixed seeds are sown of the fancy-leaved, the scented, the zonale and the Lady Washington, the development of the several kinds will afford a fascinating study.

Care should be taken to save the more delicate-looking seedlings, as these will give the choicest varieties; the more robust plants among the zonales indicate a retrogression toward the original type, which has scarlet blooms. All choice new Geraniums are produced by seeds from hybridised flowers. Pot off the last of May in three-inch pots, using good garden loam and well-rotted manure. Pot them rather firmly and plunge into the sand-box in full sunshine. Water thoroughly and allow the soil to become dry before watering again; this tends to harden the new growth and makes the plants stocky. Nip out the top of the plants, forcing them to break or make new branches near the ground. The nearer the ground a Geranium branches the better plant it will make. Pinch off the shoots as they appear, allowing them to grow only three or four inches long. Remove all buds that appear before fall and shift to larger pots if needed, though Geraniums do not need as much pot room when blooming as many other flowers. Give liquid manure once a week after the buds appear—before that time the use of fertilisers encourages the production of foliage rather than of flowers.

Zonales should bloom by February and Pelargoniums by March or April the first year. They should be watered more freely when in bloom. Geraniums should be grown close to the glass to give best results. In prolonged cloudy weather the buds will blast and the new growth look sickly in spite of all care. Pelargoniums are very satisfactory when raised from seed, showing great diversity of colour and markings. When they have finished blooming in the spring cut them back freely, using the cuttings for new plants. The old plants should be set in the shade to rest and watered sparingly. At the end of that time they may be brought into the sunlight or plunged into open ground and encouraged to grow freely. Removing a portion of the leaves at this time—every other one, for instance—will cause new shoots to break at the axils of the leaves, and every new shoot means new blossom points. By the middle of September the plants should be lifted, cut back to the point where the wood begins to harden, and given a warm, sunny window. Cuttings started in spring, if shifted, kept growing and pinched back occasionally, should be in splendid condition for early spring blooming. In growing Geraniums never lose sight of the fact that stocky, many-branched plants give flowers in abundance; tall, spindly plants the reverse. A Geranium should always be as broad as it is high to be at its best. Ivy Geraniums need extra care to keep them low and stocky. Water sparingly and give abundant sunshine if you wish these to bloom.

Geranium seeds come up very irregularly, so that it is well not to disturb the ground for some time after the proper season of germination has passed. In this way many extra plants are secured.

Gloxinias

Like all fine seeds the Gloxinias often give a surprising number of plants from a single packet. The seed is sown on the surface of small flats in the house and the plants appear in about ten days. They are very tender at first and must be protected from undue heat, moisture, cold or draughts. They may be potted when large enough and plunged in the shady side of the sand-box, in a cold-frame, on the east side of the house, or in a shady corner in the open ground, where they will be protected from the sun during the hottest part of the day. Keep the soil constantly moist; a light mulch of sphagnum moss or lawn clippings will keep it in proper condition. Avoid wetting the foliage and as far as possible touching it. The stems of both leaf and blossom are very brittle and the slightest blow may deprive one of a cherished blossom. For this reason I like to grow them by themselves and use a mulch instead of cultivation. So much of the beauty of the plant depends upon the perfection of the foliage that every effort should be made to preserve it. In setting or potting Gloxinias the crown of the bulb should be above the earth, the soil should slope to the rim of the pot, that no water may settle about the crown and rot it. The plants may remain in the hotbed or other quarters until the approach of frost, when they must be shifted into larger pots and given a position in an east window with plenty of light. Gloxinias, if kept growing vigorously and shifted frequently, should bloom the following season. Some florists advise resting the bulb the first winter, but this, I think, is a mistake; the plant has done nothing to require a rest, nor has the bulb gained sufficient size to live without nourishment for any length of time, so that drying off is likely to result disastrously. After the Gloxinia has completed its period of bloom water should be gradually withheld and the foliage allowed to ripen. The bulbs may then be set away in their pots in a warm, dry place, until the following spring; or, if grown in hotbeds, they may be dried off by withholding water until the foliage ripens, when they may be lifted, wrapped in cotton-wool or tissue-paper, and stored in a dry, fairly warm place during the winter.

Heliotropes

Are more easily raised from seed than from cuttings, which require special care. Several of the new varieties, like Lemoine’s seedlings, give exceptionally large and early flowers, ranging in colour from pure white through all the shades of lavender, purple, and blue to deep indigo. If wanted for winter blooming the seed may be sown any time during the spring, but for bedding out it should be sown in February or March, and the plants duly potted off and plunged in a box of sand in a warm, sunny window, or a hotbed, until it is time to bed them out in the open ground. The compost should contain a large proportion of leaf-mould—three-fourths mould and one-fourth loam and sharp sand.

The seeds of Heliotrope must be kept merely moist, never wet and never allowed to dry out, or they will not sprout; keeping the soil just on the verge of drying out, yet never allowing it to do so, is the whole secret of starting Heliotrope from seeds. It is best to sow the seed in moist soil to avoid the necessity of watering afterward, as is done with other seeds; if the soil is just wet enough to be crumbly, neither wet nor sticky, and can be kept so, they will prosper. Cover the seed lightly with white sand and remove the glass if any appreciable moisture appears—anything more than a fine mist. It germinates in from fifteen to twenty days, and the plants require no special care beyond good soil, warmth, and plenty of sunshine with frequent waterings. When grown as house-plants they should be showered once or twice a day to prevent the inroads of the red spider—their worst enemy.

There is no more desirable bedding plant than the Heliotrope, and the more freely it is cut by removing generous portions of stem with the blossom the more freely it will bloom. It is admirable for replacing Pansies and may be grown on in the hotbed until the Pansy’s day is past. Where there is not enough Heliotrope for large bedding operations, purple Ageratum may be combined with the Heliotrope with excellent effect; this is a method often employed in the city parks, and when judiciously done one scarcely notices that the beds are not all Heliotrope. Plants may be taken up in the fall and cut back for winter blooming. Blossoms always form on the terminals of the branches.

Lantanas

Are hard-wooded, shrubby plants, the leaves more or less rough and prickly. The colours range from pure white through various shades of lemon to orange, red, a new bright scarlet, and the rosy lavender of the Weeping Lantana. The seed in its immature state is incased in a green pulp or berry, changing to blue as it ripens, and consists of a little nut with several kernels, so that one is sometimes surprised with two or more plants from what seems to be a single seed. The seed may be started in the house, or in the hotbed early in the spring; sowing in drills one-quarter of an inch deep. It germinates in from twelve to fifteen days, but soaking in warm water, for a few hours before planting, will hasten its appearance. They require about the same treatment as Geraniums, but should be shifted oftener and given plenty of water. As soon as the plants are four or five inches high transplant them to a tobacco pail, or some large wooden receptacle containing a compost of muck, loam, and old manure, or muck alone, and place in full morning sunshine, out of doors. Thus managed I have grown, from seed sown in March, plants that measured nine feet or more in circumference by September and were a mass of bloom all summer long, the blossoms defying all efforts at counting.

Grown in this way, with an abundance of roots and top room, rich soil, sun, and water, no better ornament could be desired for the porch or steps; but I do not think it a desirable plant for the house, as the hot, dry air causes it to drop its leaves, and it is almost sure to be attacked by the red spider. It is better to start fresh plants each spring and let them go when frost comes.

Lantanas make fine hedgerows between house lots or for defining different portions of the grounds. They should be planted in rich ground two and one-half feet apart.

The new Weeping Lantana is the most charming member of the family. It is of much more slender growth than the rest and inclined to be pendulous, or weeping. Its delightfully fragrant flowers are produced in round heads the size of a half-dollar at the axil of every leaf and show a lovely rosy-lilac hue. If planted in the open ground the Weeping Lantana quickly covers a considerable area, presenting a solid sheet of bloom throughout the summer. It will bloom freely in the house if given a warm, sunny window, abundant room, and showered daily to keep back the red spider, or dipped occasionally in hot water for that purpose. It must always have abundant root and top room and plenty of water.

Petunias

Probably no common flower of the garden has been so improved during the last few years as the Petunia. The small-flowered variety of a few years ago with its straggly habit and narrow range of colour—chiefly white and faded magenta—is now superseded by magnificently fringed and ruffled beauties in a wealth of colour, from purest white to glowing crimson, and a velvety purple that is almost black, with wonderfully veined and tinted throats and thick, stocky stems. It is difficult to realise that they are the same plants, plus a few generations of good living and culture.

The double Petunias are desirable for pots, vases, and bedding out, but I do not think they compare with such strains as Burpee’s Defiance, the Giants of California, the Ruffled Giants, and the Miranda. Miranda, for example, is a rosy carmine merging into a brilliant scarlet in the throat—the nearest approach to a scarlet Petunia yet produced. The seed of double Petunias will yield a fair proportion of double flowers. The young plants of both the single and double varieties require great care at first, being very sensitive to hot sun or cold air. Once established, however, they will stand a great deal of both—more, indeed, than almost any other flower of this class. Plant them in flats in the house in March by pressing the seed into the soil without covering; keeping moist and warm until the seed germinates, usually from eight to ten days. When large enough to handle, prick off into larger flats and set them in a warm north or east window. When the leaves touch set them two or three inches apart each way in other flats and let them grow until it is time to place them in the open ground, hardening them gradually by exposure to more sun and air each day, and transplant with great care. If intended to replace the Pansies they may be set in the bed in June, the Pansies affording them protection until they have attained some size. Set each little seedling on the north-east side of a Pansy plant, and by the time the Pansies have passed their zenith they will be ready to stand alone.

Always remove poor or inferior plants in order that the highest standard may be maintained; the finer varieties may be readily distinguished from the more common sorts by the stems and foliage; the latter having thin stems and small leaves, set rather far apart, while the stems of the fine varieties are very stocky; the leaves large, more or less crinkly, and set closely on the stem; the buds thick and compact, while those of the common type are long and thin. Petunias grow so rapidly that vacant places left by culling are soon filled. The finest specimens may be lifted for winter flowering. They will bloom freely in the house and often show a richer colour than when out of doors. They need considerable root room—any crowding of the roots, or starving of the plants being quickly shown in the deterioration of the flowers. Avoid chills and draughts. Give liquid manure and water freely, but do not let the soil get wet or sour. A little charcoal in the potting soil is an excellent corrective of this tendency. Always remove the flowers as they fade, thus prolonging the blooming season and increasing the beauty and size of the blossom.

Primroses

Require the same general treatment as other house-plants. A good compost of leaf-mould, loam, and sand is best for the first few shiftings, manure being added as the plants attain size. Repeated shifting hastens blooming, while keeping the plants in small pots retards it. When ready to bloom they should be fine, large plants in five-or six-inch pots. They should blossom in November and, if well cared for, they will flower from that time on until spring. In potting the Primrose care must be taken to have the crown of the plant slightly above the surface of the soil and the soil lowest at the edge of the pot, that no water may settle around the crown and cause it to rot. When the buds appear give the plants diluted liquid manure once a week. As the leaves of Primroses are easily injured they should be placed where they will be subjected to as little handling as possible. Window brackets make an ideal place for them, as they can be turned and inspected without removal, and the large velvety leaves, drooping gracefully over the pot, will develop perfectly. Injured or faded leaves should be removed at once. A receptacle rather broad than deep gives opportunity for the best development. A hanging-basket, milk-crock with drainage hole, or jardinière with outlet will answer. Sufficient root room is particularly necessary in the case of old plants, as these have more divisions to the crown and therefore spread more. Primula obconica does better when grown in shallow dishes; a dish four inches deep and eight wide is much better than the usual flower-pot.

Florists start their Primroses each year from seed, but there is no reason why, if one has a choice plant, it should not be carried over to the second year, when, being larger, it will give more flowers.

Chapter _NINE_
Outside Window-boxes

The outside window-box is a thing of beauty if well cared for, a disfigurement if neglected. So greatly does it add to the cheerfulness and apparent size of the rooms under the windows of which it is placed that I should advise its use whenever practicable. One of my pleasantest recollections is a window-box full of Heliotrope under a sitting-room window, filling the room so full of perfume that going into it in the early morning was like stepping into a garden of fragrance.

Window-boxes do well in any window not shaded by porches, and the plants best suited to the light may be selected. Many plants too tender to bed out in the open ground may be trusted to the window-box. Fuchsias, Ferns, Asparagus Sprengeri, A. tenuissimus, Ageratums, fancy-leaved Caladiums, and various tuberous-rooted Begonias, like the silver-spotted, known as Angel’s Wing, are all lovely in the window-box. Rubra and most of the Begonias do admirably in a north window. For windows facing the street, where effect is principally sought, bright Geraniums, Heliotropes, Coleus, Crotons, and similar plants are preferable, provided there is sufficient sunshine to bring out all their rich colouring.

The fancy-leaved Caladiums may be used where bright effect is sought in a north window.

The boxes used for this purpose should be as ample as possible, the full length of the window-casing outside and at least a foot wide and deep. They should be made of inch boards, closely fitted together so that the sides shall not warp and allow the water to run through too freely, washing out and exhausting the soil. A hole may be made in the bottom at one end, and provided with a plug, for the escape of surplus water during continued rains. A piece of broken crock or other drainage must be placed over the hole on the inside of the box to prevent the earth working in and obstructing the free passage of water. The hot air of summer will shrink the earth away from the sides of the box, leaving a channel for the water to escape without properly soaking the soil; but if the surface of the soil is kept open, and the centre left a little lower than the sides, this will be prevented. A little experimenting will show just how much water is needed to wet the soil properly without letting it run away, and this amount should be used daily during dry weather. Only as many plants as will do well in the limited space of four square feet should be planted in the window-boxes. Five erect plants and three vines are enough for a box of that size, and even these may need attention before the season is over, especially if in south or west windows. North or east boxes will, usually, keep their contents fresh until frost; but a west or south light makes great demands upon the vitality of plants confined within the limited area, and it is a good plan to leave Geraniums and similar flowers in their pots, that they may be easily exchanged for others when they grow shabby, cutting back and repotting the old ones for winter blooming if removed not later than August.

A better plan is to have two boxes; starting one in the house in March, that it may be ready to place as soon as danger of frost is past; and the second in June, that it may be ready to replace the first when needed. For the latter the vines started in the house, or hotbed, in April will be available. Maurandya, Thunbergia, and the like, and many flowers from seed will have reached sufficient size to be used for the second box. Plants that have been carried over from another season, or purchased from the florist, will be necessary for the first boxes. There is no more beautiful vine for a window-box than the Maurandya; it drapes more gracefully than any other vine I know (unless it be the Wild Cucumber, which attaches itself to the window-screen in wreaths of exuberant bloom, drooping far below the window-box, and making a lovely background for scarlet Geraniums). Its only fault is that it will grow shabby before the season is over, when it had better be pulled up and replaced by a fresher vine that has been grown in a pot for the purpose and can be slipped into place without checking its growth.

Perhaps no plant is more satisfactory for a south or west window-box than a good Geranium—either the dark, rich vermilion of the S. A. Nutt, or the vivid scarlet of the Bruant. Both of these appear to better advantage when contrasted with white flowers. Camphor Geranium is excellent, being a freer bloomer than other white Geraniums, and the Giant White Antirrhinum is especially vivid. Double white Petunias and white Phlox Drummondi are also good. Purple Ageratums and Heliotrope are charming with scarlet and white. The large-flowered Ivy Geraniums—Souvenir de Charles Turner—are the best, and do finely in east and west window-boxes, while the variegated variety makes a lovely mass of pendent foliage for an east or north box. Trailing Fuchsia, Japanese Morning-glory, Glechoma, and Wild Cucumber all do well on the north side of the house. The following combinations may all be depended upon to give satisfactory results:

Southern Exposure.

No. 1.

Bruant Geranium White Antirrhinum. S. A. Nutt Geranium
(scarlet). (cardinal).
Heliotrope. Heliotrope.
White Maurandya. White Maurandya.

No. 2.

Jean Viaud Geranium Mrs. J. M. Garr. Jean Viaud
(pink). (pink).
Dwarf blue Ageratum. Dwarf blue Ageratum.
Nepeta Glechoma. Souv. de Charles Turner. Nepeta Glechoma.

No. 3.

Beaute Poitevine Ger. White Verbena. Madame Charlotte Ger.
(salmon). (salmon).
Weeping Lantana.
Var. Ivy Ger. Joan of Arc. Ivy Ger. Joan of Arc.

No. 4.

Dark Crotons. Dark Crotons. Dark Crotons.
Light Crotons. Light Crotons.
Adlumia. Lotus Peliorhynchus. Adlumia.

No. 5.

Light Crotons. Light Crotons. Light Crotons.
Dark Coleus. Dark Coleus.
Trailing Abutilons. Trailing Abutilons. Trailing Abutilons.

No. 6.

East Window-box.

Scarlet Tuberous Begonia. White do. Scarlet Tuberous Begonia.
White Tuberous Begonia. White Tuberous Begonia.
White Thunbergia. Scarlet Nasturtium. White Thunbergia.

No. 7.

Pink Justicia. Pink Justicia. Pink Justicia.
Heliotrope. Heliotrope.
White Maurandya. Solanum Jasminoides. White Maurandya.

No. 8.

Yellow Tuberous Begonia. Yellow Tuberous Begonia. Yellow
Tuberous Begonia.
White Tuberous Begonia. White Tuberous Begonia.
Yellow Thunbergia. Yellow Thunbergia.

No. 9.

Pink Double Petunia. White Antirrhinum. Pink Double Petunia.
Wild Cucumber.

No. 10.

Heliotrope. Heliotrope. Heliotrope.
Duke Zeppelin Begonia. Duke Zeppelin Begonia.
Solanum Jasminoides. Solanum Jasminoides.
Manettia Vine.

No. 11.

North Window-box.

Fancy Caladiums Fancy Caladiums Fancy Caladiums
(dark). (dark). (dark).
Fancy Caladiums (light). Fancy Caladiums (light).
Vinca Var. Vinca Var.
Trailing Fuchsia. Maurandya. Trailing Fuchsia.

No. 12.

Fuchsia Phenomenal. Begonia Angel’s Wing. Fuchsia Phenomenal.
Dwarf Ageratum. Dwarf Ageratum.
Ivy Geranium. Trailing Fuchsia. Ivy Geranium.

No. 13.

Rubra Begonia. Asparagus Tenuissimus. Begonia Velutina.
Farfugium. Feastii Begonia.
Variegated Vinca. Manettia Vine. Variegated Vinca.

No. 14.

Asparagus Sprengeri. Boston Fern. Asparagus Sprengeri.
Russellia Grandis. Cissus Discolour. Russellia Grandis.

Nasturtiums make an attractive window-box, but need abundant root room, and not more than three plants should be put in a box having three other erect plants. Morning-glories, on the contrary, require but little room, and one may be put in each end of a north window-box and trained over the window. If strings are provided they will reach the roof by midsummer, blooming every step of the way; other vines may be grown in the front of the box. The Centrosema—when it can be persuaded to grow—is a charming vine for a north or east window, but it is a very shy plant, hard to get started, and refusing to grow in an uncongenial situation, though quite hardy when once established.

The best support for the window-box is the wooden bracket made by nailing to the side of the house, thirteen inches below the window-sill, a strip of inch stuff the length of the window-frame and three or four inches wide; on top of this and at right angles to it nail three similar strips of wood one foot long, the outer ends resting on strips of wood attached to the sill of the house; these last strips must have the ends bevelled sufficiently to fit snugly against the baseboards and the bottom of the horizontal pieces and be securely nailed together. If the measurements are carefully taken the box will slip into place, on the supports, just under the window-sill. Paint boxes and supports to match the house. Window-boxes may be kept in the cellar through the winter, or emptied, dried and stored in a dry place, according to their contents. Always empty and thoroughly scald the boxes before using.

In stocking window-boxes never put plants received by mail directly into them; they should be ordered early enough to pot and become established (the pots full of roots) by the time they are needed for the window-boxes, when they may be slipped into place without disturbing the roots or checking their growth. Placed at once in the boxes, in a sunny position, they would probably be lost.

Very fair window-boxes may be obtained at trifling expense by using the boxes in which grass scythes are packed, which may be purchased at the hardware store for five or ten cents apiece. These are not as wide nor as deep as one could wish, but have the advantage of cheapness and availability. Preference should be given to those having close seams. If warped or open they must be tightened by driving in extra nails, or nailing thin strips of wood over the cracks on the inside. The longevity of the window-box is greatly lengthened by keeping the windows above them—especially on the south and west sides of the house—open as much of the time as possible. If the sun beats on the glass of the closed window and is reflected on the plants, it is literally confining them between two fires and they cannot be expected to come through uninjured. Let the wind sweep through and over them and they will stand any reasonable amount of heat or moisture. This is the reason plants do better in the open than when placed against the side of a wall or building—the air must not only have free access, but pass beyond, carrying off noxious vapours and excess of moisture.

When there is garden room for their cultivation I do not approve of growing annuals in window-boxes; it is better to reserve these for choice plants; but when the window-box must be the only garden, and economy must be studied, very pretty boxes may be arranged with Sweet Alyssum; scarlet, white, or pink Phlox Drummondi; scarlet, pink, or white Verbenas; the various coloured Antirrhinums, Petunias, Nasturtiums, the blue Phacelia and Ageratums, Wild Cucumber, the finer foliaged fancy gourds, as Bryonopsis Coccinea Indica, and Abobra viridiflora. By using the scythe boxes, and starting the plants from seed, very pretty boxes may be gotten up for from thirty-five to fifty cents a pair that will give as much pleasure as more expensive ones. The more flowers are cut from these boxes of annuals the more freely they will bloom, and no seeds should be allowed to form. A little liquid manure should be given all window-boxes—except those containing Begonias—once a week during the summer, and all withered flowers and leaves promptly removed. Nip back weak, straggly growths and encourage the plants to grow stocky and the vines to branch freely.

Chapter _TEN_
Various Annuals from Seed

Antirrhinums (Snapdragon), of late much interest has been shown in the newer forms of this old-time favourite, and some fine new varieties have become popular for cut flowers. The Giant White and Queen of the North are most desirable for cut flowers, window-boxes, and vases; while Niobe—a beautiful half-dwarf variety of velvety maroon with white throat, Giant Yellow, Giant Crimson, and Firefly—a bright scarlet—are excellent for bedding.

Seed should be started early in hotbed or flats. Merely press it into the soil and cover with a paper until the plants appear, which should be in from eight to ten days. Transplant into rich soil where the plants are to remain, setting one foot apart each way. They are effective in rows with some taller plant, or vine, for a background. The tall, showy spikes are most striking against a background of green. The Antirrhinum is a half-hardy perennial, blooming the first season if seed is started early enough, and hardy at the North with good protection in winter. If a succession of flowers is desired, no seed should be allowed to form. Protect in winter with a mulch of leaves, evergreen boughs, or corn-stalks, as high—or higher—than the plants, or they may be pegged down and covered with evergreen boughs, or boards to shed the rain. Thus protected they will live through the winter and bloom heavily the following summer. Occasionally in favoured locations they will live through the winter unprotected, but this cannot be depended upon.

Antirrhinums are not particular as to soil or situation, provided they have plenty of water; rich loam or half loam and half leaf-mould suiting them equally well, and any exposure that affords a fair amount of sunshine.

Asters have come to be a recognised necessity of the fall garden, and there has been marked improvement in varieties during the past few years. Starting with the old-fashioned Aster of medium size and inferior colour, showing a marked yellow centre, the aim of the Aster specialist has been to eliminate the centre, enlarge the flower, and improve the colour and texture of the petal. Results are shown in such varieties as the Giant White Comet, the Bride, the Japanese Tassel Aster, Chrysanthemum Flowered, Peony, Perfection, and the wonderful Ostrich Feather.

With such an embarrassment of riches it is difficult to declare any one variety the finest, but for cut flowers and corsage wear nothing can excel the Chrysanthemum Flowered in white and pink.

The lasting quality of the flowers when cut is quite phenomenal. I have known them to keep fresh and sightly in water for a month, until the stems had entirely rotted away, leaving the flower uninjured. In arranging them for vases remove all leaves below the top of the vase, leaving clean stems, which should be thoroughly cleansed daily, and the ends clipped. A teaspoonful of charcoal added to the water in the vase will keep it sweet and retard decay.

Early planting of Asters is to be strongly recommended, as the early plants are not subject to the dreaded Aster disease or to attacks of the black beetle, which often destroy all the flowers of a late bed in a single day.

A teaspoonful of Paris green in the watering-pot, sprinkled on at night or very early in the morning, will usually rid the plants of their unwelcome guests, or they may be brushed off into a pan of water containing a small quantity of kerosene—which is fatal to them. They are sluggish, especially in the early morning, dropping to the ground when touched, and easily killed. The point is to take them in time, and the appearance of the first beetle should be the signal for active operations.

For early flowers the seed may be planted in the hotbed, flats, or cold-frame in March or April, covering an eighth of an inch deep and keeping rather cool. They germinate in from five to seven days, and when the plants have attained their second pair of true leaves they should be transplanted, setting an inch or two apart in the flats or bed. Transplant again when the leaves close up the gaps between them, setting three or four inches apart according to their growth. If possible, transplant a third time, as this frequent moving serves to produce a great quantity of feeding roots, at the same time checking the top growth and making a stocky plant with stiff stems. Transplant when the weather is favourable into a well-prepared bed of sandy loam enriched with old manure, or a bed of woods earth. Set a foot apart each way, except in the case of the branching Asters, which should be at least two feet apart.

Sprinkle ashes freely, and as long as there is room to work between the rows cultivate once or twice a week. They may then be mulched with lawn clippings to keep down the weeds for the rest of the season. If they are planted in woods earth they will need only such cultivation as is necessary to keep down the weeds. Do not let them suffer for water at any period of their growth, and remove all flowers as they fade.

Ageratums (Floss Flower) are almost indispensable for edgings, window-boxes, vases, and for filling out beds of Heliotrope. The dwarf or Tom Thumb are the most desirable for edgings. Princess Caroline, Swanley Blue, and Little Dorrit are the best of this class in the blue or lavender shades. The white does not show a good, clear colour under a hot sun, and is therefore not desirable. For early plants sow in flats or in the hotbed early in spring. Later seed may be sown in the open ground when the trees are in bloom, and transplanted when large enough. Sow broadcast, covering the seed lightly and pressing it into the soil. They germinate in from three to five days, and may be grown on until time to transplant into permanent quarters. Though they may start somewhat spindly, they quickly regain their dwarf and stocky character in the open ground. Set plants from eight to ten inches apart in the row. If the flower heads are removed as fast as they fade plants will bloom from early June until cut down by frost.

Balsams (Lady Slipper), like Asters, are greatly benefited by frequent transplanting, and one at least they must have. Start seed early in the hotbed or flats, or later, when the trees are in bloom, in protected beds in the open ground. Transplant at least once in the seed-beds; twice, if possible. When danger of frost is past remove to beds of muck or marsh earth, setting from twelve to fifteen inches apart each way. Given plenty of room, the Balsam branches freely, and one well-developed specimen will give more and finer flowers than a half-dozen cramped specimens. In purchasing select the camellia-flowered varieties, as it does not pay to waste time with inferior kinds. Really fine Balsams are well worth cultivating, and are very effective in rows in front of taller plants. The double white and shell pink are valuable for floral designs for funerals and for other decorative work.

Probably no flower that has come into vogue of late years has won more popularity than the Cosmos—certainly for cut flowers nothing can surpass it in graceful beauty. The large pink and white Hibiscus, with a generous handful of long-stemmed pink, crimson, and white Cosmos, makes an ideal bouquet for a high glass vase. Placed in front of a large mirror the effect in form and colour is hardly surpassed by the choicest exotics. The graceful, fern-like foliage adds greatly to the beauty of a well-grown clump in the garden or lawn. They are at their best when seen against a background of darker green, a shower of crimson, pink, and white.

Only the early flowering varieties should be grown at the North, as the seasons are much too short for the giant or California varieties; though if one has room for both, the California may be grown as a background for the dwarf early flowering, as the foliage is much superior and the late flowers very fine. If started very early in flats in the house, pricked, out into pots, shifted and grown on until time to set in the open ground, the season of bloom will be much advanced.

Set out in rich garden soil and supply abundantly with water. Strong stakes must be provided, as the plants are very brittle at the joints, and a storm may do great damage if they are unsupported. An excellent way of growing them is to plant them in front of a wire fence or chicken netting on the side toward the prevailing wind, that they may be blown against, rather than away from their support, and the stalks and main branches tied to the wires with raphia, wool twine, or strips of cloth; thus protected there will be little danger of their being injured by rough winds.

If an occasional seed is allowed to form and self-sow there will come up very sturdy little plants the following spring, but fresh seed should be purchased every other year to insure against deterioration in size of blossom and quantity of bloom.

Columbine (the Aquilegia) seed may be sown in the open ground in the North when the trees are in leaf, or any time after May 10th. Cover the seed-bed with a newspaper and keep moist until the plants are up, in ten to twelve days. Transplant when large enough to handle into fresh rows or, when they have attained sufficient size, into their permanent quarters. Planted in a row where they will have a background of green the effect is beautiful. One of the prettiest beds I remember was of mixed Columbine—pure white, rose, and lavender—in front of an old grey building, on which grew a delicate vine in its first tender spring green. They had been moved the fall before from a bed where they attracted no particular attention, but in their new quarters they awoke to find themselves famous.

Dahlias are so easily raised from seed that it hardly seems worth while to bother with the tubers, unless one has exceptionally favourable conditions for storing them. Plants grown from seed, started early in the house or hotbed, will come into bloom quite as soon as those grown from tubers. Plant the seed in drills two inches apart, dropping an inch or more apart in the drills, and cover with one-eighth to one-fourth inch of earth. The seed germinates in from five to seven days, and the little plants are quite robust from the start, though sensitive to cold and drought. When all danger of frost is past and the nights are warm transplant the Dahlias into beds of mellow soil heavily enriched with manure. Set three feet apart each way and cultivate thoroughly as long as there is room to work between the rows. Then mulch heavily with rough manure covered with lawn clippings. Water copiously during dry weather, showering the tops at night to counteract the effect of the dry air on the buds. Save waste water from kitchen and bath, and apply to their roots. This affords nourishment as well as moisture. When two feet high tie carefully to tall, stout stakes, which, to avoid injury to the tubers, would better be placed when the plants are set. Sprinkle soot and ashes between the plants and cultivate it in. The finest flowers are produced by protecting with an awning of thin cotton cloth after the buds are fully grown—though this would only be desirable in the case of exhibition flowers. When several buds appear in one place remove all but the largest, as the difference in size will more than repay for the loss in number, besides there is danger of all blasting if allowed to remain.

If worms or beetles appear on the buds they should be sprayed with Paris-green solution—one teaspoonful of Paris green to three gallons of water. Should the borer—that pest of the Dahlia, Aster, and Cosmos—appear, pour the Paris-green mixture around the roots, soaking the soil to the depth of three or four inches. Examine the stock of the plant near the ground for the hole made by the borer. When found run a flexible wire up the stalk to destroy the worm and prevent further damage, and heap the earth above the wound. If brought up to a point above the wound, and kept moist, new roots will start, thus insuring the recovery of the plant. If one has previously been troubled with this worm it will be well to anticipate matters, and, commencing when the plants are a foot high, apply once a week a weak Paris-green solution; continue this until the plant is grown and the wood hardened near the ground.

The fine mixed double Dahlias, the Cactus and the magnificent single varieties, are all desirable for cut flowers and effective in garden rows; but for corsage wear the last are best. It would be difficult to find a flower more beautiful than a vivid-coloured single Dahlia.

For the rockwork try English Daisies—pink, white, crimson, and striped. They do admirably in such a situation, digging their toes in between the stones, finding cool, moist spots, and holding their heads up in the hot sunshine. Start the seeds where they are to remain, or in a flat or cold-frame. The little plants appear in from five to seven days, and will need shade and moisture until they have become established. For beds that lie in partial shade they make beautiful borders, forming little rosettes of leaves that in the fall may be taken up and divided by pulling apart into as many plants are there are crowns; in this way one will, in a short time, secure a large bed or border. They should be protected in winter by a mulch of rough stable litter, evergreen boughs, or corn-stalks, and the bed raised to shed water.

The Hibiscus (Marshmallow) is a perennial deserving much more general cultivation. Even to flower lovers it seems quite unknown, and yet it is cheaply and easily raised from seed, and one of the hardiest of our garden perennials. There are three varieties hardy in the North—an immense pure white blossom with a velvety crimson eye, a pale pink or flesh colour, and a lovely bright pink. These three are hardy in the open ground without protection, but they will be stronger plants and bloom more freely if protected with a little rough litter and hilled to shed water.

There are several that may be treated as hardy annuals, and various tender perennials that must be kept in the house or greenhouse during winter. Among the first are Africanus, a large cream-coloured, brown-eyed variety; it is low-growing and effective in front of the tall, crimson-eyed sort, which with age attains a height of six or more feet.

Giant Yellow is a beautiful canary yellow with crimson throat, hardy as far north as St. Louis, but safer in the cellar above that latitude, and Coccinea, a tender perennial of a brilliant crimson. If started early all will give flowers the first season from seed, which may be sown in hotbeds or flats in February or March in drills one-fourth inch deep. They germinate in from five to seven days. Plant out in good garden soil at corn-planting time, setting the hardy varieties where they are to remain, as they do not bear transplanting well when they have attained any considerable size. Cultivate during the hot weather or mulch. A two-quart tin can, with holes on one side near the bottom, may be sunk in the ground and filled with water. This with the mulch will keep the earth cool and moist during the hottest weather. The plant is an herbaceous perennial, dying down to the ground in winter and coming up from the roots the following spring—rather late in May. Plants increase in size and beauty each year, and a five-or six-years clump is superb.

Cut off the stalks a few inches above the ground when killed by frost, but do not attempt to break them off or pull them up, as that will injure the crown of the large, fleshy roots and cause decay during the winter. The remainder of the stalk serves to mark the location of the plant. When they have grown to blooming size they should be tied to stout stakes. The large clumps have a tendency to spread at the roots, and a severe rain and wind storm may lay them prostrate. Make a support of two or three wooden hoops nailed to two or more stout stakes, the top hoop standing three feet above the ground. Place this over the plants in the spring and train them to grow up through the hoops.

For effective grouping, to fill in a corner, to serve as a screen to unsightly objects, to catch the eye and carry it on from point to point, there is no finer flower than the Hollyhock. The double flowers, of course, are more attractive at close range, but at a distance the single are rather more effective. Everyone who grows plants should find at least one corner for a big clump of this gorgeous flower.

The seeds should be sown in the spring, either where they are to remain or in a cold-frame; the location matters little so that favourable conditions of the soil are secured. Plants started after the seed ripens in the summer, even when protected by a cold-frame, do not make sufficient growth to endure a very severe winter. The new Alleghany Hollyhocks are hardier, and a fair proportion of plants from August-sown seeds may be expected to survive the winter. When the plants run up their blossom stalks the second season they must be securely staked to prevent injury by high winds. If the borer appears apply the Paris-green solution about the roots. The Hollyhock is subject to attack very early in the season by a variety of red spider which feeds on out-of-door plants. The Paris-green solution may be used for this, or a kerosene emulsion, or the plants may simply be showered with hot water at about 145°. The remedy should be applied promptly. The Hollyhock blight is a fungous disease of a most destructive nature. Its ravages almost drove the Hollyhock out of our gardens some years ago. Infected plants should be burned. Though hardy the second year, they should be hilled up sufficiently to shed water and given a shelter of corn fodder or evergreen boughs during the winter.

When the trees are in bloom Nasturtiums may be planted in the open ground where they are to remain. They should have fairly rich soil and a sunny situation, as they will not bloom well in the shade. The dwarf varieties make very attractive borders for Canna beds, the colour and texture of the foliage harmonising better with the Canna than that of the Coleus and many other plants commonly employed, while the brightness of the blossoms makes a very attractive whole.

The tall varieties make effective beds when pegged down, as the plants root wherever they touch the ground and send up flower shoots. Usually, however, they are grown on strings or trellises. The latter is a troublesome method, as they must be fastened to their support with strings. They are not climbers, but trailers, and have no tendrils or other means of attaching themselves to their support.

The finest bed of Nasturtiums I have seen is an elevated one built around a pipe which brings water from a distance. Some of the water—not much—reaches them, and they are given little, if any, attention, but in their elevated bed they grow luxuriantly, trailing over the sides of the ground and showing a brilliant mass of flowers until cut down by frost. Usually the Nasturtium receives too much water, and produces quantities of rank, lush foliage instead of flowers.

The new Nasturtium, Sunlight, is one of the finest varieties brought out in years—a pure, clear, golden yellow without any markings and of fine size. Its companion, Moonlight, is a pale cream, almost white, showing wine-coloured markings in the throat. For mixed varieties the hybrids of Madame Gunther are the most desirable, and the new Chameleon shows a variety of different coloured flowers on the same stem.

The Pansy Bed