THE CULTURE OF VEGETABLES AND FLOWERS FROM SEEDS AND ROOTS TEXT

Nasturtium, Tall, Black Prince Cl. MEDIUM. Chrysanthemum atrococcineum 2 Clarkia elegans, Salmon scarlet 2 Clarkia elegans, Firefly 2 Godetia, Double Crimson 2 Poppy, Cardinal 2 Cacalia coccinea 1-1/2 Coreopsis cardaminigolia Dwarf 1-1/2 DWARF. Candytuft, Improved Carmine 1 Candytuft, Dark crimson 1 Centranthus macrosiphon 1 Godetia, Crimson King 1 Godetia, Scarlet Queen 1 Godetia, Lady Albemarle 1 Linum grandifiorum rubrum 1 Nasturtium, Dwarf, Scarlet Queen 1 Nasturtium, Dwarf, King Theodore 1 Naturtium, King of Tom Thumbs 1 Viscaria cardinalis 1 Collomia coccinea 3/4 Coreopsis, Dwarf Crimson 3/4 Eschscholtzia, Ruby King 3/4 Godetia, Afterglow 3/4 Godetia, Lady Albemarle, dwarf 3/4 Saponaria, Scarlet Queen 1/2 Virginian Stock, Crimson King 1/2 Viscaria, Dwarf Carmine 1/2 Yet one other method of growing annuals calls for special mention. It is not fully recognised that a number of subjects, usually associated only with beds and borders, may also be flowered with the greatest ease under glass in winter and early spring. Those who have not hitherto attempted the culture of annuals in this way will be delighted with the charming effects produced. Among the subjects most suitable for the purpose are Alonsoa; the Star and Dunnettii varieties of Annual Chrysanthemum; _Clarkia elegans; _ Dimorphotheca; _Gypsophila elegans_; Linaria; _Nemesia Suttoni_; Nicotiana, Miniature White and _N. affinis_; Phlox, Purity, one of the most lovely pot plants for the conservatory and of especial value for decorative work at Easter; Salpiglossis; and the pretty blue, Cineraria-like, Swan River Daisy. From the fact that these annuals are of the hardy or half-hardy types it will be readily understood that no great amount of heat is required to bring them to maturity; indeed, the more hardy the treatment the better for their well-doing. Seed should be sown during August or September in pots or pans placed in a cool frame, the seedlings being pricked off into other pots as soon as they have attained a suitable size. As colder weather approaches, transfer to the greenhouse or conservatory, and provided the night temperature is not allowed to fall below 45° all should be well. During the day give the plants the maximum of air whenever weather permits. Hardy Annuals.—The seeds should be sown on a carefully prepared surface from which large stones have been removed, and the clods must be broken, but the soil should not be made so smooth as to become pasty under rain. Sow thinly, in rows spaced to agree with the height of the plant, cover with a very slight coat of fine dry earth—the smallest seeds needing but a mere dusting to cover them—and, from the first, keep the plants thinned sufficiently to prevent overcrowding. Spring-sown annuals are worthy of a better soil than they usually have allotted them, and also of more careful treatment. It is not wise to sow earlier than March or later than the middle of April. In the after-culture the most important matter is to keep the clumps well thinned. Not only will the bloom of crowded plants be comparatively poor and brief, but by early and bold thinning the plants will become so robust, and cover such large spaces of ground with their ample leafage and well-developed flowers, as really to astonish people who think they know all about annuals, and who may have ventured after much ill-treatment to designate them ‘fugacious and weedy.’ Although the sowing of hardy annuals direct on to beds and borders where the plants are wanted is economical in labour and avoids the check which transplanting occasions, the practice of raising annuals on specially prepared seed-beds and pricking out the plants to blooming quarters is sometimes followed. The soil into which they are transferred for flowering should be deeply dug, thoroughly broken up, and, if at all poor, liberally manured. It is an excellent plan also to sow hardy annuals outdoors in autumn, but it is needless to say more on this subject here, as it is dealt with fully at page 313. Half-hardy Annuals.—Give these as long a period of growth as possible to insure a vigorous plant before the season of flowering. The best time for sowing is February, or the beginning of March; for although some kinds may with advantage be sown earlier, it is safer, as a rule, to wait for sunshine and full daylight, so as to keep up a steady and continuous growth. The soil for the seed-pans should be rich and fine. Good loam, improved by the addition of thoroughly decayed manure and leaf-mould, with sufficient sand to render the texture porous, will suit all kinds of annuals that are sown in pans under glass. Sow the seed thinly, cover very slightly, and lay squares of glass over to keep a uniform degree of moisture without the necessity of watering. Should watering become necessary, take care to avoid washing the seeds out. If the pans or pots are stood in a vessel containing several inches depth of water until sufficient has been absorbed, there will be no occasion to pour water on the surface. A gentle heat is to be preferred; when germination is too rapid it tends to the production of weak plants. As soon as the young plants appear, remove the glasses and place the seed-pans in the fullest light, where air can be given without danger to them. A dry east wind blowing fiercely over them will prove a blast of death. If they have no air at all, they will be puny, rickety things, scarcely worth planting out. Choice varieties should be carefully pricked out into pans and pots as soon as large enough; this will promote a fine, stocky growth and a splendid development of flowers. Take care not to plant out until the weather is favourable, for any great check will undo all your work, and make starvelings of your nurslings. If you cannot command heat for half-hardy annuals, sow in the first week in April, put the pans in a frame facing south, and the seeds will soon grow and do well. If that is too much trouble, sow in the open border early in May, making the border rich and friable, that they may have a good chance from the first. Tender Annuals.—These require the same general treatment as advised for half-hardy annuals. But it is desirable to sow in a stronger heat than is necessary for annuals that are to be planted out. It is also requisite to be in good time in pricking out the seedlings, for if they get much drawn they cannot make robust pot plants. A light, rich, perfectly sweet soil, containing a fair proportion of sharp sand, is necessary to insure plants worth having. It is also important to get them into separate small pots as soon as possible, and to shift them on to larger and larger pots, until they have sufficient pot room for flowering, after which shift no more. As soon as these pots are filled with roots, give very weak manure water constantly until the plants are in flower, and then discontinue it, using instead pure soft water only. Hardy Biennials and Perennials.—These are often sown in pans or boxes, and are pricked off when large enough into other pans or pots before they are transferred to beds or borders. The system has certain advantages in insuring safety from vermin and proper attention, for it is an unfortunate fact that too many cultivators consider it needless to thin or transplant sowings made in beds or borders. The plants are frequently allowed to struggle for existence, and the result is feeble attenuated specimens which, with trifling care and attention, might have become robust and capable of producing a bountiful bloom in their season. Still, it should be clearly understood that all the hardy biennials and perennials may be grown to perfection by sowing on a suitable seed-bed in the open ground, protecting the spot from marauders of all kinds, and by early and fearless thinning or transplanting. As a rule, we advocate one shift before placing the plants in final positions. ABUTILON Half-hardy greenhouse perennial Handsome plants, two feet or more in height, can be produced from seed and flowered in a single season. They are useful for training to greenhouse walls, and they may also be transferred to open borders for the summer. When employed for the latter purpose, the plants should be lifted and put into pots about the end of August, after there has been a penetrating shower. In the absence of rain a soaking of water on the previous day will prevent the soil from falling away from the roots. February and March are the right months for sowing seed, and for the pots any fairly light compost will answer. Prick off the seedlings when about an inch high, putting the plants in down to the seed-leaves. They must never be allowed to suffer for want of water, nor should they be starved in small pots. The growth had better not be hurried at any stage; the plants will then develop into shapely specimens with very little care. ACHIMENES Greenhouse or stove perennials Although Achimenes can be propagated by division of the tubers, the simpler method of raising a supply from seed has become a common practice. During March or April sow in pots or pans, and while quite small transfer the seedlings to separate pots. It is important to insure free drainage, especially as frequent watering is a necessity while the plants are in active growth. Achimenes are generally kept in a high temperature; but they do not really need so much heat as Gloxinias, and in a warm greenhouse they can be flowered without the least difficulty. This is one of the finest subjects for growing in hanging-baskets. ALONSOA These popular half-hardy flowers are not only valuable for a summer display in borders, but they make charming subjects for the conservatory in the spring months. For blooming outdoors seed may be sown in pans in March and the plants treated in the manner usual for half-hardy annuals, or a sowing can be made in the open towards the end of April. Plants for flowering indoors in April and May should be raised from seed sown in the preceding August and September. Grow on the seedlings steadily in pots, but do not force them in any way. In fact, the treatment should be as nearly hardy as possible, a night temperature of 45° being generally sufficient to carry them through the winter. AMARYLLIS Hippeastrum The majority of the named varieties are expensive, and a very considerable saving is effected by raising plants from seed. Thanks to the skill of the hybridiser, the seedlings not only compare favourably with flowers grown from costly bulbs, but they have been successful in winning certificates and awards of merit. The germination is so irregular that it is well to put only one seed in each small pot. The most suitable soil is a mixture of two parts loam and one of leaf-mould, with sufficient coarse grit to insure free drainage. The proper temperature is about 65°. After the seedlings are established follow the treatment advised on page 340. ANEMONE The Windflower. Hardy perennial The discovery that it is easy to flower the popular St. Brigid and similar Anemones from seed in about seven months from the date of sowing has given a great impetus to the culture of this plant, especially as it possesses a high value for decorating vases, in addition to its usefulness in beds and borders. From seed sown in February or March the plants should begin to bloom in September or October of the same year, and continue to flower until the following June, when it is unprofitable to retain them longer. No coddling of any kind is necessary. Dig a trench in a sheltered, sunny spot, and fill it with rich soil freely mingled with decayed cow-manure. If the land happens to be somewhat tenacious, Anemones will take kindly to it, but it should be well worked, and it may be needful to add a little fine sandy compost at the top as a preparation for the seed. The woolly seed should be rubbed with sand, and the two may be sown together thinly in lines. As a finish the ground should be lightly beaten with the back of a spade. Germination is decidedly slow, so that until the seedlings appear the removal of weeds requires care. The plants should be thinned until they stand six inches apart. Seed may also be sown in June or July for plants to flower in the following year, and the results will probably be even more satisfactory than from the spring sowing. ANTIRRHINUM Snapdragon. Hardy perennial In bygone years Antirrhinums were seldom seen beyond the limits of old-fashioned cottage gardens. But even then the Snapdragon was a popular flower, and it was generally perpetuated by subdivision of the plants. Now, in common with a large number of perennials and biennials, the Antirrhinum is almost exclusively grown from seed. This altered method of culture has resulted in a marked advance in the size and colour of the spikes of bloom, and has also increased the vigour and floriferous character of the plants. In the process of raising, selecting and re-selecting the stocks, experts have found it possible to develop three distinct classes—Tall, Intermediate, and Dwarf—so that the value of the plant as an ornament in the garden has been advanced beyond the dreams of a former generation of gardeners. The Tall varieties attain a height of about three feet; the Intermediates generally range between twelve and eighteen inches, and the Dwarf or Tom Thumb section seldom exceeds six inches. All three classes have a distinct value for different positions in the garden. Antirrhinums are not fastidious as to soil and may be relied on to give satisfaction in almost any spot chosen for them. Still, it must be admitted that they are conspicuously successful on dry soils and in sunny positions. This will account for the surprising displays occasionally seen on old walls and in large wild rockeries, where they are perfectly at home, apparently indifferent to the starving conditions in which their lot is cast. The fact that the plant possesses such sturdy independence of character greatly enhances its value and usefulness. Nothing more handsome can be imagined in a border than the gigantic spikes of the Tall varieties, and they make a magnificent decoration for vases at a season when flowers suitable for cutting are much needed. The Intermediate Antirrhinums, like the Tall class, combine advantages for both bedding purposes and for cutting, perhaps in a still greater degree. The varieties are so numerous and charming that an enthusiast has suggested the desirability of devoting a garden to Antirrhinums alone. Although the Tom Thumb section is also frequently employed for bedding, these dwarf-growing varieties are better adapted for ribbon borders, or as an edging to carriage drives. Antirrhinums may be grown as half-hardy annuals or as perennials, but the former is the simplest course for obtaining plants for summer bedding. Sow the seeds in pans or boxes from January to March, and prick off the seedlings as soon as large enough to handle. Grow on steadily and gradually harden off in readiness for planting out after the Wallflowers and other spring bedders have been removed. After flowering it will save trouble to consign the plants to the waste heap and again raise a sufficient supply to fill their places in the following spring. When grown as perennials, seed should be sown in July or August. Leave the plants in the seed-bed until ready for transfer to final positions. These will stand the winter and come into flower earlier than plants from spring-sown seed. AQUILEGIA Columbine. Hardy perennial Since the introduction of the long-spurred hybrid varieties the Aquilegia has become exceedingly popular. Like the Nasturtium, it is particularly accommodating in character, and will thrive on poor soil and amid surroundings altogether uncongenial to many other subjects. Several of the fine varieties which have been recently introduced are, however, worthy of a place in the best of borders. Sow in February or early in March in a frame, and plant out when strong enough, or sow in June in an open border. If the season is favourable, those sown early may bloom the first year; the remainder will flower in the year following. ASPARAGUS Greenhouse foliage varieties. Half-hardy perennials The finely laciniated foliage of _A. plumosus_ is greatly prized for bouquets, and the plant invariably commands attention as a decorative subject on the table or in the conservatory. _A. decumbens_ has long tremulous branches of elegant dark green foliage, and the plant is admirably adapted for hanging-baskets. _A. Sprengeri_ is distinct from both, but is also very ornamental in baskets. Sow all three varieties in pans during February or March, in heat; prick off the seedlings immediately they are large enough to handle, and grow on in gentle heat until the beginning of June, when cool-house treatment will suit them. ASTER Callistephus sinensis. Half-hardy annual In high summer so many flowers are available that no difficulty arises in making a varied display. The real trouble is in discarding, especially for a limited area. But when summer begins to merge into autumn the choice is not so extensive, and among the annuals which then adorn the garden Asters are indispensable. This superb flower has been developed into many forms, and each class affords a wide range of magnificent colours. Yet it must be admitted that in the majority of gardens Asters are seldom grown in sufficient numbers, and it is not unusual to find the flowers small in size and poor in colour. In many cases we believe the reason to be that the culture of Asters is often commenced too late. Preparations should therefore be made in good time, and apart from providing the requisite number of plants for filling beds and borders, and for supplying cut blooms, others should be raised for flowering in pots. For indoor decoration full use is rarely ever made of Asters, although the colours include many delightful shades which may be employed with most telling effect. To secure a long-continued display of bloom there must be several sowings, and the earliest will need the aid of artificial heat. One secret of successful culture is to give no check to the plant from its first appearance until the time of flowering; and a suitable bed must be prepared, whether the seed be sown on the spot or plants are transferred from other quarters. Asters do not readily accommodate themselves to violent alternations of heat and cold, particularly in the early stage of growth, and therefore the most sheltered position in the garden should be chosen for them; but avoid a hedge or shrubbery, where strong growing trees rob the soil of its virtue. Begin the preparation of beds during the previous autumn by deep digging, and incorporate a liberal dressing of well-rotted manure as the work proceeds. On light and shallow soils it will do more harm than good to bring the raw subsoil to the surface, but the subsoil may with advantage be stirred and loosened by the fork, and if a little loamy clay can be worked into it the land will be permanently benefited. A very stiff soil will, however, present greater difficulties; but if by free working it can be made sufficiently friable, Asters will revel in it, and produce flowers of a size and colour that will reward the cultivator for all his trouble. Throw the ground up roughly in October. The more it is exposed to the action of wind, snow and frost, the more thoroughly will the winter disintegrate its particles and render it fertile. Early in spring give another digging, and then work in a good supply of decayed manure, together with grit, charcoal, wood ashes, or