4 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



growing of spring flowers, our advice would be, make the ground 

 ready, have some distinct idea of what you mean to do, and then 

 wait till the plants are in flower, and buy and plant them. If you 

 want your parterre to be rich, and have not tlae stuff" to make it so, 

 look out wlien the season comes for a lot of alyssum, polyanthuses, 

 pansies, candytufts, and arabis, and plant tliem ivliile in flower, 

 and when their flowering is past transfer them to a reserve plot, and 

 let them grow as they x^lease to prepare them for the next season. 



For such borders as I have in my mind, and which I hope are to 

 be found in the gardens of every one of our readers, the plants 

 which follow are such as I should first prefer. 



PA^'SIES of the bedding type, such as Magpie, Trentham Yelloiu, 

 and Trentham Blue, and a few of Downie, Laird, and Laing's showiest 

 fancy pansies. These will grow in sun or shade. Plant them, leave 

 them to take care of themselves ; in the spring peg down their long 

 runners, and cover the joints with fine earth. In autumn take them 

 'Up and divide them, makiug new tufts of the rooted joints, and give 

 away the surplus. This', is not the proper way to grow pansies, but 

 it will do for such plain folks as love spring flowers, and do not aim 

 at becoming florimaniacs. 



Violas and pansies are near akin, but there are not many true 

 violets to be taken for this rough and ready system. PLant a few 

 tufts of a Russian violet called the Czar in rather shady sheltered 

 places, and you may get some deliciously-scented double flowers. 

 Plant also a few tufts of common sweet violets, and hope for flowers, 

 but be not disappointed if you get none. Violets in gardens require 

 good cultivation, and a reference to almost any past indices of the 

 Ploeal Woeld will guide the reader to information on the subject. 

 Cheistmas Rose. — Plant whenever you can Sellehonis niger 

 in a cool, shady, moist place — the more sheltered the better.' Leave 

 them alone for ever, and you will always have flowers in February 

 and March. Plant also in the same manner, and never disturb it, 

 Sellelorus oljjmpicns, and wait for the result. It is astonishing how 

 well the species of Helleborus thrive in rather dark, rather sour, 

 rather neglected spots, if left alone. We have them in places where 

 scarce anything else Avill grow, and they flower superbly; and we 

 have them also treated as frame plants, and they pay for frame 

 treatment. 



Peimulas. — The Fohjanthiis must take the lead in this section, 

 and if any of our readers want a good stock to begin with, they 

 have only to apply to Mr. Webb, of Calcot near Reading. 

 Never mind what has been said about growing the laced 

 varieties in pots. The rough and ready method requires them to be 

 planted and left alone. When they grow too large, take them up in 

 autumn and divide them, and in showery weather in the spring is 

 the best time to transplant the self-sown seedlings. In our collec- 

 tion are many called " giant" kinds, which produce enormous trusses 

 of \evy showy flowers, some of them rich crimson, some rich puce, 

 violet, chocolate brown, and some jet black. Next we must have 

 tufts of JPrimroses, such as the common Primrose, of which in every 

 garden there should be a thousand at least ; and they may be planted 



