Copyright, 1898, by 

 FL.ORISTS' PUBLISHING GO.. 520-533 Gaxton Building, CHIGftGO. 



Vol. I. 



CHICAGO AND NEW YORK, MAY 5, 1898. 



No. 23. 



BEDDING PLANTS. 



[Read befort' the Chicago Florists" Club, April 

 2^. by Mr. C. J. Strom back, head gardener of Lin- 

 coln Park.] 



I have been requested to prepare a 

 paper on bedding plants for this meet- 

 ing. The subject, I thinlv, has been 



or in mixture. The effect is good and 

 pleases the general public for a couple 

 of weelis. Pansies are also in bloom 

 at the same time. I sow the seed at 

 Christmas, grow them along all win- 

 ter, and by doing so I get them to 

 endure the heat better than the fall 



View in the store of Mr. W. J. Smyth, Chicago, at Easter. 



pretty well thrashed out already, but 

 as you wish me to say something, I 

 will state what plants we use for bed- 

 ding in Lincoln Paris. 



For early spring effect tulips, hya- 

 cinths and crocus are planted the fall 

 previous, in fields of separate colors 



sown plants, which are more slender 

 and wiry, and so cannot stand the hot 

 weather as well as those grown in the 

 winter. After tulips are ripened off 

 they are taken up and stored away, 

 the beds are manured, dug and planted 

 with geraniums of varieties suitable 



for bedding. Our leading varieties are: 

 Mrs. E. G. Hill, salmon pink; La Fa- 

 vorite, double white; Bruant, scarlet; 

 Rev. W. Atkinson, dark velvety scar- 

 let; Invincible, semi-double crimson. 



Ageratum Cope's Pet blooms all 

 summer if not given too rich soil or too 

 much water. Begonias are valuable as 

 bedding plants; they will bloom from 

 spring till fall if fairly strong at plant- 

 ing-out time. The treatment of the 

 begonias was described in the Florists' 

 Review this winter. Toreuia Fournieri 

 is also a good bedder, and if not sown 

 too early— say middle of March— will 

 bloom till frost. Its pretty violet pur- 

 ple, pansy-like flowers, marked with 

 yellow in the throat, are by some per- 

 sons called "Johnny- Jump-XJps." 



Pentstemon campanulatus varieties 

 are effective for bedding. They are 

 grown from seed or propagated from 

 cuttings; fairly strong plants in 3-inch 

 pots will bloom early and continue till 

 frost; the roots can then be taken up, 

 trimmed back and the plants kept in a 

 temperature of ii."> or 60 degrees 

 through the winter, when the plants 

 can be again used for bedding. Vinca 

 alba, Vinca alba - oculata and Vinca 

 rosea are elegant bedders; they flower 

 all summer and have grand dark- 

 glossy foliage, making a fine contrast 

 with the flowers. 



Ten-weeks stocks are good for early 

 bedding, if well grown. We sow the 

 seed in the latter part of January, 

 prick out in boxes when big enough to 

 handle, plant in 2yo-inch pots after 

 fourth or fifth leaf appears, in sandy 

 loam. When well rooted in this, pot 

 up in o-inch pots to remain till plant- 

 ing-out time. As soon as flower buds 

 appear we can select the double ones 

 to be planted out. They make a grand 

 show till the middle of July, when they 

 must be replaced by Celosia cristata 

 nana, which are in 4-inch pots at that 

 time and remain in good condition till 

 fall. 



Single petunias of good varieties are 



