168 



THE OARDENER'S MONTHLY 



[June, 



^REEN MOUSE AND IHOUSE MARDENING. 



COMMUNICA TIONS. 



CULTURE OF COMBRETUM. 



BY MK. ALEX. MESTON, ANDOVER, MASS. 



Having been successful in flowering some of 

 this genus, a few remarks may be of interest to 

 some who grow it. C. grandiflorum, which J. B. 

 asks about, is one I never had anything to do 

 with, and which I beheve is a shrub, alsonanum; 

 all the others being climbers. 



One in particular of the climbers I consider 

 well worthy of cultivation— it is C. atropurpu- 

 reum. This -ought to have a pocket built for it 

 and planted out, allowing' it to run up a pillar or 

 rafter ; fill the pocket with a compost of sandy 

 peat and loam, one part of the former to two of 

 the latter, adding a little sand. Planted in this it 

 will make very vigorous growth, which ought to 

 be well exposed to the sun, so as to ripen the 

 wood well before winter. Give plenty of water 

 ■ when growing, and use the syringe freely, as red 

 spider is a great enemy, and the mealy bug de- 

 lights to sport amongst the leaves. As the wood 

 ripens in tbeFall, give less water, but never allow 

 it to get dry at the root, as it is an evergreen. 

 When growth commences in spring, the branched 

 panicles of reddish purple flowers will begin to 

 show themselves, and by May will be gorgeous. 

 It often flowers twice a year. 



[A correspondent some months ago made in- 

 quiry about the culture of these beautiful plants, 

 and we are therefore especially obliged to Mr. 

 Meston for his contribution. — Ed. G. M.] 



EDITORIAL NOTES. 



The Australian or Parlor Ivy. — Under the 

 names of Parlor Ivy, Australian Ivy, and German 

 Ivy, Senecio scandens is now very well known to 



our readers. A new species, Senecio macroglos- 

 sum, has been recently introduced, and the Gar- 

 dener's Magazine introduces it to its readers as 

 " Australian Ivy." 



Pinks for Summer Flowering. — The whole 

 family of Dianthus, and its neighbors Armeria 

 and Silene, which includes Indian Pinks, carna- 

 tions, " Ragged Robins," and so forth, are among 

 the best of border plants in our climate for early 

 summer flowering, making capital stuff" to cut 

 from. A correspondent of the Journal of Horti- 

 culture refers to a little known kind in the follow- 

 ing paragraph : 



Growers for this purpose will do well to note 

 the large-flowered Thrift, Armeria alpina grandi- 

 floro, as one of the most useful and effective of 

 hardy red-blooming plants to cii* from all through 

 the month of June. The plant is strong and ro- 

 bust, and should not be used for edgings, but 

 ought to be planted well in beds or in long lines, 

 as tlie flower-stems are from nine to ten inches 

 in height, are stiff" and straight and carry heads 

 as large as the flowers of the White Pink. The 

 plant increases rapidly in size during the sum- 

 mer, and thrives better in didught than in moist- 

 ure ; it is increased by pulling the roots to pieces 

 in the autumn, when every piece will soon get 

 established and start into growth. This Thrift 

 blooms simultaneously with the White Pink and 

 autumn-sown plants of the Blue Corn cockle. Im- 

 mediately following this is that beautiful rosy-red 

 Pink Lord Lyon, a fine double smooth-edged kind 

 that is a most attractive flower and delicately 

 perfumed. I look upon this as one of the very 

 best pinks ever raised, as amongst the varieties 

 of this useful floAver light colors so largely pre- 

 dominate. It is quite as free as the old white 

 kind, but a little later; is perfectly hardy, and 

 propagates freely from pipings. It should find a 

 place in the herbaceous border of every garden. 



Carbolic Acid for Hoitse Plants. — Several of 

 my nice geraniums began to look sickly, and 

 upon examination I found little worms at the 

 roots. I applied a solution of weak aarbolic acid 



