for October, 1920 



345 



The rtowers seem to diffuse light wherever they are. — South 

 African Gardcmng & Country Life. 



CALIFORNIA TREE POPPIES 



When Romiicya Coultcri does well it is one of the most con- 

 spicuous of the flowers of middle and late Summer. The 6-inch 

 wide milk white bloom with its large tuft of bright yellow stamens 

 is seen from a long distance, and a nearer view of the clear-cut 

 glaucous foliage shows a plant of great beauty and distinction. It 

 grows to a height of 7 feet, in a bush-like mass, thriving in a deep, 

 light soil in a sheltered, sunny place, best of all near a south or 

 west wall. When well established it runs freely underground, 

 some of the more adventunus growths coming up two or three 

 yards away from the parent plant. In this way it will pass under 

 a gravel or paved path, appearing as healthy young plants on the 

 further side. It will even pass through or under the foundations 

 of a wall. Young growths so formed look tempting for trans- 

 plantation but this never succeeds. It is best grown from seed, 

 though it is easy to strike in heat the young shoots when they are 

 just iiushir.g up from the base in Spring, The petal is so trans- 

 parent that if laid on a page of bold type the print can be read 

 through it. It has an excellent scent, something like a com- 

 bination of Primrose and Magnolia. It is nearly allied to Platy- 

 stigina. also plants of American origin, and, with them, is a branch 

 of the Poppy family. California Bush Poppy is its popular name. 



In your note upon Roniiicya Coultcri you speak of the difficulty 

 of moving young plants which are the offsets from the main plant, 

 and therefore I think I ought to tell you that I have never had 

 a failure, but that a few months previous to moving a plant I 

 have always cut the runner from which it has sprung. I have 

 always looked upon them as the easiest plants to move. 



Reference has been made to Romncya Coultcri thriving best in 

 a well drained but poor soil. For several years I have had very 

 conclusive evidence of the truth of this assertion. Mr. P. Kitcher, 

 head-gardener to Major Wyndham Pain, Bransgore House, 

 Christchurch, has a remarkably fine specimen, many feet high 

 and as far through it, growing in a rock garden on a natural 

 slope and in a very hot position. The flowers are of immense 

 size and very fragrant, \\hen the buds are just showing color 

 they are cut and placed in water, where they gradually open 

 fully. Suckers grow freely from this plant. — The Garden. 



THE SHIRLEY POPPY AGAIN 



The best time to cut these Poppies is the evening lieforc they 

 are due to open, the likely flowers being known by their upright 

 position, and being thus easily distinguishable from the less 

 mature buds, which retain the "swan's neck." Flowers so cut 

 and placed immediately in hot water open the following morn- 

 ing as if they had been left on the plant, and remain for a 

 longer time fresh than those cut in the morning. Also for send- 

 ing by post, cut in the evening, placed for a little in an inch 

 or two of hot water, packed firmly and posted for the evening 

 post, they will travel unhurt any distance covered by a night 

 train, and, on reaching their destination, will emerge from 

 their wrappings like a bunch of tropical butterflies newly issued 

 from the cocoon. It is also worth noting that flowers cut in 

 the evening before expansion retain much longer than flowers 

 cut in the morning those creases and corrugations which are 

 such a charming feature of the freshly blown Shirley Poppy. 

 I might mention also that for flower-loving invalids, confined to 

 room or bed, the Shirley Poppy is a flower of flowers. The 

 Poppies may be brought to the bedside while as yet shaggy 

 and colorless buds, and. in the too often tedious hours of early 

 morning, they will play for the wakeful invalid their little 

 flower drama with the spirit and variegated grace of a corps dc 

 ballet from the Alhambra. A transformation scene indeed ! 

 Also these Poppies have little or no smell, and for some in- 

 valids those flowers smell best that smell least. — The Garden. 



WHITE-FLOWERED HARDY PLANTS 



The white hues of flowers sometimes produce a distpiieting 

 effect, perhaps never more so than when a single white-flowered 

 plant gets into a combination otherwise quite free from white 

 or cream. The effect is to arrest the sight, draw attention 

 from the rest of the flowers and concentrate it almost wholly 

 on the one plant among the many. But, apart from instances 

 such as this, white flowers, if properly employed, are of great 

 value in the garden. — The Gardeners' Chronicle of London. 



.1 Black Tlozt'cr. — The color black is hardly met in the world 

 of flowers. The wild ginger, the dark larkspur and one or two 

 other plants have corollas of a blackish brown. It is known that 

 the Oncocyclus group of irises, of oriental origin, have flowers 

 of white ground more or less spotted with black. 



Now we have at this moment in flower, at Florair. writes 



M. H. Correvon, a sage, semi-frutescent. of which the tips of 

 the flowers present a color positively black. Humboldt and 

 Bonpland, who have described it, give it the color blackish violet; 

 but the lips of the flower, which are the only part in evi- 

 dence, the throat being concealed by the long and large calyx, 

 are postively black, of a beautiful silky black, or rather of the 

 black of velvet. It is a plant of upright habit, glandulous and 

 viscous, with leaves broadly entwined and of liright verdure. 

 It is extremely rare in the gardens and is scarccl\- met in the 

 collections of specialists. Nevertheless it has a beauty of its own 

 and merits the attention of the lovers of beautiful plants. Its 

 foliage is strongly aromatic. — Le Jardin. 



A Variety of Viburnnm Carlesi. — The Bulletino has already 

 made mertion of this species which, in spite of its absolute 

 decorative value is not yet known in our gardens. Now the 

 Bulletin of Miscel aneous Information from Kew describes a 

 variety which, if it has not greater merits than the type, is in 

 every way worthy of being introduced to cultivation. The 

 variety is called Syringa: flora through a certain resemblance 

 which the florets have to those of the lilac. — Bulletino della R. 

 Socicta Toscana Di Orlicnltura. 



Ridiculnus Patriotism. — A French rosarian has publislicd the 

 catalog of his firm with the omission, in the collection of roses, 

 of all the names of the rose of German origin, indicating them 

 simply with a number. This is simply ridiculous! Has he per- 

 haps believed tliat he could destroy the geneological history of 

 these varieties obtained in Germany or dedicated to a German 

 personality? If he had been possessed by his own spirit of 

 patriotism he would have given, in his collection, the ostracism 

 to all German varieties ; but these are as they are and they 

 will^ remain such also without naming tbem.—Biillcttino della 

 R. Socicta Toscana di Orticu'tura. 



Delpliinium. The Alake. — Many of the finest Delphiniums are 

 so formal in the form of their spikes that it is a pleasure to 

 see some of the newer ones which do not conform to the 

 cIosc-hal)ited. thick-set columnar spikes which mark so many, 

 yet with all the good qualities of form of flower, size, and color 

 which distinguish the individual blooms of the best perennial 

 Larkspurs. With The Alake it seem diflicult to find any fault. It 

 has symmetrical, yet not stiff, spikes ; the individual flowers 

 very large, and of a fine bright blue or purple. The Alake is 

 not one of the most recent novelties, many of which are as yet 

 too expensive for the ordinary grower, l;ut it is so beautiful 

 that it cannot well be dispensed with. — Gardening Illustrated. 



HERBACEOUS PHLOXES 



Of all hardy flowers in the garden none is more appreciated 

 than a collection of desirable varieties of herbaceous Phloxes. 

 Commencing to flower early in July and continuing until the 

 middle and sometimes the end of October, they make a bright 

 patch of color. They are very useful for supplying cut flowers 

 for indoor decoration, for which they are so well atfapted. giving 

 such a variety of color. The perfume, too, from these flowers, es- 

 pecially in the early morning and evening in the garden, is much 

 appreciated, as also it is from the cut spikes in the house. 



To grow herbaceous Phloxes really well and to obtain fully 

 developed panicles of large, highly colored blooms so many per- 

 sons spoil their chance of success by allowing too many shoots 

 to grow from each plant, thus overcrowding them so much that 

 the growth is weakly and. consequently, the blooms and flower 

 panicles are small. Such plants, too, are more difficult to support; 

 when they are tied to one central stake in l)esom-like manner 

 tlie shoots are more crowded still, each stem being robbed of its 

 share of light and space. To obtain success the foliage must be 

 fully developed, and this can only be done by spreading the shoots 

 out with a separate stake, say, six or eight growths to the largest 

 clump is ample, removing all others, naturally selecting the strong- 

 est directly the growth commences. 



Phloxes will succeed in almost any kind of soil provided it is 

 deeply dug and well manured. Tlie plants cainiot flourish under 

 too dry conditions ; they revel in moisture at the root, a light 

 mulch of manure, leaves or even straw during dry, hot weather 

 while they are sending up their flower panicles is very beneficial. 

 Some slight shade is an advantage, for instance, a border facing 

 west is a gain in keeping the roots cool. Liquid manure applied 

 judiciously is much appreciated by the fast developing panicles 

 of blossom. Phloxes are easily increased by division of the roots 

 and by cuttings of the young shoots when 3 inches long, early 

 in .\pril, and inserted in sandy soil singly in 3-inch pots, stood 

 in a close cold frame, kept shaded until roots arc formed, which 

 is quickly done, when they should have abundance of air, and 

 when well established they can be put out where they are to 

 flower or shifted into larger pots to bloom in the conservatory, 

 where each will give one stout panicle of flower. 



The following varieties are desirable : Miss Pcmberton, carmine 

 rose, darker centre. 3 feet ; General Van Heutsz, 4 feet, brilliant 



