II^ISH GARDENING. 



53 



well witli tlie large piiljlu- paik." If I may ven- 

 ture an opinion, it is only of late years that the 

 private grower has awakened from liis lethargic- 

 state concerning this — one of the most beautiful 

 of bulbous plants — as apart from the scarlet 

 Brenehleyensis. other varieties were compara- 

 tively little known or appreciated. But no one 

 can shut his eyes to the fact that a great change 

 has been brought about, and in many quarters 

 interest in tliem is very keen; but the interest is 

 mild in comparison to that shown by our Ameri- 

 can cousins, who devote considerable space to 

 their culture, and appraise them at their full value, 

 so much so indeed tliat societies are springing u]) 

 every year for the furtherance of the growth of 

 Gladioli. " B." has dealt with the culture of 

 them so admirably in the article referred to that 

 it is inrnecessary to add anything further in this 

 direction, except to say that corms may be 

 planted as late as May, and will furnish delightful 

 spikes in early autuuni. As Gladioli increase in 

 numbei' each year, I look upon them as a good 

 investment, and all that one need do is to lift the 

 corms before frost can i-each them, and keep them 

 in a cool, dry place until the following year, and 

 then replant, growing the " baby " corms of the 

 first season in a bed to themselves the next, if 

 possible. The spikes are becoming popular for 

 table decoration. 



W. r.INDERS Le.\. 



Window^ Boxes and Baskets — Furnish- 

 ing them. 



It is not always the plants specially grown for 

 window boxes and for lianging baskets that make 

 the liest display. Possibly, .some of us have re- 

 alized the futility of cramming into the restricted 

 space of a basket, or box, a fully-grown plant, 

 and more than once have lieen cognisant of our 

 mistakes in this direction. 



If we must make a confession, we must admit 

 that it has been, on many occasions, the " odds- 

 and-euds " of seed pans and striking pits — plants 

 which were either too small or not good enough 

 for Ijedding out, but, when given room to grow, 

 made better stuff than we imagined they would 

 do l)y the beginning of June. We have in mind 

 late-struck cuttings of ivy-leaved Pelargoniums 

 and Fuchsias, both of which are eminently suited 

 to culture in either baskets or boxes, as they are 

 amenable to training and trailing if only the start 

 is made w-ith young plants. To an extent this is 

 also true of another favourite — the Heliotrope — 

 and amongst seedlings we liave in mind, at the 

 moment. Verbenas and Petunias, as well as Thum- 

 bergias — the latter an extremely pretty green- 

 Tiouse annual specially suited for baskets sus- 

 pended from a roof. We may find many subjects, 

 if we look round, that will serve us in either capa- 

 city during the summer. 



W. LiNDERS Le.*. 



Single Chrysanthemums for the 

 Garden, 



It is rather singidar that amongst the thousands 

 who plant early-flo\yering Chrysantlremums in 

 their garden, the Singles are not ' nearly so 

 much employed as one would expect them to be, 

 considering their worth for table decoration when 

 cut. In the days when the Single forms were first 

 introduced growers of Chrysanthemums for ex- 

 hibition did not take kindly to them at all. It 

 ihe truth lie told, some exhibitors only saw beauty 



in a flower through the telescope of size, and 

 consequently, the dainty sprays of charming 

 Single Chrysanthemums were regarded as some- 

 what inferior. Happily, in so far as exhibitors 

 are concerned, we know that to-day much com^ 

 petition and keen interest is evinced in this very 

 beautiful and useful class, and prejudice concern- 

 ing them has died away, so that in most societies 

 provision is now uuide for the inclusion of Singles 

 in the schedules. Perhaps the early-fiow-ering 

 sorts of this section only require to" be better 

 know-n to be appreciated: indeed, as a grower of 

 them, I am sure of this, and would suggest to 

 those who have not hitherto tried them in their 

 borders to do so tliis year. May and .June are the 

 best months for planting them out, and they need 

 little attention afterwards when Once staking has 

 been doiie. Quantity rather than, quality of 

 blossoms, so it seems to me, is What one should 

 aim at, as, for general decorative purposes, the 

 Singles are very charming. 



A nice selection will be foiind in the follow-- 

 ing : — SimpUrify. large sprays of pure white lacy 

 petals; Altiinrhani Yellow, clear and large 

 flowers; MUlniijht Hun, terra cotta; Carrie Lii.i- 

 fortl, crimson; Fire King, bright crimson red; 

 Xathdlie, crushed .strawberry; DoUy Thurpe. 

 salmon apricot; Bronze Queen, bronze, shading to 

 amber; Bosamund Hall, pale rose; Fasriniition , 

 deep golden yellow; Jolni Woolnian, pink, with 

 white disc; Xiohe, cream, suffused with peach. 



W. LlNDEES Le.I. 



Anchusa myosotidiflora. 



Though l>y no means a new or very uncommon 

 plant, this Borage attracted considerable attention 

 at a recent Royal Horticultural Show in London. 

 In habit it is imlike most others of its tribe, for 

 not only is it a very early bloomer (February to 

 April), but the' foliage disappearing in autumn, 

 the flow'ers come before the leaves, or long before 

 these are half grown. These flowers, like little 

 Forget-me-Nots, are produced on elegant, airy 

 sprays, which rise to 9 inches or 1 toot, and in 

 such numbers that, where the plants are grouped, 

 the ground appears to be covered by a haze of 

 azure. No sooner have these begun to go off than 

 the big, hairy, heart-shaped leaves are developed, 

 but it is smnmer time before they have attained 

 their full size. A. inyoso'tiiUfliira is a good subject 

 for semi-shade, and now'here does it look better 

 than in colonies beneath deciduous trees. With us it 

 usually blossoms in advance of Ompholode.-< vernd 

 and nitido, which are put to similar use. 



A. T. .1. 



Geraniums with Beautiful Foliage. 



It W'Oidd scarcely be correct to say, concerning 

 certain Palargoniums grown fifty years and more 

 ago because of tlieir pretty foliage, that " they 

 had tlieir day, and ceased to be," because, now 

 and, again one comes across them in large estab- 

 LishaiedtSi' where; for. the most part, they jiije 

 grown in pots for indoor decoration. Time was, 

 however, when " Geraniums " with beautifnl 

 foliage were prized very much for bedding pur- 

 poses, especially in beds on well-kept lawns, where 

 they could be seen to their fullest advantage. 

 With the exception, perhaps, of the white-edged 

 .sorts, of "which Flower of Spring may be cited as 

 an example, very tew are grown in these days; 

 indeed, the highly-coloured tricolour Pelargoniums, 

 once the pride of the " fancy," are seldom, if 

 ever, met with out-or-doors in any quantity. The 



