ON PLANTING OUT PELARGONIUMS. 147 



ARTICLE II. 



OBSERVATIONS UPON PREPARING PELARGONIUMS, &c, FOR 

 PLANTING OUT TO BLOOM IN THE OPEN FLOWER-BED 

 DURING SUMMER. 



BY C. C, OF SOMERSET. 



Having observed in the June Cabinet an Article on growing 

 various plants in beds, and considering it not to go far enough in 

 detail, and as the season for the final arrangement of the flower-beds 

 is arrived, I am desirous to offer a few hints thereon for insertion in 

 your valuable journal. 



It may be proper in the first place to state the best way to prepare 

 the various plants for the beds. At the beginning of March, when 

 the plants begin to grow, my practice is to shorten the various plants 

 I intend planting out in the beds down to three or four joints, which 

 will induce the production of many shoots ; which, by the later part 

 of the month, will form strong bushy plants, fit to be placed under 

 some temporary shelter till the proper season for planting them out 

 in the beds. 



Cuttings struck in the spring, as soon as they begin to grow , have 

 their shoots shortened in the same way, being very careful to remove 

 any flower-buds that appear till after the plants are planted in the 

 beds, which will strengthen them a great deal. Scarlet Pelar- 

 goniums treated in this manner will require no pegging, as they are 

 very liable to split at the joints; but Salvias, Verbenas, Anagallises, 

 Heliatropes, Petunias, &c, I should recommend to be pegged down, 

 not by wooden pegs, but strings of matting six inches long put over 

 the shoot, and fastened in the ground by a small setting stick. One 

 person can do more this way than two with wooden pegs, and the 

 matting will not injure the most delicate shoots. Persons who grow 

 Annuals in beds, I should recommend to gather the seed-pods as soon 

 as the flowers are decayed, which will greatly prolong their bloom ; 

 but if the seed-pods are left to perfect their seed, the plants will soon 

 decay. Take, for example, that beautiful annual, the Nemophila 

 insignis ; if the flowers are removed as soon as they begin to flag, it 

 will prolong its duration a full month. If any person wishes to save 

 seed, I should advise them to sow a patch in the kitchen-garden. 



P.S. It has been hinted by a friend of mine that it would not be 



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