174 PLANTING FLOWERS IN THE BEDS OF THE FLOWER GARDEN. 



one-third leaf soil ; they were sparingly supplied with water ; with 

 this method of treatment, they flowered beautifully the folloM'ing July. 

 After flowering they only required sufficient water to enable them to 

 perfect their seed, and to prevent the soil from baking, and tlien were 

 suffered to subside into that state of rest, which all tuberous roots 

 require. Before winter the roots had grown considerably, and were 

 then repotted in a mixture of two parts loam, one part peat, and one 

 part leaf soil ; they were placed in a dry cool part of the greenhouse, 

 and have now (February 3rd), sent out three or four stems from each 

 root, those from last year's seedlings being three inches high, those 

 from the previous year's, six or eight. 



In the summer of 1836, I put out into the open border, one or two 

 seedlings raised the previous spring, but the transplanting checked 

 their growth, and the stems died down. The root of one, however, 

 survived, though totally unprotected, and flowered in the summer of 

 1838, though not so finely as those kept in pots in a cold frame during 

 the winter, and removed into the greenhouse in spring. 



Loudon, in his Hortus Britannicus, states, the Lychnis Fulgens to 

 be a native of Siberia, introduced into England in 1 822 ; it may, 

 therefore, be supposed hardy enough to be ranked amongst our border 

 plants, but its beauty will well repay for a little extra care. 



I think, probably, seeds sown in the border, and protected by a glass 

 until frosts are over, would succeed, and during the winter, some 

 manure, or coal ashes over the roots might be sufficient, but, as men- 

 tioned before, one plant withstood the trying spring of 1837, without 

 any protection whatever. Being a tuberous root, the best time for 

 dividing it would be the autumn, or before potting it for the winter. 



I Avould scarcely believe the report I received with my seedlings in 

 1836, that the colour was equal to that of Verbena melindrus, while 

 the blossom was an inch across ; but this, far from being an exaggerated 

 description, was quite correct as to the brilliancy of the hue, and below 

 the truth as regards the size of the flower, mine being about two inches 

 across ; and when two or three were open at the same time, they were 

 almost too dazzling to look at for long together. 



PLANTING FLOWERS IN THE BEDS OF THE FLOWER- 

 GARDEN, LAWN, &c. 



BY A MIDLAND FLOWER GARDENER. 



During the four last seasons I have adopted the following method in 

 disposing of flowers grown in masses in the flower-beds, and on the 

 lawn fronting a nobleman's mansion, and the plan having been much 

 admired and approved, I forward the particulars for the Cabinet. 



I first plant my beds (which, for the following method, are generally 

 of some regular form), -with some choice and beautiful flower ; in the 

 centre of the bed I fix a pin, either of iron or strong wood ; this pin 

 is firmly fixed in the soil the exact height to which the flowers that 

 form the mass are expected to grow. Round the margin of the bed, 

 about six inches from the verge, I place other pins at equal distances 

 according to the size of the bed and the flowers intended to be planted. 



