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THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



July, 1911 



agree that the calla, being at home in 

 marshes, requires plenty of water, but 

 ihe fact is, the plant has wonderful 

 powers of endurance to survive these 

 various treatments. It should have rich 

 soil and a midsummer rest. 



BEGONIAS AND PAUCS 



The flowering begonias and palms al- 

 ways seem to me suitable plant*. lO re- 

 main on the verandah where they can 

 have some shade, and yet plenty of air. 

 Palms are a special care unless one is 

 willing to devote a little time every morn- 

 ing to giving the leaves a sponging off 

 on both sides. If this is done there will 

 not be a chance for the tiresome scale to 

 find lodgment, but stems and ribs must 

 be washed as well as leaves. The aspi- 

 distra requires the same treatment, and 

 so does the ficus (rubber plant) : nor do 

 the above-mentioned require frequent 

 repotting. 



The abutilon will do well on the ver- 

 andah if attended to in like manner, but 

 if there is an aphis, scale or mealy bug 

 .•mywhere, it will find its way to these 

 charming bells. A spray, from a fine 

 nozzle, of warm water over the foliage 

 in the evening will keep the plants in 

 g(K)d condition and discourage depredat- 

 ing inse'cts. 



What to do with the geraniums is often 

 a query, for we cannot ignore them after 

 their cheerful winter blooming ; and they 

 have the merit of not requiring extra care 

 because of insects, and being very ac- 

 commodating to the amateur. Let the 

 old plants grow tall and blossom through 

 the autumn to brighten the days beside 

 the kitchen door, while cuttings can be 

 taken off to make young plants for win- 

 ter blooming. 



The Holland bulbs that bloomed in 

 pots can be turned out into the border, 

 and get a summer's growth and winter 

 rest ready for giving flowers in the gar- 

 den another spring. 



ORANGES AND LEMONS 



There is a great deal of pleasure in 

 growing the little orange and lemon 

 trees that are willing to blossom in early 

 spring in a sunny window, but it is rather 

 provoking to have the lemons drop off 

 half grown. This may perhaps be 

 avoided by setting them out on the ver- 

 andah after giving them a top dressing 

 of fresh earth and regular watering. 

 After fruiting it can be plunged beside 

 the azalea until September. 



A good plant for a permanent place 

 on the verandah is Cyperus alternifolius, 

 the very graceful and charming "um- 

 brella plant." A pot of asparagus spren- 

 geri. if lifted down every evening and 

 set in a pail of water for a while, will 

 continue to grow, and so will plumosus 

 nanus, the feathery foliage keeping fresh 

 a long time if given this immersion. 



In fact, it is the life of plants when 

 they are kept in this very unnatural posi- 



tion through the hot months to give the see a batch of ill-cared for, thirsty, and 

 foliage regular sprinklings, and to apply dusty plants, and the attention that i.« 

 liquid manure occasionally to such :is necessary, if given, brings its own re- 

 are growing. It is a pathetic sight to ward. 



An Amateur's Famous Half Acre Garden 



THE half acre garden of Mr. R. B. 

 Whyte, of Ottawa, and the me- 

 thods of its owner, afford interest- 

 ing and valuable object lessons for those 

 who have a desire to learn things horti- 

 cultural. It is one of the most noted gar- 

 dens on the continent. In a description 

 he gave of it recently, from which most 

 of the following is taken, Mr. Wilhelm 

 Miller, the editor of Country Life in 

 America, stated that during the fifteen 

 years in which he had been hunting good 

 gardens he had never seen one that nad 

 as many points of interest. 



In his garden, Mr. Whyte grows six 



hundred kinds of flowers, including one 

 hundred and fifty varieties of peonies, 

 ninety of late tulips, seventy-five of nar- 

 cissus, sixty of sweet peas, fifty of pnlox 

 and forty of lilies. There are one thou- 

 sand gladiolus plants in it, and one thou- 

 and Shirley poppies can be cut daily for 

 two weeks. 



Mr. Whyte does not maintain his gar- 

 den primarily for cutting. Nevertheless, 

 no visitor ever goes away empty-handed, 

 and the family supply two churches 

 every .Sunday with flowers. But they 

 take care not to spoil the garden effects 

 by cutting too much in one place. On 



An Effective Border of Bedding Plants in Mr. Whyte's Famous Garden. 



In the front of this border are daisies, Bellis perennis, and Mimulus tigrlnus. next (reraniums and 

 cannas In the centre. The border is in bloom from early June until frost. 



