SEASONABLE NOTES FOR MARCH. 



»i5 



Fig. 2264. Comet Aster. 



Bulbs. — These should not be uncovered 

 until danger of severe frost is over. Re- 

 move the covering- by degrees, as sudden 

 exposure to light and air (and perhaps late 

 frosts) will likely injure the flowering heads. 



THE WINDOW. 



Late in March, or early in April, is a good 

 time to re-pot all the hardiest kind of win- 

 dow plants, such as geraniums, cyperus, 

 ferns, and plants required for summer decor- 

 ation. 



Tuberous Begonias. — Old tubers of these 

 plants can be started into growth now. 

 Shake out the old soil carefully from the 

 tuber if it has been kept in the pot during 

 the winter. Good, rich, loamy potting soil 

 with a small quantity of soil mixed with it 

 suits these pretty summer flowering plants 

 splendidly. Soil that a geranium will grow 

 well in will suit tuberous begonias. Use 

 plenty of drainage in the pots, water the 

 soil once thoroughly after potting. Water 

 should then be given sparingly until the 

 plants have well started into growth. 



Summer Flowering and Foliage Begonias, 



including Rex varieties, can be potted. 

 The same remarks regarding drainage and 

 watering will apply as for tuberous be- 

 gonias, but the soil, especially for the Rex 

 varieties, should have about one-fourth part 

 of leaf soil added to that recommended for 

 the tuberous variety. Amongst the newer 

 varieties of begonia suitable for the window 

 are B. Thurston, B. Haageana and B. 

 nivea, whilst older varieties such as B. 

 Sandersonii, B. fuchsiaoides and of course 

 Begonia rubra cannot be omitted. 



Annuals. — Seeds of those can now be 

 sown so as to secure early flowers. Al- 

 though the antirrhinum is not classed 

 strictly as an annual, it can be grown as 

 easily and successfully as any of the an- 

 nuals. The newly introduced dwarf flower- 

 ing varieties make a splendid display as 

 border plants and will give a supply of 

 flowers during the burning days of July and 

 August, when flowers are often scarce. 

 These dwarf growing varieties also succeed 

 splendidly in pots in winter. The beds of 

 these plants at the recent Pan-American ex- 

 hibition were very much admired and proved 

 conclusively the suitability of the new types 

 of these old favorites for bedding plants. 

 They are easy to raise and a few plants should 

 be found in every flower garden. 



The Scabiosa is another annual that will 

 give good results during the hot months of 

 summer and on until late in autumn. A pot 

 or two of these sown early in April and 

 planted out the second or third week in May 

 will, with very little care and attention, pro- 

 vide a bountiful supply of flowers for decor- 

 ative purposes. A bunch of the multi- 

 colored types of scabiosa with a few spikes 

 of antirrhinums and mignonette sticking up 

 above the somewhat flat flowers of the 

 scabiosa, relieved here and there with a few 

 sprays of fern or foliage will make a most 

 acceptable vase of flowers for table or house 

 decorative purposes. The scabiosa, like the 



