PLANTS IN VASES AND TUBS IN THE OPEN AIR. 139 



on a bit. In May they are thickly covered with good, strong horse 

 manure and copiously watered. At the end of the month they are 

 stood out in the open on a low wall. During May, June, and July 

 they cannot have too much water ; after that they want much less, or 

 the leaves turn yellow and drop off. Some years I grow Solanum 

 jasminoides over bent wires in pots ; grown thus it is pretty. The 

 variety of plants which can be tried for growing in pots out of doors in 

 summer is almost endless. Nothing I grow in pots is more satis- 

 factory than the old-fashioned Calceolaria amplexicaulis ; it does not 

 grow to any perfection with me in the beds, the soil being too dry r 

 but potted, it makes a splendid show through the late summer and 

 autumn months. The shrubby Veronica speciosa rubra, and V, 

 Imperialis, I grow in pots because they flower beautifully in the 

 autumn and the drowsy bumble-bees love to lie on them in the 

 sunshine when Sedum spectabile is passing away. They are not 

 quite hardy with me, as they cannot withstand the long, dry, cold 

 springs. This in itself justifies the growing them in pots ; in mild, 

 damp districts they are large shrubs. 



The blue Agapanthus everybody grows in tubs. The plants 



have to be rather pot-bound and kept dry in the winter to flower 



well, and as the flower-buds form they want well 



Agapanthus and watering and a weekly dose of liquid manure, 



Hydrangeas. Hydrangeas I find difficult to grow when planted 

 out ; the common kinds do exceedingly well in 

 tubs in half shady places if they get a good deal of water. Large 

 standard Myrtles I have had covered with bloom in August in tubs. 

 My large old plant, which I had had many years, was killed by 

 being turned out of the room it had wintered in too early, because 

 I came from London sooner than usual. The great difficulty in 

 small places is housing these large plants in winter. They do not 

 want much protection, but they must have some, and the death 

 of large old plants is grievous. 



Woodlands, Surrey. M. T. E. 



