478 &AILLARDIA. THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. GALANTHUS. 



Superb, Vivian Grey, and Yellow 

 Prince. Gaillardias in many soils soon 

 exhaust themselves by their flowering, 

 and should be renewed periodically 

 from seed, the seedlings being most 

 vigorous and free. Named sorts may, 

 however, be raised from root cuttings 

 inserted from January to March in 

 gentle heat. 



All thrive in good friable garden 

 soil, but not on a cold stiff soil or on 

 one that is too light or dry. Where 

 possible they should be grown in bold 

 groups, for they thrive better if so 

 placed than as solitary plants in a 

 parched border, and no plants have 

 a finer effect in a bed by themselves. 

 Where apt to die in winter, they may 

 be used in mixed borders, if treated as 

 half-hardy annuals ; for if sown in a 

 mild hot-bed at the end of February 

 or the beginning of March, they may 

 be grown into good plants, and give 

 a full display of their fine flower-heads 

 as early as those that have withstood 

 the winter in the borders. It is well 

 to note that these in many soils are 

 not nearly so hardy or enduring as 

 many of the perennials we have from 

 N. America, and therefore cannot in 

 cold soils be depended on. 



The culture of the perennial Gaillar- 

 dia is difficult, and the plant is 

 seen best in bold groups, rather 

 than small clumps here and there 

 in the border. If established plants 

 in pots are obtained in April and 

 put out in the places they are to 

 occupy about 2 feet apart each way, 

 a good bloom may be expected the 

 same season if the soil is well dug and 

 mixed with well-decayed manure. Mr 

 W. Kelway, of Langport, Somerset, in 

 a note to The Garden on 27th January 

 1887, mentions that a collection planted 

 in this manner bore the drought of the 

 previous five years better than any other 

 herbaceous perennial grown at Lang- 

 port, and stood the winter so well 

 that not 3 per cent, suffered. Some 

 commend the Gaillardia for bedding, 

 though it is seldom grown in this way, 

 but a pretty effect is obtained when 

 plants of one distinct variety, or shades 

 of the same colour, are put about 

 i foot apart with the stems pegged 

 down. The situation, however, where 

 the Gaillardias remain out winter after 

 winter must be warm, the soil not too 

 heavy, but light and dry. In very 

 cold and wet seasons in Midland coun- 

 ties the plants often succumb ; but it 

 is very easy in the autumn to strike 



cuttings, which may be taken off and 

 treated similarly to the Pelargonium, 

 or seeds raised in March, and the plants 

 hardened off before putting out, will 

 also give a quick return in the shape 

 of flowers ; or it may be increased by 

 division in spring. 



GALANTHUS (Snowdrop] .Always 

 loved in English gardens, the old Snow- 

 drop is now known to be only one 

 member of a large family, most of 

 which have merits for garden culture. 

 The Snowdrop never looks better than 

 when naturalised in turf in orchards, 

 on the margins of lawns, or beside 

 woodland walks. Almost any soil suits 

 the Snowdrop, but peaty and warm 

 open soils are best. All the Snowdrops 

 are hardy, and may be naturalised, 

 grown on the rock garden, or in the 

 wild garden, where they may be 

 associated with Anemone, early Cro- 

 cuses, Winter Aconites. As cut 

 flowers, Snowdrops are most attrac- 

 tive, but to cull the flowers in bud is 

 essential, as they can be carried 

 better and open fresher in water 

 than if cut when fully open. Buds 

 so gathered will remain beautiful 

 for ten days or longer, while flowers 

 cut after expansion will fade in about 

 a week. 



The present growing state of our 

 knowledge of Snowdrops may best be 

 gleaned from a paper read by Mr Jas. 

 Allen before the Royal Horticultural 

 Society, of which the following is an 

 abstract : 



In speaking of Snowdrops we must 

 not forget that, besides the division 

 into species and sub-species, we have 

 the arrangements into classes, accord- 

 ing to colours and other peculiarities. 

 Consequently we hear of white Snow- 

 drops and yellow Snowdrops, and also 

 green Snowdrops. 



G. IMPERATI. I think no botanist would 

 be able to say where nivalis ended and 

 Imperati commenced. In the section to 

 which G. nivalis and G. Imperati belong, 

 there are some most lovely Snowdrops, 

 amongst which I would mention first 

 Mr Melville's Dunrobin form. G. n. 

 Atkinsi is second to none in size, form, 

 quality and freedom in growth. It is the 

 plant known to some as Imperati of 

 Atkins. 



G. PLICATUS. Is very distinct, and 

 in its best forms of great beauty. The 

 foremost place in this section belongs to 

 G. p. maximus. G. plicatus usually 

 flowers late, but I have a selected form, 

 G. p. pr&cox, which flowers with the early 

 varieties of G. nivalis. Another selected 



