BLANDFORDIA 



THE BULB BOOK 



BLANDFORDIA 



trellises. It may be increased by 

 cuttings of the young shoots in 

 spring in sandy soil under a bell- 

 glass, but care must be taken not to 

 keep the cuttings too wet. 



BLANDFORDIA (after George, 

 Marquis of Blandford}, CHRISTMAS 

 BELLS. Nat. Ord. Liliaceae. A 

 genus of Australian plants closely 

 related botanically to the Day Lilies 

 (Hemerocallis), Funkias, and Kni- 

 phofias. They have very short, 

 thickened root-stocks, not bulbs, with 

 masses of thickish, fleshy roots, and 

 tufts of long, narrow, stiffish, and 

 prominently veined leaves sheathing 

 at the base. The beautiful tubular or 

 bell-shaped flowers droop from an 

 erect stem. 



Blandfordias are charming plants 

 for the greenhouse, which they render 

 brilliant from May to July with their 

 showy flowers. In Australia they 

 are known as " Christmas Bells," the 

 flowers appearing in the depth of 

 the Antipodean winter. The plants 

 flourish in a compost of turfy loam, 

 peat, and coarse silver sand in 

 about equal proportions. The pots 

 should be well drained, and not too 

 large for the plants. During the 

 winter season a temperature of 45 

 to 50 F. will be sufficient for the 

 plants, and during the summer 

 months it will be unnecessary to 

 place them in artificial heat. The 

 easiest way to increase a stock is by 

 means of suckers. These are produced 

 fairly freely by strong plants. Each 

 sucker should be detached carefully 

 and placed in a small pot by itself 

 in spring, when the older plants are 

 to be repotted. The young sucker 

 plants should be kept close and 

 moist for a few weeks until well 

 established. Afterwards plenty of 

 air and light may be given, combined 

 with judicious watering. Care must 



be taken to shade during very strong 

 sunshine, otherwise the leaves begin 

 to turn yellowish. 



Blandfordias may also be raised 

 from seeds. These should be sown 

 when fully ripe in well-drained pots 

 or pans on a compost of loam, peat, 

 and sand, the upper surface of which 

 has been made fine for the reception 

 of the seeds. Germination is often 

 slow and irregular, but there will be 

 a good many young plants by the 

 following spring. These should be 

 pricked out about 2 ins. apart in a 

 similar compost, and placed in a warm 

 corner of the greenhouse where they 

 can be kept moist, and shaded from 

 strong sunshine. The following 

 spring the young plants will require 

 more space, and may be moved into 

 3-in. or 4-in. pots according to their 

 size. They are grown on thus for 

 another season, and the following 

 spring will be large enough for 5-in. 

 or 6-in. pots, using the compost 

 already mentioned, and making it 

 firm round the roots. 



Plants once established need not 

 be repotted every year, unless the 

 soil has become sour or exhausted. 

 In addition to the ordinary waterings, 

 a little weak liquid manure should 

 be given once or twice a week when 

 the flower-stems begin to show. 



Insects are not very troublesome, 

 greenfly perhaps being the most 

 common pest. This is easily checked 

 by syringing with quassia and tobacco 

 solutions, or by vaporising the green- 

 house. The following are the species 

 and varieties known : 



B. flammea. A fine species 2 to 3 

 ft. high, with grass-like leaves and 

 flowers about \\ ins. long, broad at 

 the throat, narrower towards the 

 base. The colour is rich brownish- 

 red at the base, shading upwards into 

 orange and yellow. There are several 

 varieties, which have been considered 



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