120 SCHOOL AND HOME GARDENS 



The soil should be rich and deep. Cover the crowns 

 of the roots to a depth of two inches, and give them 

 an abundance of water during the growing season. In 

 autumn give the plants a heavy mulch of coarse manure; 

 the following spring remove the coarsest material and 

 fork the fine manure into the soil. During the summer, 

 lawn clippings may be thrown about the plant to retain 

 moisture and keep down weeds and grass under the 

 leaves. 



PINKS 



The sweet William (Dianthus barbatus) grows a foot 

 or more high; the flowers are pink, red, and white. It is 

 common in old gardens, where the roots have stood for 

 years. The rich and variegated flowers produce an excel- 

 lent effect in beds or borders. To obtain strong plants 

 with large blooms it is better to grow from seeds sown 

 early in the spring than to propagate by dividing old 

 roots. Dianthus chinensis produces very fragrant flowers 

 and is an excellent border plant, growing to a height of 

 from six to eight inches. Dianthus plumarius, the double 

 garden pink, has a dwarf and compact habit and bears 

 fragrant double flowers of deep red, pink, and purple- 

 white. It is a good border plant, the blooming period 

 being in May and June. The Scotch pink, with its fringed 

 petals, is an excellent plant for the rock garden. All the 

 dianthuses are quite hardy ; they like the sun and will 

 thrive in any good soil. They may be reproduced either 

 from seed or from roots. 



