Schizanthus Senecio Silene 



have no more elegant half-hardy annuals for specimen culture than 

 the varieties of this very distinct plant. The seed should be sown in 

 heat in March, and the plants can be potted on for flowering in the 

 conservatory, or may be planted out in the open border. But to 

 obtain fine conservatory specimens the seed must be sown in August 

 or September, and this necessitates keeping the plants through the 

 winter in a light, airy house, sufficiently heated to exclude frost. 



SENECIO ELEGANS 



Jacobea. Hardy annual 



THE crimson, purple, rose and white Senecios take the lead for beauty 

 and usefulness. They are remarkably accommodating plants, adapted 

 for beds or the greenhouse. Sow early in a moderate heat, give the 

 seedlings liberal treatment, and when bedded out the plants will 

 produce myriads of bright flowers, until frost puts a stop to them. 

 Any good soil which does not become pasty will suit, and full exposure 

 to sunshine is essential to the production of a rich display of colour. 



SILENE 



Catch-fly. Hardy annual 



NOT one of the hardy annuals has established a better claim to be 

 sown in autumn than the Silenes. Alone, they make a very attrac- 

 tive display, and they can be used with especial effect in beds 

 planted with Daffodils, Hyacinths, and Tulips. While the Daffodils 

 are in full beauty the Silenes clothe the ground with a carpet of 

 green, and after the foliage of the bulbs has been cut off or pinned 

 down the Silenes furnish a fresh display of floral beauty in advance 

 of the summer bedders. 



Silenes do not thrive on heavy damp soils, but the difficulty can 

 be surmounted by keeping pans or boxes under a cold frame until 

 growing weather sets in. The plants do very well in loam, and best 

 of all in a dry sandy soil. The spring sowing should be made in 

 March ; the autumn sowing in August or early in September. 



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