Hardy and Half-hardy Plants 



55 



selves, Hollyhocks are very useful. They should be planted about 2 ft. 

 apart, and as they are gross feeders the soil cannot be too rich, and at the 

 same time well drained. When coming into flower they will benefit by 

 occasional doses of weak liquid manure, or some proprietary manure 

 sprinkled over the soil and hoed in 

 where the plants are well established 

 will help them considerably. To have 

 a good supply of bloom open at one 

 time, the tips of the flower stems should 

 be pinched out. This will check further 

 upward growth, with the result that 

 the blossoms will open together. 



There are many single and beautiful 

 double varieties, varying in colour from 

 the purest white to the deepest rose, 

 crimson, mauve, magenta, and purple, 

 and the brightest and softest of yellows; 

 but of blues there is none. At one time 

 specialists gave fancy names to their 

 pet varieties, but nowadays they are 

 designated by colour or by single and 

 double varieties (fig. 209). 



In hot, dry seasons both Red Spider 

 and greenfly are likely to be trouble- 

 some. They may be prevented by 

 syringing the plants freely morning and 

 evening with insecticides or soft-soapy 

 water. The fungus already referred to 

 is checked by syringing with liver-of- 

 sulphur solution (1 oz. to 3 or 4 gal. of 

 water) or by spraying boiling water 

 over the foliage with a fine syringe. 

 Badly infected leaves are best picked 

 off and burnt immediately. 



Honesty. This is the popular name 

 for Lunaria biennis (or L. annua). It 

 is closely related to the Wallflower, and 

 grows 2-3 ft. high, with violet-purple 

 or white flowers in summer. It is 

 grown chiefly for its large roundish 

 seed pods, which, when ripe, have beautiful silvery partitions that sell 

 well during the autumn and winter seasons for harvest festivals, room 

 decorations, &c. The plant, which has large, heart-shaped, coarsely 

 toothed leaves, is raised from seeds sown in shallow drills in April or 

 May to produce flowers and silvery pods the year following. The form 

 with variegated leaves is becoming known as a useful bedding or " dot " 



Fig. 209. Double Hollyhocks 



