BUDS, BLOOM, AND EARLY BIRD 



remarkable sight when in full bloom, and that Rhodes Feb. 

 took a deep interest in them. I fear that we cannot I5~28 

 grow many plants here as they can in South Africa, 

 and yet there are colonies of Hydrangeas in English 

 gardens. I have a recollection of seeing a large colony 

 of them in a Sussex garden in years gone by, and owing 

 to the presence of iron in the soil the flower heads were 

 blue instead of the normal pink. Watering sulphate of 

 iron into the soil tends to change the colour. My 

 immediate object in referring to Hydrangeas is to point 

 out that those amateurs who have plants established in 

 pots may force them into early bloom by putting them 

 in a warm house. They will stand a good deal of heat 

 if they are well rooted. The pots should really be full 

 of roots now, and the plants will need a good deal of 

 water ; a dose of fertiliser once a week will also do 

 them good. If there are two houses the plants may go 

 into the cooler one as soon as they have come into 

 bloom, as the flowers will last better there than in a 

 warm one. 



A Pretty Edging Plant {Koniga or Alysswn). — 

 Low-growing plants of neat habit that have pretty 

 flowers serve a useful purpose as edgings to beds or 

 borders. Such a one is the Variegated Woodruff, Koniga 

 (or Alyssum) Maritima Variegata. This very useful and 

 pretty little plant may be propagated easily at this time 

 of year by those who have put a few stock plants into 

 pots in autumn, together with blue Lobelias. The 

 plants will begin to grow in a warm house, and all 

 that is necessary is to take cuttings consisting of a 

 couple of inches or so of the growing tips, put them 

 just clear of each other in boxes of very sandy soil, 

 cover with a square of glass, and put them in a warm 

 place. As soon as they have started growing they 

 97 G 



