THE GARDEN WEEK BY WEEK 



Sept. sand, with the tips protruding about half an inch, and 

 10-30 plunged in cocoa-nut fibre refuse for about six weeks, 

 then put in a warm house. 



Christmas and Lenten Roses. — We glanced at a few 

 fine varieties of these beautiful plants in an early chapter, 

 and saw that they were well worthy of the attention of 

 all flower lovers. The Christmas Roses (Helleborus 

 Niger and other species and varieties of Helleborus) 

 are particularly valuable, because they produce large 

 flowers — in most cases pure white — in autumn and 

 winter. The Kew plan of colonising them among 

 hardy Ferns out of doors was mentioned. The Fern 

 fronds act as a shelter, and as they decay form a 

 carpet, so that there is no fear of soil being splashed 

 up to stain the purity of the lovely blossoms of the 

 Christmas Roses. Readers who are lovers of hardy 

 Ferns might consider this plan of associating two 

 distinct, yet in their way equally attractive, classes of 

 plant. The combination might be formed in any shaded 

 and sheltered spot. The colony would prove attractive 

 both in summer and winter. September is the best 

 month of the year for planting Christmas Roses. They 

 delight in a deep, cool soil. If they are put in a yard 

 apart there will be plenty of room for planting the Ferns 

 between them in the following spring. For the present, 

 some clean litter may be scattered round the plants 

 when they come into bloom, to act as a protection and a 

 preservative of their purity. 



Poinsettias. — These brilliant plants, struck from por- 

 tions of old stem as advised a few weeks ago, and grown 

 in frames, ought now to be placed in a greenhouse. 



Berry-Bearing Solanums^ planted out of doors in the 

 same way as Arum Lilies, may now be similarly lifted 

 and potted. 



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