186 JYotices of neic and beautiful Plants, <^"C. 



Corrse^a speciosa is elegant at Mr. To\vne'.«. In Lcguminacea^, Wis- 

 taria Consequann, at Mr. Wilder's, is opening one cluster of flowers, 

 upon a very small plant in a small pot. 



Timely hints to tht Floriculturist. — The season has now so far ad- 

 vanced that the operation of planting the flower borders may now com- 

 mence. From tiie first to the fifteenth of the montli, sowings should 

 be made of all those hardy varieties of annuals which it is desirable to 

 have early in bloom: we do not intend the floriculturist to understand 

 by this that the same seeds, planted later in the season, will not display 

 their blossoms, — far from it; on the contrary, many kinds which are 

 generally sown during the first part of this month, would flower much finer 

 if the operation were delayed a few weeks. Many persons err in sup- 

 posing that it is useless to plant seeds, uidess the same can be got into 

 the ground before the frost is scarcely out in the spring; some of the 

 hardiest annuals should be planted in the fall; but, as a general time to 

 plant half hardy and tender ones, we should say from the fifteenth of 

 this month to the tenth of June. A great number of the fine new Ca- 

 lifornian ones should not be planted till after this last date, as the flow- 

 ers would be burnt up if they appeared in summer. Were this rule 

 adopted for a greater part of all annuals, we should not hear such fre- 

 quent complaints to the seedsmen of the vitalitj' of seeds, as we now do. 

 It may be well hereto remark that all plants with long spindle-shaped 

 roots do not flourish so well after transplanting, and hence such as poppies, 

 eschscholtzias, argemones, larkspurs and others, should be sown in situa- 

 tions where they are to remain to flower for the season. Sweet peas should 

 be well soaked before sowing, as should also cypress vine seeds. Globe 

 amaranthus seeds should be taken out of the hulls, and be soaked 

 twenty-four hours, in milk and water, in a tepid state. Not more than 

 five persons out of fifty ever get up globe seeds, and why? because they 

 are planted, hulls and all, in the open ground, in April or May. 

 After the seeds are soaked sufiiciently, plant them in a warm situation 

 in the border, which time should be the latter part of May or early in 

 June, certainly not before the ground is warm; if there is a hot-bed at 

 hand, the best way is to plant in a box in that. 



By the twentieth of the month, when all danger of frost is over, the 

 borders will be ready to receive many of the plants ^\hich have been 

 grown in the green-house; where there are duplicate geraniums, the 

 same should be turned out into clumps, where they will produce their 

 flowers all summer. Fuchsias should be turned out in the same man- 

 ner; no flowers are prettier than the different species and varieties. 

 For dazzling effect, no plants are better suited than the Salvia splen- 

 dens and fulgens; young plants, struck immediately from cuttings, and 

 planted out about the twentieth, will form large bushes by autumn, and 

 be covered with their scarlet blossoms. <S. involucrata is pretty, but 

 destitute of the brillianc)'^ of the others. Petunia phoenicea and nyc- 

 taginiflora, with all the new varieties of them, should be turned out of 

 pots into a rich part of the border: the eflTect of a bed of the phcpnicea 

 can only be conceived by an inspection of the same. P. nyctaginiflora, 

 trained to a wall or trellis, on a westerly aspect, will present a profuse- 

 ness of fragrant white flowers. The common dark China rose, R. 

 sanguinea, is a most eligible plant for turning into the border; planted 

 in a well manured spot, they will throw uj) strong suckers by autumn, 

 which will be terminated with clusters of from ten to twenty flowers 

 each; the old common China is also well adapted to the same object. 



